Recipe: Gluten Free Corn Fritters

Michael and I have been wanting to try different recipes lately (especially since we have new recipe books and ingredients to work with)!  I was craving a baked potato (surprise, surprise) with broccoli and cheese the other night.  With Michael not being a big potato person, he had to add something a little different in.  So, he looked up recipes and found that we had all the ingredients to make gluten-free corn fritters.

I had only ever had cafeteria corn fritters.  Pre-Celiac, I was always looking forward to corn fritters at work (they so rarely have anything good like that for us night shifters).  But, every now and again I would get to eat some of the greasy, bready, crispy on the outside gooey in the middle corn fritters (are you sold yet?).  Now that I can't partake in corn fritter day (or mac-n-cheese day), I was so excited for Michael to make me some homemade corn fritters (ok, so maybe I questioned his ability to make this wonderful dish, especially when he had never tried it himself).  Like usually, Michael proved me very wrong.

Michael's Gluten-Free Corn Fritters
 Ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp melted shortening (shortening means Crisco or grease, for all of those who are like me and had no clue Crisco was shortening, we just called it grease)
• 1 can whole kernel corn (drained)

Directions

This is what your batter should look like.

1. Heat oil to medium-heat (every stove is different, so this may take some trial and error) in a cast iron skillet (really, any skillet can do, but cast iron makes everything fried taste better).
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a bowl.  Add egg, milk, and melted Crisco.  Mix in corn (the batter will be a lot runnier than I expected, so don't fret)
3. Drop the batter, by spoonfuls, into the hot vegetable oil (if your temperature is correct, the batter should immediately begin to fry and stay together).  Fry until golden-brown (this only takes a few seconds on each side).  Let drain on paper-towels.  Enjoy!!

 This is what yours should look like then they are finished.

This recipe made a ton of corn fritters, so you may want to half it if you are making it for 2 people.  Not because you can't it all of them, but because you probably will eat all of them and then regret it later (like when you find out you gained 5 pounds in 3 weeks at the OB/GYN).  

Seriously though, these are delicious.  They taste so much like fair food (and I love anything that should come on a stick at the fair).  This is why the Pre-Celiac me loved the Monte Cristo sandwich at Cheddars.  I will have to find a gluten-free version one day!  Let me know if you have any ideas!

Gluten Free Flour

Michael pointed out that I may need to be more specific when talking about flour.  Gluten-free flour comes in all different kinds (rice flour, soy flour, tapioca flour, corn flour, potato flour).  So, when do you know what kind of flour to use?  Many recipes call for a mix of several kinds to achieve the best texture.  I will always be specific to what type of flour I used.  When I refer to all-purpose gluten-free flour, then I am using a generic, store-bought gluten-free all purpose flour.  This brand in particular has already mixed several types to achieve the best texture.  We used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour.  It has a mixture of garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour (several things I would never be able to find without ordering online.  I eventually hope to come up with my own mixture of flours to make an all-purpose flour that is cheaper.  But, for now, I love that there are options of already prepared all-purpose flours out there.

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Michael and I went grocery shopping the other day and decided we wanted to try something different.  We didn't have any recipe books with us, so to Google we went.  As we were grabbing some fresh vegetables, Michael was looking up eggplant recipes.  He found a great recipe for eggplant parmesann.  When we got home, at about 6:00 pm, I looked at the recipe and found out that it would only take about 3 hours to make.  Well, we really wanted to eat a little earlier than 9:00.  So, we looked at some other recipes and ended up just making up our own.

I have to warn you, Michael said that this was the best thing he had ever put in his mouth.  Needless to say, this made tons of food and we had very few leftovers.

Eggplant Parmesan

• 1 Large Eggplant (they say the small ones are less bitter, so maybe 2 small ones instead, but ours tasted just fine with one big one)
• 1 Tomato
• 2-3 Cups of Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (we love the way homemade gluten-free breadcrumbs taste, but opted for an easier version by putting some gluten-free bagel chips in a food processor and chopping until fine)
• 2 Eggs (beaten)
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (shredded would probably work also)
• 3 tablespoons of Minced Garlic
• Oregano and Basil to taste
• Gluten-Free Tomato Based Sauce (we used 1/2 a bottle of a gluten-free marinara sauce)

1.  First, you need to get the moisture out of the eggplant (eggplant acts like a sponge and will be pretty soggy if you skip this step, at least that is what I read).  So, the quickest method we could find was to cut your eggplant into 1/4 inch round slices, salt each side (we used sea salt), and place ontop of a few papertowels.  Let them sit for 20-30 minutes.  Gently press down to squeeze out any additional moisture.  Now rinse in cold water (to get off all the salt).  Now your eggplant is ready!
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Dip the eggplant in the eggs and then the breadcrumbs, place on a baking sheet (that has been sprayed with Pam).  Bake for 7 minutes on each side (they will get a little brown and feel nice and crunchy). When finished, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3. While the eggplant are baking, you can prepare your sauce in a small bowl.  Use however much sauce you want (we used about 1/2 jar of the marinara).  Add minced garlic, oregano and basil. 
4. Now, layer your eggplant parmesan in an 8x8 glass dish.  First spread half of the sauce on the bottom, then one layer of eggplant, then tomato, then mozzarella cheese (our fresh mozzarella cheese came pre-sliced in about 1/4 inch slices, we just topped each piece of eggplant with one slice of mozzarella), then sprinkle on however much parmesan you want. Another layer of sauce, eggplant, (no tomato this time) mozzarella, and parmesan.  Really, you can put anything that you want into this.  I think some mushroom would be fantastic.
5. Now bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  This makes about 4 healthy servings and can be spread out more if you want to serve it over pasta (we just ate it plain).  

I promise, this is easy and Super yummy!  My husband, who does not like tomatos and was iffy about eggplant fell in LOVE!

I know, I need to work on my picture taking skills.  But it taste SO good, I Promise!

I apologize for my lack of recipe making skills with no measurements.  I grew up watching my mom throw stuff together and teaching me how to cook by adding a splash of milk here, some butter there, and lots of salt and pepper (sometimes, too much salt); then stick it in the oven at 350 (because everything cooks at 350) and go read a couple of chapters in your book and hope it doesn't burn.  Somehow, it would always turn out perfectly (even if it was a little salty).  Also, cheese or peanut better or chocolate makes everything better.

On a side note, I had my 17 week doctor's visit today.  Everything seems to be going well.  He said my baby is growing fast and is "big".  Hopefully, by big, he meant perfectly normal and will slip right out when the time comes.  I think that's what he meant.  I am growing as well (gained 5 pounds, wow).  I started out at 151, lost to 149, then gained to 150, 151, and now 156.  I like to think that I was just playing catch-up for that lost weight.  The doctor must have forgotten that he gave me permission to eat whatever my heart desired, because he didn't tell me to stop.  But, he didn't exactly praise me for my wonderful 5 pounds either (this might be the last time I talk about weight on the blog, this could get embarassing).  I scheduled my next ultrasound (that will determine the sex) for 4 weeks from yesterday.  We are going to wait until our reveal party to find out the sex for ourselves though.  I think it will be so special to include our family and close friends in on the moment.  I will have to make a blog post about gluten-free party ideas!

Pregnant

Have I ever mentioned that I love being pregnant?? I know, I am only 16 and something weeks pregnant and probably shouldn't be saying this so early. I might jinx myself. But, I just love every minute of it. My husband might disagree because he had to hear me complain the entire first trimester, but he is just my outlet to complain to. Really, I didn't mind so much the being sick. It just reminded me of the little miracle inside of me (being pregnant makes me a little sentimental). But seriously, I can't complain much. I stayed nauseated but only actually threw up every other day or so. I'm also going to let you in on a little secret they don't tell you (at least nobody told me), pregnancy makes you so freaking constipated! Michael and I even had to make a middle of the night trip once to Walmart in search of prune juice, laxatives, and a fiber supplement. I would have gladly infected myself with the stomach virus if I knew somebody I could catch it from. Thankfully, that has been a little better since I started drinking as much liquids as physically possible and take Colace any day that I don't go #2 (poop).  I may be a little too comfortable with talking about my bodily functions, blame it on nursing school.

Anyway, now I am in my second trimester. I LOVE this trimester! I have my energy back, am getting a baby bump, and have an excuse to eat whatever I want. If you want to see a happy pregnant person, just bring me a snow cone and snickers!! You will be my best friend forever! Because I lost weight in my first trimester, my doctor even told me to eat whatever I am craving (he said that now is not the time to be healthy). That probably wasn't the best thing to tell somebody with an Abernathy sweet tooth! We will see if I caught up with my weight gain on Thursday :/. I have also started wearing some maternity clothes. I could probably wear most of my regular clothes if I wanted, but why do that when I can wear these comfy stretchy pants and have more room for a second snickers?!

On good days, like today, my Celiac + pregnancy isn't such a big deal. Luckily, I love a lot of things that I crave and can eat (potatoes, snickers, snow cones, ICEEs, blueberry muffins, grapes + cheese, and more). Michael made me some gluten free red beans and rice yesterday that was so good. I will have to post his recipe one day.

Anyway, I better get back to my clinical. Lots of Pap smears to do (don't want to leave those women waiting!).

Can I Ask You a Favor?

I am not going to write a post tonight about my Celiac disease.  I have a friend in much greater need than me.

I have this friend (no sarcastic comments from the audience, please) who is one of the most fun loving, hilarious, energetic people you have ever met (if you have never met her, then I feel sorry for you).  We met in 9th grade and became instant friends (at least that's how I remember it).  Her crazy, fun personality really helped me to become more social and confident in who I was.  She never seemed embarrassed to just be herself.  She would always tell it like it was (even if I didn't like it), and she was usually always right.  Due to circumstances (like living a whole state away) we have grown apart.  I still love her dearly and wish she lived closer! 

I am asking my devoted readers (all 2 of you, if you are still reading) to please pray for my friend (take a moment to send her some positive thoughts, or whatever your belief may be).  She has been going through a very hard time lately.  She was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  After having her ovary removed, she went through several treatments of chemotherapy.  She stayed strong through all of the sucky side effects and finished her chemo.  Now, after everything she has been through, the cancer is back (on her intestines).  It is resistant to chemo and she is trying another drug to shrink the tumors.  Somehow, after all of this, she has remained the positive girl that I remember.  I am so proud of her! 

I didn't ask her permission to write this, so that is why I didn't say her name.  I guess that is the HIPPA that has been etched into my brain.  Hopefully she won't mind that I posted this.

Recipe: Rice Pudding

So, I made a recipe out of my new gluten-free cookbook (The Everything Gluten-Free Cookbook by Rick Marx and Nancy T. Maar).  I have been craving bread pudding lately, but I wanted something quick that didn't require baking my own bread (I will cross this bridge one day).  So, I saw this recipe for rice pudding and though it might be a close alternative ( I had never had rice pudding before).  It turned out so yummy and reminds me of Christmas time!

Rice Pudding with Apricots

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricots cut into quarters (I might cut them a little smaller next time)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup suger
• 1 cup rice (it says that basmati is preferred, but I just used some regular long grained white rice that I already had)
• 2 and 1/2 cups milk (I actually ended up adding another 1/2 cup of milk, will explain later)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• toasted almonds for garnish (I skipped this)

Directions (with only a few suggestions/alterations)

1. In a large pot, mix rice and milk.  Bring to a bowl and then turn down heat to simmer (turn heat down to low) and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally (I had my heat up too high, so my milk cooked out too fast, I had to add another half cup of milk. I still only got about 45 minutes of cook time, but it turned out just fine). 
2. Bring the apricots, water, and 1/2 cup of sugar to a bowl and then turn down heat (to medium-low).  Simmer until apricots are plump and the sauce syrupy (about 30 minutes).
3. Whip the heavy cream into stiff peaks (I have found that using a metal bowl and putting it and mixers into the freezer to get cold and then beating with an electric mixer works best). Place in the refrigerated until needed.
4. After rice is finished, add the vanilla, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Cool slightly. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding.  Fold the apricots into the pudding.  (Top with toasted almonds if desired).

It might not look too pretty, but blame that on my poor photography skills. For my first time cooking and eating rice pudding, I was impressed!  So far, loving my new cookbooks!

Home

I feel like I am already slacking on my new blog.  But, I have a good excuse.  Michael and I got to go visit home for the weekend (which we so rarely get to do).  We visited my family who surprised us with a bag full of gluten-free goodies and took me shopping for some maternity clothes.  We visited Michael's family next who surprised us with  tons more gluten free goodies and two fantastic gluten-free cookbooks.  I plan to try a new recipe tonight from one of the books, and I will post it later if it turns out.

See all the gluten-free flours, cookies, pizza crust, chips, pasta, and sauces?  We had to clean out our pantry just to get everything to fit!  I can not thank our families enough!  It means so much to us to be so supportive!

We had a lot of fun visiting both families.  We don't get to see them nearly enough.  It always seems like our nieces and nephews have grown so much!  We went to my parent's Friday night and my two sisters and their family came over.  My mom cooked a great meal of grilled barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese (with gluten-free pasta), butter beans, and baked beans (all of which were gluten free).  We stayed the night Friday and spent Saturday day with just my parents.  They made us a wonderful gluten-free breakfast (pancakes and eggs) and lunch (gluten-free pizza).  I hate that everybody has to go through so much trouble just for me, but I love that they care enough to help me out.

Saturday evening we got to go to Michael's parent's house.  Michael's dad had been busy smoking a beef brisket and his mom cooked some wonderful potatoes (which she showed us how to make using a baking bag, we never would have thought of that!), green beans, and grilled corn-on-the-cob (I LOVE corn-on-the-cob, I don't think there was a kernel left).  Homecooked meals are always SO good!  Today we enjoyed a wonderful gluten-free breakfast and lunch that his parents made us as well.  It is so sweet of them to go so out of the way just for me!  We also got to see Michael's sister and her family today.  We really miss getting to spend time with family.  School and work keeps us so busy.  One of Michael's sisters even lives like 5 minutes away, but we hardly get to see her either. 

What's For Dinner?

Going out to eat, I have found, is one of the hardest things about Celiac disease.  I feel so high maintenance asking so many questions and needing special accomodations.  And, I am the type of person that would NEVER send food back (even if I was brought the wrong thing).  I guess working as a waitress in a horrible, cheap Mexican restaurant really made me sympathize with other servers.  But, now I am forced to be so picky about my food (the ingredients, how it is prepared, the sauces involved). 

Fortunately, I have found several places in Mississippi that accomodate for gluten allergies (it is so much easier to say gluten allergy than Celiac disease). 

• Tabella: A very nice Italian restaurant that has a gluten-free menu with several pasta options and even dessert, a little on the pricey side, but such a nice, relaxing atmosphere
• Mellow Mushroom: Pizza place offering a gluten-free pizza and you choose your own toppings (just ask for extra sauce b/c they don't put enough), they also have a stuffed mushroom appetizer that is gluten-free and very yummy
• McAlister's Deli: I have downloaded a gluten-free menu onto my phone that tells me all the salads, baked potatoes, and soups available at McAlister's (I love baked potatoes, so I eat here a lot!)
• Sweet Peppers Deli: a very similar menu to McAlister's, I tend to stick to the baked potato though (there is probably a gluten-free menu, but I haven't gone here enough to search for one)
• Jutamas: a little Thai restaurant in downtown that says they can make Any of their food gluten free, I'm a little weary of it, but I have eaten here without getting sick (the drunken noodles are the best ever!)
• Jimmy John's: A sandwich place that can make all of their sandwiches into an "unwich" (which is a sandwich using lettuce as a substitue for bread, just tell them you have a gluten-allergy and they will all change their gloves and make sure the lettuce doesn't touch a surface that bread has (the Beach Club Unwich is so good!)
• Chick-fil-A: So far, the only fast food chain that I have found that cooks their fries in completely seperate fryers and oil from their chicken (and their fries just happen to be my favorite), they also have grilled chicken nuggets or you can get the chicken sandwich without the bread, their honey mustard, ketchup, and honey roasted BBQ sauce are gluten-free (there may be more, but those are the only 3 that matter...)
• Surin of Thailand: Another Thai place that I have eaten at succesfully, but we go here soley for sushi. The waitress we also ask for (Jan) seems to understand the gluten-allergy and makes special rolls just for me (except the last time we went there, there was crab in one of my rolls and I couldn't eat it, and of course I wouldn't sent it back)
• PF Chang's: This is a Chinese restaurant that has a gluten-free portion to their menu, they prepare all gluten-free meals in a separate area of the kitchen and use special plates, so You Know your food is gluten-free (and delicious)

Of course I have eaten at other places succesfully, but I usually have to order a salad or some plain meat and vegetable dinner. I may also just be forgetting something (blame is on the pregnancy).  If you know any other places I should try, please let me know!  It is so frustrating to realize we have no food at the house and only a handful of places to choose from to eat.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't really have time for a full post tonight.  I have been pretty busy procrastinating some school work.  So, I will post a very easy and yummy Gluten Free recipe!

One night a couple of weeks ago, my baby was craving some cookies (sounds so much better than, "I wanted a late night sugar fix so I made some cookies").  It was pretty late, and I didn't have many ingredients on-hand.  This is where I would like to say that I threw together some stuff and made up my own recipe, but I am not that creative.  So instead, I did a quick internet search for "easy gluten free cookies" and stumbled upon a great little website with a very yummy cookie recipe (Original Recipe).  It sounded quick, easy, yummy, and I had all of the ingredients!  I made just a couple of adjustments (because I was low on sugar).

(Gluten Free) Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of creamy peanut butter (I really want to try crunchy peanut butter one day)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I never actually measure, just drop in a handful)

Mix all ingredients together and put in freezer.  Then preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Once oven is preheated take cookie dough out of freezer and roll into balls (the bigger the balls, the bigger the cookie).  Place the balls on a cookie sheet (that has been sprayed with Pam).  Bake for 15 minutes (give or take, depending on how big your balls were).  They are done when the edges start to get brown.  Normally, I would eat my cookies immediately after pulling them out of the oven (burning my tongue and all).  However, these cookies actually do need to cool for about 10 minutes to get the nice crispy edges and gooey center (just have one when they come out and one 10 minutes later and be your own judge).  Enjoy!

I, personally, can't wait to try this out with butterfinger or snickers instead of the chocolate chips.  The possibilities are endless, really.

Introduction

It wasn't very nice of me to start a story without introducing the main characters.

My name is Olivia.  I am an RN that works at a big ICU saving lives (I like to think so, anyway).  I am only working PRN because I am currently in my last semester of grad school.  I'm getting my masters to be a family nurse practitioner.  I have been married for 3 years to my wonderful husband.  We have 2 dogs (children) named Charlie (our sweet, tender hearted mixed breed) and Zoey (the "Queen" of the house yorkie).  I am also 15 weeks pregnant!!  We are so excited and blessed to be having this baby!  My pregnancy, so far, has been a fairly decent one.  I dealt with some nausea during my first trimester and lost a couple of pounds.  But, that has subsided, and I'm sure the weight will be piling on soon! 

My husband is Michael.  He is a medical student in his 3rd year of a DO program.  What is a DO?  A doctor of osteopathic medicine is licensed to do everything a MD can do.  However, they are taught an additional course on osteopathic manipulative medicine.  This teaches them ways to manipulate the musculoskeletal system and relieve pain (back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc.), drain lymphatics, and do all other kinds of cool things (ask Michael).  As of right now, Michael is interested in becoming a gastroenterologist.  In the middle of medical school, Michael somehow finds the time to be a great husband.  I KNOW that he will be the best father ever!

On The Bright Side

I realized that I made Celiac disease sound like a horrible thing in my first post.  Give me some slack, it does suck a lot of the time.  I wanted to give you an idea of what I was going through BEFORE I was diagnosed.  Just so maybe, if anybody is having a similar experience, then they can go get checked out.  Keep in mind, that Celiac disease can manifest itself in SO many different ways (abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, rash, weight loss, vitamin deficiency, or no symptoms).

On the bright side (yes, there is a tiny bright side), now that I know the source of my symptoms, I can prevent them.  Some days I want to say screw it, bring on the pain and bring on the rolls (or bread, pastry, cake, pie, poptart, Mini Wheats, Oreos, fake crab meat, bread pudding, bagel bites, pizza rolls, Ritz Crackers, Hot Pockets, anything made with cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, blueberry skone from Starbucks, or much, much more).  Wait, I was talking about the bright side?  Oh yeah, so on Most days I am thankful for the knowledge of how to prevent my symptoms.  After all, I can still have plenty of yummy things.

Yummy Things I CAN Have:

• Any meat (just be careful with seasonings/sauces)
• Any vegetable
• Any fruit
• Rice
• Potatoes (this deserves its own category, because they are just about my favorite thing)
• Snickers
• Butterfingers
• A LOT of Blue Bell Ice Cream flavors (I will post the complete list one day)
• Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce (one of the main sauces I use)
• Heinz Ketchup (my husband would die if I couldn't have this)
• Peanut Butter
• Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I use this in a lot of meats)
• Among other things that my pregnant brain has forgotten at the moment

Michael and I also eat out a lot (does a medical student and a nurse practitioner student/nurse have time to cook (especially when all meals are pretty much made from scratch)? Not a lot of the time.  So, we eat out, too much.  Luckily, I have found a few places around us that offer gluten-free options.  I will dedicate a whole post on places to eat out later (hopefully).

Another positive thing is that my wonderful husband helps me A LOT!  All of the meals that we cook are completely gluten-free.  In fact, almost everything in our house is gluten-free (except some ranch and honey mustard we got by mistake, thinking they were gluten-free).  He refuses to buy bread or snacks or anything that I can't eat.  I promise, I did not ask (or force) him to do any of this!  Now, he still enjoys his gluten laden meals when I am not arround or when we are eating out.  But, he deserves major credit for giving me a gluten-free home!

The hardest part of Celiac, for me, is getting invited places or going to parties or people's houses (even my family) and not wanting to be rude.  I was always raised to eat whatever is served at another's house no matter how much I hate it, because that is the polite thing to do.  Thankfully, my friends and family have been so understanding and tried very hard to always provide food that I can eat.  I just hate feeling like I am making somebody go out of their way for me.  I guess this is just something I will need to get used to.

Cliche?

I know, I know.  First get married, then get pregnant, then start a blog.  A little cliche?  Maybe so.  But, I love reading all of my friend's family blogs.  However, this blog is less about my pregnancy and more about being diagnosed with Celiac Disease on 4/11/2012 (Don't worry, I'm sure I will still post plenty about my pregnancy, family, and future baby!).

When I tell somebody I have Celiac, one of the first questions is always, "What symptoms did you have?"
       My main symptom was pain.  My whole life I have believed that I had a "weak stomach."  Even when I was an infant I had colic and my parents had to try several formulas on me.  I remember in elementary school or middle school having the stomach virus so often.  One time I had abdominal pain so pain I had abdominal ultrasounds done checking for any abnormalities (I wasn't a nurse at the time, so who knows what they were really checking for).  I have no idea what I was ever diagnosed with, or if I was diagnosed with anything.  I can only assume that the doctors believed I was somatisizing stress as abdominal pain.
     As I got older, I just believed that I had a "weak stomach" that reacted badly to several foods. **Warning, do not read the rest of this if you are at all squeamish or currently eating**  While in college I went to the doctor once because of severe abdominal pain and rectal bleeding.  I, of course, assumed I must be dying from colon cancer.  The doctor performed a digital rectal exam and could not feel any external hemorrhoids, so I was diagnosed with internal hemorrhoids and somatization of stress.  Somatization is basically when somebody has a psychological stressor that manifests as a physical symptom.  The doctor was not calling me crazy, because these patients' physical symptoms are very real.  He basically told me to take Tums anytime I felt stressed or stomach pain (at least, that is what I heard).  So, I ate A LOT of Tums...
     Fast forward a few years.  I am now married to my wonderful husband, Michael.  Michael knew that I had this "weak stomach" and was pretty sympathetic to my complaints.  However, it was easy to see he was getting a little tired of my Constant whining about my stomach hurting.  I would go back and forth between diarrhea and constipation from one day to the next.  My hemorrhoids got so bad that I was afraid I would be anemic.  And, I was crying in pain almost everytime I had a bowel movement.  Basically, at this point, Michael had had enough of seeing me in so much pain.  He forced me to go to the doctor, yet again.  I went to a nurse practitioner that was closest to my house (have I ever mentioned that nurse practitioners are awesome?).  She was very concerned about the bleeding and abdominal pain.  She referred me to a GI doctor who she assured was the best (and he is, until Michael becomes a GI doctor).
    Dr. Feagens (the best GI doctor) decided to do an EGD and Colonoscopy because of my symptoms and some family history of bowel problems.  He tested for several things, but Celiac was the resulting diagnosis. (TMI? sorry)

So, long story short, my constant pain and bleeding were the symptoms that led me to being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. 

Here I am, 5 months after the diagnosis of Celiac, trying to cope with this life change.  This blog is basically a way for me to keep up with restaurants I can eat at, recipes I enjoy, and let me vent.  Most days I feel like I can't complain, because I know I have it so good compaired to others.  But on other days, days like today, I break down and cry (like a blubbering fool) over wanting bagel bites (this could be pregnancy related).  I need a place to vent.

Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to offend anybody or make anybody feel bad for sitting there and eating their soft roll dripping with butter while reading it. ;)