gluten freedom

  • food,  gluten freedom

    everyday granola.

    My in-laws’ house is the comforting smell of granola, baking golden in the oven.  It’s Mom Gentino’s floppy aluminum pans that I think she’s re-used years past the point any normal person would and that I’ve scrubbed my share of times.  It’s a snack of the nutty-crumbly goodness in a tiny china bowl with milk, or tucked in plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey. His mom’s everyday granola is one of the things my husband most anticipates about returning home, and something I’ve promised myself to get in the habit of making for the past eight years. One day, one day I’ll do it.  In the meantime, David took…

  • gluten freedom,  s. asia,  writing

    things that make me happy right now: gluten-free care packages.

    A week of my favorite things . . . I am overjoyed by the number of people who learned about my new, gluten-free predicament, and have sent me care packages.  Fun care packages!  Yummy care packages!  Full of things I can’t find here: like rice cakes and xanthum gum and GF all-purpose flour.  With a cookie mix or chocolate cake mix thrown in for good measure. Priya is simply astounded by the influx.  She said, “You have some very good friends!” Do I ever! It’s humbling, to be sure. 2012 has been a year of lows in the food department . . . until these last couple weeks when we…

  • food,  gluten freedom,  s. asia,  travel,  writing

    oak hill farm.

    This past weekend, David and I escaped for a birthday overnight at Oak Hill Farm.  John, Alison, and the boys were so sweet to offer to keep Judah and Amie for us.  On Friday morning, we dropped the kids off, stopped for breakfast, then drove the hour-and-a-half to the farm.  Here is my journal entry from Saturday . . . David and I are wrapping up our overnight visit to Oak Hill Farm. It is not exactly what I expected when we made our plans to come, but it has turned out to be a lovely experience. This farm is a little haven, an hour outside of our city, tucked…

  • food,  gluten freedom,  s. asia

    gluten-free week.

    My morning cup of Rwandan coffee with natural cane sugar and coconut milk (do I sound like an obnoxious health nut yet??).  And my sweet niece, Lina, who Judah and Amie alternately introduce to friends as their sister and their daughter. I apologize for yet another boring post on my diet.  I promise I won’t do this forever, but I want to keep a record of it. I have been two-and-a-half weeks gluten-free, and there has been enough change in my health that I’m ready for a long-term commitment.  I never want to go back. The cravings haven’t been as bad as I expected.  What I crave most is sugar,…

  • food,  gluten freedom,  s. asia

    one week gluten-free.

    It’s been just over a week of my gluten-free diet.  When I started last Friday, friends said I might feel better in a couple days.  Well on Day 2, I was in the depths of despair because there was no change. Okay, so I’m kind of an impatient person. But on Day 3 (the day David left for Rwanda), there was a definite change.  I still had my headache, but something was different.  I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly but throughout the day, I thought, Wow, I feel good. On Day 4 I woke up and, laying in bed, instantly knew something was different. I had no headache. At…