Who cares!

Completely frustrating day but I have to realize that there are other people that are out that have so many more challenges then I could even imagine. The last thing I was concerned about today was food.

Menu:

Breakfast – Banana Muffin

Lunch – Turkey and Salami brown rice wrap

Snack – 2 mandarin oranges

Dinner – chili with ground turkey, yellow and orange mini peppers, garbanzo beans, black beans, chili powder, salt, pepper. Red leaf salad with carrots, avocado, garbanzo beans and Cape Cod all Natural raspberry vinaigrette.

Dessert – Chocolate Chips

Happy Thoughts: Cape Cod all Natural raspberry vinaigrette.

Special Stuff: Book of Yum is just a great name! http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/gluten-free-dairy-free-banana-bread-recipe-4022.html

Other Notables: http://www.thewholegang.org/

Got to get balanced!

Taco Tuesday! Now that I am slowly starting to get a handle on all of this I want to make sure that what I am eating is healthy. I don’t want to start eating a ton of high fat foods and just anything that I can get my hands on. Before it was just a task finding food I can eat now I need a balanced diet!

Breakfast – Banana Muffin

Lunch – quinoa with avocado

Snack – apple

Dinner – Tacos - Corn tortillas with turkey meat (cumin, cayenne, oregano, lime, salt and pepper) and black beans.

Dessert - Chocolate Sorbet

Happy Thoughts: cookie bars and pizza dough

Special Stuff: http://www.gicare.com/diets/Gluten-Free.aspx

Other Notables: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/04/gluten-free-cheat-sheet-how-to-go-g.html

Grill

Found this interesting Apricot Mango grilling sauce with a little kick to it. I am definitely searching for ways to change things up a little. I am using it just like a BBQ or normal grilling sauce and will grill some veggies.

I found this one at Bristol Farms which is a local grocery store that carry’s cool random all natural stuff that I can try. This was a good risk.

Menu:

Breakfast – Trader Joes Vanilla Granola

Lunch – Turkey and Salami brown rice wrap

Snack – White Chocolate Macadamia Luna bar

Dinner – Chicken Strips with Apricot Mango grilling sauce

Dessert – Coconut Bliss Vanilla Ice Cream

Happy Thoughts: There are people who face the challenges of what foods to eat everyday and providing feedback and resources for others is appreciated!

Special Stuff: I found this vegan website that gives some insight on what to eat out and what it means to be vegan. http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm#when

Other Notables: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-diet-not-big-on-meatw-sweets

Golf and Muffins

Going golfing today and the day will be long so I definitely had to plan ahead with food. It was great because everyone was jealous of my wrap which made me feel like I had something good and special! Golf didn’t go as great as I hoped but food was a non-issue and normal. Actually it was extra cool!

Breakfast – Oatmeal with half almond milk/rice milk and flax seed meal.

Menu:

Breakfast – Oatmeal with almond milk and dried cherries

Lunch – Turkey and salami wrap with avocado and red leaf lettuce.

Snack – Raw – Chocolate Brownie bar

Dinner – Black beans and Rice

Dessert – Vegan Chocolate Chips

Happy Thoughts: There are muffins in my future!

Special Stuff: http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/

Other Notables: Roger Dunn will fix your broken clubs in case you break one.

April Fools!

I went to the doctor to discuss my successes and failures with the new diet. I let her know that I am rocking this thing and am going to get healthy! She talked through my challenge which was nice and since I am doing so good decided to add a liver cleanse and flax meal in my diet regularly. Best news of all she said I can start challenging foods on April 1^st…no joke!

Breakfast - Watermelon

Lunch – Chicken and brown rice tortilla, carrots and strawberries

Snack – Homemade Trail Mix

Dinner – Ginger Chicken with broccoli and rice

Dessert : Silk Chocolate Soy Milk

Happy Thoughts: minus 27 days

Special Stuff: http://www.freywine.com/blog.html

Other Notables: http://www.julesglutenfree.com/

Challenges

You know what inspires me more than anything is being told I can’t do something and that it is a challenge. I know that eventually if I keep working hard, have a kind heart, and continue to work hard eventually I will succeed.

Mexican food is probably my favorite thing to eat right now. I miss salsa everyday…especially considering the joke was that I would eat all the salsa. When I visit my parents my dad is known for putting butter on everything so much so that the joke is that if you’re looking for the butter just ask my dad. My niece has even thought about making a butter sculpture for his birthday! That is how I feel about salsa.

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Almond milk and Vanilla

Lunch – missed lunch L

Snack – Homemade Trail Mix

Dinner – Fish Tacos – Halibut, lime, cilantro, avocado, lettuce and tofutti sour cream

Dessert : Silk chocolate soy milk

Happy Thoughts: http://www.lonelyplate.org/

Special Stuff: http://latortillafactory.com/resources.aspx

Other Notables: http://www.glutenfreeislife.com/?p=2425

Hangover...

There is nothing like curing a hangover with eggs and toast but that is not an option for me so I am improvising with left over crumb cake. I think it was actually better today than right out of the oven because it had a chance to settle and was not so crumbly like a lot of gluten free baked goods.

To top off the day I am having some butternut squash soup and salad. The recipe on food network is great and you can easily cut the recipe in half without compromising the taste of the recipe. I recommend it!

Menu:

Breakfast – cinnamon crumb cake (see previous blog for recipe)

Snack - rice crackers and pear

Lunch – turkey and brown rice tortilla wrap

Snack – trail mix and raw bar

Dinner – butternut squash soup (Bare Foot Contessa’s recipe) chicken with Italian seasoning on greens salad with walnuts and cranberries

Dessert : Silk Chocolate Soy Milk

Happy Thoughts: Quote: “I am going to give it all I have and then I am going to give it all I don’t have” –Biggest Loser Contestant.

Special Stuff: The best way to break into any new way of living or food is to explore your options by checking out books from the library to find the best cookbooks and then go on Amazon to purchase the ones you want!

Other Notables: One Dish Vegetarian Meals by Robin Robertson. This book has a lot of good ideas for a quick one course meal that packs a punch!

N e " 0V W st 1 Accent 3"/>

I love celebrating birthdays. There is something about the life of another person especially someone who means the world to you. What has been so re-enforcing about this process of eliminating foods is how receptive the waiters and waitresses have been at the restaurants. Everyone that I have encountered so far has been more than helpful to make sure I had something great to eat.

Menu:

Breakfast - Almond Milk oatmeal with dried cherries and fresh bananas

Lunch – carrot, bean sprout, brown rice, black bean salad and a soy latte

Snack – pear and trail mix with almonds dried cherries, apricots, coconuts, and vegan choc chips

Dinner – chicken tacos with onions guacamole and a lime margarita or two

Dessert – Emeril’s vegan chocolate chip brownies

Happy Thoughts: found some great grilling recipes for cilantro lime chicken J in Emeril’s new book

Special Stuff: Adding an apple to butternut squash soup makes it a special treat!

Other Notables: Sprinkles the local cupcake place has a gluten and dairy free cupcake.

Birthdays!

I love celebrating birthdays. There is something about the life of another person especially someone who means the world to you. What has been so re-enforcing about this process of eliminating foods is how receptive the waiters and waitresses have been at the restaurants. Everyone that I have encountered so far has been more than helpful to make sure I had something great to eat.

Menu:

Breakfast - Almond Milk oatmeal with dried cherries and fresh bananas

Lunch – carrot, bean sprout, brown rice, black bean salad and a soy latte

Snack – pear and trail mix with almonds dried cherries, apricots, coconuts, and vegan choc chips

Dinner – chicken tacos with onions guacamole and a lime margarita or two

Dessert – Emeril’s vegan chocolate chip brownies

Happy Thoughts: found some great grilling recipes for cilantro lime chicken J in Emeril’s new book

Special Stuff: Adding an apple to butternut squash soup makes it a special treat!

Other Notables: Sprinkles the local cupcake place has a gluten and dairy free cupcake.

Cook with Love!

My mom had always been an amazing cook and every time I try to get a recipe from her she doesn’t measure so it makes it absolutely impossible to create food as amazing. Any great cook with a signature recipe seems to operate the same way. Making my mother’s food is very humbling and I think the best advice she has ever given me is to add love and cook with happiness. It’s the best advice I can offer anyone. Love what you do and what you produce will always be unlike anything else.

Menu:

Breakfast: Rice Crispy’s and bananas

Lunch: Turkey with Rice Crackers Crunch Masters

Dinner: Chicken Jambalaya

Happy Thoughts: http://lovemeglutenfree.blogspot.com/

Special Stuff: Mom’s Chicken Jambalaya - Cook onions until translucent then add chicken and seasoning (cayenne, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, onion flakes, sugar, and red pepper flakes). Then add celery, carrots, orange pepper, yellow pepper, jalapeno pepper, and black beans. Add chicken stock until it covers everything and add a handful of rice. Cook for 30 min.

Other Notables: Check out this book :

Gluten-Free With Love by Tricia Fecteau

Valentine's Day Brownies!

Its Valentine’s Day which means I need chocolate so I am giving Emeril’sBrownies a shot. They were different but very satisfying and good. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/emerils-brownies.html The recipe made me a little nervous because there were not any "different ingredients" that you normally see with gluten and dairy free recipes (with the exception of brown rice flour) and they turned out great. I added a little gluten and dairy free vanilla ice cream and they were perfect!

This weekend was great. I made it through without complete awkwardness with my very good friends and am so happy that I can entertain with food, without it being too weird. I guess it would be harder to go to someone’s house as a guest.

I see the doctor this week as a follow up on my progress. If I get to introduce anything, guess what it is……Yeast! I think she will be surprised I actually cut everything on my list out of my diet. Come to think about it I am fairly surprised myself.

Menu:

Breakfast – Steel Cut Oats with Almond Milk and Vanilla

Lunch – Nachos with black beans and guacamole.

Snack - Edamame

Dinner – Turkey Burgers – Coconut aminos, fresh ginger, green onions, salt pepper, olive oil, and cayenne pepper .

Dessert : Brownies with coconut bliss vanilla ice cream J

Happy Thoughts: Found some gluten and dairy free crackers that are low fat and good. (Crunch Master baked rice crackers sesame. They are scrumptious! (or they are just good because I have not had any real good stuff in a while). I see how you can be converted. Anything close to what you remember is good is amazing…even brown rice crackers!

Special Stuff: Emeril naturally makes a lot of gluten free and dairy free foods so check out his recipes on food network and his cookbooks!

Other Notables: Check out author Jean Duane. She has recipes for baking gluten and dairy free!

Cinnamon Crumb Cake

I ate a lot of normal food today and was able to share it with friends without them really noticing a difference. I was so worried about today and how it was going to be just because of the food. It was a challenge to find a way to season the chicken but we finally were able to try something new that I enjoyed. I look forward to more adventures tomorrow.

Breakfast – Cinnamon Crumb Cake…yum!

Lunch – Black beans, corn, avocado, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper with corn chips, cheese and salami..

Snack – Raw cherry and cashew bar, and Anjou pear.

Dinner – Chicken (rice vinegar, honey, cilantro, red pepper flakes) with broccoli and sweet potato. We first made a sauce with sesame oil, coconut aminos, cilantro, honey, salt and pepper but I realize I don’t like sesame oil. All this time I thought it was tahini.

Happy Thoughts: I can bake with the all purpose flour I made today(brown rice flour, corn starch and tapioca flour) J

Special Stuff: Emeril naturally makes a lot of gluten free and dairy free foods so check out his recipes on food network and his cookbooks!

Other Notables: Elizabeth Hasselback from the view is vegan and wrote a book. Anyone heard of it?

Changing my Routine.

I planned to run some quick errands at lunch today. I had to go to the library and post office and thought I could pick something up for lunch…HA! I tried to go to a local deli that I use to grab lunch if needed and was stuck staring at the menu because I could not get anything.

I made it back to work and just had apples, almond butter and carrots. I am going to be starving by dinner time and planned to stop at whole foods to get some stuff so I can bake tomorrow.

Whole foods is a great store but they are breaking my budget. I found the stuff for the crumb cake for tomorrow and will let you know how it goes.

MENU

Breakfast – TJ Granola (so sick of this)

Lunch – Luna White Chocolate Macadamia protein bar, carrots.

Snack – Mandarin oranges, apple with almond butter (and this), Carrots.

Dinner – Chicken fajitas (salt, pepper, cayenne, lime, onion flakes, cumin, chili powder) with corn tortillas, black beans and guacamole.

Happy Thoughts: Making Cinnamon Crumb Cake tomorrow!

Special Stuff: Check out this blog! http://www.thebitchstoppedcooking.blogspot.com/

Other Notables: The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal….I checked this out from the library and am now going to buy it! It is amazing…easy and practical. It is not full of recipes that you will actually use.

Light, Crisp and Fresh.

I think I can….I think I can….I think I can…..

I am planning to have guests this weekend and am struggling with how to cook for them and myself without it being awkward and too noticeable. I have always loved to entertain and “break bread” with friends and family. There is nothing like connecting over a meal and talking about life and the world as we know it.

I look forward to the next two days but am nervous about what we will eat. Stay tuned!

MENU

Breakfast – TJ Granola Soy vanilla latte

Snack – apple with almond butter

Lunch – salad with chicken and papaya dressing from veggie grill/turkey

Snack – Mandarin oranges

Dinner – Coconut Shrimp with coconut milk, lime, cayenne, salt and pepper. Broccoli with coconut aminos.

Happy Thoughts: My sis is sending me a waffle recipe we will see how they taste!

Special Stuff: Here is a special recipe from gluten free girl…it seems as if I am not the only one who is craving cinnamon rolls! The only problem is this recipe has eggs…but I am one step closer! http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/gluten-free-cinnamon-rolls.html

Other Notables: Here is a south beach Florida influenced recipe. On food network last night I watched how four chefs competed to cook a meal influenced by south beach Florida. All of the recipes were fresh, clean and crisp yet substantial. I think I have a chance to eat some of these type of foods. Below is a recipe I found for sweet potatoes (minus the garlic and lemon and I am good to go!).

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/fl-valentines-ss-r6-021109-20100210,0,7285789.story

No baked goods is killing me!

It has been two weeks and I just have not made the adjustment to this lifestyle yet. My biggest challenge is getting enough nutrients while keeping my weight consistent. This is a lot more challenging than I ever anticipated but if you think about it I am not eating any baked goods, no dairy and no alcohol which were basics.

MENU

Breakfast – TJ Granola Soy vanilla latte

Snack – apple with almond butter

Lunch – salad with chicken and papaya dressing from veggie grill/turkey

Snack – Mandarin oranges

Dinner – Spicy Turkey Burgers (cumin, oregano, cayenne, mancheco cheese) with sweet potato fries and asparagus.

Happy Thoughts: I think I am going to give baking a shot this weekend!

Special Stuff: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/02/in-the-kitchen-with-andrea-nguyen.html

Other Notables: http://www.freywine.com/

Organic wine? Is this for real? I will let you know!

Breakdown

Breakdown on taco Tuesday! It was tough to go out with friends and not be able to drink or eat because the food was pre-made. When I got home it was difficult just to throw something together to eat and I felt completely helpless. It was a weak moment for me and I just wanted to eat something healthy that was fulfilling without cooking a complete meal.

This is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge. I have run three marathons and the thing that always kept me going was that I have done this before and it was going to be over in less than four hours. I also would think to myself of what I already accomplished rather than what was ahead. I think I just need to change my mindset and think of what I have already accomplished.

MENU

Breakfast – TJ granola

Snack – Apple and mandarin oranges

Lunch – Brown rice wrap with salami

Dinner –corn chips, Rice, Black Beans and avocado.

Happy Thoughts: Yogurt comes in coconut form and can be used to replace buttermilk or eggs J

Special Stuff: http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes.php

Other Notables: Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer is best when mixed with liquid before adding to your recipe.

Plan ahead....

Traveling and eating is not easy. I had snacks that help me up for the first part of the day but didn’t have enough for plane delays. Finding food in the airport was tough. The only option I had was dried fruit for $8 a bag. Having a plan for dinner or a meal coming up is one thing but having to plan every meal every day is wearing on me very quickly.

MENU

Breakfast – Oatmeal with cranberries and bananas

Snack – protein bar

Lunch – TJ’s Granola

Dinner – Chicken with salt pepper coconut oil and Italian seasoning and broccoli

Dessert – Vanilla Granola

Happy Thoughts: My sister is going to make me some pumpkin muffins to my specs!

Special Stuff: http://www.gilliansfoods.com/Retailers_page.html

Other Notables: Bob’s Red Mill has recipes on the website.

super bowl

It was a tough day today. When you think of super bowl all the great snack foods are what you look forward to eating. Pizza, Chips, Salsa, Beer, etc…Also it is Sunday and I love baking bread, cinnamon rolls, crepes and more but not today.

They say you always want what you can’t have but this is just too much!

Menu

Breakfast – Rice Crispys and almond milk

Snack – mandarin oranges and strawberries

Lunch – Nachos with black beans, sheeps milk cheese, guacamole.

Dinner – Vegan Chili via Ellen’s website: http://ellen.warnerbros.com/recipes/snacks_1/vegan-nachos-vegan-chili-nacho-cheese-0205.php

Happy Thoughts: quick breads and cornbread are potential gluten and dairy free prospects.

Special Stuff: Soak your wild rice or beans at least 6 hours prior to eating and it will reduce gas in your stomach.

Other Notables: Gluten Free Gourmet

first night out

I was so nervous about going out last night because I had to order food and let the waiter know I had a bucket full of food allergies that he had to let the chef know about. The last thing I want to do is make it a big issue about what I could eat. Fortunately, it worked amazingly. I had a great time!

Now, another trip to the store to get the “basics” that is now a part of my daily routine. The good news is that I found some brown rice tortilla’s at Trader Joes that are half the price. I am continuing to do research on ways that I can eat foods that avoid these 33 foods that seem to be in everything without breaking the bank.

MENU

Breakfast – 18 rabbits bar and brown rice tortilla, Soy vanilla latte

Lunch - Turkey wrap with corn tortilla chips

Dinner - Ginger chicken (olive oil, sesame oil, coconut aminos, lime, cilantro, pepper, and salt)

Dessert – Cocoa Crispy treats

Happy Thoughts: There are a lot of ways to season chicken!

Special Stuff: For baking Vitamin C Crystals with baking powder is a good egg substitute. Other options are apple sauce, gelatin or bananas.

Other Notables: https://www.foodallergy.org/section/about

Spelt is not ok!

Guess I should have done this a long time ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet

The definition of gluten free: Bottom line; don’t eat stuff derived from gluten. Here is the list: wheat, Kamut, spelt, barley, rye and triticale. Oats are questionable.

I learned about spelt the hard way. I made my first trip to the Whole Foods (amazing store by the way) and was there for two hours reading the back of everything I wanted to buy. I thought spelt was ok but surprise… it’s not!

Menu

Breakfast – Rice Crispys and almond milk

Snack – mandarin oranges

Lunch - Brown Rice Tortilla with turkey, Sheep’s Milk cheese,

Dinner – Steak, asparagus, sweet potato fries

Way to many Pomegranate Martinis

Happy Thoughts: Gimlet is another Vodka drink without lemon.

Special Stuff: Another flour mixture - http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/archives/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour-mix/

Other Notables: Drinking wine is debatable - http://ezinearticles.com/?Yeast-Free-Living---Can-I-Drink-Wine?&id=2957574

I just want to bake something!

Tonight the quest was to find bread or roll for turkey burgers at whole foods. I was there for an hour and a half but for good reasons! I encountered two women. One was faced with the reality of living a gluten free life as a person who makes a living cooking for others. The other woman who is a gluten free was very knowledgeable about this exclusive “club”. It was a feeling of relief that I was not facing this alone and that someone could tell me the things that they have tried that were actually good. The first woman I started talking to was new to this lifestyle and we became fast friends trying to talk through the options that we both had. Both of us willing to do whatever it takes to just have one of life’s simple pleasures…a chocolate chip cookie! After our immediate connection we both found through our research that this involved a combination of gluten free flours and one secret ingredient:

All-Purpose Flour Blend- Use this blend for your gluten-free baking.
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch

Self-Rising Flour Blend - Use this blend for muffins, scones, cakes, or cupcakes.

1 1/4 cups white sorghum flour
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour
2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

It seems like this would be the first thing you learn when you find out what a gluten free lifestyle is about but it is not. I have found that the combination or types of flours used when baking vary and there is no consistency. What is up with that!

Happy Thoughts: Found out today Peet’s coffee has dutch cocoa that is milk fat free J

Special Stuff: The Flying Apron is a cool dairy free and gluten free cookbook!

Other Notables: Buckwheat doesn’t derive from wheat so it’s ok to eat! There are several chocolate sorbets that are gluten and dairy free J

MENU

Breakfast: Trader Joes Gluten free granola

Lunch: Veggie Grill Baja Fiesta salad (no salsa or cucumbers)

Soy vanilla latte

Dinner - Turkey Burger – cumin, cayenne, oregano, avocado, lettuce, gluten free dairy free bread from whole foods. Salad with walnuts and cranberries and pomegranate dressing!

Dessert - Chocolate sorbet

family traits

I am starting to think about super bowl weekend and all the great food that I normally eat. It is somewhat depressing but I guess I will figure something out. I am having a really hard time feeling satisfied and am thinking a lot about when I grew up. I remember making sure that you were one of the first ones to get food at the dinner table otherwise you might not get the good stuff. I think a lot of my siblings innately have this trait to eat when you can and get as much as you can because who knows when you will get to eat again. I always have food with me in my bag unless I know I will get to eat soon or have just had a meal and will be home in time to refuel.

It gives me a strong sense of insecurity in this diet because I am constantly wondering what I am going to eat and when if I don’t seize the moment. It is really very silly but true and is consuming my entire day. I never realized how much I planned ahead for meals and snacks until my choices were limited.

MENU

Breakfast: Amaranth flakes, almond milk and bananas

Lunch: Brown Rice Tortilla with roast beef, Sheep’s Milk cheese,

Snack- 2 cuties mandarin oranges, Coconut almond granola

Dinner: Butternut squash soup, chicken stock (be careful on ingredients), dried chopped onions, kosher salt, pepper, fuji apples, apple juice.

Salad with walnuts and cranberries and pomegranate dressing from previous blog

Happy Thoughts: I can eat a variation of nachos J

Special Stuff: This is a cool bakery in San Diego. http://www.2good2b.com

Other Notables: There is vinegar that doesn’t have yeast in it…be on the lookout!

what can I learn

I feel like I have dedicated a great deal of my time on researching what I can eat. It is much different than approaching the day not knowing what you’re going to eat when your options are unlimited. Now it is figuring out what to eat that is within my criteria. I use to focus on my workout and what was going on at work but now my whole world has been flipped upside down. I know I have always been truly passionate about food but I never it was to this extent.

MENU

Breakfast: Amaranth flakes, almond milk and bananas

Lunch: Brown Rice Tortilla with turkey, Sheep’s Milk cheese,

2 cuties mandarin oranges and apple

Snack: Trader Joes gluten free granola

Dinner: Coconut Rice – Jasmine Rice with coconut milk and water, coconut shrimp- coconut, lime juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add coconut aminos to taste.

Desserts - Rice Crispy treats.

Happy Thoughts: The first thing I am reintroducing is yeast!

Special Stuff: http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/beer.php?cat=5

Other Notables: http://www.livingwithout.com/

One day at a time

Have you ever tried to make salad dressing without balsamic vinegar? Thanks mom for finding a way because I am finding very quickly that a life without condiments is very difficult.

MENU

Breakfast: Trader Joes gluten free granola loaded fruit and nut

Lunch: Brown Rice Tortilla with Sheeps Milk cheese, 2 cuties mandarin oranges, and apple

Dinner: Red leaf salad with garbanzo beans, avocado, radishes, and chicken (lime, kosher salt, tequila, chili powder).

Pomegranate salad dressing (Olive oil, lime juice, coconut vinegar, honey, sugar tarragon, basil, salt, pepper, pomegranate juice).

Rice Krispy Treats – Made with margarine, marshmallows and rice crispys.

Happy Thoughts: I can eat rice crispy treats!

Special Stuff:

http://www.livingwithout.com/resources/substitutions.html

Other Notables:

https://www.foodallergy.org/section/about

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/gluten-free-products.php

Shopping for food.

Finding food is now a serious time commitment. I found myself not planning what to eat or figuring out a meal but just on a quest to find things that I can eat.

I started to make a grocery list of all the things that I can eat and with no rhyme or reason just buying whatever I can find. I have no business shopping this way! Before, I had a very calculated way of shopping using the “regular store” which is a Ralphs or Albertsons, Trader Joes and Costco. Now I find myself at these expensive specialty stores.

This is what I found:

Trader Joes:

Gluten Free Granola

Almond Butter

Coconut Milk Light

Luna Bar

Gluten free brownie mix

French green beans

Whole Foods:

I am very thankful for the array of options at this store including all of the bulk food.

Arrowroot Powder

Brown Rice Flour

Coriander

Dill seed

Fennel

Lentils

Yellow Split Peas

Sage

Sliced almonds

tarragon leaf

Etorki sheeps milk cheese

Mitica zamorrano sheep milk cheese

Peppered turkey

Mary’s Black pepper crackers

Marys Caraway Crackers

18 Rabbits bars

Coconut aminos – like soy sauce

Coconut vinegar

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Red Chard

Radishes

Halibut (had to go back to get this because they forgot to put it in my bags after being there for two hours this was the icing on the cake)

I found all this stuff….now what?

MENU

Breakfast: Apple with almond butter

Lunch: Marys black pepper crackers, turkey, sheeps milk cheese

Dinner: Halibut salt, pepper, polenta, broccoli

Lucys cinnamon thin crisps

Some new additions to my blog: The sections below are here for me to add more info, look at the bright side and be thankful for those who provide hope!

Happy Thoughts:

Just about everything you can find in coconut form.

Special Stuff:

I found a great brownie recipe but it calls for eggs. Close very close!

http://www.godairyfree.org/Recipes/Dairy-Free-Desserts/Coconut-Brownies-Gluten-Free.html

Other Notables:

Just when you think it is gluten free and dairy free check for yeast.

Most gluten free stuff calls for eggs in the recipe.

Eggs are not considered dairy but they are on my list!

frusteration

I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to open your fridge and cupboards and realize that you have nothing that is “ok” to eat. This is a hard reality to be faced with for better health. Even something as simple as coming home and having a glass of wine or a beer is not possible. It seems like there has to be a way to get through this with somewhat normal food. Especially when there are people in the world that don’t have food or water.

Last night, I stopped at Mothers Market and found a few gluten free products after an hour of searching ingredients on the back of ever package I found the following: Amaranth Flakes, coconut almond granola, sweet potatoes, and red leaf lettuce. This of course after a stressed out call to my mother feeling completely upset that there was nothing that I could eat. She reminded me that I needed to focus on the list of items that I could eat.

MENU

Breakfast - Amaranth Cereal with almond milk

Snack - Apple with almond butter

Snack - 18 Rabbits Bananas foster bar

Dinner – Rice, Chicken (Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper) asparagus and green beans.

Sweet and Spicy Tea

89 days and counting!

Anybody can do something for one day right? I am very confident about exploring my new world of food. I am basically learning how to walk all over again. The positive aspect is that it is in the world of food which has endless possibilities there is good and bad.

Below you will find what I ate on my first day. My blog will always be one day behind so that I can give you an idea of what my experience is on a day to day basis. The hardest part about the day was figuring out how to season the chicken. I can’t have BBQ sauce, teriyaki, garlic, lemon, salad dressings are limited so I decided to keep it simple.

My sweet tooth is what is suffering the most right now. Cinnamon crisps are great and everything but come on…brownies would be amazing. I bought this “gluten free brownie mix” at whole foods! Very exciting until I got to the part of the recipe which called for two eggs which I cannot have but I am in luck! Bob’s makes this super duper special egg substitute. I followed the directions exactly 1 tablespoon of egg substitute for each egg…30 minutes later the timer goes off! I pull the brownies out of the oven and it was a pan full of nastiness! I will never do that again. Cinnamon crisps it is!

Menu for Day 1

Breakfast - Apple

Lunch - Quinoa with avocado, asparagus pepper margarine and salt

Dinner - Chicken with olive oil, oregano, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper salt and pepper, Green beans, Sweet potatoes

Dessert - Cinnamon crisps

Food Allergies

Today is the beginning of the 90 day countdown to becoming more healthy! Three weeks ago I went to my doctor in my quest to become more healthy as a whole person! Alternative medicine looks at the whole person rather than just the most obvious problem. I walked out of the office with three blood tests under my belt. On my return visit I found out that I was sensitive to 33 foods! My doctor went on to explain that over the next 90 days I need to eliminate all 33 foods from my diet to clean my system. After the 90 days I could begin to re-introduce foods one by one to find out what was most compromising to my immune system. Bottom line my system has been on double and triple time trying to process all these foods.

When I left the office, I had this feeling of self confidence and if this is what I needed to do to have more energy, eliminate taking allergy medicine everyday, and reduce my stomach problems that it was worth a shot. The positive side is that I would know if I had any gastrointestinal issues and that pain from eating select foods would be explained.

From that moment, I was officially gluten free, dairy free, and avoiding the following other foods that I am allergic to:
Beans - Kidney, Navy, pinto, yellow wax
Blueberry
Cheese
Cucumber
Clam
Egg
Garlic
Grapefruit
Haddock
Lemon
Malt
Milk, Cow
Milk, Goat
Mushrooms
Mustard
Paprika
Pea
Peanut
Pepper, Red
Pineapple
Potato, White
Rye
Squash, Yellow
Tomato
Turnip
Walnut, Black
Wheat
Yeast, Baker's
Zucchini

Needless to say, this presents a unique challenge. I dedicate this blog to my experience through this process and my daily food challenges, recipes, and menus. Please contribute your thoughts and knowledge!

Thanks!
Alysia