What?

Just a quick update in between classes on the first day of school - I might not have Celiac. Strange, I know, but somehow I may have colitis instead. Why that would give me a false positive on a blood test I don't know, but apparently it's a possibility. So this whole blog may be moot. We shall see...

A few staples of my new diet.

1. Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein - these drinks have actually been a staple for quite a while - I love them, and buy up every bottle that Publix has when they're on sale. Seriously. The hazelnut latte, shown above, is my favorite flavor, but I never turn down the Mocha Cappuccino and I'll occasionally buy the Vanilla Chai in the name of variety. Where can I start with these? They provide protein, caffeine, amino acids, a decent amount of vitamins and minerals, and they're gluten-free. What more can a girl ask for? They're the perfect breakfast for anyone on the go, and basically make my world go round.








2. Ancient Harvest Supergrain Quinoa Pasta - all told, I must have at least seven boxes of this between my pantry in Tally and my dad's pantry here. Though thus far I've only tried the shells (gluten-free mac 'n cheese ftw!), I already know this are going to make my life much, much easier. I'm a pasta kind of girl, I'll take pasta over rice, or bread, or pretty much any other form of carb. I just love it. So, the fact that there is readily available pasta for my consumption is great, and the fact that it's made from quinoa, which is a complete protein and all-around badass in the grain department, is just fantastic.

3. Potatoes - since I can no longer eat wheat, my potato intake has gone up dramatically. Not that I'm complaining - I'm of Irish stock, so it's pretty much required that I love potatoes, and even if I wasn't -who doesn't like potatoes? No one, that's who. In particular, my mother seems to have a new, delicious way to cook potatoes every time I come home - her latest creation is a very simple, very delicious pan-fried affair featuring onions and butter. I hope to perfect this particular dish soon, as it is extremely tasy and extremely easy to make - and both of those are necessities for my cuisine.

And...I'm off to the gym with my good friend Sara. One of the side effects of it being summer plus feeling sick all the time was that I wasn't working out and am thus now in terrible shape. This combined with the propensity to eat to much fat in a gluten-free diet has led me to work out, and work out often. It's a good cure for lusting after clothes that I can't afford - the best way to look good is to be healthy! Until next time (when I can, with any luck, review a recipe or at least a baking mix), tootles!

Garlicky things.

So, for a light lunch, I'm enjoying the gluten-free offerings of a very good friend of mine who happens to work at the local health food store/co-op. Particularly, he gave me Koyo Organic Brown Rice Chips in the garlic flavor (blue) -
which are really more like crackers, but they're delicious, and go quite well with the artichoke dip and baba ganoush that are also from said health food store. Moral of the story - I highly recommend these "chips".

First Post!

Yesterday, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Haven't heard of it? Long story short: gluten, a binding agent found in wheat, rye, and barley, attacks my short intestine. Short term, this means I go through lots of discomfort. Long term, it can lead to malnutrition, cancer (that's the one I have to keep reminding myself about) and a host of other problems.

Today is my first day to be gluten-free. Though not easy for anyone, it is just a smidgen more complicated for me than for many in the gluten-free community because I also happen to be vegetarian. So, I decided to create this blog, to chronicle my journey through gluten-free vegetarianism. It will not, however, be limited to diet in scope. I'll also post about neat things in physics, literature, fashion, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Happy Blogging!