3 Months!

3 months ago today, I was diagnosed with Celiac.  It is absolutely amazing how much I have changed in 13 short weeks.  I am so relieved to be feeling good, and relatively healthy.  

I can't believe that it was only 3 months, it has seemed like a lot less than that, which is a good thing.  I am thrilled that the diet is going so well and that my body is allowing me to absorb all the nutrients that I have been eating.  Sure, it hasn't been the easiest transition, but it just means that I eat a different type of cereal, don't have bread with dinner, and eat a lot more rice.  Ok, so maybe that's not ALL, but it's not much more than that.  At home it is easy.

With new types of food comes new types of mistakes.  So far we have only had one kitchen disaster, one semi-relapse (maybe just a bug? its so hard to tell), and one bit of drama...but that is not for you to know.  The kitchen disaster was buckwheat pancakes.  Not that all buckwheat pancakes are bad, but this recipe basically replaced buckwheat flour for wheat flour.  It was HORRIBLE.  DO NOT TRY THAT!!! Ugh, I shutter even thinking about them.

The only thing that has been hard (big surprise) is going out for dinner.  We have gone out twice in the past 3 months, which is a lot less than we used to, but I think that it's worth it, for now we eat healthier. 

So, Here's to health, and happiness.  Please stay around for awhile longer.  :)

Fashion Find: Marc by Marc Jacobs Clover Dress

As I mentioned before, I love fashion. It is one of the most amazing types of art. Art and beauty is everywhere, and I think that what some people can turn a piece of fabric into, is one of the most pure and simple versions of art. We need to wear clothes for many reasons, and wearing a true piece of art is a beautiful feeling. With that said...Here is a gorgeous (and gluten free, i think) design.

photo via here.

This is a Clover Print Dress created by Marc by Marc Jacobs. I think that Marc Jacobs is an amazing designer, not just because of this dress. He has 2 full clothing lines bearing his name. The other one is the Marc Jacobs Collection. Not only does he do his own lines, but I believe that he is the creative director for Louis Vuitton. Now maybe that doesn't seem like a lot, but that is 3 collections that he has imput and influence over about twice a year. 6 collections every year, with each season's due at the same time. That is amazing, especially considering how many pieces are in each of the collections. Anyways...hope you like this dress.

For now at least, I think that I will stick to posting about luxury fashion, not so much buying it.

Mesa Sunrise Cereal

I love food. Who doesn't? The only annoying part about celiac is that getting those same foods that used to be my favorite is a lot more difficult. One of the things that was the weirdest to change from gluten-containing to gluten free was cereal.

My new favorite cereal is Mesa Sunrise by Nature's Path.

photo via here.

We buy the Eco-Packs and then put them in a plastic container pourer thing.

What they're like:
The cereal is filled with grains, but not grainy. They are kind of sorta like corn flakes, but with more than just corn.

Why I love it:
These flakes are really good. They are different then any other cereal, but so alike regular ones in a way that I can't explain. It is almost like they have gluten in them (taste-wise ONLY).

What they're free of:
Gluten...duh..Wheat (obviously), Trans Fats, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol

What they're low in:
Sodium, Fat, Sugar(I think...4g per 3/4 cup)

Other nutrition:
Vegetarian, have a bit(not much) of Iron and Vitamin A

[Edit: I bought this product, it was not sent to me nor was I asked to review it for any sort of compensation.]

Happy week- and ann- iversary

Hmm...One week.  Ok, so I know that that's not much, but oh well.  I never expected to actually post daily...not that that will keep up forever, but you know...  ugh, finals are coming up and not just any end of year finals, but big and important ones. :(  

About the ann- part of the week- and ann- iversary.  Today is my parents anniversary.  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

I just wanted to wish Mom and Dad a happy anniversary, and share my shock that a week has passed already for this blog.

Discovery & a Widget

My house is a blended family, only not in the traditional sense of the word. No, may parents are not split up, or anything like that. You see, we have adopted both sides of the computer world. Upstairs, as our main computer is our PC. Downstairs, between my room and remy brother's, is the brand-new iMac. And, if those are both taken up, we have a laptop, that if your lucky, you can find the internet on.

Since the iMac is brand-new, we are still feeling it out. Today, while figuring out how to remove and add things to and from the dashboard, I remembered something I had seen a long time ago, but never had the time to find...A celiac news widget!

They actually have a widget that you can put on your dashboard that tells you the most recent info on celiac. Now, I'm sure that lots of people already knew that, but oh well. If you have a Mac with a dashboard in need of a celiac news widget, you can find it here.

For those of you only with PCs, you can visit their website here.

I love discovering new things about celiac. While not the most enjoyable disease, it is a beautiful lesson in life and knowing who you are. I find that with celiac, I have become much more enthusiastic about food, and hair/skin/body/make-up products than I ever was before I had to read every label and actually think about what I was putting in and on my body. Knowing and thinking about everything that touches and goes into you is a privilege that I know I never would have even thought about before.

Book Review : The Luxe

So, I know that my original intention was to share recipes and get more in touch with my Celiac side, but while that is great, I think that this should be about more than just celiac. Just because I have this disease doesn't mean that it defines me. With that said...I love fashion, and especially while I was sick, I re-learned my love to read. When the highlight of your day is getting up to grab some food, it's a nice escape to involve yourself in someone else's life, even if it is fiction.

So...here is my review of the most recent book I read.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen Canada USA

photo via here.

Summary
In a world where scandal can be your death, we find ourselves looking into the lives of 5 teenagers, and what they will do to make things seem right. Elizabeth - Miss Goody Two Shoes with a secret. Penelope - Elizabeth's determined yet bold best frienemy. Diana - Elizabeth's younger sister with a forbidden crush. Lina - Elizabeth's personal maid, who has the information and will to put Elizabeth in a very compromising position. And Lastly, Henry - the renowned bachelor who solemnly became Elizabeth's fiancé.

What I thought
Although a friend revealed the ending to me before the end, I really enjoyed reading this book. While it was pretty thick (433 pages in hardcover), it is a captivating story that you won't want to put down. I can't wait for the next one.

I think that my friend summed it up best in saying "It's the Gossip Girl of 1899" While I have yet to read those books, I can definitely see the relation between The Luxe and the Gossip Girl TV show.

NOTE:
Considering this book had a few adult-related scenes, I wouldn't recommend this book to kids or tweens, but if you know (and are okay with) what I mean by adult-related (virtues and whatnot), this book is a great read.

'Bout time...

I figure that since I started this initially with the intention that I would share recipes...I should probably post one. So...here goes.

The other day, mom made a birthday dinner. We had quiches and the day after we had a Lemon Meringue Pie using the leftover dough. So...here is the Pie Crust Recipe she used:

Crust

Ingredients
2 Cups rice flour
2/3 Cup potato flour (NOT starch)
1/3 Cup tapioca flour
200g/7oz butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 tbsp water

Steps
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F, lightly grease 12-muffin tin and a pie plate (or whatever you are making it in)
Sift the flours into a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingers, until the mixture looks like dry breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and the water (or enough of it to form a soft dough).
Lightly dust a board with gluten free flour, then put the dough on the board and knead lightly.
On whatever your preferred surface, roll out the dough until 3mm/ 1/8 inch thick.
Then, you put the crust into the pie plate/muffin tin, if you need a baked pie shell, poke holes in the bottom with a fork, and then bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until baked (won’t be very dark/golden). For an unbaked pie shell(s) follow the directions in your recipe.

Mmm...here is that Pie before we ate any...


And after dessert...

Mmm...Very good and flaky. I'm not sure how many crusts it makes, but it makes at least 12 muffin tins and a 9" pie crust...so 2, maybe 3 crusts if you don't do the quiches. That will have to be tested. Let me know if you find out how many pie crusts it makes. Thanks.

Finally

Yesterday was amazing. My mom went to do groceries after school, and she found this. A sign over some cookies saying "Cholesterol and Gluten Free!" Finally, our local, non-special, grocery store carries home-baked gluten(and appearantly cholesterol)free cookies. Just to be sure, my mom read the ingredient list, in case they mixed the cookies up. But, sure enough, the cookies were in fact gluten free. This may sound like a little thing, but once I tasted their chewy chocolaty goodness, I knew that they were here to stay.

So maybe they're not the most beautiful cookies ever, but with their brownie-like texture, how could you go wrong? After all we only got them yesterday, and last I checked, there were only 3 left. (bytheway...the bottom one is upside down)
Mmmm....I got to go get one before they are all gone.

Happy Earth Day!

Dear Earth,
Thank you for being my home forever. I love you so. I hope that in doing my small part, we can keep you alive and well for a lot longer. I know that since you are always changing, we aren't going to erase are impact, but really? Would you honestly like to forget that we were here? I don't think so. We have changed the face of you, like so many before us and many to follow. Thank you for being able to support us in life (gravity, water, and whatnot). Without you, none of us would be here, so Here's to you, and everything you are.

Lots of Love,
Lauren

Pineapples <3

Red Firetruck. Apparently that is what I am supposed to be calling my little bro. He wanted something that would be easy for me to refer to him by, without using his given name. His suggestions were Red Firetruck, Red Suspenders, Pizza Guy, and Crazyman. Then he went on to name our pets. We have 2 cats and a dog, so he decided that the dog would be Mini, mini me, mini red firetruck, or mini man. Then, the cats, which happen to be sisters, were immediately deemed the Clones. The only question with them, is that is it A and B, I and II, one and two, or tabby and calico? I guess he didn't think it through before he had to dart off to school. (We go to different schools) When he came back he said they could be Maverick and Oblivious, M & S, or Smart and Stupid...but we will have to see. Anyways.....

Pineapple. I never realized how much I loved pineapple, until I had it fresh. When I was little, to try to get us to eat more fruit, my mom would buy canned pineapple chunks in the juice and mix chocolate chips in. It was always a comfort food, but now that it is really pineapple season (at the store) we have bought a few whole pineapples.
The first one was amazing. Truly unbelievable. With the help of a friend, the first 3/4 disappeared in no time. Then my parents ate the last quarter just as quickly.
When we got out the second one this morning, it just melted in my mouth. Slightly tarter than the first one, but still great. To go with the juicy goodness of the pineapple, mom and I had some tea. such a perfect yet simple combo.

Every day deserves this simple perfection.

Thank you.

Ah...it's so nice to have a day off of school every once in awhile. Taking a break without any big distractions is a nice way to refocus. Refocusing is always best when you have good food. I miss those days where you just have chicken noodle soup and curl up by the fire and watch the world unfolding before your eyes. When we refocus our efforts, and really truly realize who we are and what we need to do to make our lives worthwhile.

Changing one person's life, how ever slightly, is how my life will be worth anything. I know that I have done that. I know because people have told me two words that mean everything:

THANK YOU.

So often we forget to acknowledge those that have made a big impact in our lives. We forget to say thanks to every one of our friends, simply for being our friend. It may seem like a silly gesture, but it really does mean something when someone can tell you how you changed their life.

So...next time you realize how a friend, teacher, parent, sibling, child, co-worker, salesperson, host, anyone...changed your life, tell them, because we all like to be appreciated, even if it's just for the smallest things.

With that said, to all of my friends, past and present, Thank you. Simply for being you. Even if neither of us has truly realized it, you have changed my life. Thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you to the doctors that diagnosed me and let me get on with my life. Thank you. Thank you to everyone that I have ever met, or read their words.

Thank you to everyone for making me who I am.

My Story

I had always been a relatively healthy girl. I danced twice a week, did my best in gym class and skied on the weekends. I loved my vegetables and ate tons of fruit. Yes, I did love my pasta, but I was never really big into junk food, I'd rather have something healthy, because in the end, the healthy stuff tends to taste better.

When, in January of 2007, I had a sore throat like everyone else, it was no big deal, until it turned into pneumonia. That was when everything changed. Even after my lungs were deemed "clear" by my doctor, I still wasn't really improving. In short, my chest was sore, I had no energy and I crashed in no time. It took a few weeks for me to slowly improve, but eventually I was feeling better. ish... I didn't really take note of it then, but I was having stomach aches every day. Rolaids and Tums were common, I even got into Gaviscon for awhile. Anyways, whenever one symptom would appear to end, I always got another one, almost as if like clockwork.

Something wasn't right. That was for sure.

In June, I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem (first overactive, then underactive.) I took my medication religiously, and I did improve, but after awhile, I hit a plateau... one that wasn't all that high.

I even started a new sport, but after about a month, I wasn't able to go any more. I had babysat once, stayed up a bit later than I should and then bam. I was out. Overtiredness was too common. Dizzyness - way too common. Pain was normal. Bands of pain around my chest, upset stomach, trouble taking deep breaths. It was so odd.

In November, my dad took me to the hospital because I had a band around my chest that was making it hard to sleep. In Emergency at the Children's Hospital they took me to the Acute Treatment side. I stayed at the hospital form 8 am til I was "released" at 3pm, where I was sent for blood tests and xrays. I got 15 vials of blood taken, and a few xrays.

About a week later, I went back to get an ultrasound of my organs (to make sure they were all in the right places) and the results of my blood test. My organs were fine. Most of the blood tests were normal. Except a few. Celiac. Thalassemia Minor. The gluten-related one got me in to see the GI a few weeks later. The other was expected (family trait).

At the GI, I was scheduled to get an endoscopy. I was nervous, but looking forward to an end of sickness.

January 24th. I had a month and a half to get all of my gluten foods in. I ate what I could of pasta and desserts, but peeked into the gluten free foods to prepare myself for this new wonderful world. When the day finally came, it was over before I could realize. Then, when it was all over, the doctor said that the endoscopy was inconclusive, and we would have to wait for the biopsy's results.

January 30th, 5:00 pm. I was watching tv...and the doctor called, asking to speak to my mom. They talked for awhile, then mom came downstairs and said that I had Celiac. I was so relieved, nervous, and excited all at the same time.

I knew one thing. My life was about to change forever, but everything would be okay. Its JUST food, not like a million pills or anything, just food.

Now, eleven weeks later, I am good, not quite 100 % but I am way better than I was at the beginning of the year.