"It's been a long time, we shouldn't'a left you without a dope beat to step to..."

Yeah, I know the title is a little ridiculous, but that's the second thing that came to mind when I thought "It's been a long time." The first was "It's been such a long time, I think I should be going..." Not super appropriate for a comeback.

I'm sorry that it has been such a long time. I know all five of you were on pins and needles. The truth is, the first trimester absolutely KICKED. MY. BUTT. I slept for 14 hour stretches, I threw up everything, and I lost 15 pounds between that and my lack of appetite. But the second trimester, thank God, has been much better. I have my energy back, I can eat (some days like a trucker, although my only cravings are cucumbers and Italian food), and I've gained back 6 pounds.

I still, I might add, at -9 lbs from where I started, feel like a whale. So when my husband told me tonight that I'm beautiful and he wanted to take me out to dinner to show me off (the man has a wonderful self-preservation instinct), how could I resist? I started looking at restaurants online, wanting to branch out a bit. I checked Applebees first. Every forum review by a person with Celiac detailed how they got horribly sick. So I tried Outback.

Holy mother of food. They have a HUGE gluten free menu. It's about 1/2 of the actual menu, and they even have notes about things like asking for your salad to be mixed in a separate bowl. It was beautiful. I nearly cried (a super common occurrence at this stage).

Our waitress, first of all, was amazing. Her name was Allison, and as soon as I said I had Celiac, her immediate response was "Would you like a gluten free menu?" Amazing - they knew what Celiac was. So then we ordered. I had the filet and lobster tail (yes, I know I'm pregnant - lobster is low mercury and is safe to eat a couple times a month), along with green beans (no seasoning, as the menu suggested), and garlic mashed potatoes. Everything was amazing. I then had to get the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under, which has apparently always been GF - it's a flourless brownie. 

All in all, it was so amazing that I even called over the manager to tell her how great my experience was, and how great Allison was (she even wrote "congratulations" on our bill because I mentioned the baby when justifying wolfing down my entire dinner in about 2 minutes). 

I think Outback is now my premier dining destination. They have way more variety than any other place I've been, the food was amazing, and the service even more so. I'm going to go slip into a food coma, while you all check out their GF menu here: 

Gluten Free Bun

Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up - I haven not, in fact, found a gluten free bread or bun that I'm super excited about (other than the baguettes). The GF bun I'm referring to is the one in the oven - I'm pregnant.

I tell you this because it may change the tone of the blog a bit. I'm not sure what cravings I'll be having (so far it's been Chinese food, sandwiches, and oranges, but who knows for the future), or what health risks may arise. So I'll probably be focusing on that a bit.

First, I do want to address something that freaked me out when I first read about it. Celiac can cause miscarriage. Damage to the intestines keeps you from getting proper nutrition, which keeps the baby from getting proper nutrition. I was able to confirm, however, that once a woman with Celiac is on a GF diet, her odds of miscarriage return to the norm.

I did, however, think that I would be better prepared for pregnancy because of the Celiac. My stomach is already a bit swollen, I already throw up at random, and I'm already tired.

Today's Stephane cannot stop laughing at the Stephane who thought that. Morning sickness (or, as I like to call it "morning until whenever it decides to stop sickness") is like Nausea part 2  - son of Nausea. On top of that, the pregnancy seems to be aggravating my IBS. And as for the tired, well, I now have a yoga mat in my office that I nap on during my lunch break. I can also sleep a 14 hour stretch.

Point is, this is a very new adventure so far. I'm lucky to have a lot of support from other moms and moms-to-be (including my sister - finally met my new nephew this week!), and of my husband who is more than willing to run out for ginger ale, crackers, or completely insane food requests.

I'll keep you updated, and will hopefully find some more helpful tips for balancing pregnancy and Celiac.

"Marie - the baguettes - hurry up!"

I find myself needing to apologize for two things:

1) I don't update nearly often enough, and

2) I never think to take pictures of my food that I post about.

Both stem from the same thing - the fact that I quite frequently forget I have a blog. Between a full time job, and other randomness, there's a lot I don't get to. In fact, due to a nasty cold, I haven't even met my now week-old nephew yet. Sorry, Easton! I promise, Aunt Fifi loves you.

But I promise that you'll forgive me for both if you try either of the suggestions I have today. The first was a random impulse purchase over a month ago. I present to you Udi's gluten free baguettes:

I picked them up one day due mostly to the fact that I have yet to find a GF bread I truly love. Udi's white is pretty good, but I'm not thrilled with it. Plus, no trip to a market is complete unless you have at least one baguette sticking out of your grocery bag. I then threw them in the freezer when I got home and promptly forgot about them.

Cut to Tuesday. I got home from work, and I was starving. And I knew exactly what I wanted - a giant sub with turkey, roast beef, red peppers, lettuce, and sesame ginger dressing (which I'll get to in a minute). But I didn't feel like going shopping. And that's when I remembered that past Stephane is way more thoughtful than the Stephane of this week, and she bought me baguettes. I heated them in the oven, sliced them in half, and loaded them up with my fixins. They were perfect. Crispy outside, soft on the inside. I wanted about 8 more. In all fairness, that may have to do with my other new favorite thing - Heinen's sesame ginger dressing.

We had a couple of Mike's co-workers and their significant others (and one adorable 1 year old son) over for dinner a few weeks ago. I made chicken parm, and I decided a veggie tray would be the easiest for a starter. I bought peppers, olives, cucumbers, and carrots. The Heinen's dressings were on sale, so I grabbed three - Italian, sesame ginger, and Caesar - I wanted a range, having no idea what my guests like. I was super excited to find the sesame ginger, given that I had had to throw out the one I had in the fridge when I found out I had Celiac (due to cheap soy sauce with gobs of wheat in it).

I got a little peckish waiting for everyone to show up, so I grabbed a cucumber and pepper with some of the sesame ginger dressing. I am only slightly exaggerating when I tell you I could have just gulped down the whole bottle straight. That may be the best dressing I've ever had in my life. For those of you who aren't Heinen's fans, Giant Eagle makes one with the exact same ingredients. I have put one or the other on almost everything I've eaten all month. I put it in rice, on meat, on veggies - anything.

So go buy some baguettes and sesame ginger dressing, make a sandwich, and forgive me for being the worst blogger ever. Enjoy!


Burgers and Beer

First of all, I apologize to my 5 readers for not updating in awhile. Between work and other things, it's been a little crazy. But I definitely had to post about some great customer service I experienced last week.

Last Friday night, we had a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend, Ben, at Willoughby Brewing Company. I was excited to go out with friends for the first time in a long time, but I was also really nervous. With my IBS I can't really eat salads, so I needed to know if there were other GF options. I also needed to make sure if there were, that the restaurant staff would know to cook them separately, etc. So I sent an e-mail to the manager with my concerns, and this is what I got back:

"Stephane,  We also have an employee here along with myself that have the disease. My kitchen staff is very good at accommodating me and any customers we have come in with allegeries. We have our salads but in addition to that you could eat our strip steak, beef tourenados without sauce, rosemary pork, and our airline chicken. Most of our burgers and sandwiches you can have just without a bun. Just let your server know at your table and they will aware our kitchen staff . But please be assured you are in good hands with us. If you have anymore questions please don't hesitate to ask."

I was definitely pleased. Not only did they understand what I needed, they're also especially sensitive to Celiac because some of their staff (and their manager) have it. And while I didn't end up ordering food (I was up for 25 hours that day and a little sick to my stomach), I will definitely go there to eat sometime soon.

Bravo, Bravo!

Today involved a journey into a brave new world - dining out with Celiac. And the journey was an astounding success!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. So my sister, grandmother, cousin and I went out shopping and to lunch. Based on previous correspondence with their management, I knew that Bravo had a gluten free menu. But I still wanted to put in a bit of preparation. I went online and figured out what I wanted. I settled on the Chicken Griglia. Were it not for the IBS, I'd have gotten a salad - Bravo's salads are wonderful.

I called the restaurant first, to let them know I was coming and that I have special nutritional needs. The man I spoke with assured me that they educate all of their staff about cross-contamination and proper procedures. I couldn't believe how knowledgable he was. He even made us a reservation, and noted next to it in the book that I was GF. When we got their, our table was ready with a GF menu on it.

The chicken comes with GF pasta and roasted vegetables. Not wanting to risk anything that isn't naturally GF, I asked for it without the pasta. And I'm glad I did - it was a huge portion of chicken and vegetables, and I never could have finished all of that with pasta. It was flavorful and moist, and the veggies were perfect.

Now for the amazing part - I then went shopping for 3 hours. You see, normally I get nervous after dining out and want to go home in case I get sick. But I didn't feel the slightest bit off, and I wasn't anxious at all.

So a huge, warm, heart-felt thank you to Bravo. They made my first experience dining out GF easy, welcoming, and delicious. They've always been one of my favorite restaurants, and this cements it. I recommend them to anyone.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...

That's the part of the serenity prayer I've always had trouble with. I change the things I can, and I know the difference. Yet I stubbornly persist in not accepting things, even when I know I can't change them. Today, I'm going to say something important. Not because you need to hear it, necessarily, but because I need to remind myself of it yet again:

Healing is a process.

I hate those four words. After so much time in pain and exhausted, I was at least a little excited once a name was put to the monster and I was given the means to beat it. But what I didn't take into account was the damage that had already been done. There's no telling how long I've had Celiac, aside from the fact that I've had serious symptoms for two years, and I did not have it in spring of 2007 (that's when they did tests and diagnosed my IBS). So I had it anywhere from 2-5.5 years before it was diagnosed. That kind of damage can be pretty extensive.

But I got excited - I've had 3 good days. Things seemed to be turning around. And then the day after my last post, I woke up in so much pain I was shaking. I stuck it out and worked through it, but I paid the price - I couldn't work Friday or today.

Here's the thing about chronic pain - you get used to it. That's not to say that you like it, or that you don't notice it. But it becomes a part of your day. I get up, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I have to go to the bathroom, and I'm in pain. All of those are assigned essentially the same value. But having those good days (good = 4 or less on a 10 scale) kind of took me out of being used to it, making a bad day that much worse.

So instead of hoping that I'll magically just be all better, I'm going for a new, more realistic hope. I was diagnosed in October of 2012. By my birthday (September 2nd), I'd like to be at least mostly pain free (more good days than bad). Fingers crossed, rice bag on, and snuggie equipped. I'll keep you updated.

Ringing in a New Day

Today I am excited. Why, you ask? Because today, I wore two rings and a bracelet all day. If that sounds like the dumbest thing you've ever heard someone being excited about, you may not have experienced chronic pain and fatigue.

You know that feeling you get at the end of the day when you've been up for 15 hours, you had something to do after work - you're exhausted. Your shoes feel tighter, your clothes and jewelry feel heavier, and you just want your pajamas. That is how I feel from the time I get up until I go to bed. So most days, the only accessory I can handle is a scarf because it's soft. Some days - the ones where even the stretchy band of my maternity pants hurts - I can't even do that. So the fact that I was able to wear a chunky, heavy bracelet, as well as my wedding ring and a sapphire Mike got me when we were dating (due to the swelling, my engagement ring is too small), is a huge victory.

Add all of that to the fact that I've had two days in the last week and a half where my pain was a 2 or less and I actually had energy, and I'm starting to feel a lot more optimistic about everything. So here's to good days, bracelets, and yoga pants to put on when I get home.

To Be Healthy, Naturally

Today, I took another step in getting my insides to stop behaving like coked-up capuchin monkeys in a ball pit. (I may or may not still have some issues from my horrible primate behavior class in college.) I went to see a naturopath. Now, I'd like to preface the rest of this post with two things:

1) To each their own, but I would never use natural medicine as a substitute for a doctor - only a supplement. The naturopath can't diagnose or prescribe.

2) I didn't find this one on the internet, or just flip open the phone book and point. I went to one that actual people I know (not just a friend of a friend of a friend) have gone to and seen actual results with. It's important to research and get references.

With that out of the way, I loved it. I loved her. First of all, she spent nearly two hours with me - getting history, doing muscle resistance tests, etc. Probably the best part, though, was the emotional release. Some people think it's hooey, but I felt way better after than I had the rest of the day. So to those people, I say that I don't care if I'm happy because of a placebo effect or because of science. Also, I believe it works, and that's good enough for me.

And I definitely needed it today. See, yesterday was amazing. My pain level never got above a 2, I woke up early, I had energy, and I didn't feel like I'd been up for 24 hours all day. Then, around 9:30, I hit a wall. My whole body ached, and I was falling-over exhausted. This morning, I felt like the wall hit me back. I couldn't focus, I was so exhausted I was nauseous, and the pain was back full force. So to be able to do something - especially something not involving drugs - that made me feel that much better was wonderful.

I've been given two supplements (neither of which she pushed, and neither of which needs to be re-ordered when I'm finished with them), along with some articles and reading on enzymes, minerals, deficiencies, and self-treatment. That, for me, is the kicker. Anyone who's willing to show you how to do the things they do for yourself is someone who wants you better and isn't just out to grab your money. She even gave me a site that sells supplements/vitamins cheaply that she's not affiliated with.

Mostly though, I really liked her as a person. By the end of my session, I felt like I'd known her for years. I even hugged her when I left. I guess the lesson here is this - don't limit yourself. I mean, I'm not going to start wearing crystals and chanting, but it's good to explore a range of options when it comes to your health. Remember - the body wants to heal itself. But it may take a few different things working together to help it do that.

Reading is Fun and Fundamental

A short one today, just as a cautionary tale. Wednesday night, I went to get my hair cut (by the way, I had my mom use those Surface products I mentioned on my hair, and I'm in love. If I could afford to get them all the time, it's all I would use). Afterward (around 7:30pm at this point, and I was exhausted - it was not a good pain week), I stopped at Heinen's to pick up a cake for my boss. Her birthday is January 3rd, so it often gets overlooked during the holiday season.

While I was there, I asked where their GF section was. In this particular Heinen's, it's spread out across the store with signs to mark each food, and then there are three freezer cases. I picked up some meringue cookies, meatballs, and waffles. I prefer making my own waffles, but for grab & go, I do like Vans GF.

Friday night, I made the vegetarian meatballs with grape jelly & chili sauce (basically sweet & sour), and they were awful. Never again.

Yesterday, I started having symptoms like I had the stomach flu on steroids. Sick to my stomach, dizziness, pain, tingling, hot flashes. You name it, I had it. My first thought was that it had been the meatballs. Maybe the chili sauce was a bad idea. Mike and I were babysitting my niece and nephew, and it was so bad I even told him I might have to call my mom to take me to the hospital. I thought I would pass out any minute.

When we got home, I decided to check the one food I ate that was even slightly out of the ordinary - the waffles. Maybe they had a lot of fiber in them, or something else that would upset my IBS. Well, I was right to check them. I'm not sure if they were mis-shelved, or if I was simply tired and distracted and reached over one freezer case too far. But these were just organic waffles, not GF. Wheat flour was the second ingredient, and I had eaten two of them. I basically poisoned myself because I didn't read.

The moral? No matter where you grab it from, always read the ingredients. This may be a no brainer for some, but I still had some lingering illusions about what's "safe." Needless to say, that's not a mistake I'll ever make again.

Eat ALL of the Rugelech!

I had to post again - briefly - to tell you about this.

Katz is giving away sample packs of some of their GF goodies. I ordered mine, and it just got here today. The first thing I ate was the cinnamon & chocolate rugelech. The chocolate was good. The cinnamon was DIVINE! I am currently floating on a cloud of cinnamon bliss. I want to order a case (which, by the way, they sell on their website). I don't know how good anything else will be (there's a cupcake, a cookie, a doughnut, and a few kinds of bread), but I will definitely buy the ruglech.

Keep Rollin

With apologies to The Londoner, I'm going to have to paraphrase her thoughts on her Slutty Brownies (which, by the way, if you don't have Celiac or a gluten intolerance, you should eat. I'm currently working on a GF version because they are the best brownies I've ever had).

I don't want to exaggerate, so I'll just say this: the spring rolls I made for NYE might be one of the top 5 best foods I've ever made (I know spring rolls don't generally have meat, but I don't have anything better to call them). I made 17 of them because that's how much filling I had to use up, and Mike and I ate 15 of them that night. That's after we ate giant servings of my homemade lo mein. I didn't even get to take pictures because they were gone in a blink.
I could eat the entire 14 pounds of my ham and still want to eat one of them. I might not even miss egg rolls anymore because these were so good. So without any further ado (my horoscope today, as read to me by a co-worker said modesty would bring people to my cause - ha! There's no modesty in cooking), I present to you the (approximate, as always) recipe.

Stephane's Spring Rolls

• 1 pkg rice paper wrappers
• 1 pkg chicken breast tenders
• 6-7 baby carrots
• 1/2 head of green cabbage (you can use napa or red too - I just prefer green)
• 3 green onions (I use the white part and the green part, but if you don't like one or the other, just leave it out)
• 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp powdered ginger (obviously you can use fresh garlic or ginger. Just adjust the amount)
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 300. Cut up cabbage, carrots and chicken (I cut the baby carrots lengthwise, cut the halves in half lengthwise, and then chopped). Spread in a baking dish. Combine broth, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger and pour over chicken mixture. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. You can also do 350 for half an hour - I just did lower and longer so the chicken would be a bit more tender.

 

Wet one of the rice paper wrappers (careful, they tear easily - thankfully I only ruined one), and place it on a plate. The wetting should literally be submerging it fully in water and taking it right back out. The one I ruined was from over-soaking. Let it sit on the plate for 30 seconds until it's pliable. Spread 2 Tbsp of the chicken mixture in the middle of the wrapper in a line. Fold up the bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Fold in the sides, and then carefully roll up, pressing down on the filling to get a tight roll. This site gives good instructions (I didn't use the egg wash, and mine were fine. But you may want to. I also used round wrappers, not square). Make your husband help, if you have one - mine actually enjoyed it.

 

Preheat oven to 400. Thoroughly spray a baking sheet, and spread out rolls in a single layer. Spray rolls generously with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Gently turn with tongs (these should also be sprayed to prevent sticking), and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

 

It may seem like a lot of work, but it was actually pretty fun. And it was definitely worth it. So get rolling!