(no subject)

[hathycol]

Today is a beautifully sunny day, and I have spent all of it wrangling with the Post Office (car tax), Orange (long story) or medieval explorers. BUSY BUSY.

Er, other than that I have nothing to talk about, not really. Thank you for all your words on the last post - I actually feel loved. Seriously, dudes, I love you guys. *clings* I am trying very very hard now to actually make an effort to tackle The Gluten Thing. Since it doesn't seem to affect me in small doses, which suggests that I am, you know, just quite sensitve to the stuff, I'm not going to get too anally retentive about packaging and so on, but I am cutting out the big offenders. Pasta, bread *sobs* and the obviously cakey things. *sobs harder* Today was horrible. I went past a man eating a Fisher and Donaldson fudge doughnut and then I wanted to cry.

So I went shopping yesterday. I spent an abhorrent amount on fruit, vegetables, things like that, for my Exciting Meal Plan this week. I know at least one recipe for delicious and tasty gluten-free things - my patented Mars Bar Sqaures that I normally mess up the amounts and texture for but it's always tasty - and we can go from there. My baking is notoriously pants, but I have all summer and relatively forgiving parents when it comes to me and food (now I'm over eighteen, anyway) so I can work out how to make, you know, nice things. It's just going to be bread that's the problem, but, well, we'll see. I might be able to keep limited amounts of bread, as long as I curb it to about a slice a day. I need to keep some sort of tolerance for the stuff, given that I have an exciting Italian holiday coming up. (Although sevenhelz is the Queen Of Knowledge on this and assures me that the different ways they make it mens I should be peachy). I have stuff in the fridge and freezer that I need to eat up - pizza is the main offender - but if I mix and match with a good potato filled day, then I should be fine. North Point does gluten-free stuff, I know, so I can still go for a cup of tea and a snack with friends.

It's a good thing I like potatoes so much. And roasted vegetables. And stir fry. And curry. And stews. Ah, see, this'll be easy. I CAN EVEN HAVE LASAGNE. I made gluten-free lasagne once, and it was lovely. Honest.

I was debating keeping a recipe list on here for anyone who's interested: would anyone or do you simply not care? (You can say 'yes' by the way.) I have some ideas for the next few weeks, so, you know, we'll see.

I also have an essay to write in the next four days, but I am sort of handwaving this right now. More importantly, I got out the DVD of Gladiator today, so I can watch a bad, historically inaccurate film and relax a bit. Which I've been doing for the last three days. Sssh!

Comments

[tau_sigma]

Recipe list would be interesting. I'm guessing you'll end up doing sort of vegetably dishes that aren't necessarily using lots of special gluten free stuff, yes? Always good to have more ideas on Things To Cook, anyway.

[purplerainbow.livejournal.com]

My mother is coeliac, so I'd be interested in a recipe list. I might be able to offer some advice too. I heartily recommend rice cakes, they are gorgeous (especially with butter, ummm sinful...) and a good alternative to bread. Obviously not much good in a toaster, but nice as an accompaniment to salads etc. Gluten-free pasta isn't great (and goes soggy if you cook it too long) but gluten free lasagna sheets are surprisingly nice. Rice noodles are also lovely and great in stir fries. If I think of anything more, I'll let you know.
Good luck!

[sevenhelz.livejournal.com]

The pasta is a problem if you get things made purely from one substance; corn pasta, buckwheat pasta for example. If you get a nice mixture with, let me think, rice flour, potato flour, soya flour, possibly tapioca flour, and lots of other little bits and bobs, it can be nearly as good as the wheatful stuff. Though you do have to be careful cooking it, since it goes from underdone to suddenly perfect then is very quickly sticky and uck.
Look out for saluta pasta, available in Sainsbury's and various health food stores, or the cheaper variant which is Tesco's own. Morrisons' is not too bad either.
xx

[sevenhelz.livejournal.com]

*Salute, even. Gahh, it's all going wrong today.
x

[sevenhelz.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested in recipes. I might post you one every now and again, too.

I know what you're going through and believe me, it gets easier. *hugs* anyway.
If bread is the real issue at the moment, it's worth trying some gluten-free options as many of them make reasonable toast. Keep an eye out for spelt and light rye breads as these are lovely alternatives that shouldn't make you ill at all, with your tolerance. In fact I have a recipe for light rye which works very well, but it involves yeast and takes a lot of waiting around - let me know if you want it.
If you want to continue having a slice or two a day, try and get organic brown bread, or stuff that's made partially with rye. I think it's tastier anyway :) For God's sake stay away from French bread, and remember that pre-sliced is usually not a good sign. As always, I think the nicest stuff comes from Tesco :)

A quick word about Italy - the fact that they *probably* use a variant of flour with less gluten in it does not mean you can live off pasta and pizza. You'll need to experiment a bit to find out how much you can handle; try mentioning it to waiters and see if they can help. I'm sure you're aware of all this, but I don't want you to be in pain and think it's my fault ;)

Oh, and lastly, watch out for premade soups and McCoy's crisps. They are teh pain.
xx