Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and this year it also happens to be my birthday. Given that my kitchen is not very functional right now and that I do not ever enjoy cooking, I thought about just going out for Thanksgiving dinner. I really just do not want to spend my entire birthday doing something I really don't like to do.
However, the likelihood of finding any place that would prepare food safe for me to eat is probably a big fat zero, so I guess I will have to stay home and deal with it.
Sigh.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tale of Ecstacy?
There is a topic over at the Celiac.com Forum about the possibility that Starbucks may introduce gluten-free brownies! Brownies! As you can imagine, a whole lotta people would like to see this happen.
If you are one of those people, here is a phone number to let Starbucks know what you think.
If you are one of those people, here is a phone number to let Starbucks know what you think.
1 800 235-2883 X0
Hark! I think I hear the Hallelujah chorus!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Evacuation Woes
This week in San Diego County somewhere around half a million people were evacuated from the paths of several wildfires. They went wherever they could go - relatives, shelters, hotels, etc.
If you are on any kind of dietary restrictions, you kind of have to bring your own food, and enough of it to last until you are able to get back home - if your home is still there. The shelters only accept pre-packaged, professionally prepared (not home-made) donated food. I understand completely why they do that, but it puts some people in a position of bring your own, buy your own somewhere else, or do without.
Praise The Lord that I did not have to evacuate. I am still learning a lot about this gluten-intolerance stuff and I guess one of the things I am realizing is that I had better prepare an evacuation kit that contains stuff I can eat!
If you are on any kind of dietary restrictions, you kind of have to bring your own food, and enough of it to last until you are able to get back home - if your home is still there. The shelters only accept pre-packaged, professionally prepared (not home-made) donated food. I understand completely why they do that, but it puts some people in a position of bring your own, buy your own somewhere else, or do without.
Praise The Lord that I did not have to evacuate. I am still learning a lot about this gluten-intolerance stuff and I guess one of the things I am realizing is that I had better prepare an evacuation kit that contains stuff I can eat!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Tale of Success
My church had their annual Women's Fall Brunch today It was a pot-luck salad bar. Yes there were lots of things there that I could not eat such as dinner rolls and every dessert except the fresh fruit, but there was so much that I could eat! 
There was more than enough healthy food to fill everyone up. There was laughter and conversation and as they say about every social event in every small town newspaper, "a good time was had by all."
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Tale of Kindness
My church serves Communion on the first Sunday of every month. The unleavened bread (probably matzo ~ looks like an unsalted cracker) is laden with gluten.
The family responsible for preparing the Communion items has been gracious enough to go to Trader Joe's and buy gluten-free rice crackers for those like me who are gluten intolerant.
I did not ask them to do this - they just do.
I am grateful.
The family responsible for preparing the Communion items has been gracious enough to go to Trader Joe's and buy gluten-free rice crackers for those like me who are gluten intolerant.
I did not ask them to do this - they just do.
I am grateful.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tale of Resignation
I have an AWANA training conference coming up in about a week and a half. Lunch is included in the price, which means I can't choose to go and opt out of the lunch portion of the cost. I also cannot eat what is being served.
Breaded chicken on a bun.
So if I go I will pay for a lunch I cannot eat and then bring my own.
Oh, well.
Breaded chicken on a bun.
So if I go I will pay for a lunch I cannot eat and then bring my own.
Oh, well.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tale of Woe
It is really annoying when a product is advertised and promoted as being wheat and/or gluten free, and then it isn't wheat and/or gluten free at all.
Sometimes it is because the product is processed on equipment that previously processed something containing gluten.
Sometimes it is processed on dedicated equipment but in the same facility that processes a gluten-containing product and dust in the air cross-contaminates.
Either way, when you eat such a product you know quite soon that it is not gluten free, and you never buy that product again.
Such processing is "penny-wise and pound foolish." Yeah it might save a bit in processing, but just lost another long-term customer.
Bad business decision.
Sometimes it is because the product is processed on equipment that previously processed something containing gluten.
Sometimes it is processed on dedicated equipment but in the same facility that processes a gluten-containing product and dust in the air cross-contaminates.
Either way, when you eat such a product you know quite soon that it is not gluten free, and you never buy that product again.
Such processing is "penny-wise and pound foolish." Yeah it might save a bit in processing, but just lost another long-term customer.
Bad business decision.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tale of Grace
This condition runs in my family. It usually manifests itself in mid-life or later.
It appeared for a time that my daughter was showing symptoms in her 20's but now it appears that she is not.
Yet.
God is good. All the time.
It appeared for a time that my daughter was showing symptoms in her 20's but now it appears that she is not.
Yet.
God is good. All the time.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Tale of Woe
My church gave a dinner for everyone involved in any ministry this fall. As I am involved in several (AWANA, Choir, Missions, Prayer Quilts, Nursery, Operation Christmas Child Coordinator) that meant they intended for me to be there.
I spoke with the "chef" and thought everything was going to be OK. He really went out of his way to accommodate me. He cooked the fish for my fish taco separately and first so as to avoid cross-contamination (my food being contaminated with the gluten in the breading on everyone else's fish.) He with-held the ramen from my salad.
But alas, it must have been the dressing (the ingredients of which were written in Spanish!) because I spent most of the week feeling less than stellar.
I believe these events will be held again and again, but most likely without me.
Sigh.
I spoke with the "chef" and thought everything was going to be OK. He really went out of his way to accommodate me. He cooked the fish for my fish taco separately and first so as to avoid cross-contamination (my food being contaminated with the gluten in the breading on everyone else's fish.) He with-held the ramen from my salad.
But alas, it must have been the dressing (the ingredients of which were written in Spanish!) because I spent most of the week feeling less than stellar.
I believe these events will be held again and again, but most likely without me.
Sigh.
Tales of Victory - Tales of Woe
For those of you with dietary restrictions, this will seem all too common place. For those of you who have no such problems, and don't have any close friends or relatives who do, you will wonder what all the fuss is about.
Gluten intolerance is actually very common - probably more so than anyone actually realizes. Many digestive woes are very likely undiagnosed gluten intolerance.
So what the heck is gluten and why is is such a big deal?
Gluten is a protein found mostly in wheat, and to a lesser extent oats and barley. Wheat has actually been bred to produce more of the stuff. The word comes from the Latin for "glue" and gluten is responsible for holding baked goods together.
When a person develops - or is even born with - an intolerance to gluten, any number of digestive unpleasantries can happen. Some are merely uncomfortable. Some are life-threatening. Most are somewhere in between.
Unfortunately, companies that produce the food that America eats toss the stuff in just about everything where you would least expect it. Soups. Dressings. RICE cereal. CORN cereal. condiments. SOY sauce. Flavorings. Marinades. And on and on and on.
This blog will tell of my successes (Tales of Victory) and failures (Tales of Woe) as I learn to navigate a national food system designed for other people.
Gluten intolerance is actually very common - probably more so than anyone actually realizes. Many digestive woes are very likely undiagnosed gluten intolerance.
So what the heck is gluten and why is is such a big deal?
Gluten is a protein found mostly in wheat, and to a lesser extent oats and barley. Wheat has actually been bred to produce more of the stuff. The word comes from the Latin for "glue" and gluten is responsible for holding baked goods together.
When a person develops - or is even born with - an intolerance to gluten, any number of digestive unpleasantries can happen. Some are merely uncomfortable. Some are life-threatening. Most are somewhere in between.
Unfortunately, companies that produce the food that America eats toss the stuff in just about everything where you would least expect it. Soups. Dressings. RICE cereal. CORN cereal. condiments. SOY sauce. Flavorings. Marinades. And on and on and on.
This blog will tell of my successes (Tales of Victory) and failures (Tales of Woe) as I learn to navigate a national food system designed for other people.
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