Three Months Today

It’s been three months since my Celiac diagnosis.

It’s been an interesting process.  Hard and emotional at first but less so now.

At first every.single.time someone around me had a donut or hamberger bun or something breaded I felt sad and really wanted some too (even though I didn’t actually want it at all until I saw / smelled it).

I’m not going to lie and say I don’t still want some of that stuff but now my mindset seems to have shifted to one of ‘This is just the way it is now.  You can’t have ___ so move along to something else.’

I’m enjoying creating gluten free eats and I’m actually finding that some things taste even better gluten free.  For example anything with spices.  The spices really shine through when not bogged down in a wheat flour base.

It’s still super hard for me outside of the house but I’ve got home cooking / eating down.

This week also marks three months of juicing.  I still can’t believe I juice – and like it.  Over the last 2 weeks I’ve even cut down on the ‘flavoring’.  I was adding way too much Da Vinci (sugar free) flavored syrups to mask the spinach taste.  For the last 2 weeks I’ve only been adding a 1/4 of what I’d been using.  My goal is to get to a place where I can drink it straight with no additional flavoring at all.

Anyway thanks so much for joining me on this crazy / maddening / emotional and creative ride.  🙂

 

Am I the Only One?

(Source)

I don’t usually stray from the gluten free here but am I the last person on Earth to know about this site?

Suri’s Burn Book    (“A study in Suri (Cruise) and the people who disappoint her.”)

On the off chance I am not the last person on Earth – I feel like I must share.

Fake little Suri gives us her take on other celeb kids, their parents and fashion.

Man ‘she’ sure doesn’t like the Aflecks / Smiths / Jolie-Pitts or public places.

But when ‘she’ goes in on how ridiculous Tom / Katie / the Kardashians / etc are – I can’t help but laugh.

I feel dumber just for admitting to reading but oh well.

Hope y’all had a nice weekend.  🙂

Tres Leches Cake

Today I decided to make a cake.

I followed this recipe from one of my favs, Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman.

I halved the recipe, subbed Cup4Cup for the flour and cooked it in an 8 x 8 pan.

(Note to family and friends reading this – this recipe finally pushed me to the realization that I need a second mixing bowl for Alto – Janylvia.  Hint Hint for my birthday.  😉  )

On my cute mini San Antonio plate.  🙂

Oh my goodness, y’all this was so good.  I messed up when I was making the soaking milk sauce and forgot to cut the amounts in half like I did the cake.  I put it all on and didn’t even realize it ’til I was cutting it a few hours later.  Still it was delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again sometime.  (Because it was so completely soaked I didn’t make the whipped cream topping and instead just drizzled the extra sauce on each piece.)

Anything super delicious on your menu this weekend?

Friday Find

No food finds this week.  I’ve come down with what feels like a cross between a summer cold and a sinus infection.

I’ve written about my iron / mineral deficiencies before and todays find is related to that.

This is a good magnesium ‘fact sheet’ from the NIH.   It specifically mentions gluten sensitivity as one of the absorption based reasons for needing extra supplementation.  It also mentions how magnesium deficiency can effect other minerals including potassium.

Long before I was diagnosed as Celiac I’d suffered from various deficiencies.  I’ve been taking oral magnesium off and on for years and it never helped at all.  I now know that’s due to the Celiac and until my gut heals I’ll always have problems with absorption.

I recently started seeing people talking about topical magnesium oils and lotions and decided to try one from Ancient Minerals

 

It’s working.  🙂  I can tell I’m absorbing it topically because it’s helping my joints – particularly my knees which have been nothing but painful and swollen for YEARS from Lupus inflammation.  I’m using the gel and Mama Lupiac is using the oil version from the same company.  She’s got arthritis and she says she can tell a difference too.  I ordered them both from amazon.  It’s messy / oily but you’re only supposed to leave it on 20 minutes to absorb then wipe the remaining oil / gel off.  I’ve been putting it on 20 minutes before I take a shower so I can just wash off the remnants.

I’m not scheduled for comprehensive blood work again ’til the end of September but I can’t wait to see if it shows a difference.   Now if they could just come up with a topical Iron supplement.

Not sure what’s on the menu this weekend. If I get to feeling better I’m going to try one of a couple new treat recipes.

I’ll leave you with some more summer mood music.  Hope it’s a nice summer weekend for all.  🙂

Welcome Back to My Life, Pizza

I’ve tried several Pizza recipes since my diagnosis and this is hands down the new favorite.

For the dough I followed this recipe from No Gluten, No Problem.

Since it was my first time trying it I halved the recipe and used an 8 x 8 pan.  If you’re familiar with my blog you know I’m a Cup4Cup girl with no intention of trying anything else so of course I used that for the flour.  I also used this new-to-me Pizza Crust Yeast.

(The paste-y looking stuff in the 1/2 cup is a Water Roux which I plan to write about soon in a dedicated post.)

I can’t even tell you how much I loved this pizza.  I seriously think I’d eat it even I didn’t have to eat Gluten Free.  It was crispy on the bottom but soft / chewy on the inside.  I will definitely make this again and again.  Next time though I am going to use a cast iron pan.

I downloaded their book after my diagnosis and had highlighted some recipes but haven’t made anything from it yet.  After this pizza I will definitely be trying something from the book soon.

Simple Summer Saturday

What says Simple Summer Saturday better than peach cobbler and ice cream?  Not much.  🙂

Followed the recipe exactly just subbing Cup4Cup for the flour.  It was so good.

This Simple Summer Saturday also included

Individual cups of wine – Riesling and White Zinfandel.  The Zinfandel wasn’t bad.  The Riesling wasn’t good at all so I turned it into a

Strawberry / Watermelon wine ‘cooler’ and it was downright delicious (yes, I drink like a 14 year old)  😉

Happy Simple Summer Saturday from me and my fake sometimes boyfriend Kid Rock.  🙂

“You Look Healthy to me.” UHGGGG

Today I took Mama Lupiac to visit the vampire for some blood work.  (Nothing serious, family. 🙂 )

While waiting another patient started up a conversation about why we were there and about the different people who work in that office.  Since I have to have my blood monitored so much I’m there a lot so I was telling her what I knew about the former worker she was hoping would draw her blood.   She asked how I knew he was gone and I explained about my Lupus and needing to be monitored all the time.  So she started asking me questions about Lupus and says her friend “came down with it” (not enough eye rolls in the world to stick here)  you don’t freakin’ “come down” with Lupus.  I explained that to her and she says she just doesn’t understand it at all and quote “you look healthy to me”.   Now I don’t think she really meant anything specifically to me but she was very much saying / implying she doesn’t really believe anything is wrong with her friend.

Why do people think it’s ok to say stuff like that?  I actually felt like h3ll today.  To have your very real pain minimized because people can’t ‘see’ what hurts…well today it made me wanna deliver a swift roundhouse kick to her head.  Never mind the fact that on a good day I can’t lift my foot 5 inches off the ground much less 5 feet.  (I’m really not a violent person, y’all.  Just being overly dramatic because she really got to me and pre joint problems – kickboxing was my workout ‘high’ of choice. 🙂 )

Anyway we went to Gringos instead.  🙂

Green / Red Sauces plus Queso.

Refrieds / Ground Beef / Rice / Cheese and Ranchero Sauce.  Plus empty Green Sauce bowl.  Those may or my not be finger streaks in the bowl.  😉  (No I didn’t lick the bowl but I did use my finger to get the last drops on a chip.  Truly, there are no limits to my classiness. 😉 )

Today also brought us something very strange and unfamiliar for a mid July day in South East Texas

Clouds / Rain and 75 degree temps in the middle of the day?  So very confusing.

But definitely cue the best rain song.  🙂

Oh Keith Urban, is it possible for you to be any more perfect?

So how was your day?

Tree to Jar

Fig preserves made from figs off my late Mema Jane’s fig tree.

From around the age of 5 on one of my most favorite days of the year / summer was when she showed up with her fresh fig preserves.  As a child I rarely had peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches.  Mine were mostly PB and Fig.  Then as I got older I would sit down with a jar of peanut butter, some Saltines and a jar of fig preserves and savor every bite.  After she passed I couldn’t even think about making the preserves myself without feeling too sad.  It took almost 7 years for me to get to a place emotionally where I could try to recreate her taste myself.  Now it’s one of my own summer rituals.  They’ve never once turned out her consistency but the taste is pretty close and I think of her with every stir.  🙂

Hodgepodge Friday

I haven’t really been anywhere this week for Friday Finds so I’m gonna hodgepodge it today.

One find that has nothing to do with gluten free foods is this dress

Another dress find at a grocery story.  What the heck is going on with the grocery stores in South East Texas?  I think they’re all trying to turn into Wal-Mart.

Also found these (soon to be preserves) on my fig tree.  🙂

Homemade Enchilada Sauce and Mex-asagna.  🙂

Homemade Refrieds and Mexican Rice (which while tastes pretty good – the way I throw it together would no doubt make a billion sweet little Hispanic grannies roll over in their graves.)

Delicious Friday throw together.  🙂

Got back to juicing this week and it felt really good.  I can’t believe I actually MISSED spinach.  Who am I?  😉

Inspired by another blogger  I’m gonna leave you with a little 80’s ear candy (or worm in some cases I’m sure)

Quintessential 80’s – Madonna.

Have a good weekend.  🙂

 

Weekend Roundup

Hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend.  🙂

Some pics from mine

Coconut Cream Pie and Potato Salad.

‘Magic’ Mystery Cake.

Chopped BBQ Brisket, Pintos / Potato Salad / Onion Dip / Chips / and Strawberry Island Breeze.

Massage.  🙂

Mexican at our little local restaurant.  Nachos plus separate little bowls of dips / sauces for me so no cross contamination.  Plus new to us – a mariachi man.  LOVED him.  🙂

Orange Crush Float.  Whole unbroken Glutino Crackers – I was starting to think those didn’t exist.  😉

Breakfast for supper.  My first attempt at gluten free blueberry pancakes (SO good) plus a Bacon and Cheese Omelet.

One thing that was missing from my week was my green juices.  I’m ready to get back to juicing today.  Last week was just all around awful on the health front – from the glutening to sinus to heat exhaustion I’m ready for a new and hopefully better week.

How was your weekend?