confession

I didn't make it a full month as a vegeterian.   Now for the excuse...When you have such a limited diet, taking out something that I didn't need to take out just seemed tedious.

I haven't gotten the results back from the allergy test, but I am pretty sure this is it.

I did find a wonderful snack that I am excited to share...it is glutten free, dairy free, soy free, non gmo and vegan friendly.

Now, I can't say that this is a decadent treat. But it hits the spot and I haven't gotten hungry 10 minutes after eating,

I have to say my perspective is better now that I have somewhat figured things out...I honestly can't wait to get the results back so that I can stop being so obsessed with food and move on to my new diet being normal.

It's Almost Over

Well I am approaching the end of the month being meat free. 
I have to say overall it was not a problem for me.  I really don't eat meat that much.  This month has been a learning adventure into eating and my health.  I have found that food deeply affects my body and how I feel.  I will be getting blood tests for food allergies next (when I actually have time to).  So in light of the fact that I have a lot of food that bothers me, meat is something I am not willing to give up.  But from here on out I will be ordering only organic, free range, antibiotic and local meat.  It will be a bit more pricey but I think for me it is worth it. 

I have to say that I am ready to eat meat again.

Sundays

I love snowy sundays.  I love looking out and seeing the wonderful white snow.  I love hearing the sound of a snow shovel scraping the sidewalk. 

Today I will be catching up on our book club pick as  I am a bit behind.  So far I find it interesting learning about other beliefs and faiths.  It convicts me that I don't know enough about other people and reminds me that I am sure of my faith more than ever.  I am saddened that so many people give and have the wrong idea  about Christ Followers.  It is such a freeing religion, not filled with mysticism but love and grace in the midst of failure.

This book is very interesting and I am only about 50 pages in.  I can't wait for my book club to discuss so we can share our thoughts.

Also,

I thought I would fill you in on my latest about the whole wheat free thing.  My results are NEGATIVE, so I do not have celiac disease.  My next step is to get tested for food allergies.  However I am not researching those and I really think that I might have a food intolerance not an allergy.  From what I understand eating too much of something your body is intolerant to can lead to an allergy and then eventually to an auto immune disorder.  At first I was disappointed to the negative results because I wanted an explanation for my not feeling well and now I am excited and hopeful that I can make myself feel better just by being more intentional with my eating habits.   

Here's to a healthier year all around....

My evening eating gluten free

Tonight...Ah tonight.  It all should be blamed on my use of Pledge.

Tonight my husband agreed to go hang out with a friend so I cold get some work done at home.  I set a goal for myself to make good headway on a project for work and then I could reward myself with a yummy dinner. 
Once I finished my project I headed upstairs to make the dinner that I had been planning in my head the entire time I was working,
Rice Spaghetti topped with spinach, mushrooms, black olives, feta cheese sauteed in olive oil and pesto.  See I am very proud of myself for learning to cook with flavors other than salt and pepper.  I have a thing for spinach and mushroom.  And since I am not currently eating meat, I need a lot of them as they to provide substance for me.

I finished cooking my dinner and headed down to the basement to eat in front of the TV and watch re-runs of Greys Anatomy.  Here is where my night stopped going so wonderfully. 
About halfway down my flight of stair I began to fall.  I felt my back and elbow hit about 7 stairs until I landed on the floor with my arm out to the right and my food...oh my yummy food scattered across each step.  My beautiful red bowl shattered into pieces.  My black olives gone to waste.  My elbow hurts...alot.
Now all of a sudden my grateful heart that my husband was gone (not that I don't love having him with me) so I could work turned into me mildly judging him for the fact that he wasn't here. 
Now I don't have any yummy food and it is such a process to fix myself anything, due to the gluten free, meat free and somewhat dairy free diet that I am on.  I am not sure what I am more sad about the fact that I have no more food and am hungry or the fact that my elbow hurts...I could have done something pretty serious to my elbow but I don't know.


I blame it on the pledge.  This week I got over zealous while hand cleaning my stairs I decided in my mind that I wanted them to look shiny so I added just a tiny mist of pledge to my cleaning.

In hindsight, that was a poor choice.

Fakes

Today I am starting to eat gluten free products...I am now aware that there are a plethera of foods available that are gluten free. 
For Breakfast, along with a spinach and mushroom omlette I had a gluten free bagel. 
For Dinner, I had gluten free spaghetti tossed with veggies.
For Dessert, I had a gluten free, casein free, dairy free swiss cake role topped with gluten free, hydrogenated oil free, high fructose corn syrup free whipped topping. 

None of these things tasted quite right but they will do.  What I am realizing is that there are several things I will need to learn to cook on my own.

Doctor Drama

So I have deduced on my own that I need to be gluten free.  I have been so for a week and feel much better.  Went to the doctor today and that was a waste of time.  It was a new doctor and I saw a nurse practitioner and she actually said to me, "what would you like to do," after I explained what I had been experiencing.  Ok so those of you who know me, know that I don't go to doctors...this is why, either they don't listen at all or they don't do anything.  I want you to help me feel better dear doctor...I want you to help me figure out what is wrong.  Finally after pulling teeth trying to get her to make suggestions, I just told her I wanted to get tested for celiac desease.  Blood drawn today so we will see.

On the up side I went to the health food store today to find some snacks that I could eat.  There are several fun gluten free products.  I spent me some good money on gluten free products.

Beans and Rice

Tonight I sauteed zuchini and garlic together in olive oil and then added black beans.  I had this atop brown rice and it was tasty.  I did add some sea salt but I made the excuse that since I couldn't add shredded cheddar cheese on top I deserved some salt!

For dessert I plan to have some plain yogurt with dried cranberries.


This all has been tasty, I was only mildly jealous of my husbands rotisserie chicken.

First Week Down

So,
It has been a pretty good week going vegeterian...Although, I have been so busy that I haven't had much time to eat.  Other than the soup, I fixed no meals until this weekend.  I have had a lot of salad and veggies.  I am enjoying the flavors.  I am trying to also cook without butter and salt just because I have found that I rely too much on them.  On top of the vegeterian lifestyle I have for the most part decided to take gluten out of my diet.  This is proving to be a much more difficult task.  I think that I will need to adopt the gluten free lifestyle more permanently and this means I will probably not continue the vegeterian thing, but we'll see. I have decided that I will only eat meat that I buy from local providers when I do go back to it.  Honestly my goal is to be more healthy and honestly neither of the changes have made much of a difference in how I feel, so for now I will just keep plugging.

Yum

Just ate my dinner!  The fabulous soup I fixed yesterday. I have to admit that I did some tweaking.  I did not add the right amount of onions or shallots but seriously, those suck to cut.  At one point I was cutting the onions and closing my eyes because they were burning so much.  I finally stopped as I figured it is not in my best interest to not have fingers.  I also added more vegetable base and mushrooms.  I like mushrooms.

It is a bit spicy but seriously good!!!

First Recipe

Vegetarian Soup

2 Cans Quartered Artichoke Hearts
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 lb Thinly Sliced Shallots
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 Gal Water
3 tbs Vegetable Base
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 tbs Dried Thyme
3 Portabella Mushrooms
1 lb  Fresh Mushrooms
1 lb Sliced Carrots
1/4 Cup Capers
1/4 Cup chopped Fresh Parsley

Thinly slice artichokes and set aside

In Stock pot saute onions, garlic and shallots in olive oil and set on low.  Cook 15 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over onions and cook for 1 minutes.  Stir in vinegar and cook for approximately 3 minutes in order for vinegar to evaporate

Stir in water, vegetable base, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, thyme and sliced artichokes.  Cook for 25 minutes. 

Add mushrooms and carrots.  Cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in capers and parsley.  Season with salt and serve.


So there is my first recipe.  I will let you know how it turns out!