I'm British

Thanksgiving is over and we are all huddled around the TV. Watching movies together is a holiday tradition. Our dinner was over at 4...and the leftovers are already being eaten. The blueberry tart was sooo good! The stuffing will be fortifying our diet for the next few days. I will be making my own pumpkin pie tomorrow. I just can't get enough of this holiday!

Well since my diagnosis with Celiac, I have had to let go of yet another beverage. No Pero for me anymore. My kids are living off of cocoa, apple cider, and non-dairy cocoa. All of those drinks are far too sweet for me. So I have become a lover of tea. It's in my blood. My great grandmother came over from Britain when she was 19. She was a hat maker (millinery). Maybe that is why I have an obsession with Jane Austen and all British movies. Anyway, I have started drinking copious amounts of tea. I enjoy a little honey to take the bite off, but I can drink it straight too. Chamomile is a favorite for night. I have a detox tea, a fasting peach tea, a red zinger, a non caffeinated chai, a vanilla, and lemon. My daughters have become quite the tea drinkers as well. They favor berry flavors and licorice mint. So my only problem with my new beverage is all these little wet bags of spice. I just happened upon this little crazy invention that has changed my beverage drinking for the better. It's the Aladdin Tea infuser. I love this! It has a mesh basket that holds the bag and drops into the water. When your finished steeping, you just lift a lever and it stores it away until you are done drinking your tea. It's fabulous! If I was Oprah, I would totally put this on my list of favorite things. I'd even give it away to all my favorite people. Don't all go rush out an buy one, but if you are into tea, this might be a perfect stocking stuffer for yourself or someone you love. It's not under $5, but it's sure made my life easier without the need for a plate and a little wet bag laying around.

Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving...

And I am so busy! I made pot roast thinking that it would be an easy thing to make since I was going to be cooking all day. Sick induced stupor told me to stick that 5 lb hunk of meat in a pot in the oven. It looked gorgeous. It took forever to cook though and if I was thinking clearly, I would have stuck that slab in the crock pot. So I had the kids cut onions and celery for the stuffing while I cubed day old cornbread. They were crying and laughing at the same time. I had to stop production because the oven wasn't freed up. So instead, I watched glee, took a nap, and stayed warm. Now, onto my afternoon. After the roast was done, in between taking my daughter to gymnastics, I stuck 3 cookie sheets of cornbread cubes in the oven to toast. That took another 2 hours. Then I had to put in the potatoes for dinner. It was then that I discovered....remembered...that I did indeed have TWO ovens!!! &^$&^%#^*$)_(_*())_(*&%^$!!!!!!! Wow!!! How could I miss a second oven?! Well rather than kick myself in the butt for prolonging the process of one hard to be accomplished dinner, I just took it in stride and started loading things into the bottom oven. It's all been a cake walk from here. NOT! I am having to learn how to do everything different this year. I am making everything gluten and dairy free. No cranberries, no almonds, and it makes things a little more complicated. Good thing I am creative and can improvise. Armed with Epicurious, I am trying to combine great recipes with gluten free alternatives. So this year, Cornbread stuffing(made with Bob's Red Mill Cornbread mix) with apples, sausage, and pecans. Instead of a flaky crust for a cream pie, I am making a gluten free ShortBread crust from Bob's and then taking a simple Jello pudding brand mix and using coconut milk and rice milk mixed. You can't taste the difference in my opinion. In fact, I like this one better. It's creamier. Then there is the pumpkin pie that I am not making for thanksgiving, but rather for my family for this weekend. I will be attempting a hazelnut flour pie crust. What is more Oregonian than a roasted pumpkin pie made with a hazelnut crust? Feasibly, I could have used items that grew in my backyard (if I still lived in Sherwood in the Hippy House). The blueberry tart is more of a crunchy hazelnut crust in a springform pan. We will see how this one turns out.

I can't even imagine what Thanksgiving would be like if I had to make everything this year...too stressful for sure. But my Step-Mom is coming through for me and making sure that everything is gluten and dairy free for Brighten and I. Gravy, mashed potatoes, etc...all gluten free.

So there you have it folks. I'll probably be up for another 3 hours, and I did my post. Tomorrow pics of the feast.

The Master (following the theme of Art for September)

Today, I became well acquainted with my room.  Nothing brings you closer together than spending every waking (and non-waking) moment together.  I really have a great appreciation for my bed today.  As I lay moaning in agony, waiting for the next wave of pain to hit, I enjoyed the heavy blankets, the red lamps  

and the fan in the background that knocks out all unwanted noise.  I have to admit, I have a profound love for my bed.  My Temperpedic and I have had a great relationship.  He supports me and I continue to move his heavy butt all around Oregon.  So in tribute to him, here is where I spent most of my time today, pondering cross contamination of gluten foods with non gluten foods.  I'll tell you one thing, if you don't understand what being a Celiac is like, next time I'll invite you to my own private hell when a crumb gets ingested inadvertently. 

(I'm fully aware of the overdone color scheme, but the bathroom has red tile and a red hexagon sink...it works.  Besides, the only thing I had to buy to make it work was the new red lamp shades that make anyone look gorgeous and create quite the mood too.  :)  Oh and my romantic heart just loves the art "The Swing" and "Romeo and Juliet" that go perfectly in a red, white and green room)

(the other side of the room with "Romeo" and some random piece of art I picked up a few years ago...not really done with this side of the room yet, but it's functional.)

BooHoo for Bread

It's official...and I have the blood tests to prove it. I have Celiac disease. I've suspected it for months, but wasn't 100% sure until today. I've been off gluten for at least a good month and a half with 3 contaminations that have sent me reeling. Something as small as crouton crumbs on salad made me sick for 3 days. I often wonder how I survived for this long but have come to understand that wheat is like an opiate for me. That's right people, it attaches to the receptors in the brain simulating an opiate response....things that make you go hmmmmm!
Anyway, it's completely treatable. We are in the process of testing Brighten, who probably has it, and figuring out if there are other allergies at play as well.
As a side benefit, I've lost 13 pound in less than two months just by eliminating wheat and dairy. Now comes the hard part...how to incorporate "normal" items into my diet that don't have gluten. I've found a good cheese that is soy and dairy free, a good tortilla wrap, a good wafer cookie, a good ice cream...so if any of you have any hints, feel free to share them with me. It's going to be a journey.