New blog!

Hello All (I'm not actually sure who actually follows this..)

But anyway! I have started a new blog with my man friend named Aaron. It will be updated more often so if you would like to follow it, just let me know (you can just comment on here or something) and I can send you an invite! I promise it will be exciting! (okay, I can't promise that but still..humor me..)

Thanks guys!
Let me know!

Em

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.