Happy Joe's and other excitement!

Holiday time....naturally the holidays tend to kind of revolve around FOOD....which, for a gluten-intolerant person, can be a challenge (and even accompanied by sadness).

My family is becoming increasingly more and more cognizant of my gluten-free lifestyle. I love them for it! Obviously I love them for many more, and more important reasons as well...but their understanding of my need to live a gluten-free life is really a huge blessing to my life.

This was my THIRD gluten-free Christmas...I can hardly believe the time has flown by so quickly! It seems like just yesterday was that October 2008 day when I made up my mind to "quit" gluten "cold turkey"!!

Yesterday (1-1-11!) we had the annual Christmas get-together for my Mom's side of the family. My mom told me that she had seen that Happy Joe's (a yummy pizza place in the Quad City area) now carries gluten free pizza crust!

This is amazing to me for a number of reasons....if you've read much of my blog you know that my biggest gluten-free "sadness" is the lack of pizza. Oh, I love pizza! :) So, knowing of another gluten-free pizza option....is amazing!

Secondly, Happy Joe's brings back good childhood memories for me :). I am fully aware that their pizza may not be the best ever or anything really hugely unique or exciting to some people. However, it is truly nostalgic for me. We didn't go out for pizza much when I was growing up...but when we did, it was typically for Happy Joe's!

I can't wait to check out their ingredients to see what I can eat there! I am hoping for their Canadian bacon...it would be amazing if that was gluten free. That was definitely one of my favorites :).

I felt so loved/taken care of by my mom and sister yesterday...they each had prepared me a little single-serving gluten-free version of dishes that they brought to share at the Christmas party! Megan brought a baked pineapple dish (that was amazing, by the way!). The regular recipe called for a cracker crumble-topping, as well as flour in the dish. She omitted the topping and substituted corn starch for flour in my little single-serving dish. Yum! My mom made a delicious sweet potato casserole (one of my favorites!) and also swapped the flour for corn starch. The entire large dish was gluten free...but she scooped out a little dish for me ahead of time so that it wouldn't get cross-contaminated at the big buffet table! WOW! In addition, she made me a little single-serving dish of a strawberry jello dish that typically has a graham cracker crust (crustless for me). Mmmm! :)

Thanks, family, you are such a gift to me! :)

Why does eating GF have to be so gosh-darn expensive!?

So tomorrow we (the Bloomington Easter Seals SLPs) are having a baby shower for our dear friend (and fellow SLP :)), Abbey. I am bringing dessert. Usually I like to put forth some valiant effort when it comes to hostessing/baking/cooking to entertain or for a party...but I am feeling tired and cheap lately. And, my husband informed me we have met our budget for June and can't spend any money until July (which, thankfully, is just two days away ;)). So, what to make for dessert....I decide to go to Cub food and decided ahead of time that I would be making a NON-GF dessert (I don't care that I can't eat it!)...I ended up buying a funfetti cake mix (mmmm! I used to love those! And they are super girlie and fun! Haha!!!) and a big container of vanilla frosting...for $2.82. What?! I know, I know...to all of you non-GF folk out there, that surely doesn't sound too impressive. But $2.82 for a whole, big dessert that will feed a lot of people!? Unheard of! I haven't been able to pull that off in the past 18 months since going GF! I am pretty proud of my frugal-ness today :).

Ok, Abbey...if you are reading this ;)...you are TOTALLY MORE THAN WORTH a fancy, expensive dessert...and I apologize for being a slacker!!! ;) I am sure you know how it goes, though, being tired and cheap every now and again! ;)

I am totally looking forward to the shower, though!! :)

I love get-togethers like that!! :) I am so thankful to work with such fun, sweet women...I love spending time with them!

Bring on Tuesday!

Happy Gluten Free Anniversary To Me!

So, it was ONE year ago....October 18, 2008....that I made the switch to gluten free! WOW! What a year it has been. 105 blog posts, some baking successes, some failures...new friends...new knowledge...but, best of all....

I am healthy!

I am the healthiest I have ever been in my life. Before this, I never knew what it was like to feel well. I can say with confidence that NOW, I (usually!) truly feel WELL! It is an amazing feeling. I can't believe I made it a year!

No cheating! Not knowingly, anyway! Not even once.

I think I should go bake myself a gluten free cake or something!!! :)

And, just because I want to pat myself on the back again ;)...I successfully finished the Chicago Marathon last Sunday! I could have NEVER fulfilled this dream pre-GF lifestyle. Long story short, I had more than 1...shall we say..."bathroom mis-adventure" while running last summer/fall. Suffice it to say there is absolutely NO WAY I would've EVER been able to make it through a marathon (and probably not even a half marathon) without living GF!

So, I'll say it again...Happy Gluten Free Anniversary to ME!!!!!!



..and, happy wedding anniversary to my parents, who have been married 29 years today! WOW!!!

These are a few of my favorite things...lately

I've neglected this little blog for a while now!
A friend of mine from work asked for some recipes/tips...she is having a GF relative visit next weekend and wants to be sure she is sufficiently prepared to feed him. I decided to take this opportunity to update this blog with some of my recent favorite GF finds and share them with not only her, but the rest of blog-land as well :).

1) Kinnikinnick Foods Inc. Personal Size Pizza Crusts
These things are AMAZING. They come in the freezer section a box of 4 and are DELICIOUS. They are easy to prepare...preheat oven to 375, then bake with your choice of favorite toppings for 10-15 minutes. The crust gets wonderfully crispy and has a great texture. These crusts would be great to have a "build-your-own-pizza" night with kids and grown-ups alike. They are also wonderful to have on hand for a quick, easy meal or snack. I enjoy them with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese...and sometimes pepperoni, yellow and red peppers, mushrooms....ANYTHING, really!
I found them at a Kroger in Peoria...however according to the Kinnikinnick website, they can be purchased online as well. Common Ground Grocer in Bloomington carries Kinnikinnick products, as does Naturally Yours...however I cannot vouch for the presence of this particular product at these grocery stores....worth calling ahead and checking into, if you are interested. If all else fails, they can be ordered from the website.


2) La Tortilla Factory Ivory Teff Wraps
DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS! My friend Jillian actually found these for me...and they are amazing! Another friend, Abbey, brought them to work for a Mexican potluck lunch since she saw them at Meijer (here in Bloomington) and saw that they were gluten free and that I would then be able to enjoy them! I have some wonderful friends :). These were a GREAT find. They are yummy both hot and cold...and are completely versatile. I pop them into the toaster oven with taco meat for an easy burrito (and then top with cheese/sour cream/lettuce, etc. after cooking in the toaster oven)...or enjoy them cold with a variety of sandwich toppings (Boar's Head meats are another one of my GF favorites...available at the deli counter at Kroger on College here in Bloomington)


3) Pamela's Products Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix
I found this one at Meijer here in Bloomington. These are yummy, yummy cookies! My non-GF hubby, Jeremy, actually gobbled them up even faster than me! He's a big fan of chocolate chip cookies, and a big food critic ;)...so if he approves, they HAVE to be good! ;) They are easy to prepare...and delicious. Definitely recommend these for an easy dessert...and a fun one for kids to help prepare, too.



4) I've written about this one a lot...but it's a recipe my husband and I come back to ALL of the time....Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup....
As far as seasoning goes, I use McCormick brand taco seasoning. Many McCormick brand spices are gluten free....as listed in my gluten free grocery shopping guide, and cited on this blog.
I use Tostitos chips, Daisy sour cream, and Kraft shredded cheddar...all gluten free...for the topping of this soup.

5) Chex...
Check out the Chex GLUTEN-FREE section of their website for some AWESOME snack ideas.
YUMMY doesn't even begin to describe these recipes! I've tried a few...but I want to try them ALL! Happy Chex-mixing! :)

Time for bed....perhaps a post with more later this weekend. We'll see ;).

Stonyfield Farms Yogurt

Not only is it delicious, but it is Certified Gluten Free! I do love me some Stonyfield Farms yogurt. My mom introduced me to the Oikos Greek Yogurt, also made by Stonyfield Farms....it isn't yet "certified" gluten free...but it is gluten free (and they are in the process of getting it certified). I've eaten it numerous times and been fine. Read the label for yourself to be sure ;), but I am telling you....it is gluten free. Also, you can print out coupons for their yogurt products.....http://www.stonyfield.com/coupons/new_coupon3.cfm. Their yogurt tends to be a little pricey, so the coupons are great.

Gluten free, organic, delicious, healthy...what more could you want?! :) I have a bunch of Stonyfield Farms yogurt in my fridge (as always!) and so should you :)

Not happy...and I think it's my own fault

I've been using my Celiac disease as an excuse....

I have been bitter. I had to give up wheat/rye/barley, etc., so why should I have to give up anything else? I've been using my Celiac disease as an excuse to eat whatever I want, as long as it is gluten free. Truthfully, I haven't cheated...at least, I haven't cheated by (knowingly) eating anything that contains gluten. However, not to sound cliche, I've been cheating myself.

For most of my adult life (considering post-high school as adult), I have done a fairly good job of eating healthily, exercising, and generally taking care of myself. I have stayed relatively thin and can honestly say there are times (but not recently) when I have felt genuinely happy with the way I looked.

Not anymore, though. While I haven't exactly "let myself go" (I think that's a bit harsh), I definitely have started to let a lot of things slide.

I allow "regular" potato/corn tortilla chips in the house...in fact, I have even been the one to purchase them on occasion! Formerly, if we were going to have chips in the house, they were to be of the baked variety. Well, over the past few weeks we have had multiple bags of regular fried chips in the house...and I have mowed down on them. We've had two cartons of (regular, full-fat (although all-natural and organic! ;))ice cream in the house over the past month or so. It doesn't last long around here, either. I have been generous with our favorite Land O'Lakes butter that I pour on my popcorn (hey, it's an easy gluten-free meal or snack) or slather on my baked potato (the latter was tonight's dinner). I come home for lunch on most work days because I want to prepare a hot meal but I am trying not to use the microwave...but then I end up snacking and grazing through the fridge and eating more than I should at lunch. I've ordered an Alfredo dish at a restaurant and at nearly the entire huge portion (gasp!). I order coffee drinks with whipped cream (I read somewhere that Starbucks' whipped cream adds over 10 grams of fat...SCREAM!). And,to top it off,....I've made excuses that keep me away from the gym some evenings.

Sure I have to skip the bread basket at restaurants. But does that really make up for eating a fatty Alfredo-drenched entree or dressing-doused Caesar salad?! Sure I have to avoid the break room at work that is often filled with donuts, cookies, or brownies. But does that excuse snacking on chocolate, potato chips, or buttery popcorn every afternoon, telling myself "Hey, it's gluten free!"

This stops now.

This isn't about new years' resolutions.

This isn't about getting skinny (well, I'd be lying if I didn't think this would be a perk! I have a bikini to fit into on our trip to AZ in 2 months!).

This is about ceasing to dwell on the things I CAN'T have and beginning to be more thankful for the things I CAN have.

This is about an end to the pity party...I am nipping this in the bud. I am not going to let myself become someone who allows herself to drown feelings in food. Sure, my life seems to revolve around food now...and so be it. However, my choices are going to be more healthy.

~Breakfast will occur within a half hour of waking up.
~Water intake will increase (I've slacked on this since graduate school. Lately I've succumbed to sugary juices, rationalizing the fact that they are FULL of sugar by telling myself, "But it's all-natural fruit sugar!" Right. It's STILL SUGAR!!!). This means I need to get a good water bottle...one that's not putting harmful chemicals into my water, too, I guess!
~Consumption of fresh fruits/veggies will increase
~No more excuses for skipping the gym.

Sure, this sounds all good and nice and warm and fuzzy...but will it stick?