All Your Labs are Normal

"All your labs are Normal.  May need to do further evaluation if fatigue continues."





This is a doctor's note from 2003. 

Nine years ago.

It's not the first 'normal' report I got from a doctor... it's just the only note I still have.

I started going to doctors after my son was born in 1997 looking for a reason for my debilitating fatigue.  It was always the same response, "All your labs are Normal." 

Actually, they were usually better than normal; they indicated that I was very, very healthy.

But I didn't feel healthy.  I was tired; tired to my bones. 

The docs always appeared to listen intently; asking questions about my everyday life: 

You have two children under two? 
Both your parents just passed away? 
You're managing their estate and working two part-time jobs?

Well, no wonder you're tired!

I remember telling one doctor, "I'm really in tune with my body.  I know there's something else going on."

Years went by.  Years and years of  'Normal' labs.  Years and years of doctors looking at me as if I had a touch of the hypochondria.  Years and years of pushing myself through my daily life. 

It wasn't uncommon for me to sit in the car with my head on the steering wheel, arms drooped in my lap, before I had the energy to lift them to start the engine and drive.

I came up with a phrase to get me to the end of the day: muscle your way through. 

"Come on, Kim, muscle your way through the grocery store."

"Get up and muscle your way past your aching joints."

"Muscle your way through this spin class.  It will make you feel better... eventually." (It never did but I looked better.)

"Muscle your way through the bedtime story."

Stubbornly I propelled myself through the days.

I didn't exactly ignore the increasing pain and fatigue... I just started believing it was 'Normal'. 

"You have young children" turned into, "Well, you're not getting any younger."

This is where the anger starts.

I missed at least fourteen years of my life!

Perhaps if my body hadn't responded so quickly and positively to going gluten-free I would feel differently.  But my symptoms started to lift two days after removing gluten from my diet!

Fourteen prime years.

I try not to take it out on every doctor I see now.  I do, however, see it as my mission to educate them.

They don't seem to like it much.

I started with my internist, who I happen to like:

"When you have a patient presenting with mysterious, seemingly unrelated symptoms, but their standard labs are normal, why don't you run  a panel for celiac disease?  It's just simple blood tests.  The Italians include it in their yearly physicals." 

She didn't even registered a verbal response.  She glazed over more than a Dunkin' donut and hurried to finish the consultation.

Fourteen early years of my children's life!

I said the same thing to my general practitioner.  He replied, "Oh, when I have patients with gastrointestinal problems, I always tell them to cut out dairy.  If that doesn't help I have them cut out wheat."

I reminded him I never had gastrointestinal symptoms before my diagnosis.  He blinked a few times. 
That was his response, a few blinks and a goodbye.

Fourteen precious years!

So why the rant now? 

A blog by the Gluten Dude rekindled my ire last week and sent me searching for evidence; proof that I do, indeed, know my body better than anyone.  That's when I found this note I had filed away.  Like a time capsule waiting to reaffirm what I used to believe deeply: I know my body better than anyone else.

When it comes to being a know-it-all, this note proves that I AM. 

YOU are too.

Let's take it beyond ourselves.  Let's tell everyone we can about celiac disease.  Let's make it a truly 'normal' consideration for ourselves, our loved ones, our doctors and our society to screen for this disease.  It's not some diet fad but the very real cause of what ails many of us.

FOURTEEN FREAKIN' YEARS.

(Can I point out that the doc used a capital N for 'Normal' but not on the word 'need'?  Maybe I'm reading too much into it- but it's as if he wanted to emphasize that everything was ok.  Yes, I'm bitter;  FOUR-teen years.)

The Beatles, Maureen O'Sullivan and the Gluten Dude

When The Beatles were in India, one of their ashram mates was Prudence Farrow, sister to Mia and daughter of one of my favorite actresses, Maureen O'Sullivan.  Apparently Prudence took the whole 'get-closer-to-God' thing a little more to heart than the Fab Four.  She would spend all day meditating in isolation trying to transcend her earthly reality.  John Lennon wrote the song "Dear Prudence" to encourage her to socialize more with the group.

What in the WORLD does this have to do with being gluten free?

Hold on tight--my stream of consciousness can be like a whitewater run.

My favorite celiac blogger, the Gluten Dude, had a bad experience at PF Chang's.  He blogged about it and PF's sent him a gift card to, I don't know; make getting glutened more cost effective?  At any rate, the dude went altruistic with the peace offering and is giving the card away.  To be entered in his drawing, all you have to do is write a letter to "Dear Gluten". 

Introspection is a good thing, but the reality of living with Celiac Disease is isolating enough.  In order to transcend the experience, we have to pull together.  Like John Lennon coaxing Prudence from her room, the Gluten Dude asks other celiacs to come out and play. With acerbic wit, candor and a touch of rebellion, he's sharing his journey.  He's enticing the celiac community to do the same. 

Still wondering how The Beatles, Maureen O'Sullivan and the Gluten Dude ended up in the same stream of thought?

Simple.

'Dear Gluten' sounded too much like 'Dear Prudence' in my head.  It just spiraled out of control from there...



Dear Gluten (Sung to the tune of Dear Prudence)

Dear Gluten, won’t you get out my way?

Dear Gluten, out of my life you’ll stay
I’ve wizened up, I’m through with you
Barley, Malt and Rye grains too
Dear Gluten, won’t you get out my way?

Dear Gluten, I finally realized

Dear Gluten, fog lifted from my eyes
My rash is gone, my joints now spring
You muddled up most everything
Dear Gluten, I finally realized

Doctors give run a round

(Round, round, round, round ,round
Round, round, round, round, round)

AhhhhAhhhAhhhAhhh

Dear Gluten, you’re going in the trash pile

Dear Gluten, by you I’m not beguiled
My energy I will regain
So in my house you can’t remain
Dear Gluten, you’re going into the trash pile

Dear Gluten, out of my life you’ll stay

Dear Gluten it’s a brand new way
I’ve wizened up, I’m through with you
Barley, Malt and Rye grains too
Dear Gluten, won’t you get out my way?

Happy Gluten Free Anniversary To Me!

It's been a year. 

June 1st of 2011 was the day of my endoscopy.  It was the day I decided to give up gluten, before I even got my test results. 

It was the start of a new life.

Within days of eliminating gluten from my diet, I started feeling better.  I could not believe how the seemingly unrelated health issues that bothered me for years started to resolve themselves-- just by changing my diet.  By time I went back to see my gastrointerologist, I didn't care what the endoscopy said. 

"I know you just told me I have a life long auto-immune disease, but thank you." I said to my doctor when he confirmed that I did, indeed, have celiac disease. 

He looked me square in the eyes, stared at me for a minute then said, "You're not crazy." 

I almost started to cry.  I had been told nothing was physically wrong with me for so long, that I was starting to believe it was all in my head.   

I started coming out from under a fog a year ago and I never want to go back. 

I never want to go back to:

• Constant fatigue
• Snoring
• Chronic sinus infections
• Sleep apnea
• Unexplained weight gain
• Aching joints
• Endometriosis
• Irrational food cravings
• Feeling hangry (a bad mix of hungry and angry)
• Dry eyes
• Itchy scalp
• Yearly strep infections
• Mouth ulcers
• Puffy face
• Brain fog
• Backne (you know, acne on your back)
• Hair loss
• Chronic rash on my chest
• Bloated stomach

All of these issues cleared up or started improving as soon as my body cycled out the gluten in my system. 

I'm still recovering from being dismissed and discounted for so long. 

I'm not going to get back the fourteen plus years searching for what was wrong with me. 

But I have this year and the years ahead of me.  I have the knowledge of what 'healthy' feels like. 

It feels pretty darn good! 

I've had immeasurable support from my family and friends these past twelve months.  I have seen continued resistance from those trained in Western medicine; doctors refusing to hear that celiac disease doesn't always follow their flow chart to digestive symptoms. 

This has been a year of learning, healing, trials and triumphs. 

It's been a good year.

Do you remember when you first went gluten free?  Please share your journey with me.

Countertop Strawberry Ice "Cream"

Strawberry "Ice Cream" in the Vitamix and on the counter.

Looking through all the beautiful food blogs and gluten free recipe sites reminds me of the time my friend, who was a professional photographer, spoke to a group of mothers about how to take great photos.  One mom said, "I have to take hundreds of pictures before I get a great shot."  My friend told her, "Me too, but I'm a professional.  Do you know what that means?  That means I only have to show you the good pictures I've taken.  I don't show the bad pictures to you.  That's what makes me a professional." 

Well, I guess I'm not a pro at blogging yet, because I'd like you to see the reality of cooking.  Gluten free or not, cooking can be messy and outcomes imperfect. 

It made a decent pizza crust.



What was supposed to be a gluten free french baguette!?!

 "If you're not going to be ready to fail, you're not going to learn how to cook." said Julia Child. 

 

It's time to try that gluten free recipe that looks delicious.

What's the worst that is going to happen?  Maybe you'll have to throw out something made from expensive gluten free flour; but I'll bet it's still cheaper than a tenuous meal at any restaurant.

Go fearlessly into your kitchens and let me know who comes out alive!

Countertop Strawberry 'Ice Cream'

6-8 large strawberries (frozen may actually work best)

1 frozen banana, cut in pieces

1/2 can coconut milk

1-2 cups of ice as necessary to make thick

Place berries, banana and about 1 cup of ice in a blender.  Add 1/4 cup of coconut milk and beging blending.  Add ice and/or coconut milk until mixture is blended and becomes too thick to pour.  Transfer to a container (this is where the mess happened) and place in freezer to harden.

Serve with fresh mint, sliced strawberries, chocolate syrup or any other topping you like!

 

 

Eating Gluten Free at a Restaurant Doesn't Have to Be a Crêpeshoot

There are reports that a biker gang has been on the roll to the local crêperie on Sunday mornings.  Be on the look out for them.  Among them are:

 Texadians throwing gang signs.

They are riding dirty with big fat tires and are looking for a java fix. 

It's been substantiated that there is a Celiac among them and she's packin'.  Eyewitnesses confirm that she's carrying her own gluten free crêpes and she's not afraid to take them out in public. 

I've been wanting to ride to our local shopping village for quite some time.  A group of us decided to head up one Sunday for breakfast and coffee. 

I wasn't going to miss out on the first group bike ride even if the destination was a crêpe shop.  I didn't think they'd have any gluten free offerings.  And I was pretty sure if they did, I still wouldn't eat them because it is a small, flour filled environment. 

None the less, I went and had a great time.  I had a cup of coffee and a bag of chips. 

There's somthing about eating outside that makes all food taste better.  The company, the weather and the setting made that one of the best bag of chips I've ever eaten.


This week, we decided to roll again. 


When I was trying to talk myself into getting out of bed, the idea came to bring my own gluten free crêpes.  It was awesome! 

Crêpes, fresh strawberries, whipped coconut 'cream', scrambled eggs, Sriracha sauce and the magic combination that made those the best crêpes I've ever eaten!

Quick Gluten Free Crêpes

1 large egg

1/4 cup of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

Water

Heat a no-stick fry pan that is the size of the crêpe you want to make.  Add a slice of butter to the pan and melt.

  Mix the egg and pancake mix until it makes a paste.  Slowly add water in tablespoon increments and mix.  Keep adding water until the batter is very thin (almost the consistency of whole milk). 

Pour batter into hot fry pan until there is a thin layer in the middle.  Swirl the pan to make the batter run from the middle of the pan out to the edges.  Cook on medium heat until the top of the crêpe  looks mostly dry.  Flip and cook until done.

Remove from pan and fill with your favorite gluten free ingredients:

Strawberries

Bananas

Nutella

Peaches

Peanut Butter

Raspberries

Honey

Whipped Cream

Eggs

Ham

Sauteed Mushrooms

Carmalized Onions

Spinach

Brie

Feta Cheese

Pesto

Chicken
Goats Cheese
Orange Marmalade

THEN GO EAT IT OUTSIDE!

Look at ME! I'm Trendy!!

It's taken me years but I'm finally 'trendy'!  I've tried so many times to be 'hot'.

I wore Shirley Temple dresses with bells sewn in the petticoats when other kids had Garanimals.  It didn't take off.

I had some of the first round framed, over sized Photo Sensitive glasses.  I just knew everyone who made fun of them was jealous!

I wore a 12 pound body cast for the first nine months of my high school career.  Not a single classmate tried to copy that fashion statement.

Even as adult I was sure my macrame shoes and unique dance moves would become all the rage.

Years of trying and I've never, ever, not once, been cutting edge or 'trendy'. 

But here it is!!!! My backstage pass is an auto immune disease that permeates every fiber of my daily life and makes me anxious everytime I need to eat!  Who knew?!!?

Did you see the girl on the left roll her eyes when she was talking about Celiac Disease?  She's SOO jealous!  I bet she wishes she had to examine every. single. morsel. that goes into her mouth!

Did you see the girl on the right nod her head, shake her hair and sarcastically say Celiac Disease is 'hot'?  She's SOO envious that she doesn't have debilitating fatigue that robbed her of fourteen years of living a full life. 

They both wish that western medicine treated them like they were crazy.  Who doesn't love attention from the bad boys?

They're just green with envy that we're 'hot' and they're not! 

But alas, fads are fleeting and our time in the spotlight will be short lived.  After trying to play 'gluten free for the weekend' and realizing the enormous amount of dedication it takes to live uncontaminated, the fakers will drop by the wayside.  Or they'll invent a magic pill that will be promoted as making it an easier proposition.  So let's enjoy the limelight while we can.  We Celiacs are the real deal. 

In the years to come when the posers tell us, "I tried going gluten free once... back in the twenty-teens, " we can smile...

...because we will still be walking the walk.  We didn't choose to be trendy.  We just are.

Oh, Oh Domino's! Not Your Gluten Free Best

Domino's has announced they now offer a gluten free pizza crust. 

To their credit, they are being very honest about the fact that their kitchens are not gluten free and that there is no special prep areas for their structurally gluten free pizza. 

But it only takes twelve seconds of this video to turn me gluten freeky!

Where has that ladle been?!?!?  Do all the pizzas go on the same pans?!?!?!  Look at that ungloved hand reaching into the mushrooms!!!  That pizza slicer looks like a wheel of death to me...

Some studies have shown that up to 100 mg of gluten a day may be tolerated by Celiacs but as little as 10 mg can set off an auto immune response.   This picture shows you an approximation of what 100 mg of gluten would look like.  That's a Ritz Cracker**, folks...

Even the smallest amount of gluten will attack the immune system of a celiac, no matter how 'mild' you think you have it.

I know that I should not eat Domino's new gluten free pizza. What worries me is that others with celiac disease might not know that they shouldn't eat it either; or that they might be enticed by the allure of this easy pie.

My concern is that the gluten free fad is rolling so far out of control, that those of us who should never have gluten are going to get run down by bandwagoneers waving flags of gluten free products over our smushed little immune systems.
 
It's not enough to call something 'gluten free'.  It must be prepared in a separate, safe area that is free from cross contact.

Don't want to discuss it
I think it's time for a change
You may get disgusted
And start thinkin' that I'm actin' strange
In that case I'll go underground
Get some heavy rest
Never have to worry
About what is worst and what is best


Oh, oh, Domino's.


**No Celiacs were harmed in the taking of this picture. (I wore gloves and took it in our 'gluten' corner.)

Happiness is a Warm (Gluten Free) Pancake

Look what I came home to after a day of perpetual driving: a plate full of pancakes made with Pamela's gluten free baking and pancake mix!

The Christmas before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, my neighbor (who owns her own bakery) gifted us a small bag of Pamela's. My whole family loved it better than any other pancake mix we had eaten--gluten included.  It became our pancake of choice, even before I knew I had to eat gluten free. 

Coming home to a dinner I didn't have to cook or plan made it feel like Christmas all over again!

Just follow the directions on the package!

Aww, Bi+ch! I'm Hit! I'm Hit!

Story goes that a group of guys made their way up to the country for a boys' weekend.  After some beers and bonfire building, someone got the great idea to throw a box of unspent ammunition into the flames.  Some of the cartridges cooked off and went flying.  One grazed the head merry-maker in the leg.  He started hopping around yelling, "Aww, bitch!  I'm hit!  I'm hit!" 

I love that story.  I love that phrase.  And now I own it.

There's no doubt that I've been hit.  I've been glutened and I'm not sure where it came from.  Maybe from dinner at PF Changs'?  Maybe from some random crumbs of garlic bread I served my guests?  I don't know for sure, but I know I'm hit.

I woke up the other morning feeling tired and unrested.  Everything on me ached.  I had spent the day before dancing and being animated in a morphsuit, so I initially thought I was sore from that.  As I stirred, I realized my left arm was totally numb and my hand was twisted into an arthritic Lady Gaga claw.  I knew I had been glutened just by how I felt. 

Bloated?  Hit.
Frequent trips to the bathroom?  Hit.
Acne around my mouth?  Hit.
Brain fog?  Hit.
Itchy scalp?  Hit.
Sore throat?  Hit.
Bone numbing fatigue?  Hit.
Night sweats?  Hit
Red, burning eyes?  Hit.
Low grade fever?  Hit.
Chest congestion? Hit.

The final blow that sunk my battleship: a sharp pain in my lower lung every time I try to take a breath. 

I accidentally glutened myself in December.  I was making gravy for a big extended family dinner.  Out of habit I licked the spoon before putting it in the sink.  The same symptoms I have right now started rolling in.  When I got the sharp pain in my lungs, I was sure the congestion had turned to pneumonia.  Chest x-rays said it wasn't and it slowly went away after a week.  I went back to feeling like the new gluten free me.

Then in March it happened again.  I couldn't pin point the gluten source that time but the waves of symptoms slowly hit in the same order as December: numbness, claw hand, bloating... you get the picture.  But that month the pain in my right lung got increasingly worse.  It got so bad that it woke me up one night.  I have to insert a side note here:  I have a really high tolerance for pain.  It's not bravado, just fact.  The pain and the inability to fill my lungs with a full breath had me panicked. 

I went back to the doctor that day and got clear lung x-rays, clear ultrasound of my abdomen, clear CT scan of my gallbladder and surrounding bits.  Again, the pain went away after a week. 

I asked for copies of the results only to find that my past two lung x-rays said I had emphysema?!?  Needless to say, I went to a pulmonologist for a second opinion.  I know now, for sure, that my lungs are fine.  Actually, they're better than fine, they're in phenomenal condition.  So why the pain in my lower right lung?  My PA, my gastro guy and the lung doc all shrugged their shoulders; maybe it's the gluten?

So here I'm back at the celiac bonfire.  Some ammunition has been thrown into the flames.  My body has spent the last three days cooking off the cartridges.  The bullet has flown.  My lower right rib cage hurts each time I take a breath.  Third time is a charm.  I know for sure where the pain is coming from and I'm left with the voice in my head saying,

"Aww, bitch!  I'm hit!  I'm HIT!"

Not a Lotsky is Gluten Free at Schlotzsky's

Sleep a few more minutes or make a lunch?  I chose sleep.

It was a really, really bad choice because I was going to be out of the house all day for a water polo tournament.  We were riding with another family, so I would have no way to go in search of gluten free options in the small town where we were spending the day. 

WHAT was I thinking? 

Lunch time came and we loaded up to go to Subway.  I get really gluten freaky in Subway.  I hear they're working on gluten free options.  I just can't imagine a way to make that place safe from cross contamination.  The line was so long at Subway that we decided to go to Scholtzsky's instead.

Have you ever been to Schlotzsky's?  They have the most wonderful bread and their sandwiches are almost like a mufaletta.  Their bread is definitely glutenous but I was hoping their salads might be an option.

I started with my standard litmus question, "Do you have a gluten free menu?"  I can almost always tell by the server's reaction what type of luck I am going to have.  The blank stare that I got told me this was going to be a challenge.  The kid went digging under the counter and brought up their nutritional information; informative but it had no allergen info.  I asked if I could speak with the manager. 

An even younger looking kid (he was the manager) came over and stared at me with an even blanker face when I asked he knew if there were any gluten free foods to be had. 

Gluuuuu-ten?  Wheeee-at?  I spoke directly into his ear spacers hoping it would help him hear, and possibly understand me better.  I smiled too.  Your salads?  Are they made in a separate area from the sandwiches?  I didn't even get an oral response.  He just kept staring and shaking his head slowly. 

I gave up.  I bought my daughter's sandwich and sat down.  But then I started shaking; I realized my blood sugar was dropping.  I decided to go back to the counter.

"I see from the pictures on the menu that your salads have avocado?  Yes?  Do you have any whole avocados?  Yes?"  (I got excited thinking I was getting somewhere.)  "May I buy a whole, unsliced avocado?"

You could have heard an ear spacer drop.  He couldn't even manage to shake his head no.  He said he had no way to know what to charge me.  I told him to charge me anything he wanted; ring it up as a whole salad.  I was getting what we call crazy hungry around my house which can quickly turn to hangry-a bad combination of hungry and angry.  I was still smiling but it was turning into a Gary Busey grin.

And then it happened, the sides of the box that constrained his cognitive abilities bulged a little.  "I will get you a whole avocado.  I'll give it to you for free.  I will go get it for you myself.  I haven't been around the bread." 

He brought out the biggest, most perfectly ripe avocado I have ever seen.  I almost leaped over the counter to hug him.  He even came out from behind the counter to show me where the plastic knives were kept.  I told him thank you more than once but decided hugging his neck was too much. 

That avocado mixed with hot sauce and pepper was the best meal I have ever had at Schlotzskys! Thank you again young manager kid. 

P.S.  I read that Schlotzsky's is working on a gluten free bread.  I'm just not sure how anything could be better than that avocado was that day.

When the Red, Red Robin Comes Gluten Free Bobbin' Along

My daughter and I stopped at Red Robin today for our yearly post-doctor lunch.  We live in Houston and went to the Westchase location at Richmond and the Tollway.

The waitress brought me their allergen list and told me the manager would be over talk to me about my choices and to take my order.  The manager did so promptly and this is what he explained to me: 

They have gluten free buns that are individually wrapped in their own tray.  The buns stay in the tray for toasting and the sandwich is built in the same tray. He assured me they would switch gloves for assembling.

Their fries are gluten free and this location has a dedicated fryer.  The oil is filtered separately and never rotated through other fryers.

Eating out is always risky, but what more reassurance can you ask for?

I ordered a Guacamole Burger and Fries.  This is what the manager brought me:

 

He apologized for bringing my hamburger before my daughter's.  The reason it came early?  Because the manager walked the order through the kitchen and oversaw it's preparation personally, during a busy lunch hour no less!

I still squeal when I look at it. 

It was good; not the kind of good where you have to convince yourself it tastes good because it is your only option.  It was REALLY good; the kind of good that you could feed it to your gluten-free critics and they would never know the difference.

So, to the Westchase Red Robin in Houston: THANK YOU!  You let this gluten freeky girl eat at ease!

When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
There'll be no more gluten when he starts a servin' his old sweet bun
Eat up, Eat up you gluten head
Get up, get up and go get fed,
Cheer up, it's gfree bread 
Live, love, laugh and be happy!
 

We Have a Gluten Free List...Buffalo Wild Wings

My kid's relay team just set their second National Record!  We're doing all the things an accomplishment like that warrants: hugging and parading and picture taking and...

...a big celebration dinner with the team.

Out.

At a restaurant.

At a restaurant that is appealing to 14 year old boys: Buffalo Wild Wings.

I ate there not too long ago. I was told they had a gluten free list. But I couldn't bend my fingers comfortably for three days after that meal.  I'm feeling sick long before I ever take the first bite of faith. It's the 'fuss' that starts the queasy feeling; you know, the fuss of trying to explain how careful I need them to be with my food.

Luckily, I have some advance notice and could call ahead to Buffalo Wild Wings. It went like this:

Me: Hi, I'm coming to your restaurant tonight with a large group. I have a terrible, horrible allergy (I know Celiacs is NOT an allergy, but it seems to be the only word that gets a me a gleam of understanding). May I speak with your manager about gluten free options?

Boy on the Phone: Yes! We have a gluten free list. You can look at that.

Me: Do you have a dedicated fryer?

Boy on the Phone: Uh...let me get the manager.

The manager was so lovely.  He gave me a firm and confident statement, "We DO have a gluten free list."

Great! Do you also have a dedicated fryer?

Silence. 

"I don't know.  When you come in, ask for the evening manager.  But you probably shouldn't eat anything here."

It's nice to have a list but the list alone doesn't do anything for me.  Should I go buy some trusted Pei Wei and bring it to the party? Should I stock up on snickers and M&Ms from concessions?  I have an apple in the car. 

What would you do? 

HEB Makes Gluten Free Better

If you remember, I made red beans and rice with HEB's Central Market Organics.  All the ingredients appeared to be gluten free, but I'm learning that some things that appear to be 'safe' are not.  I tried to find this product on HEB's gluten free product list but had no luck.  So I put a call into HEB's customer service.

The service rep told me she knew the beans to be gluten free but asked if she could call me back.  She wanted to verify the information with the factory.  I got the call back today. 

Not only are the beans gluten free but they are manufactured in a factory that is also gluten free! 

I'm starting to buy their slogan:

Here Everything is Better...and a lot of it is gluten free.

What Does a Gluten Free Birthday Look Like?

It looks like this:

I'm learning to be a wine drinker.  My friend, Heather, is helping.

This amazing artist makes sculptures from dead or fallen trees. 
He is creating a piece in our neighborhood park.  We had to go meet him!

Knock out bars from Mary's Gluten Free



And THIS!  Green's Beer, caprese salad, guacamole and chips. 
Thank you to my Texadian friends!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Doucet. Boudreaux. Both 'good' French names; both brought to south Louisiana by the first displaced Acadians.  These are the names of my ancestors.  Never mind that I was adopted into this culture.  Forget that I was born and raised in Houston; South Louisiana is home.   

Louisiana is where we went to celebrate weddings and funerals; yes, celebrate.  You can barely tell the difference between the two events. There is music and dancing, laughing and crying, lots of hugging, big kisses and... FOOD.  When I was four years old I asked my Papa if we were at a wedding or a funeral. He smiled at me and said, "Well, if there's a man all dressed up and he's not breathing or moving... you can be sure it's a wedding!" 

Perhaps it's because the Cajuns endured so many hardships that they developed what we call 'cajun enh-juh-new-uh-tee". They also have the ability to make the good times so much sweeter.  All of life is to be loved, people are to be cherished, feet are for dancing and food is for sharin'!

New to living with Celiac Disease, I've already made my choice:   I'm clinging to my culture.  Since almost every Cajun recipe starts with, "first you make a roux", my food has had to face some Cajun ingenuity.  More than the flavor, I think the stubborn determination to make something delicious with what little was available is what gives Cajun food it's depth.  So with Feufollet singing "Prends Courage", I'm dancing my way into a gluten free Mardi Gras.

Gluten Free King Cake

Beautiful, isn't it?  Would you like the recipe?  Well, you can't have it.  This cake turned out more like short bread.  Tasty, but not very cake like.  It's probably not the recipe's fault; I made some on the fly changes to the ingredients.   But let's face it, how often are you going to make King Cake?  Once a year... maybe.  So instead, I would love to share the other gluten free food we had for Mardi Gras.  This is something you can make every Monday like the Cajuns do!

Red Beans and Rice

15 links of Aidelle's Chicken and Apple Sausage

1/2 Tbs. oil of choice

3 medium white onions, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

5 cans Central Market Organic Low Sodium Dark Red Kidney Beans

2-3 bay leaves

ground black pepper to taste

Brown or white rice (follow directions for the number of servings you want)

We love Aidell's Chicken and Apple sausage, but you can use any gluten free sausage of choice.  Slice sausage links on a diagonal about 1/4 of an inch thick.  Place them in the bottom of a large stock pot with oil on medium high heat.  Stir at first to coat all the sausage with oil, then allow to cook undisturbed so that the sausage can brown. 

This is what you want your sausage to look like on at least one side.  It will look slightly blistered but not black.  It will stick to the bottom a bit.  Don't be scared.  This dark sticky stuff is what will make your bean juice thick and will give it a deep flavor-- like you've made them with roux.  It's a delicate balance to getting the sausage to brown without burning.  If you see a lot of build up on the bottom of the pot, use tongs to scrap the bottom as you begin stir the sausages again.

I like to do my chopping before I brown the sausage.  Once the sausage is cooked, add in chopped onions and stir until almost wilted.  Then throw in the celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Stir a little bit more until all the veggies look tender.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits from the sausage. 

Onions

Bell Pepper (I wonder if thoses sticker are gluten free?)

Celery

Garlic

After the vegetables have softened, add in your kidney beans (do not drain).  I use the low sodium canned beans because I work for a dialysis clinic and we encourage everyone to watch their sodium intake.  I love HEB's Central Market Organics.  All the ingredients appear to be gluten free: organic kidney beans, water, sea salt.  I had no reaction to them but still placed a call into HEB for the definite answer.  I'll let you know what I hear.   

Once the beans are in the pot, add two or three bay leaves, grind black pepper until it's visible on the top of the beans. I made about ten turns on my grinder.  When the liquid begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for at least an hour, longer if you have it.  Periodically stir the beans and mash a few to the sides of the pot.  Then stir them back into the 'bean juice'.  This will also help to thicken the gravy. 

Cook your favorite rice to serve with the beans. 

The most import thing about Cajun food is that it is for sharing.  I don't add alot of spice to my food because I like to feed a crowd.  Make sure to have your favorite gluten free Cajun hot sauce near the pot of beans for people to doctor their bowl to their liking.  This fed about 14 people and one pregnant lady.    

Let the gluten free good times roll!

*If you want to make this in a slow cooker, be sure to crack the lid slightly so that some of the steam releases so the liquid will thicken as the beans cook.

Let's Get the Party Started

I've been wanting to start a blog for a few months now. 

I've composed deep and insightful posts in my head about having celiac disease and living gluten free.  None of them have felt 'right' as my blog debut.  There's the soul searching post about finding a name for what ailed me; complete with a Shakespearen reference.  Then there is one about my failed first attempts at gluten free baking.  And one about the life changing fish filet sandwich...but they all feel too serious to open with.

I'm the girl who insisted her groom dance to Lyle Lovett's She's No Lady for their first song.

I'm the girl who spent the first few weeks after getting my Celiac backstage pass singing like the Pussy Cat Dolls:

Dontcha wish your girlfriend was gluten free?
Dontcha wish your girlfriend had Celiac like me?
Dontcha?
Woo hoo, hoo hoo.

The deep insightful thoughts are still here and they'll have their day on display.  But for now, let's get this party started the best way I know how.

Put on your Rick James wig.  Unbutton that sequined vest and...

HIT IT!

She’s a gluten freeky girl,

The kind you would not feed a biscuit.
She will never let your crumbs  around;
Don’t eat your crackers in her sheets, ow girl.

She likes a beer in her hand.

She says that Green's is her all-time favorite.
When I bring her Redbridge it’s the right kind;
She’s never hard to please.

That girl is pretty clean now.
The girl’s a gluten freek.

The kind of girl you read about

In Delight magazine.

That girl is pretty healthy.
The girl’s a gluten freek.
I’d really love to feed her
Every time we meet.

She’s all right, she’s all right

That girl's all right with CD, yeah, heh, heh, heh!

She’s a gluten freek, gluten freek
She’s gluten freeky, yow.
EVERYBODY SING
Gluten freek, gluten freek.

She’s a very special girl.

From her villi down to her toenails;

Down to her feet.

And she’ll wait for you at the backdoor of her kitchen
With some gluten free cuisine.

Chinese food is not a prob for her she says,
“PF Changs, I’ll be waiting”
When I get there she’s got Little Soya, wine and some spring rolls.
It’s a gluten freeky scene.

That girl is pretty clean now.
The girl’s a gluten freek.

(Gluten free) Temptations sing!

Ohhhhh

Gluten freek, gluten freek,

That girl’s a gluten freek.

Ohhhhh

She’s a gluten freeky girl,

The kind you would not feed a biscuit
She will never let your villi down.
Once you get her gluten free, ow girl.

Blow, Kimmy!