Fun, even without the food (first trip to a restaurant)

So, the other day, my coworkers had a little outing at a local restaurant. I was going regardless, as it was a farewell for one of the girls I work with who is moving. My Mom had asked ahead of time and was told they offered gluten free options, but to check with the server upon arrival.

Even knowing this, I didn't bother asking my server when we got there. It is a place renowned for their fish and chips so I was too wary of flying flour and any type of cross contamination to tempt eating anything there. It is a small place afterall and all the food is prepared in one area, I didn't want to risk gluten poisoning again. I had decided days before that I wouldn't be dining there anyhow.

So, instead, myself and my fellow coworker and celiac buddy, opted NOT to order any food, instead she got a bottle of iced tea and I opted for a bottle of water. I had eaten some delicious gluten free pancakes, slathered with peanut butter and blueberry-strawberry jam, before I left the house. That ensured I would be full when we arrived. It was my strategy, so to speak.

I won't lie, I did notice not having a plate of food in front of me, but it wasn't that bad. The smells wafting up around me were a bit appealing, I will admit, but my stomach was content with it's pancakes and I knew the mister and I would make something when I returned home. We all laughed, chatted, and snapped some photos. It was fun! Even without food, being out with good company was worth the "sacrifice."

Afterward, I stopped at the grocery store and grabbed some fresh asparagus, and a Kind bar (my favorite - Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + antioxidants) for the drive home.

I didn't feel out of place or awkward. I am not saying this tactic would work all of the time, but this being my first time in a restaurant since being diagnosed, I felt extremely cautious! What I am saying? It was a fun evening out with great coworkers!

Tasty Homemade Gluten Free Stew

I have to first point out that the mister and I enjoyed this stew throughly. Secondly, my measurements are mostly estimations, because I made this from.scratch, and without measuring cups/spoons.

This take about an hours worth of prep, total, and an additional 2-2.5 hours of cooking time, but it's SO worth it! It fed the mister and I for 3 meals! So it would probably serve 4-6 people for a meal.

Have a cutting board, sharp knife, and a small and large bowl handy.

Tasty Homemade Gluten Free Stew

ingredients;

1 lb. cubed meat (1" cubes, whatever variety you wish, we used pork)

1/2 a medium-sized turnip

1/2 a small-sized head of cabbage

3 medium-sized carrots

5 small-sized potatoes

2 small-sized onions

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 a carton (approximately 500mL) of low sodium gluten free chicken stock

1 gluten free vegetable bouillon cube

1/4 cup all-purpose gluten free flour (plus extra for dredging)

1/4 tsp. table salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

Ok, got all your ingredients? Great, let's start the preparation!

instructions;

1) Start by washing and peeling your veggies. Cut them into good-sized (2" or so) chunks. Mince your garlic and onion. Set aside veggies in one large bowl. Set aside onion and garlic (I left them on separate sides of my cutting board).

2) If your meat isn't already cubed, do that now. You want the pieces about 1"-2". Then dredge in some flour, all sides should be well covered.

3) Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot (needs to hold at quite a large amount, mine was a 6-7 quart pot and that worked fine).

4) Add the cubed, dredged meat and brown well on all sides. Don't be overly concerned about cooking it all the way through at this point. Once browned, remove from pot and set aside in a small bowl.

5) Add onion to the pot now, cook until translucent, then add your garlic, cook about another minute. Add in your flour and blend well. It should look a bit like a thick paste.

6) Prepare your bouillon cube according to the package directions and add that, along with the chicken stock next. Stir well to incorporate everything thus far.

7) Turn heat up to maximum, waiting for it to come to a boil, then turn back to medium. Stir occasionally, releasing then brown crunchy bits that stuck to the bottom when you browned the meat.

8) Now add the meat back to the liquid, cook for 30 minutes(with lid on).

9) Add uncooked vegetables and cook an additional hour (with lid on).

10) Turn heat back to low and add in your spices, simmer another 30 minutes (with lid on), stirring occasionally. If your vegetables are tender and cooked through at this point, you're done!

11) Serve and enjoy! :-)

Review of President's Choice Banana Loaf Cake

First things first - this is NOT banana bread, but a loaf cake!

It's $5.99 a loaf at Atlantic Superstore (or other places that carry PC brand). I was undaunted by the price, it was my "treat" during our grocery day adventure!

I was, admittedly, kind of scared to try it. You never know what you're going to get in a prepackaged food item, much less a gluten free one.

The first morning I cut it for breakfast and ate it slightly warmed. It was DELICIOUS!! I was pleasantly surprised and throughly enjoyed it. If I hadn't known otherwise, I wouldn't have guessed it to be gluten free, to be honest.

The loaf is moist, a fair size, and has a wonderful rich taste and aroma. It's also certified gluten free by the Canadian Celiac Association!

I ate it plain, warmed, warmed with a touch of butter, and slightly toasted (in the toaster oven, not a conventional toaster) with peanut butter and cut up banana. It really is great for breakfast, or just as a snack.

I would highly suggest trying this if you have the chance. It is (in my opinion) well worth the money.

**(I am, in no form or fashion, getting paid to tell you this, it is my personal opionion that I am sharing)**

Gluten "Poisoning"

So, I had been feeling pretty good, almost back to my "old self."

I had been on my feet, getting rested, doing things around the house and was able to start cooking again. Not to mention going to a movie with my girlfriends, and going shopping!

I seem to have reset my progress. Alas, it does happen, the inevitable "accidental glutenning." Blast this celiac disease! Here are those pesky problems again - elevated heartrate and blood pressure, fatigue, tingling in the hands and feet, and an ever so slight, barely there, brain fog... Horrible after having felt so darn good again! Gluten "poisoning" as I've dubbed it.

So, for now, I rely on the mister doing most everything for the next few days again. My "feel better" strategy is bed rest, and plenty of water and gluten free foods in small quantities. I can only hope that I bounce back quickly!

Everyone's symptoms are different, some more extreme than others, what are your symptoms or side effects of eating gluten? What do you do to help yourself feel better?

For now, here's a picture of me being sad and sulky in my comfy sweater.

My diagnosis with celiac (My introduction, so a bit lengthy)

Quick introduction - I'm Ashley, born August 7, 1986. I live in rural Nova Scotia on the South Shore.

For the last few years (since having a breakdown at my old job and quitting) I would wake up every single day sick to my stomach. There were a lot of bouts of diarhhea and vomitting. Frequent headaches. Overall fatigue. But I blamed it all on stress. I didn't even mention anything to a doctor, I just thought I needed to destress and calm down.

It wasn't until February 8th, 2013 that I finally sought medical attention. I suddenly (literally out of nowhere!) was having heart palpitations, spikes in heartrate and blood pressure, weakness, tingling in my extremities, a foggy strange feeling in my head (brain fog), I was really anxious, my feet and hands were clammy, noticed a few swollen lymphnodes, I had no appetite or thirst, my ears would ring suddenly, I bounced back and forth from constipation to diarhhea, and I had dropped about 25 lbs without even trying... Well I just felt plain awful and since I had no family practioner, I marched myself to outpatients! I fought for weeks, going back to outpatients every few days sometimes! I got the feeling they thought I was insane. They couldn't explain any of it. Different doctors would tell me different things. I got told everything from urinary tract infection, low magnesium, dehydration, extreme exhaustion, and anxiety. I got prescription after prescription but nothing was working. I was angry and frustrated, I knew I was feeling this way so WHY couldn't they help me?! Finally, one of the doctors in outpatients referred me to an internist. Having had a slew of tests in my various trips (10 give or take at that point in a matter of about a month) to outpatients, he started by doing an upper endoscopy. After the sedative wore off, I was told it was most likely celiac!

I had my suspicions months ago that I may have celiac. It started when a new employee started at my job and she told me she had celiac and had to live a gluten free life. She seemed nice enough, and quite open about it, I asked her a lot of questions, mostly out of curiosity and to try and get to know her. At times I pitied her, bringing a spoon and a jar of peanut butter to work for her "lunch" somedays while the rest of us feasted on sandwiches, donuts and various baked goods, paninis, and various fast food items. I questioned how she felt, what her symptoms were, and what the end result was. I mulled it over in my head. Quickly dismissed it as "oh no, I've been fine all these years" and I never did pay much attention to what I ate and how I was feeling anyhow. Months passed, I really felt no worse, but I didn't feel much better either. Little had I known, my self diagnosis had been right!

It has all been a very new experience for me. I finally had an answer, but the only viable solution was to go gluten free. It has only been 2 weeks since starting my gluten free diet. I consider myself lucky, my fiancé immediately took my hand and whispered that it would all be alright and I wouldn't have to do it alone. He is on this gluten free diet with me, to show his support (and so we don't have to prepare multiple meals). I have noticed small changes even though it's only been 2 weeks. The brain fog is gone, the headaches have lessened, my blood pressure and heartrate are not as erratic if I am stationary (though still go crazy if I am up and moving), the tingling in my extremities has vanished, my appetite and thirst are slowly returning, and my bowels seem to be a bit more "regular" now. Unfortunately, I don't have much energy and find it hard to be upright and moving for extended periods (plus the heartrate jumps too much), I am exhausted but cannot sleep for all my efforts, and I am still a bit anxious. For now my internist has me off work until May 1st.

That being said, I still have to have a CT scan and a few more tests done to rule out lymphoma and bowel/intestinal cancer. That prospect terrifies me, but I am trying to be optimistic and not worry until I hear the actual yay or nay.

Celiac is a DIET CHANGER, not necessarily a LIFE CHANGER. Or, at least that's how I see it. I take it as a challenge. I love to cook, so it is just a new skillset to master with new ingredients and recipes to try. Not to mention it is forcing me to cut out the fast food and over processed things that I had been eating for years and years. I do miss those things, don't get me wrong, but I am finding tasty alternatives that are gluten free. I rejoice when I see a "gluten free" label and triple check the ingredients AND google the product just to be safe. I actually like rice noodles more than the ones containing gluten!

I am looking for other gluten free/celiac friends, I have found a very helpful (semi-local) blog, and my friend at work, whom have been a big help to me thus far. My family and friends have been very supportive through this whole ordeal and I couldn't be more thankful. You don't have to do this alone folks.  There are thousands of resources out there, you just have to be willing to look. I have subscribed to RSS feeds of my favorite gluten free blogs and have a Pinterest board dedicated to gluten free. I will share those links at a later time however. If you've read this far, thanks for your patience!