a liberal sprinkling of compassion...

Feeding ourselves involves so much more than just the food we eat. The mind body connection works both ways, our minds can be soothed by the foods we eat and our bodies can be soothed by the way we think. We are not broken because we can't eat gluten, just different!

For me gluten free eating has been one part of path from pain. I feel younger now than I did 20 years ago. I had everyday experienced body-wide pain, I used to single step down the stairs every morning holding on to the banister, just happy to achieve each new step. I had been hit by a car and was thrown about twelve feet while crossing a street in my twenties. I always assumed that I was still feeling the fallout from that event and would carry chronic back pain with me for the rest of my life. Luckily that was not the case, after going completely gluten free and building myself back up nutritionally, I am now relatively pain free!

Letting go of the thought and fear of pain was, for me, more difficult than letting the physical pain go. I would catch myself being very tight, feeling clenched in my body, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. I now remind myself to breathe, to imagine the cells of my body rejoicing, to smile. I realize now that I am responsible for honoring and caring for my feelings instead of stuffing them and experiencing them as they blossom into pain in my body. A book that helped me a lot was The Divided Mind by Dr. John Sarno. In it Dr. Sarno talks about the mind body connection, the way our minds will try and protect us from difficult emotions like anger, by giving us pain and physical symptoms in our bodies as a distraction.

For me this journey is about more than becoming gluten free, it is about celebrating being gluten free. Feeling lucky instead of burdened, curious instead of scared, feeling empowered instead of helpless. Living compassionately is a simple way to help ourselves, each other, our environment, our fellow beings and the whole planet.

Have yourselves a beautiful gluten free day!

Ohhh nooo... not Oatmeal?!?!!!

I had eaten a bowl of oatmeal in the morning every day for a very long time. When I stopped eating gluten, I stopped eating oats as well. Oats--because of possible cross-pollination with wheat--may contain measurable levels of gluten. I had always loved the--stick to your ribs--goodness of oatmeal. There are some growers who, in an effort to offer gluten free oats--grow their product in strictly oat dedicated areas, where they do not wind pollinate with other crops. Although I am still wary of them, luckily instead, I was able to fall in love with the creamy goodness of whole grain brown rice cereal. Arrowhead Mills Rice and Shine, and Bob's Red Mill Creamy Rice are my favorites, they fulfill my most primal porridge yearnings. "Sometimes I eats it lumpy, sometimes I eats it smooth but however I eats my brown rice porridge, it makes me want to groove!" Yum now for some breakfast!

a born again baker...

I was a professional baker for years and it is only now, in retrospect, that I begin to realize, how badly inhaling airborne gluten was making me feel. It was for me, a double whammy, breathing and eating gluten. I thought that feeling physically exhausted and emotionally spent, and constant pain was a byproduct of hard work--silly me! Luckily, now I no longer bake with gluten for a living. Needless to say, I don't get anywhere near airborne gluten flours anymore. One of the first things I did, when I stopped eating gluten, was to completely purge my home of gluten and gluten related products, this included skin care products and cosmetics (yes, I'm a lipstick girl!). I was slightly depressed at this time because I love baking so much. It has been my goal since then, to make breads and baked goods--that do not taste like cardboard--with certified gluten free flours. I look forward to formulating, testing and sharing my successes with you. Have yourself an ever so beautiful gluten free day!

be careful, it's a gluten-filled jungle out there!...

Before dining out I like to research the restaurant that I am planning to attend, I ring-up on the phone and speak to a knowledgeable employee about my restrictions/needs prior to arriving. If you think that this sounds like a pain, it is not nearly as annoying as questioning overly-busy waitstaff--who mostly do not know what is in the food--while they are working (I waitressed a lot in my youth, it is very hard work!). Or much worse than that, actually ingesting some incidental gluten. I inquire fully beforehand about their gluten free options, I also like to ask how they handle cross-contamination. This is also a good time to ask key questions about things such as flour thickened sauces and breaded foods. I even go so far as to try and decide what I will be eating--before arriving at a restaurant--so that I do not take up too much of my server's time. There is no reason not to be assertive--in a gentle way--when informing your server about things like "no croutons on my salad please", after all your health is at stake. I try not to be too hungry when arriving at an eatery, I am also careful to bring back-up snacks, just in case, because the bottom line is, I am responsible for feeding me. I always travel with some food in a very small cold-bag in my car or purse. Remember, when dining out gluten free, keep it simple; wholesome straightforward food with fewer ingredients, is sometimes the best choice.

Happy Gluten-free Dining!

Black-bean buritto goodness!

One of my most favorite lunches is a delicious gluten free Black-bean Burrito. First I make up a tasty--not too spicy--re-fried Black-bean mix:

1/2 onion peeled and chopped medium small
1/2 red bell pepper cleaned and chopped medium small
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/8 tsp. medium hot cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups of cooked mashed black beans

Saute the onion and red bell pepper in the olive oil until soft, then add the spices and the beans, stir well and heat completely through.

Assemble the following:
1 Gluten free tortilla ( I like Food For Life Gluten Free Brown Rice Tortillas)
Cheddar cheese slices
1/4 cup cooked millet
1/4 cup of the Refried black beans from above
about 6, 1 inch by 2 inch steamed Zucchini slices

First moisten the tortilla on both sides with a little water. Next place enough cheddar cheese slices to almost cover the tortilla and melt it gently--do not make the tortilla crispy--under a broiler. Then place the millet on top and spread it out. Place the black bean saute on top of the millet and spread that out. Arrange the zucchini slices on top of the beans and roll up your burrito. Start at one end and fold in the sides as you roll. Resist the urge to pile your fillings up too high, you will not be able to roll it up!

Enjoy and have an ever so Beautiful day!

Oh the pancake-ity joy of it all!

Since I could no longer partake of my beloved bread, I needed to find a suitable substitute that would give me the carbohydrate boost that I needed and have the mouth feel of bread. I had lost about 40 pounds after giving up gluten and did not want to lose any more weight, I also wanted to build back up some of the muscle mass I had lost. Most gluten free breads available on the market, leave a lot to be desired and it seems that whenever commercial bakeries leave something like fat or gluten out of baked goods, they like to add in more sweeteners! Go figure? I do not cook or bake with sweeteners of any kind so you will find that all of my recipes will be sugar/sweetener free. The recipe that I will now share with you is the result of quite a bit of experimentation--Thank you Judith and Dave, for all of your taste testing!--and fulfills my craving for bread-like goodness.

I call them Sunrise Blueberry Buttermilk Islands!

Mix together in a medium sized bowl:
1/2 cup Brown Rice flour
1/2 cup Millet flour
1/2 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp gluten free Baking powder (Hain is good)
1 1/2 cups frozen Wild Blueberries

Whisk together in a separate bowl:
1 3/4 cups Buttermilk
2 medium Eggs, beaten
3 tbsp. melted Butter
1 tsp vanilla

Heat your griddle till water dances around on the surface. Mix the wet contents into the dry and stir gently till mixed completely--do not beat or over mix! Let the batter sit for about five minutes before cooking, I use a 1/3 cup measure of pancake batter for each pancake. Cook the pancakes till they begin to bubble a bit in the center--about 4 minutes, then turn and cook on the second side for around another 4 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the hotness of your griddle. Makes about 12 pancake islands.
*You may add sugar as an option to the dry ingredients for a sweeter pancake, I think about 2 tbsp. should do it.

Enjoy and have yourself an ever so Beautiful day!