Major disappointment

Sigh.I don't even know where to begin with this. When I first received my Celiac diagnosis I immediately was relieved. Seriously. Of all the things that my symptoms could have meant - Celiac was one of the best things to hear. Considering my family history - I expected worse. I came home from the doctor very optimistic and eager to learn all I could about the disease, eager to start my new diet - and super eager to feel better. The last six months have had ups and downs, and epic fails and victories, cravings and food-related adventures.

Through my research, I learned that several big chain restaurants cater to the gluten-free crowd. I was so excited to see Outback Steakhouse on the list of restaurants with a GF menu and educated staff. Blogs raved about the menu  options and I was thrilled. My first Outback GF experience was in NC when Luke and I were on vacation in September. I got sick that night, after dinner...but I had only been on the GF diet for a few weeks and was traveling and any number of other factors may have contributed to that day's "gluten-belly". The next time we dined at Outback was with Luke's mom and her boyfriend. I had a different meal this time. Salad (sans croutons), steak and a baked potato. The first time I had the Alice Springs Chicken and veggies. That night, I also got sick.

Last week - to celebrate my birthday - we attempted to go to my favorite restaurant (Beirut Restaurant in West St. Paul) but they are closed on Sundays, so we decided to go to Outback. Blerg. I opted for a salad and the Alice Springs Chicken. Before we were even out of the parking lot heading home....I knew I had been "glutened". Ugh. I was sicker than I've been in months. I spent the rest of my b-day (observed) in the bathroom whilst my family hung out without me. I am so disappointed, not only in one of my previously favorite restaurants....but in the fact that now I don't know what and where is safe. Outback was supposed to be one of the national places I could go without worry. One of the places that I could confidently go and order from the GF menu, knowing the staff didn't need to be told that my salad must not have croutons. Thinking that the staff understood and was careful about cross-contamination issues. Ugh. I am just disappointed. Now I need to find a new "stand-by" restaurant....one I can tell friends is always "safe" for me. Any suggestions? Any other stories about Outback? Any other GF "safe" places that have burned you?

big changes

The last few weeks have been very stressful, anxiety-filled and exhausting. I have been feeling sick for the last few months....just felt "not right". I finally saw a specialist in the GI clinic at the U of M a few weeks ago. He recommended that I have a colonoscopy and endoscopy - based on my symptoms and family history.

I was not thrilled about these procedures, but was ready to find out what the problem was. The biopsies from my endoscopy illustrated that I have Celiac Disease. CD is an intolerance to gluten. My body doesn't process gluten, in fact gluten damages the villi in the small intestine and esophagus, making it harder for my body to absorb the nutrients in food, along with other unpleasant side effects. I have now begun a gluten-free diet. Pictured above is my new breakfast cereal, which tastes like Kix!

I am so happy to know what is wrong, and what I can do about it! I am so relieved to know that this is something I can live with and I can finally start to feel better. The gluten-free diet means big changes, though. Gluten is in so many products. I will really miss certain foods (Punch pizza, BEER, Bruegger's bagels, French bread and pastries, cookies, cupcakes, etc.). I have already found some great products at Trader Joe's and Super Target and I've found some great online resources as well.  I found a GF (gluten-free) bakery in Eagan that I'm anxious to visit, as I'm already craving all the things I shouldn't have!

Going forward, the recipes I post will be GF (or will have GF options). If you want to learn more about gluten, or about Celiac Disease, I urge you to check out this website, as it is very informative!

http://www.celiac.org/

Too much snow

I know I go through this every year, cursing the MN winter - at about mid-February. I love the cold.....I am a truly Nordic person. I sweat too much in the spring, summer and fall. Winter is the best. Plus, bulky clothes to hide my fat. It's awesome.



I don't, however, enjoy driving in the snow. Or shoveling. This year we've had a ton more snow than usual, we have no where to put it. We've also done a really poor job with our shoveling....I'm sure our neighbors curse us whenever they walk along our stretch of sidewalk.




















Here are some photos of our abundance of snow, including our sad, "spare car" - which is for sale (by the way) if anyone is interested:) and our tiny garbage can, which is precariously perched atop 4 feet of snow in the alley. Ah, lovely.

Beginnings

And so begins my new adventure for 2010. This site is intended to be a place for me to pour out my thoughts and share my photos and recipes. I imagine only my family will read this:)