1st Gluten Free Holiday = Success!

Living with a dietary restriction is frustrating enough on a normal day, but when the holidays arrive the frustration level can easily rise. Lately I have given some gluten free advice to friends that are just getting started, and it made me realize just how glad I am that my gluten free journey is not just beginning right before the holidays. If we had been trying to prepare for the holidays at the beginning of our gluten free journey, I don't think we would have been as merry as we were able to be.

 

Finding alternatives for your dietary restrictions is definitely a trial and error method, some stuff is just not a good substitute. We have thrown entire pans of food away after 1 bite because they were just that bad. When we were first starting out, my tagline was "I don't hate it." There were plenty of alternatives that we tried that would suffice, but weren't great so I didn't hate them, but really I would have just liked to be able to eat the real thing.

 

Grocery shopping was one of my least favorite activities before I had dietary restrictions, now I rarely make it through grocery shopping without getting cranky at least once. When we first started, we were trying to follow gluten free recipes and failing miserably. Over time, we started talking about what foods and recipes we already knew we liked, then just finding substitutions to make those same things gluten free became our focus. We have gotten pretty good at knowing what we can have, what we like and which alternatives to stay away from.

 

This year, we hosted my mom's side of the family for Thanksgiving and we were able to make the entire meal gluten free, with very little stress or anxiety about not being able to eat the holiday classics we love. Now, for my dad's side of the family we didn't host, so I knew I would have fewer safe options there.

 

Our gluten free Thanksgiving consisted of:

Roasted Turkey

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes (recipe here: http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/01/ultimate-crock-pot-mashed-potatoes/)

Green Bean Casserole with homemade French "Fried" Onions (recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/gluten-free-fried-onion-topping-for-green-bean-casserole-445418)

Stuffing made with gluten free stuffing mix, turkey breakfast sausage, granny smith apples, onions, celery, chicken stock and spices (we used the Gillian's GF stuffing mix)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with tri-colored peppers, sweet onions, EVOO and spices

Garlic and Herb biscuits and dinner rolls (Andrea's frozen brand, from Schnuck's)

Pumpkin Pie (made with Pillsbury GF refrigerated pie and pastry dough)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies (made with Betty Crocker gluten free cookie mix)

Pumpkin Bread  (made with Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour)

Mom's famous Lemon Dessert (crust made from Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose flour and pecans)

 

This is what my 1st Thanksgiving plate looked like before any desserts even crossed my mind.

 

My plate at my 2nd Thanksgiving looked a lot wimpier, with only turkey and potatoes to enjoy, but it was still delicious!

 

A bittersweet farewell.

"Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same."
-- Flavia Weedn

That quote is so cheesy and ridiculous, but so right.
Today I said "see ya later" to a person that has left some serious footprints on my heart.

We may have only met 3 years ago, but in those 3 years we have made some of my favorite and not so favorite memories. If you ever witnessed Kristy/Jackie interactions, you may have felt uncomfortable, confused or a warm fuzzy feeling (or maybe all 3 over the course of one interaction.)
It's true that were meant to be in each other's lives, and it's true that we thought that meant we were meant to be together. Turns out that was the opposite of the right answer.

From the moment I met Kristy, I knew that we were kindred spirits. We have the same sense of humor, about the most ridiculous things. We both have judgy bitchfaces. We enjoy many of the same things and share the same opinions on many things. All of these things pointed to us being "soul mates" so we tried dating...it was not what we were expecting and it definitely was not a match made in heaven. So then we thought we would just be best friends instead, and after a couple rocky spells, we found the balance needed to be just friends with no bullshit. We found out the hard way that most of the time we share the same opinions, but when we disagree, it can get ugly fast.

I am so glad we put the bullshit behind us and came out on the other side as good friends. Kristy and I are both sarcastic assholes, but when it comes to each other's wellbeing, we get serious. Whenever we had a disagreement over the last few years, it always came down to me saying "Kristy, I just want you to be happy." The 2 questions I ask myself in tough situations (Are you happy? Is it healthy?) came from Kristy/Jackie interactions. To this day we ask each other those questions, and genuinely care what the answers are.

When Kelly came into Kristy's life, I knew it was different. She has a good head on her shoulders and Kristy's head is in a good place. Lovestruck Kristy came to me and gushed over her trip, and I immediately had 2 trains of thought. Protective and practical Jackie spoke first and made sure that the decisions being made were not out of haste and that she had really thought them through. We talked about logistical questions, we talked about goals. Then, supportive and loving Jackie took over and told Kristy that all I have ever wanted was for her to be healthy and happy. I can tell that this relationship and this move come from a healthy and happy place in Kristy, and that's really all I can ask for. Yes, it's unfortunate that this move comes when we are finally at a place in our friendship where we are healthy and happy. Yes, I got a little teary about it. More than anything though, I am genuinely happy for my friend and this new adventure she embarked on today.

To Kelly,
I enjoyed getting to meet you after hearing so much about you. I can tell that you care about Kristy and you are a quality person. Nurture her happiness, keep her on her toes and don't let her get away with any bullshit. Since you are taking her away, I will have to take over the pen pal role and I'm counting on you to keep her in check. Trish and I gave you a little preview at breakfast this morning, sometimes you just have to give her a little push and say "What Kristy meant to say was...." She is one of a kind and there may never be a dull moment with her around. If you ever need to vent, you just give me a call, I get it!

To both of you,
Safe travels, have fun and be in love. Best of luck to you as you start this new adventure!

Convolution: a multidimensional tattoo

Today I decided it was time to get a tattoo I have been wanting for a long time, so I did. I didn't tell anyone, and I didn't make it a big deal beforehand, but it certainly had a lot of thought and research behind it for months.
 
I have always been interested in trees, even though I hate flowers, trees have always held a certain amount of wonder for me. The thought of being able to get a snapshot of the entire tree's life when it dies, just by slicing across it's trunk. Just think what the coroner would find if humans carried this trait. Some years would be full of healthy growth, while others may show some wear and tear. Whenever I see a tree trunk I always look for those things, what kind of life did that tree live? How many years did it live? Did it go through a drought? Call me silly, but it's just one of my things.
 
What would the last few years in my trunk look like? I have grown a lot as a person, I have fought through some tough times and I have learned a lot about myself in the process. On the other hand, my physical body has shrunk considerably. In that "growing" period of my life, I changed my lifestyle to become a healthier version of myself inside and out. Those might be some confusing rings, and since I don't carry this trait, I will write about my experiences instead.
 
I have also always thought willow trees were beautiful. We used to go fishing at the sportsmen's club in Minonk when I was a kid where there was an amazing weeping willow on the south side of the pond that I remember thinking was cool. Later in life I learned more about willow trees and not only how naturally tenacious they are, but the amount of symbolic meanings willow trees represent. Again, call me silly, but that is pretty cool to me.
 
In my research, I came across this and it really stuck with me. "Willow is a magical and healing tree. Its name literally means "convolution," and there is a convolution of energies associated with it. It stimulates an energy of healing on many levels, especially though in the areas of herbology and aromatherapy. And its meanings to us are often multidimensional. There is rarely a single message from willow. It is always multiple and many layered." That to me says that it is complex, and it might mean different things for different people.
 
I have always had a strong personality, a tough soul, and a fair amount of stubbornness. If you hit me, I will hit you back. If I go through a tough time, I will fight through it. If you tell me I can't do something, I will try like hell to prove you wrong. If you have ever been in a disagreement with me, you will know that the definition of tenacious is definitely part of my personality. (not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined)


The new willow tree on my forearm is a multidimensional symbol for not only who I am, but what I can get through. It will serve as a reminder that I will bend and bend, but never break when I face tough times. It will also remind me that I can use the many aspects of my personality like the branches, and help others through their tough times, "for even the smallest piece of a branch is capable of bringing forth another tree." It will remind me of my tenacity. It will remind me that "Willow trees are extraordinarily graceful and fluid. Are you able to bend and move with the circumstances of your life? Learn to be more flexible. The willow is often a sign of grieving or sadness because of its name, "weeping willow," called this because of its long, hanging branches, which to some people appear as though they are drooping with sadness." I am no longer drooping with sadness, nor do I ever want to be again. I'm stronger than that and I have the tools to cope with it now.

I've had skin cancer twice, and I'm sure I will have it in the future. I don't have a trunk with rings to tell my story like trees. I'm going to do what I want with my skin, because when I die my stories will only be here, on the hearts that I have connected with and on my skin. I'm only going to live this life once, and I don't want to regret a single day.