FREE!

Or, closer to it.  This past week I accidentally had sugar twice with NO reaction.  During three trial runs, my reaction revealed itself as a fraction from what it was.  No immediate super-drowsyness or the many other symptoms associated with sugar.  This is the last food group that was completely off limits!

After two and a half years, I can go out and order anything I want.  I don't have to constantly check ingredients and ingredients of the ingredients in restaurants. No more long discussions with the head chef, back and forth between staff members to take apart the menu, nervous or incorrigible waitresses, no scouring over notebooks and webpages to view the truth about the food being sold in every restaurant that is run differently.  I wasn't sure if having sugar back in my diet was ever possible.  This week has been very surreal and I am still trying to comprehend the fact that I can eat out and participate in potluck-like dinners.

Sugar is not something I can have all the time, and probably never will be.  For one, this intolerance has a high likelyhood of getting worse again if I over do it.  Therefore, I have to be strict on dosages.  Also, it's sugar.  If It start eating too much of it, it's straight back to Appleton's Suicide from Sugar to regain my perspective.

Whether I have sugar only when I go out, on rare occasion, or once or twice a week, I don't know yet.  Depends on how my body will handle it now and in what amounts. Having experience with 9+ food allergies, I can say with out hesitancy that sugar is the hardest.  It's just in too many things.  And there is a HUGE difference between being able to have something a little and not being able to have a single gram of it. 

I think the next milestone will be to not be dependent on 9 supplements or to not have to "rotate" so many foods -- wheat, eggs, yeast...

(Really excited about the holidays this year!)  Whoo!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of lights
James 1:17a

To be assembled, or pre-assembled...

Love this cookbook!

Power Foods from the editors of Whole Living Magazine (which I might add is a great magazine to peruse for recipes)

It's always hard to get enough vegetables into one's intake without creating numerous side dishes.  However, this book uses vegetables as the basis of nearly every meal.  Many recipes don't involve wheat either!

I love cooking -- as I'm sure my regular readers have read before.  There is something comforting about making your own meal and knowing what's in it.  And it's necessity, so you might as well make it great, right?  Yeah, I know it takes time.  And no, I do not have all the time in the world.  Having to work 50+ hours a week often leaves its mark.  You just get used to the time it takes and use it to relax, talk, listen to great music, or catch up on audiobooks.  It also helps scrape off the rush-rush attitudes that feed us Americans, as well as sticking with portion control. 

God gave us the ingredients to use.  Not using them...well, I think we've paid our price.  I honestly believe all these chemicals in the environment and food we are using (ridiculous amounts of sugar, too) is a huge contributor to rising behavioral disorders and numerous cancers.  What's even sadder is that there are a lot of people who do not know how to cook a basic vegetable or piece of chicken.  Unless it goes in the microwave, instant-add-water, or comes from a restaurant, it's a foreign concept.  I'm not saying it's necessarily wrong to enjoy such things once in a while, but it is awful to think that humans cannot even cook food unless it comes pre-assembled any more.  Why has it come to this?

Even when I do try the few pre-made frozen meals that I can have, my body and taste buds always relent with "what the heck is this!?"  Fresh always gives me better energy.  Seriously, it's amazing and totally worth the time.

Next up: a very, very big change!  Stay tuned.

Oh yes, this cookbook rocks!  This is "poached salmon with asparagus, herbs, and baby greens."

--
Quick Stir Fry:
Throw some vegetables (snow peas, peas, corn, garlic, carrots, broccoli, etc.) that need to be used up into a skillet with a bit of preferred food oil.  Once cooking, put the lid on to keep in the steam.  Stir occasionally.  Meanwhile boil rice noodles (or what ever pasta).  Once vegetables are soft but still bright in color -- about 10 minutes, I think -- put in drained, cooked noodles.  Mix well. Add some oregano or other favored spices.  Then (the best part) grate desired cheese over stir fry.  I used Vermont sharp-cheddar and it was great.

If you put thinly sliced veggies -- like zucchini, radishes, and asparagus  -- on a panini grill or cast iron grill it makes some great tastes -- with or without adding oils and spices.  It's pretty quick too!