Mushy.

Last night, I acquired this jacket thanks to my wonderful fiance, Aaron Roberts:

It may not seem like a big deal, but this jacket is the jacket of my DREAMS. There is no jacket that I want more than this one. And Aaron helped get it for me. I am the luckiest girl in the whole world. I cannot wait to marry him.

Alright..thats enough mush.

Day 4- Gluten- free pizza!

Hello.

Today has been uneventful with the lack of gluten. I have had a normal day of not eating much just because I'm not very hungry. I had some great yogurt that I've only ever seen at Whole Foods, its call Noosa..and its from Colorado. Its Greek style so it is a little sour and thick and DELICIOUS. I would recommend the honey flavor. It is really great with quinoa and berries. Which is exactly what I had for breakfast. Then I had a trail mix packet and a fruit leather for lunch. Anyway- Aaron suggested we make a gluten-free pizza for dinner tonight. It sounds lovely. I live close to a Whole Foods so I think we'll stop by there and grab one. I wonder what the crust will taste like..They probably make it with a rice flour so hopefully the crust will be nice and crispy. I am excited. I will write tomorrow about how it turned out. Being gluten-free is easy! (so far...)

Day 2 and half of Day 3

Well, Day 2 went well. It helped that I had the day off so I had plenty of time to plan my meals. I am currently house sitting for a dear friend in Riverton, which just happens to be the same city that Aaron works for. YAY. So I was able to arrange to have lunch with him. It is such a rare occasion that we get to because we work 40 minutes away from each other every day. It always makes me so happy. Its a nice little break in the day. ANYWAY- I ordered some Thai food from my friend's Thai restaurant. I wanted the yellow curry and Aaron wanted the Pad Siew. What I love most about ethnic foods is that it is the norm for you to order them vegetarian. I was a vegetarian for about 8 years before I started to eat some select meats again. But there is always a special place in my heart for tofu. I will always choose tofu over meat.

I also love that a lot of ethnic foods are just naturally gluten free. They often use rice noodles instead of wheat and dishes are served with rice instead of noodles or bread. Also, the majority of their dishes aren't fried or breaded, which can house gluten. We went to dinner with my best friend and her fiance this past weekend to a great Indian place called Royal India. When asking the owner (we think) about his gluten free menu, he cheerfully told us that there were only a few things on the menu that HAD gluten. It was refreshing. I had my choice of almost any dish I wanted. I think being gluten free fits right into Aaron and I's lifestyle because we love trying new and exotic foods as well as shopping at Whole Foods. ha. There is a new Asian store going in close to our houses so we are excited to try out some new products that are gluten free and delicious.

It is only one o'clock on Day 3 but so far it is going well. I had the rest of the Thai food for breakfast. Convenient. I am going to dinner with a friend tonight, which might pose a challenge but I am sure I can find something wherever we go. I will write tomorrow.

Ciao!

Day 1 (so far)

I doubt anyone is reading this, so I guess blogging is more for my benefit than anyone else. Anyway- today was my first official day on the gluten-free diet. I had been trying out gluten-free meals during the weekend and it really isn't that hard. It just takes a lot of thought, which can be a hard thing for me because when I'm hungry..I'M HUNGRY. so. That will take some working on.

I find that MOST foods are gluten-free. Fruits, veggies, hot dogs, yogurt, eggs, milk, potato chips(for the most part)..etc. So it really isn't that hard. Today for breakfast I had greek yogurt, homemade gluten-free granola, and some fruit. Then for lunch I had popcorn. So simple. I even dissected a cafe rio tostada in my mind and I can't think of anything that has gluten in it besides maybe the dressing. It is only gluten free if you get the corn tortilla and not the regular one. But the tostadas just come with a corn tortilla. Lettuce, cheese, rice, beans, (meat), dressing..I'll have to look up the dressing. Sometimes mayo has gluten, or just salad dressings in general. So we'll have to see about that. Well, I will stop myself from writing an entire paragraph about cafe rio. Even though I could. But its making me hungry.

So day 1: So far so good. No Wheat in sight :)

Experiment

I have been MIA from my blog for about...7 months. Ha. Life has just been crazy and to be honest, I didn't feel like I had much to talk about. But in the last few months, I've received some thought-provoking information. At my cousin's wedding back in June, I had the pleasure of seeing my other cousin and her husband who currently live in Ashland, OR. I just enjoy them so much that I couldn't stop talking to them. While we were talking, she mentioned that she and her husband had gone gluten-free. Neither of them have Celiac disease so I asked why they decided to make the change. My cousin divulged that she did it to deal with her PMS symptoms, and her husband is a diabetic. She said she has seen so many positive changes in both of their lives after making that change. Her husband has lost weight, and she has had an easier time with her womanly time of the month.

If you're reading this blog, then you probably know me. And to know me is to know that I have no hesitation in sharing too much information. If you wish to not know some personal things about me, then stop reading.

Anyway- Lately, I have been having problems with PMS. I thought there was no solution besides just dealing with it and hoping Aaron won't leave me. WELL- after talking with my cousin, I now have one option to try. Gluten-free. Considering 98% of my usual diet is carbs, I used to see this as an insurmountable task. But after doing some light research, I see now that it is do-able. And is also something I have to try. I love a good challenge and hopefully it'll be the solution. I have decided to blog about my experience and share my thoughts. I am going to try it for 60 days. That is a good two months which will help me accurately gauge my symptoms. If anyone has any comments or suggestions, they would be welcome. I found about 5 or 6 gluten-free recipe/advice blogs that have been extremely helpful. If you aren't familiar with what gluten-free means, here is a good summary I found online:

Gluten-free diet

By Mayo Clinic staff

Definition

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye.

A gluten-free diet is used to treat celiac disease. Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications.

Initially, following a gluten-free diet may be frustrating. But with time, patience and creativity, you'll find there are many foods that you can eat and enjoy while observing a gluten-free diet.

Purpose

The gluten-free diet is a treatment for celiac disease.

Diet details

Always avoid
In order to avoid eating gluten, avoid food and drinks containing:

• Barley
• Bulgur
• Durham
• Farina
• Graham flour
• Kamut
• Matzo meal
• Rye
• Semolina
• Spelt (a form of wheat)
• Triticale
• Wheat

Avoid unless labeled 'gluten free'
Avoid these foods unless they're labeled as gluten free or made with corn, rice, soy or other gluten-free grain. Also check the label to see that they're processed in a facility that is free of wheat or other contaminating products:

• Beers
• Breads
• Candies
• Cakes and pies
• Cereals
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Croutons
• Gravies
• Imitation meats or seafood
• Oats
• Pastas
• Processed luncheon meats
• Salad dressings
• Sauces (including soy sauce)
• Self-basting poultry
• Soups

Certain grains, such as oats, can be contaminated with wheat during growing and processing stages of production. It's not clear whether oats are harmful for most people with celiac disease, but doctors generally recommend avoiding oats unless they are specifically labeled gluten free. The question of whether people eating a gluten-free diet can consume pure oat products remains a subject of scientific debate.

Many other products that you eat or that could come in contact with your mouth may contain gluten. These include:

• Food additives, such as malt flavoring, modified food starch and others
• Lipstick and lip balms
• Medications and vitamins that use gluten as a binding agent
• Play dough
• Toothpaste

Cross-contamination also may occur anywhere ingredients come together, such as on a cutting board or a grill surface. You may be exposed to gluten by using the same utensils as others, such as a bread knife, or by sharing the same condiment containers — the condiment bottle may touch the bun, or a knife with bread crumbs may contaminate a margarine stick or mayonnaise jar.

Allowed foods
There are still many basic foods allowed in a gluten-free diet. With all foods, check to see that each is labeled gluten free or call the manufacturer to double-check.

Grains and starches allowed in a gluten-free diet include:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn
• Cornmeal
• Gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean)
• Hominy grits
• Polenta
• Pure corn tortillas
• Quinoa
• Rice
• Tapioca

Check the label when buying amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa. These can be contaminated with gluten during processing.

Other gluten-free foods include:

• Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
• Fruits
• Most dairy products
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Vegetables
• Wine and distilled liquors, ciders and spirits

An increasing number of gluten-free products, such as bread and pasta, are becoming available. If you can't find them in your area, check with a celiac support group or on the Web. Gluten-free substitutes are available for many gluten-containing foods, from brownies to beer. Many specialty grocery stores sell gluten-free foods.

I am very excited to start this experiment and I hope it goes well. I have Aaron supporting me (I think hes going to try it too) and that will make the biggest difference. I am going to start on August 1st. It is hard for me to start new things on days that aren't either on a Monday or the first of the month. Luckily, in this case, Monday is the first! How convenient. I will blog again on that day. Ciao!

:)

Well, since my chicken and dumplings soup went so well, I decided to just let the pictures speak for themselves..:)

:) Love.

Thanks for cleaning up, Ma.

Puppy Bear was no help, but so cute.

ill.

For the last couple of days (ish), I have been feeling ill. And not the good kind of ill that they talk about in rap songs. Bad ill. Stomach ill. The kind of ill that makes eating make me sick..for the most part. BUT I decided to still try a new recipe for this week. The one thing that makes everyone feel better when they're sick is chicken noodle soup, right? So I decided to a make chicken and dumplings soup thing. Sometimes dumplings are hard but I love these simple recipes because they are so...well, simple. Here is the recipe I'm going to try:

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 leek (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 rotisserie chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), meat shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it darken).
3. Stir in the broth, wine, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and reduce to a simmer.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of flour, baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in the sour cream and egg.
5. Drop full tablespoons of the dough into the stew and cook, covered, until the dumplings are plump and cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the soup with the dill before serving.

Looks delicious. I'm sure mine won't look as good, but I can try.

Things I love (well, a few)..

1. Interesting, thought-provoking, and amazing quotes. Such as:

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand." -- Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit.

2. President Obama and the way he speaks.

Every time I see/hear President Obama speak, I am so grateful that we now have a President who is well spoken, intelligent and doesn't make our country look like a bunch of idiots for electing him. Thank you, President Obama. You rock.



3. The New York Times and NPR.

Pure love. I can't go one day without, at the very least, scanning their website for interesting articles. I almost always find something interesting to read. The same goes for NPR. The best facebook decision I ever made was to "friend" NPR. Their articles come right up on the news feed and its the greatest. They make me laugh and keep me informed...what more could I ask for?!

One article that blew me away by was this one:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/fashion/09Modern.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

If you haven't read it, do it now. <3 <3

4. Modern medicine. Or modern anything.

My lovely best friend in the whole world said it best when she said she wanted "to kiss modern medicine on the lips". I have taken advantage of so many things that weren't around 60 years ago. I feel like I was meant to live in this time because I literally would not have made it to 22 if I didn't. Aaron always talks about the concept of Survival of the Fittest and how he is sure he would have survived if he lived when that concept was a reality. Well I am absolutely POSITIVE I would have died 10 minutes in. Without vaccinations, canned baby food, diapers, toys that make noise and light up, indoor plumbing, heating and air conditioning and a cell phone I never would have made it here. I never would have made it as a pioneer. I am grateful everyday that I was born in the time of ipods.

5. Kefir.

I love kefir for many reasons. Some of which I won't mention here..because. But I love it. I would like to thank Kristen for introducing it to me. It is creamy, sweet and it fills me up. It helps reduce my cravings for Kit Kats and Twix and for that I am extremely thankful. If you haven't tried it, you should! They sell it at Harmon's and it isn't TOO expensive. I recommend the Strawberry and Aaron really likes the peach.

YUM.

6. Songs that make my heart race.

I love a lot of songs. But only very select few can make my heart beat faster than normal. Along with a faster heart rate, they empower me. They excite me. Some example of these songs are:

The Dog Days Are Over
Florence + The Machine

I am in love with this song. I can't get enough of how it makes me feel.

Never Going Back Again
Fleetwood Mac

This song means a lot to me. Plus her voice is so lovely.

Sweet Disposition
The Temper Trap

I have listened to this song at least once a day for the last year. I will never get sick of it.



Ants Marching
Dave Matthews Band

All you have to do is listen and you'll know what I mean.

The Cave
Mumford & Sons

Probably the most powerful one for me. The music..the lyrics. Its perfection. It makes my heart SOAR.

That is it for now.

Running in circles.

Since Monday's dinner was such a disaster, I am going to try again. Not with the stuffed mushrooms...never again with the stuffed mushrooms. But I've found a pretty simple recipe for Parmesan polenta that I've been dying to try for a while. While I was researching polenta, I found that most of the foods its served with are meat. Since I am meatless (poultry and red meat), I decided that I would serve it with a salmon burger. Its a delicious protein that I can eat so I think it will be a good idea. I wish I had more money so I could actually purchase the salmon and other things to make the salmon burgers by scratch but I don't. I am going to cheat and just grill up some salmon burgers from Costco. They are SO good. So its fine. I am, however, going to make a nice honey mustard sauce to go on the salmon burgers. And I think I will cook some broccoli because it sounds damn good right now. I think this meal will go a lot better than the last one did. Well...I can only hope. Here are the recipes for the polenta and the honey mustard sauce:

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 cup instant polenta
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Bring 4 cups of water and the salt to a boil in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, add in the polenta. Cook, still stirring constantly, until the polenta thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and butter. Cover and set aside until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Stir again before serving.

SOOOO easy. :)

Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pound fillet salmon, skin on
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 bunch watercress, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk together the mustards, honey, horseradish, mint and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before using. Can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated but do not add the mint until just before using. Bring to room temperature before using.

Heat the grill to high.

Brush the salmon with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on the grill, skin side down, and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking, place the watercress and onion in a medium bowl, add the vinegar and oil and salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer the salad to a platter, top with the salmon fillet and drizzle each fillet with the mustard sauce.

I feel confident today. And it sounds really good.

2011 is going very well so far. Only 12 days in but so far so good.

One part of 2011 I'm excited for is getting back into running. I haven't run much since April of last year for several reasons, none of which are valid. I have the type of running personality where it is so much easier for me to run if I am running FOR something. I like to have goals, which usually come in the form of races. I LOVE training for races. They are a huge motivation for me. If I don't have a race, its hard for me to just run. Which is weird because of how much I love running. Who knows. BUT I registered for my first race since my marathon (one year later). I am REALLY excited about it. I love the SLC half marathon. It has a special place in my heart (and legs). I've been running it since it started and I would feel awful if I let a year go by that I didn't run it. I have hopes of running a second race at maybe the end of the summer. This will help me continue my running over the summer and hopefully stay in shape. Running helps me in so many ways, I cannot believe I have neglected it for so long. Never again, I promise. I have a feeling I'm going to need running a lot in the next year or so. Just to stay sane. I'm going to make a true effort to do it at least 3 times a week.

At the end of this blog, I'd just like to say how blessed I am. I have the most wonderful life. I have my best friend home from her mission, several other close friends who are home as well and a wonderful group of other friends. I don't know how I got so lucky to have them all but I know that they are in my life for a reason. I've also been really lucky to find Aaron (again, I suppose). At the risk of sounding super mush-ville, I just want to say that I know he was meant to be in my life. There are things I can't do without him. I love him. Sigh. I am finding more and more that being in love means losing control. It isn't a bad thing, just something I have to get used to. I'm thankful for the love and support of my family. I haven't always been the easiest child, but they've put up with me and I couldn't ask for more. I'm so grateful that I was given the opportunity to get an amazing education. There are so many people in the world who will never have the opportunities that I do, and I hope I can take advantage of them.

The end.

Love.

Baby
It’s been a long day, baby.
Things ain’t going my way
you know I need you here
here by my side
all of the time

And Baby, the way you move me its crazy.
it’s like, you see right through me, you make it easier,
You please me and you don’t even have to try.

oh because,
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
ever happened to me

Baby,
We’ve come a long way, baby.
you know, I hope and I pray that you believe me
When I say this love will never fade away

oh because
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
ever happened to me

Now both of us have known love before,
To come on up promising, like the spring, just walk on out the door.
Our hearts are kind and are hearts are strong.
well, let me tell you what exactly is on my mind.

you are the best thing
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
ever happened to me

you are the best thing
you are the best thing
you are the best thing
ever happened to

-Ray LaMontagne

Fail.

Well I tried the mushrooms...and FAIL. At first, everything was going very smoothly..

I had all the ingredients, and I had read the recipe about...10 times. Needless to say, I was feeling very confident.


Then came.... the eating part. Which..started out fine. The mushrooms were okay. Not my favorite, which was surprising because more than 75% of the filling was cheese. YES PLEASE. Then I started realizing this after taste that started making me gag a little...and I could immediately spot what it was. The onion powder. This realization sparked another realization..ONIONS ARE GOOD FOR NOTHING. Besides onion rings on occasion. So if anyone wants to try this recipe I would just forgo the onion powder. Other than that though, I really liked the mushrooms..minus the gagging at the end. Any meal that ends with spoonfuls of Nutella can never be too awful. So I would always recommend that.

Also, I'm trying to figure out how to post the pictures nicely..so hopefully my next few posts will be a little better looking. I feel like me and blogging are going to have a wonderful, long lasting relationship full of time wasting. Mostly because of my narcissism. And boredom.

Monday.

I have decided that every Tuesday I am going to try a new dinner recipe. This is just one part of a goal I have to become more domestic. I can't say for sure why exactly I feel the need to be domestic...it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a woman though. I don't feel its something I HAVE to do, but more that I want to be good at more things. Everyone likes people with lots of skills. Anyway-

Tonight I am going to try an Italian-ish recipe. Aaron gave me the idea for some sort of stuffed mushrooms. He always picks the most difficult ideas. But now I'm determined to do it. I have a just-challenging-enough recipe. Here it is:

• 12 whole fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.
3. When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Pretty easy, right?

I'm sure I'll find some way to screw it up. Just like when I screwed up instant jello pudding. Or the fish nuggets.

Besides cooking skills, I'm also trying to become more frequent with my cleaning. Too bad my mom can't read this blog- she probably has no idea what a blog is, let alone how to turn the internet on (her words..not mine)- because she would be so proud. I am starting to realize more and more how important it is to be clean and keep things tidy. Picking up my room, wiping off the bathroom counters, doing my dishes right after I use them, doing laundry frequently..etc. I figure these things can only help me when I eventually have my own house and can't rely on my Mother to remember to wash my towels or yell at me to do the dishes. I will miss that.

I am looking forward to 2011. There are a lot of great things happening in my life currently. I am excited to take the GRE, explore schools and fill out some applications. It makes me nervous to think about there I'll be this time next year, but I hope its somewhere fun and exciting. I am devoting this year to preparing myself for my future. Volunteering, getting work experience (hopefully), getting in shape, not letting my brain go to mush (this will probably be difficult), and getting into a grad school that I want (or any grad program, really). Education is so important to me. I know that education is the key that opens the door to the life I want. Sounds cheesy but its so true. I'm surrounded by people who are very supportive of my decisions and I'm so grateful for that. I'm so happy that 2011 is here and I have all my friends back from their missions and I'm very happy I have Aaron. Yes, 2011 will be very good.