Happy Halloween!

Thinking back on past Halloweens lately has been fun.  I've dressed up as a Powerpuff Girl, a nun, a vampire, naughty Little Miss Muffet (not my proudest moment), just to name a few.  I am kind of looking forward to kids so I can get back into planning costumes again. The idea of doing family themed costumes with my husband and kids, really appeals to me.  I haven't really had much of a desire to dress up the last few years....partially due to lack of time and pre-planning, partially because there are less people having Halloween parties after age 30.

As a kid, my birthday parties were almost always Halloween themed since my birthday is Nov. 3rd.  I can't remember the last time I had a birthday party...or really dressed up for Halloween.  Last year, (or possibly the year before, I can't remember), I slapped on my Renaissance Faire dress and put on a long blond wig to pass out candy.  The turnout in my neighborhood was extremely lackluster, even though there are kids in the neighborhood.  I wound up eating half the candy.  This year, I'll be leaving the porch light off.

And most unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to eat most of the candy I like anyway.  So many hidden sources of gluten!  Since today is the last day of the old Celiac Awareness Month, I found a neat info-graphic about gluten free (see below...I put it a the end because it's HUGE).  What really amazed me was the cost difference, of which I have been acutely aware.

 Halloween is the signal that the holidays are bearing down on us.  Christmas decor is flooding in to shops and holiday foods abound.  With all the baking to be done, it can be intimidating to find gluten free (GF) substitutes.  This will be my first GF holiday so I'm scared!  I hate going to dinners with friends and family and having to say "I can't eat it" or have to ask what's in everything.  If you are starting a GF diet, wait till the holiday season has died down if you can!  In general, my best advice to anyone thinking about going GF is to start out eating foods that are naturally gluten free (fruit, nuts, veggies, meat, cheese, corn tortillas, rice, etc) for a little while before trying to incorporate substitutes like pasta, crackers, and bread.  Two reasons in my mind: you are less likely to have such a shock to the taste buds if you go from a regular cracker to a rice cracker in the same day, and you can more easily decide what you really need in your diet. (For example: I don't really miss muffins and things like that, so I just don't bother buying the expensive GF muffin mix)

Happy Halloween and here's hoping the holiday season is stress free and fun!

Procrastination and Surprises

I have been doing everything in my power over the last few days, to not complete the tasks I need to for work and crafting.  Yesterday and today I killed some time by tending my garden plants in their tiny, overcrowded beds there over to the right.  (Poor planning for a first time vegetable grower.)

                                        

Yesterday, I was pleased to notice a present (of sorts) for me in the lawn.  I knew what it was from my research on mushrooms for crafting purposes, and I also knew that if my nose wasn't perpetually clogged, I should have been able to smell it from a mile away.  The legendary "stinkhorn" mushroom.  This is a real thing...and it looks like someone has been playing "hide the sausage" in a naughty place.   

(THESE ARE NOT MY PHOTOS:  I FOUND THEM ON THE GOOGLES)  Sadly, I did not have time to snap a photo myself, and when I came back today, it was gone.  I never thought I would get to experience a stinkhorn first hand, but the universe never fails to surprise me.  Next time I see one, I'll be sure to breathe through my mouth and take a picture.  

More Gluten Free Hijinx

Having just come back from a small grocery trip, I feel exhausted.  It really is a pain in the ass.  It just took me 45 minutes to buy 3 bags of groceries, mostly because you have to read just about every label of packaged food that you buy.  There are some items that are gluten free (GF) that are not outwardly labeled as such.  Even things like lunch meat (which you would think was GF) have food starch for filler which will frequently make me sick.  Anything with modified food starch is questionable, unless it specifically says corn starch or potato starch.  Can't eat anything seasoned with soy sauce.  And honestly, you'd be surprised at how many things have wheat or wheat starch that you didn't even realize.  Some brands of wasabi peas/almonds, Starbuck's strawberry and peach yogurts in those parfaits, lunch meats, malt vinegar, fake crab that goes in sushi...I keep finding new things that I can't eat all the time.  

The one thing that I miss:  BEER.  Beer is the only thing I may have cried over, just a little.  There are some great pasta substitutes.  There are some great bread substitutes.  There are some great cracker substitutes.  I like the GF beers, and hard cider is great.  However, I doubt the variety and flavor of GF beer will ever fully compare to the beers I loved. I love weissbiers, lambics, Flemish sours, saisons...the list goes on. I don't know if wine will ever hold the same place in my heart....

For now, I will stick to some Bailey's on ice.

October *used to be* Celiac Awareness Month!

Edit: When I first posted this, I was under the impression that Celiac Awareness month was still in October based on Udi's Facebook and Twitter posts.  Upon further research, it used to be celebrated in October, but the official month is now recognized as May.  Oh well, I'm going to post some things about Celiac issues this month anyway!  

For those of you who might not know, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease this past summer.  It was an interesting route to gain a diagnosis, to say the least.  I will share some of my story. 

The story does not begin with me, but with my mother.  My mother was never diagnosed, but put herself on a gluten free diet after doing elimination tests.  She's been gluten free for over 3 years now, and was a great resource for information.  During conversations with her, I described weird symptoms I was having on a daily basis.  Headaches, joint pain, tingling in my fingers, stomach issues, fatigue, etc.  All of these symptoms are not obvious in themselves, but when they are chronic and happening together, they all point to Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance.  

She moved in with us earlier in the year and we had started incorporating more gluten free items into the menu and pantry on a daily basis.  It wasn't until I had substantially reduced my gluten intake, that my symptoms could be noticeably tied to what I ate.  When I would get a weird symptom or have a day where I felt bad, mom would say "It's the gluten!".  One time, I ate a gluten filled dinner....gorging on pizza, chicken nuggets, and garlic knots.  The next day, I felt like someone had beat me thoroughly with a baseball bat.  

Eventually, I couldn't wait any longer and decided to get the blood test done, even though I didn't have health insurance.  Thankfully the lab the lab that did the blood work only charged me 200 instead of the 800 on the bill they sent!  I got my diagnosis, and simply knowing what was wrong with me was an incredible relief, and entirely worth the money!

In the months that followed diagnosis, I've been entirely gluten free diet to the best of my ability.  In just 2 1/2 months or so, I feel better than I have in 4 years.  

Here's some Celiac facts to help start off awareness month:

• It is estimated that 95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.  
• There are no pharmaceutical cures for Celiac Disease.  Just a lifelong gluten free diet.
• The average person waits 6-10 years for an accurate Celiac diagnosis.
• Celiacs must not just avoid wheat products—specifically kamut, semolina, durum, spelt, faro, and einkorn—but also rye, barley, and oats.  
  
  More info to come as the month wears on!