Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A new brew....

Greens discovery amber ale- two daves and catching up on drama tv. Some people call it Tuesday.... But its really drama day on MTV.
Trying to discrimination on the beer's flavour and compare it to a taste from almost a year ago.... My two current beer drinkers are also trying to describe it..... Wood chuck? Mirror pond?? Still undecided on if it beats out red bridge....
Sent from my Verizon Wireless crackBerry

Sunday, September 27, 2009

gf road trips

Traveling gluten free is still a learning process for me... I'm not quiet sure how to ask for gluten free without seeming crazy or worse not paying enough attention and having to hide my reaction to not spoil everyone's night. This is why I love GF menus... I feel like these folks have a reputation to protect and will ensure a good meal.

Last week we took a "quick" trip up to Denver (7 hours away) to visit friends and see Jason Mraz at Red Rocks.  Our friends live in Summit County and Megs had been watching the paper for some gf options. No photos to show (which proves how good it was) but we had a great breakfast at Kula's Cafe in Dillon. (Can't find a website but check them out at 119 La Bonte St Suite 208 Dillion, CO 970.513.8336... they take call in's too if you happen to be traveling on I-70) These guys rock! It may have been my excitement for my first french toast order in almost a year but this place was good! The staff was very attentive and even highlighted the GF order. I went back in to get a hot chocolate later and made sure to thank them for the attention... turns out 2 of the staff had wheat/gluten issues and understood what it meant to the gf world to take good care of people.


We also hit PF Chang's.... the 15th Street Dever location had the Gluten Free Menu on the back of the normal menu. I loved the fact that each time they brought something to our table they would say "and this is your gluten free street noodles" or "Here is your gluten free soy sauce." I had a reaction in nameless establishment and this made me feel so safe. I would have hated to have a reaction after driving for 7 hours to hit a concert. I complimented our server who then told us that this location actually used different shapped plates to help the process along. Does every location do this? Keep in mind that Telluride is 7 hours from the closest location so I really have no idea!



We hit Red Rocks for the Jason Mraz show before traveling home through the night back to Telluride. After work the next day we hit the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival for the Taj Mahal show. I'm still getting used to hitting all these festivals with no hope for gluten free beer... I had a glass of wine which just isn't the same.  Taj played under a pretty blue sky.... then when Bonnie Raitt  came on the sky opened up and town park was hit with sideways rain and downpour. After 3 years here in Telluride we've adapted well to the changing festival weather and pack down jackets and hats along with our trusty kelty sunshade... although this summer I've been calling it our rainshade!


I would love to see a gluten free beer festival in Telluride Town Park. All Gluten Free Food vendors... that's another thing I had to give up at Telluride Town Park festivals- food. There is sooo little that is safe for me to eat that I often pack food or eat ice cream (until my reccent dairy revolt!)

I used to eat my daily dose of dumplings from the Two Sisters Pantry but the dumplings and soy sauce would kill any festival fun...I'll stick to my gf telluride festival daydreams. It's a lot easier to smile through the mud and rain when I am not reacting... plus the rainshade could become realy small with 7 other people and a gluten-kate!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

9NEWS.com | Colorado's Online News Leader | CONSUMER REPORTS: Shop smart for Gluten-free products#comments#comments

9NEWS.com | Colorado's Online News Leader | CONSUMER REPORTS: Shop smart for Gluten-free products#comments#comments

Shared via AddThis

I'm not often fired up after watching the news but after this pithy report that that I would eat "Gluten Free" but after made gluten free diets seem like an "option" I was livid. I never thought seeing how good I feel I can't go back... trust me watch my reactions to gluten and you would support my gluten free life and food bill as well. Witness one gluten attack of total bodyaches and severe migranes and you would understand why I can't have gluten.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Quinoa for lunch

A quick quinoa mix for lunch.... Spices, onion, peas and curry chicken to help get me through a big day at work!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless crackBerry

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Gluten free PF Chang

Love it.....
Sent from my Verizon Wireless crackBerry

Monday, September 7, 2009

are things just peachy or am i going bananas?

things here at camp chaos have been busy... we celebrated dave's birthday with friends and our gluten free betty crocker cake mixes. Celebrated the famous Palisade Peaches from our farmer's market with a Peach Crisp... and a Granny Smith Apple Crisp for a bit of variety. I enjoy peaches but can't wait until it's time to pick apples! I had done some research for my crisp and devised a recipe. I have never had a problem with Oats and decided to go with my old quaker standby instead of searching for GF oats.... that was a mistake! It was a mild reaction but I still noticed and pawned the leftovers off on others.
Then last night we wandered the market trying to come up with lunch plans for the week and all I could think about were chocolate covered frozen bananas. I'm so picky that I can't buy the pre made box from the store... I have to make them. My patience wore thin as I melted chocolate (TWICE!) and I ended up with two decent looking banana pops and 6 that looked horrid but still taste ok. My melted chocolate became hard quickly and I was only able to coat two banana pops nicely before the chocolate got lumpy. I was irrationally mad about my failed banana pops.... ok i'm actually mad about other things and taking them out on my bananas.
I wasn't ever really diagnosed.

Last November when I started to realize what was causing my symptoms (the ones I realized were issues... and now looking back there are so many others that I didn't notice... who would have thought my joint pain would go away?) I quit wheat for four days and felt great. I reintroduced it and the sore throat, headaches and fugue came back. I did what anyone would do... I avoided what made me sick and eventually made it to the doctors. I "wheat loaded" right before going to the doctor so they could see what it was doing to me. However I never dreamed that it was anything but an allergy/intolerance. They took blood and ran it for a food allergy and also for celiac. My test came back as a negative for celiac but now I wonder.... was it a false negative? It was a good chunk of time that I had avoided wheat before going to the doctor. I gave up wheat then learned more about gluten and cut 99% of that out too (I'm not always careful) So many of my symptoms line up... I'm now having trouble tolerating dairy... I don't want to give that up too but I don't want to feel horrid either. Do I need to give that up or just cut back? Am I having problems because of something else?

I went back to the doctor and relayed my concerns.  I came armed with my theories and books. I told her what was going on and how I was feeling. I want to know if I am just having some "food issues" or if I have a real disease. She told me that if I am having an issue with a food then I should just give up that food... but it's not that easy. GF, wheat free, dairy free.... none of these are "easy" and while I know that my health has improved I have a need to know. Why could I eat Ben and Jerry's last month but now can't tolerate a bit of chese melted over veggies? I don't miss Milk. I've never really liked milk and didn't mind going to to a vanilla soymilk for cereal and baking. I do love ice cream.... I do love cheese... I can give those up if needed but I need to know if  I have to. She's referred me to a gastroenterologist and I'm waiting for information from them... I live in a small mountain town and nothing is close or easy to get to... for some reason I really want a true diagnosis... I need to know are things just peachy the way they are or am I going bananas?

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Labor day

What does it mean when your redbridge label is upside down?
We are enjoying the weekend and set up camp for the afternoon beside the alpine lake and let the dogs swim while we enjoyed the fire.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless crackBerry