Announcing...Mabel!

In the chaos of moving, I forgot to tell you all (whomever you may be) that we found an opportunity to sell my great Civic to a good friend. At which point, we needed a car for me.

Kyle really put in an extraordinary amount of time and effort, and after just one week of searching and test driving, we purchased this beauty:

2006 Buick LaCrosse CXL: 95,000 miles

Some of you know, I must name my cars. I always have. First, Leslie & I shared Xena Warrior Princess, a lovely hunter green Chevy S10 extended cab truck. She was followed by She-Ra (of He-Man fame), another Chevy S10 extended cab, but a tan/silvery color (so not my favorite). In college, I found myself driving a maroon Chevy Tracker, which I named Athena, you know, the goddess of wisdom and war. My last vehicle, the Honda Civic EX, was a very special car to me. I got her practically brand new and put nearly 125,000 miles on her myself. I dubbed her Sophia Bellona, another goddess' name, Sophia being the goddess of wisdom and Bellona being that of war (see a theme?).

As I tossed around names for this beauty, Kyle decided she must have a "stately old lady" name. And I agreed, as most of the names I'd been drawn to were popular in the 18th or 19th century.

After a few days of driving around in her luxurious leather heated seats, riding softer than I ever had before (look at the above list--I'm used to truck suspensions, or the Civic, which was sporty and thus not super smooth. Being in this car is like floating down the road--we both love it. Hello, new vacation car!), I decided on a combination of several great name options.

And so, after trying various names on her for size, she has become:

Mabel Louise Frigg

It just rolls off the tongue.

We mostly call her Mabel, but Mabel Louise is too wonderful to pass up. And Frigg, well, she was a Norse goddess of, well, many things. The first web site I saw proclaimed she was the goddess of "Home Maintenance," which made me laugh. I had to have it. Since then, I have seen references to her as the goddess of marriage, love, fertility, childbirth, and various other domestic arts. "Frigg" apparently means love or beloved one. 

At any rate, this car is beloved by us and she seems to be related to domestic things, which may inspire us to take good care of our new home!

I've been driving her now for a month and I could not be more pleased. Seems crazy that we added a "new" car to our expenses this year, but it was necessary for my chronic back pain to get rid of the Civic. God orchestrated it perfectly for us and we are incredibly thankful for how easy the transactions of buying and selling ended up. 

The Latest with the Wilsons

We moved!

Even better, we own a home!

And we're in love with it: the front yard, the back yard, the shed, the deck, the garage, the laundry room, the kitchen with its beautiful cabinets and island and dishwasher!!!, the second bathroom, the walk-in closet, the jet tub, and the extra bedroom we acquired, not to mention the many windows that actually open to let in fresh air and sunlight all through the house. Most of all, the fireplace. 3-sided and visible from living, dining, and kitchen areas (which is really just one big open space).

With the fantastic help of my parents, sister, a guy from church, a neighbor, and Sara W., we were able to get the kitchen unpacked and functional in one day, and the rest of the house was fairly put together, though strewn in boxes. We have continued unpacking, having systems checked out by professionals, and purchasing the little things that I suspect homeowners are used to doing (but we haven't a clue about). Walking in from the garage every day after work has been awesome. To finally be home.

We are so grateful for God's provision.

I wonder how long it'll take before we no longer feel like we're staying in a vacation home! Any ideas?

Best of all, Quincy loves it too! He wouldn't leave our bathroom for a full day, but when he got brave enough to venture into the living room, he found so much space in which he can run around at top speed, play with his plastic milk jug rings, and a lot more counter space to explore (and be scolded for doing so continuously). A few nights ago, he discovered the tops of the washer/dryer--they are very high, and subsequently, he discovered the top of the cabinets just above the washer/dryer--a perfect corner space where heat from the dryer rises while he sleeps very soundly (despite the constant train traffic on the nearby tracks). He also loved the open windows on Wednesday--blew his mind! (and ours)

Reading as of Late

As you might expect for a person who is in grad school for literature, I read a lot. But this semester, I'm reading for fun while I'm reading for school. How often does that happen? For me, not often.

I just finished another amazing novel. I want to read it to my nieces, but I don't know if they will get scared by it or not.

I have loved Neil Gaiman since roughly 2006 or 2007 when my mom and I took a road trip to AZ, where I was going to live for the summer. We gathered a slew of books on CD for the car ride and headed out. One of our favorites was Coraline by Gaiman. We loved it so much we would sit in the car when we reached our hotel to finish the chapter, wishing we had a way to take the CD in and listen as we rested prostrate on the beds. After being in a car for 10+ hours, this is a miraculous occurrence, to stay in the car for a second longer than needed. But we loved it. We both wanted to listen to it again after we finished it, but we were done road-tripping at that point.

Fast forward many years and a plethora of grad classes later and I haven't gotten back to Gaiman, though I smile every time I hear about Coraline, book or film. Graveyard is a similarly awesome book; a must-read and phenomenal.

I have also read, up to this point, the following other books:

 While Looking for Alaska was very deep and moving, it is not for everyone. There is a lot of adolescent delinquency in it, and while I believe the ultimate message is one of redemption and hope, conservative readers will not make it through to find the phenomenal ending.

True Diary is another well-written and surprising YA novel. Although Alaska was Green's debut novel, Sherman Alexie has been around for quite some time and has established a firm reputation. There is so much tragedy in this novel and yet, similar to each book listed above, there is much to gain, as well. Hope and redemption are necessities and are well-woven centralities in the life of young Junior.

One book of the four so far covered in my course has been terrible, and thus I'm not mentioning it here. I was sad to read it, as my course is Award-Winning Young Adult Fiction of the 21st century. How did it win an award? Well, it was a minor award and the book is lame. Enough said.

I'm excited to move on to the final two novels and to have time to explore the common themes in today's young adult fiction. This is my favorite grad class ever--and it just so happens to be the last one ever. A fabulous combination!

Because sometimes, you just need some hilarity in your life...

I wouldn't say that we're obsessed with our cat, but most of the pictures on both Kyle's and my phone are of Quincy. He's so funny.

What I love about cats are their quirky personalities; you never how they will respond, when they will go running by and busting through the closed-but-not-latched bathroom door, or when they will curl up and give you the best purring heating blanket of fur on your lap.

We have always wanted to capture what Quincy does when we turn the faucet on at the bathroom sink, but this video of other cats and their water-play will have to suffice for now.

Enjoy! (You don't need sound to enjoy this.)

Hey, Sisters...

Remember this?

Pretty in Pink!

Family

Although this is several months old and it was not from a happy event, here is a photo of my siblings and me.

I like us.

Life Lesson #1348: Things They Never Tell You

Sometimes it seems as though the world chooses to omit details about growing up that would have been very useful to know years ago or, in the very least, before a situation hits you smack in the face.

My first example stems from my early post-college days, when I walked into a dermatologist's office extremely self-conscious and upset with my skin. The doctor examines my face and says to me: "It is common for women in their early twenties to develop acne, even those who never had it in adolescence."

Really?? How did I not know this? How is this not something that is shared in the annual period / sex talks in school from the 4th grade up? How was I completely unprepared to face terrible acne at 23 without knowing that it is a common occurrence.

I'll admit to you that I doubted his nonchalance, yet I have met fellow sufferers since that time who show me there is some truth to his statement. (Though I deplore that at age 30 I am still dealing with this issue. Come on. Don't we deserve a break at some stage of life?) Awesome. Thanks, Life. Thanks for that one.

The second example I have for you today is related to physical appearance but not at all in the same way. It is yet another decision or a situation where you are forced to ask yourself, How did I not learn about this before now?!

My question is this: How do I break up with my hairdresser?

Now, truthfully, this "hairdresser" could be any personal service provider like a massage therapist, eyebrow waxer or what have you. This is an especially tricky issue when you live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and your personal service provider knows what car you drive and which days you drive to that gas station or restaurant and which you don't.

This has totally happened to me once before with a masseuse; I had been seeing her for a while, but was not highly impressed. One day when I had to squeeze in an appointment with someone else in her building, I found a much better masseuse and I immediately faced the dilemma--how do I switch without being a jerk? It has nothing to do with you as a person, it's just...someone else can meet my needs better. No one had prepared me for how to address this kind of a situation!

This year, I'm faced with another difficult decision of wanting to change hairdressers, but not wanting to hurt feelings. I've been going to the same girl for five years and I feel bad ditching her, but want to give someone else a try.

Life has handed me a card I wasn't anticipating; I've been able to ease the letdown of my departure by playing the "we're moving" card. Part of me feels terrible even though I have a legitimate excuse, but the other half is relieved for the "valid" reason. I'm torn even as I process this tonight: Isn't my desire to find a new hair trimmer enough of a valid reason? Should I feel guilty about attempting to find someone else who can meet my needs or standards in a way more conducive with my ideals?

These are simply two examples of many more that I've come across as an adult, each of which has left me wondering why didn't you tell me? You being Life, Parents, Older cousins who met those milestones first, or Any friend who could have (and should have) alerted me to these facts of life before they hit me square in the face and left me grasping for words.

Upon waking...

I think I've been asleep for the last 2 months, dreaming all that transpired. Today, I feel as if I have wakened from that dream (was it a nightmare?).

My first summer session began on May 14th, before which I was scrambling to finish a rough draft of my thesis. The course -- Foucauldian Thought in Transatlantic 19th-century Literature -- was the hardest and most brain-busting one to date. It nearly destroyed me. But, alas, I did finish the classroom experience last Wednesday and the final paper on Friday, and then I turned off my brain and sat still for a while. I watched countless episodes of TV shows on Netflix, took a nap, cuddled with my kitten, and reorganized my recipes in the Cloud. I scoured three cookbooks, scanning numerous recipes and ultimately deciding one of them needs to be purchased for my gluten-free cookbook library.

Kyle and I have managed to continue living in the last 7 weeks during this course, but it has been exhausting. He took off two of the most recent weekends to give me space and time and quiet to write papers. I had forgotten how grueling driving to class two nights a week can be. But thankfully, that part of my journey is almost over. I won't ever have to drive twice a week again, and I'm not certain how often I'll need to drive in the Fall. The professor who's leading my independent study will have to help me determine that. I'm hoping no more than once every other week. Oh, that it will be so!

This summer, more than last, I realize how much I miss "time off." Since I'm technically a 10-month employee, I should have my June-July-part of Aug away from work. It never ends up that way, or it hasn't much since I began working here 5 years ago. The first summer, I worked through the summer for extra pay. It was fine--I was living alone, paying off student loans, and didn't mind in the least. That second summer, I got engaged and spent most of the time between Arizona and South Carolina and my parents' home getting ready for the wedding. I think I worked through the third summer, again for extra pay, which helped immensely in our first year of marriage. But the last 3 summers have been SCHOOL. And that is NOT a break and it is not fun and I'm super ready for a summer of no school and no work. I dream about vacations, trips, even just spending time with our families, whom I have hardly seen this year.

This month brings a little bit of freedom with it, however, which is much appreciated. My course at UIndy was cancelled at the last minute, and I scrambled to arrange an independent study. Turns out, I scored one here in town that will transfer quite easily upon my finishing it in August. No more night classes! No more 3-hour classes! And I'm studying a 19th-c. Scottish children's author: George MacDonald. He writes fantasy children's novels and stories and poems, but he was also a pastor and author for adults. You may be familiar with At the Back of the North Wind or The Princess and the Goblin. I'm really excited for this change of pace.

I do still need to work on my thesis revisions, which will be intense. Today I looked over my adviser's comments on each chapter and I sank into a mini-depression. It's unreasonable, I know, because my first drafts are always bad. I find joy in the revision process; or I used to. I just need to focus on smaller chunks of the whole, because that picture of 75 pages that aren't worth much is pretty scary. Pray for me, if you think about it. I have a LOT of work ahead of me. But I have more time in which to do it, so that is my greatest summer blessing!

The Truth of My Predicament

A friend of mine recently showed this to me. We laughed about the truth of it...if you only exchange the "vegan" part with all of the other combined and odd sensitivities that I have, this is a pretty accurate (and sad) picture.

This is why I don't want to come to your house for dinner (*you being anyone and everyone I know and don't know). Please don't take it personally, I just don't want to impose such restrictions on you. They are ridiculous, I know.

This week I haven't had anything to eat for lunch. I really dislike corn tortillas. I've tried for 2 months to like them, but I can't. They're gross. And they have been what I've eaten for lunch for a while. I can't choke down one more (ok, maybe I can one more, but that's it).

I struggle with lunches. Yesterday I had the equivalent of 4 tortilla chips, an apple, 5 handfuls of mini marshmallows, and 2 carmel corn rice cakes. My last batch of sweet potatoes molded through before I could snag most of them. I hate throwing away produce, but when there are mold holes throughout the potato, you can't save it. Strings of mold in the bag where they were sitting. It was so gross I haven't bought any more.

I don't know what I'll eat today for lunch, maybe...a baked potato in the microwave? Probably.

I need help! I don't have time to cook lunch, and I don't really have time on the weekends to make dinners and lunches. What are some ideas that I could have for a quick lunch?

Thanks, friends. I obviously need you to keep me going--I can't even feed myself properly.

Mostly good

We've been so lucky that most of our trial dishes and baked goods have been, well, good to eat. Just before Easter, when we were heading back to our parents' houses, I decided to make some blueberry muffins to have as a snack, since I don't have too many snacky options.

I chose a recipe from the Food Network thinking--they surely know what they're talking about when it comes to gluten-free baked goods. But, man, was I wrong. The flavor was great. That was it. The texture was gooey and yet grainy; absolutely detestable. It's impossible to explain enough to make your skin crawl, like mine did every time I looked at them after consuming just one. Suffice it to say, I threw the whole batch out - except the first one I ate, and then one Kyle ate just to be nice. Even thinking about them now gives me the shivers.

I was about to swear off baked goods because of that experience, but I remembered an earlier success I'd had with pumpkin muffins, as well as some cinnamony doughnut muffins. That memory inspired me to try a biscuit recipe from my cousin's cookbook suggestion--Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking. Their base flour mix is what makes the delicious pancakes I love and the pumpkin muffins (I think). Having now made their biscuits, I'm happy to say, they were awesome! Reminiscent of Bisquick drop biscuits, except an incredibly delicious flavor. So easy to make, too. I did not like their recipe for cornbread, but so far, have liked everything else.

I am definitely still feeling like I don't have an arsenal of recipes, and I hate that...every week wondering what will feed us. Lunch has become the biggest chore to me; I wish I could skip it, but I get grouchy. But, once every couple weeks we find a new winner recipe, and I'm keeping track of the good ones. We're making it just fine, and we're not wasting away. I have lost almost 10 lbs., but they were 10 that needed to go. Probably all from snacking, which I don't do a whole lot of these days. Kyle has not lost any weight, thank the Lord. So, all in all, we're happy.

And busy. I'll be updating very shortly on another major life event we're embarking on, and it has nothing to do with babies, so don't get any ideas. :o)

A Senior Moment

No, not that kind of senior.

Check this guy out! Senior Picture Time!

We obviously have too much going on, if poor kitty has to entertain himself by playing tennis alone in the house.

New Loves

I've developed a new awareness for foods, along with a new appreciation for some I've never given a chance. We had butternut squash as a side last week--it was awesome.

I had sweet potatoes as a lunch: I'm in love! So filling and delicious. Where have you been all my life? (I know where; I had hated them for much of my life. They weren't even on the list of edible items.)

And the absolute best: guacamole. It's not a real "recipe" for guac, it's just some powdered garlic and onion, dash of cayenne, salt, seasoned salt, pepper and a Tb or so of lime juice. I can just eat it off of a spoon, but I also like it on tortilla chips and on these super spicy bean burrito-ish things I've been eating. Each "burrito" consists of equal parts roasted red jalapeno refried black beans and guacamole on a small corn tortilla. Yums!

I had a moment of panic over the weekend when I realized we were out of ideas for food and it really is too soon to do repeats of what we've already had. I spent too much time coming up with recipes on Saturday night so we could grab the ingredients from the grocery after church on Sunday.

We crock potted the pork and green chili stew that we love, only we had to exchange chunky salsa with beef broth. It just wasn't the same. Kind of disappointing, but pork is always good -- so there was that.

We will try a stuffed squash recipe later this week that incorporates sausage, quinoa, and onion filling. I have no idea. These aren't really my favorite things in the world, but I'm willing to try. I'm also hoping to make a roasted veggie butternut squash soup. In my spare time, of course.

Finding a Groove

I had intended to document, to some extent, the food journey we're on. I had a post entitled "Week 2: Overview" all ready, but at this point, I have forgotten what we ate last week. But I do know that we ate!

I ended up being hungry more often, and that was discouraging. I tried a very simple version of guacamole on plain rice cakes...um, the first 2 were good, but I still have an avocado left and several more rice cakes and I don't know if I can do it again. They certainly didn't wow me; but like I said, it was a sad version of guac without tomatoes, sour cream or lemon juice.

On Saturday, I was able to spend the entire day working on my thesis. It was awesome. When I got home for lunch, I realized I had no ready-made food: bummer. But thanks to the flour mix and the pancake recipe from Steph, I was able to whip up pancakes in no time. Yes, please! Success!

This weekend I tried an allergen-free version of stroganoff. Scary--I mean the thought was scary. Stroganoff is one of the delightful comfort foods--creamy and flavorful. We cooked up some rice noodles (they take much longer) and threw together this dairy-free sauce. Both of us were skeptical. However, the result was delicious. Different than the traditional dish, yes. But still really good. I'd make it again next week. And, the plus is that it really isn't as bad for you as the traditional dish. One thing I'm learning and appreciating is that the things I "have" to make for myself are better for me, and not having dairy cuts out on some fat.

Have I mentioned the jelly beans I have found that are saving my sweet tooth? Gimbal's Fine Candies is a company I now love, and had never heard of three weeks ago. They keep the top 8 allergens out of their candy, and use real fruit juice rather and no high fructose corn syrup. The Cherry Lovers line is awesome, and safe for me. I have bought 4 or 5 bags so far.

This week we're looking at a lentil soup recipe that is very different from the ones we've loved in the past. No tomatoes (*sniff). But it looks and smells delicious -- tonight will be the first tasting. We'll serve it with the leftover rice noodles -- which taste very good, by the way -- and perhaps later with some rice. I'm contemplating freezing portions of this soup for my lunches.

Lunches are hard. If I have leftover pancakes or something small, I'm fine. But when I don't, like today, life gets tricky. Some days, I eat a few pieces of fruit and veggie sticks with roasted red pepper hummus. It's never enough, but what else? Where is my bread or yogurt? Those were my defaults. This week, I have a can of green chile refried black beans that I'll open, and I still have that avocado and rice cakes. Today I found a sweet potato in the veggie drawer -- that is a surprisingly filling meal. 2 carrots (whole carrots) and a sweet potato later, and I was on my way back to work. I had a time deadline today that didn't allow for anything else.

Sunday I experienced my first party-going gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, lemon-free, pineapple-free, tomato-free, nut-free, etc. experience. It was depressing, I have to admit. Of all the delicious and beautiful foods there--cakes, scones, spinach-artichoke dip, punch, cookies--I could have only the fruit salad I brought and some fresh veggies. And water. The party was to celebrate the engagement and upcoming marriage of a dear friend, so I tried not to let my personal issues detract from enjoying all the people, some of whom I rarely get to see. But it was hard during the "eating" time. I really wanted a cranberry, white-chocolate chip scone and a dark chocolate cookie with powdered sugar. I had the awkward moments where someone would offer something and I just had to say "No" when both they and I knew that I'd prefer to say "Yes!".

It foreshadowed the painful experience awaiting me later this week (a professional conference that I'll have to pack my lunch for) and later this month -- attending the wedding of my brother-in-law. Not that the wedding will be painful. But the whole eating with lots of people for 4 days will be excruciating. I don't want to do it. I'd avoid it if at all possible. Talk about being high maintenance. Good grief.

Is it wrong of me to want to hide out? To avoid social situations where it gets awkward or where I could easily forget that I can't have something that I truly enjoy eating?

When I am home and in control of my eating prep, I am confident. This is doable. It's the outside bit that scares me and makes me dread the upcoming weeks.

Week One Assessment: This is Doable

I'm happy to say that I now realize this is all doable. Stephanie has helped immensely; I cannot thank her enough. Because of her advice and recipes she's sent my way, I have made homemade salad dressing (yet to be tried, however) and a gluten-free, egg-free, milk-free flatbread to have with our potato kale soup. The bread was decent; Kyle even claimed he liked it! She has also guided me through what flours and starches and gums I need to buy in order to be able to bake and cook. This is invaluable information, people! So is the egg substitution of 1 Tb ground flaxseed + 3 Tb water. Life Saver!

I think I've eaten more fruit in the last week than in the last month prior. But that's perfectly okay with me; I love fruit. Now I need to increase my uptake of vegetables, which the salad dressing and roasted red pepper hummus should help. I don't like eating plain fresh veggies, so I'm hoping these toppings will fancify the lettuce and baby spinach and peppers, carrots and celery sitting in my fridge. My fridge has NEVER ever been so full. Leslie, you've got to see this!

Yesterday I met up with my local contact who eats gluten-free. She let me borrow two issues of Living Without, a food magazine for people with all of the allergies/sensitivities that I have and more. I have found several helpful ideas, brands, and recipes in those issues, which is another huge encouragement. My friend also let me have some gluten-free, egg-free, milk-free cookies and gave me two boxes of cereal to try (one is a GF version of Grape Nuts! I can live again!). My assessment of all is that they weren't bad; the cereal was even good.

I spent the week eating rice chex with coconut milk for breakfast, but I was delighted to find out I can still eat corn chex. They are perhaps my all-time favorite cereal. This morning I moved on to rice milk, and I can tell I prefer it to the coconut on cereal. I never drank either plain. I can't imagine doing that.

I feel like I'm armed with information (a fantastic feeling for a Librarian to have, let me tell you) and ready to figure this out. I have a plethora of web sites and stores in the quasi-local and regional area recommended to me. I have enough recipes to get us through another week. As long as I'm home and in control of what I eat, I feel like this isn't as scary as it was last week when I found out.

However, I'm nervous about an upcoming trip that unfortunately falls in the timeline of my one-month off of everything under the sun restricted diet. Friends swear to me that the region of the South we're headed to is super friendly to gluten intolerance folks, but I imagine I'll still need to pack up a bunch of snacks and foods that I can make for myself. It's a little awkward since we'll all be staying at a bed and breakfast -- our entire huge family + others.

I can't tackle that right now, though. I've got to get going on my thesis again. A little rusty and my brain is consumed by this food issue. Now that there is some sort of solution, I'm hoping for inspiration on this project.

PRAY FOR ME! I need it. My brain is all a-jumble most days.

Day One: A Success

Truthfully, I wasn't sure how I'd fare today. But I'd say I did rather well.

I tried unflavored coconut milk on rice Chex for breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised by the coconutty flavor and how well it went down. My mid-morning snack was an orange--they are so good this time of year. But by lunch time I had a major food headache, as in lack-of-food.

I didn't have a ton of time for lunch, so I stuck with ready-made food: 3 corn tortillas (so dry), a serving applesauce, 6 carrot sticks, 6 celery sticks (no dip...gross), and half of the most amazing grapefruit ever. I was satisfied but not full.

I supped on a gluten-free, tomato-free beef taco with black beans in corn tortillas and a tiny Braeburn apple.  Aside from the dry corn tortillas, it was a filling meal. Boring, but filling. I miss tomatoes. and Cheese. I do not, however, miss milk.

This day of not having any cravings and not giving in to the doughnuts and pastries in the office lounge was a major success. Now, on to tomorrow.

Baby steps.

Life Change...Wasn't What I Expected

It's astounding how pivotal a few weeks can be in the trajectory of one's life. The last 5 weeks have been incredibly busy and brought so many new and not always pleasant transitions to my life. There have been two deaths in the family, both of which leave a void. I have seen two different doctors as I continue to pursue answers to all of my body issues. The sciatic pain ebbs and flows; this week it has flared up, but several weeks prior I hardly noticed. I continue to see the chiropractor for my back that keeps un-aligning itself. Frustrating. 

One of my doctors diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, on the day my grandma died. That was a hard week. I haven't even had time to process that diagnosis yet. 

We were out of town for a week, and then came back, at which point I got that nasty throat-sinus bug going around. During that week, we drove over 9 hours in one day for me to have blood drawn for a test that we hoped would show what foods I've been consuming that my body treats as poison. "Toxic" to the cells, the literature says. I got those results yesterday, the day after my great aunt passed away. 

Those test results were ones I have been anxiously awaiting. Ever since learning about this test for delayed reaction food sensitivities, I knew it would hold answers. Sometimes it made me nervous--what food(s) would I have to cut out? I joked with Emily that it might be cheese, since I eat that about every day. I was a little nervous about milk. I wasn't sure if wheat or gluten would be problematic, but had a sneaking suspicion they might. 

I got the call in the middle of the afternoon, and within 30 minutes I'd talked with the doctor about a plan of action and our conversation was over. But my mind was reeling. Let me show you why.

There were two tests - one for gluten, by itself; one for 154 other different foods.

The gluten one showed a "weak positive" for gluten sensitivity. Doctor's orders are that I'm off gluten for at least a year. 

The test for 154 foods showed 31 are causing reactions. I have to cut all of those out for at least one month, at which point I can add back in the weakest reaction-causing foods at one serving per week. For the highest scoring reactants, I can't ever have them again (this is my understanding). 

The highest reactive foods were cheese and eggs. I can't have those anymore.

The next category included kidney and navy beans, pineapple, and brewer's yeast. Those are out for at least 3 months, if not forever. (This isn't a huge deal. I like kidney and navy beans, but they will be easy to eliminate.)

The following group of foods I can't have for at least 2 months: milk from a cow (and all byproducts), wheat (which was already cut out by the gluten test), and baker's yeast (no breads!). This is a hard group for me to cut. I consume a lot of dairy products.

The final group is the lowest reactive foods, and I must cut them out for 1 month, at which point I can add back in, like I said above. This includes bananas (a staple for me), tomato (we eat this or its products in everything), cranberry (I drink this daily), oat, green beans (I love), asparagus, blackberry, lemon, ginger, thyme, sage, malt, perch, rye, goat's milk, papaya, and several others that I never consume.

Right away, I see baked goods are out (it's so obvious--milk, egg, wheat). I might have a love affair with baked goods. This is hard. I had planned on eating oatmeal, if the gluten test came back positive, but I can't even do that. What do I eat for breakfast, let alone other meals. 

The list of results showed all the foods that didn't give reactions, so there are well over 100 there. Several of them are nuts, however, and I have immediate allergic reactions to nuts, so those are out. And, the rest are fruits, veggies, and meat. Good things, healthy things. But what do you DO with them? I always add tomatoes and make a stew or shove things between slices of bread and have a "sandwich" or burrito, if I use a flour tortilla. 

I'm overwhelmed, I must admit. With a thesis hanging daily over my head, that I have hardly touched since mid-January, I have enough brain-fodder for a lifetime. And now this. How do I plan? 

Food used to excite me. Cooking was something I enjoyed. Today, that is gone. Today, this weekend, this week, this month...it's a chore to figure out how to feed myself. 

I'm thankful for numerous resources in people and the Internet to help me figure this out, but holy cow. In one day, my world has been turned around. 

A Week in Arizona

There are few places in the US that I love more than the Sonoran Desert. I love the random wildlife (burros, anyone? Yes, please, at Lake Pleasant Park), the beautiful Saguaro cacti that cover the Phoenix valley, the various colors of the sunsets, sunrises, and desert landscape. I love the sun, and yes, I love the heat, especially in January.

Kyle and I were in charge of Emily's little ones for 5 days. The great news is: WE ALL SURVIVED! The bad news is: We lost one glass to the antics of the puppy and got two skinned palms on an outing (poor Jackson!). The girls seemed no worse for the wear, thankfully. (I must admit, I wasn't fully prepared for the drama that accompanies sisters, ages 9 and 6.5. I had forgotten my own childhood years of pestering and playing.)

We are terrible picture takers. And thus, we failed to document our time with these precious kids. What we did snap were mostly of Jackson. I hope the girls will forgive me. :o)

Here we have a man hard at work, tinkering away on his car and a Corvette, no less. I love the concentration and I think he looks so grown up here.

He's super ornery, but look at this face! 

You can't help but LOVE it!

Such a sweet puppy, this Max is.

So sweet, he left us this ribbon in the shape of a heart one afternoon.

Thanks, buddy!

I cannot lie--being a primary caretaker was exhausting, but definitely had its rewarding moments. It also gave me a new appreciation for my sister's amazing skills of parenting, organizing, creativity and being awesome, in general. Very few can do as well as she has done. At the end of the day, I had only had enough energy to crawl into bed. No movies, no TV, no relaxing. Just bed. And sleep. Perhaps it's good that most people don't start parenting immediately with three kids. Just another thing to be thankful for!

Mid-winter

I know it isn't technically mid-winter, and with all the sunshine and the absence of too much snow, it has hardly even been winter yet. But my mood is wintery, and thus, I'm dubbing this mid-January day mid-winter in my soul. 

Things are not well on so many levels. So much sadness all around. 

But we manage to find small things to give us cheer -- our Quincy perched on a pillow and blanket watching TV (seriously, he was...he loved the Green Bay game yesterday); sun streaming into the back room while I sat reading in the chair; and then there is always food. I understand it's not emotionally healthy to have emotional relationships with food. But when there is little else to bring joy, sometimes food can do it. 

For Christmas, I received a Pampered Chef bar pan, mini spatula server, and silicone basting brush. I was thrilled and really wanted to find somehow to use all of them very quickly. Thanks for Pampered Chef for always being awesome, they provided just the recipe, which I want to share with you today.

My initial reading of the "Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken" recipe made me cautious...I don't typically like sweet and spicy. Plus, the idea of fruit on meat makes me a little nauseated. However, after showing it to Kyle and mostly because we already had some fresh cilantro in the fridge, I decided to give it a go. 

The result was utter perfection and our new favorite chicken dish. Plus, we added some Pillsbury biscuits (baked on the new stoneware pan) and some steamed veggies for a delicious meal. It was almost as good the second day, as well. I'm hungry all over again just thinking about it (and we just finished eating the day-2 edition).

Here is the recipe, straight from Pampered Chef:

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken

1/2 c apricot jam
1 Tb lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4-6 oz each)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 Tb snipped fresh parsley

Directions:
Place jam in small bowl and microwave on High for 30-40 seconds, until melted; add lime juice and chopped jalapeno. Whisk until well blended and then set aside. 

Combine chili powder and salt in small bowl. 

Flatten chicken to an even thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Rub garlic over chicken; sprinkle evenly with chili powder mixture.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until hot. Lightly spray skillet with nonstick spray. Add chicken. Cool 5-7 mins; turn. Cook an additional 5-7 mins, or until chicken is no longer pink in center. When you flip the chicken, brush evenly with glaze using silicone basting brush. Sprinkle with cilantro while finishing up in the skillet. 

Serves 4. 

I hope you try this and end up loving it as much as we did. Chicken doesn't have to be boring. And even when it sounds scary (jam on chicken? GROSS!), if you give it a chance, it just might be the best thing you've tasted in a long time!