I have a Fun, Creative, Silly and Wonderful Family!

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slackers

My mom and dad had seven kids – all REAL CHARACTERS! My mom is THE BEST MOM – we all know that! She can do anything! She’s been a great homemaker along with working at times to help our family. My dad died 17 years ago. He was a wonderful teacher who taught junior high history. He did so many great things in his life, including teaching us to love beauty in scenery and also taking us to many historical sites. He had a difficult time with his health, from the time he was born. He overcame many things, but was still burdened with intestinal problems and daily migraines.

When I learned that I have celiac disease, I knew that it is a first-generation disease. And so I knew that my dad had suffered with it his entire life. The US has only just recently become knowledgeable about celiac disease, or celiac sprue, which affects the villi in the small intestine so that necessary nutrients and vitamins can’t be absorbed. There are so many symptoms that are similar, such as reflux, ulcers and irritable bowel, that celiac disease is hard to diagnosis. 97% of people in the US that have celiac have not been diagnosed.

I look at my crazy/wonderful/talented family, and wonder if any of them may have celiac too. After going through my various illnesses over the years, and then finding a way to eat gluten-free and to feel good, I want THE BEST for every one of my brothers and sisters!

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Happy Birthday to My Honey!

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I have traditionally made Brian cherry pie for his birthday. This year I made him this cherry cobbler.

I met Brian 27 years ago. He was the most awesome and cutest guy I’d ever met! We were lined up for our first date by my big brother Tom and his wife Norene. We went with them on a double date to The Alpine Slide in Park City, and later ate at Cowboy Grub. Soon, he surprised me, by driving me straight up a mountain in his jeep to give me my diamond ring!

He’s been such a great husband, father of our kids, and he loves being a Grandpa now! He’s such a great support of my gluten-free diet, and is always willing to try any new recipe! He doesn’t have to eat gluten-free, but he eats everything I give him! He’s my biggest fan.

Here’s the recipe: Brian’s Cherry Cobbler

Here’s Brian with our granddaughter Joscelyn. She’s such a princess! She loves to keep him running, with her cute and silly demands! “Crappa” is excited as we wait for our next little princess, Gwendolyn, who will be born later this year!

Happy Birthday Brian – I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

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Sometimes, as Hard as You Try, It’s Not Enough!

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This is me at age 19 – 20 pounds healthier!

Since my diagnosis of Celiac Sprue 1  1/2 years ago, I have tried to learn everything I could about eating and living healthy. I trusted that everything I was doing RIGHT was healing my tummy and intestines. And I can honestly say that I’ve never “cheated.”

A couple of days ago my GI, or Gastroenterologist, Dr. Sathya Reddy did both a Colonoscopy and an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, which used to be called an Endoscopy. She wanted to see the condition the villi of my small intestines, since I’ve never had these procedures again since my diagnosis. She has also ordered blood work, to see if I’m absorbing the proper nutrients and iron.

After waking from the anesthesia, Dr. Reddy showed me the pictures from both procedures. Because of my age, the colonoscopy showed some diveritculi, which is not serious. My stomach is still digesting food too slowly, I still have and ulcer, and there are still SPRUE in my intestines. What? I was not at all happy to hear this, considering how carefully I’ve been eating.

When I told my family, several of them told me that THEY HAVE noticed a difference, so I just need to be extra careful and keep going – no matter what!

It has made me MORE nervous about eating out, whether it’s fast foods or nice restaurants.I try as much as I can to question the waiters, and the chef when I can.But I know that there are still ways that my food can be contaminated, like being cooked in the same oil as breaded foods, being cooked on a contaminated surface, or having hidden ingredients that I can’t see.

At home I KNOW I’m as careful as I can be. Remember to watch the little things, like using your own butter so you don’t get somebody else’s bread crumbs, as well as jam, honey or anything you use on your bread.

Good information, good friend/family support, and watching EVERYTHING you put in your mouth all counts! It’s worth it, even when things don’t go as planned, to keep trying and not give up!

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My Trials and Triumphs with Making Gluten-Free Bread

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Anyone who has bought gluten-free bread knows that most loaves come HARD AS A BRICK! They usually have a funny taste and texture, so I only use them for toast. I have found ONE loaf that I like to buy, but it’s also hard to find. (Glutino’s Flax Seed Bread.) So, I wanted badly to make my own bread, especially when I found most store loaves don’t have yeast! No wonder they feel like you could KILL someone by hitting them over the head!

This Brown Bread was my first attempt at making bread with a bread maker, and I was really happy with the result. The molasses give it the color, and the flax seeds add texture. Since it is from a bread maker, there are only a few slices. They can’t be sliced while the bread is warm or the outside crumbles and the inside is still doughy.

My next try was an herb bread. As I put it together, with the help of my granddaughter Joscelyn, we grew more and more excited! It looked great in the bread maker, and the yeast really seemed to help it rise. But, after awhile of waiting, we looked through the window to see goo – sitting wet at the bottom of the bread maker. We continued to wait, and hoped it would rise again. Alas, SMOKE began pouring out of the vent – with an icky burned up smell! I unplugged the machine and ran it out back. Much later when I’d forced myself to be brave, I brought the machine inside to clean out the dough, and found that the dough had poured out of the pan upon rising, and had singed the burner to ruin! I was so depressed, and felt like giving up at bread making! I had to console little Joscelyn, since she was just sure it was her fault!

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Last night I was brave enough OR stupid enough to try something new! Knowing that gluten-free flours don’t have the elastic quality that wheat flour does, I decided there was no need for kneading. So I mixed up a batch with my electric mixer, let it rise and put it in two bread pans, thinking I didn’t feel like cleaning up the bottom of my stove when the loaf overflowed! The result was so pleasing and YUMMY! So here is my Oven-Baked Herb Bread. And yes, the sandwich was GREAT!

This bread was baked at a higher heat, since I was experimenting. Next time I will bake at 350, and go from there. I’ll get back to you, when I bake that lighter loaf!

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Hi! I’m Larraine

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larraine-kayli-jos3I’m a wife, mom, grandma, and I have celiac disease. I’m sure I’ve had it my whole life, but it wasn’t until I was near death in a hospital last year that I was finally diagnosed. My lifetime of suffering has become a life of helping others understand a gluten-free diet, creating and sharing gluten-free recipes, eating and enjoying good food–and most important of all–enjoying a healthy and happy life with my family. You’ve heard people talk about a new lease on life. I have a new LIFE!

This blog is my way of sharing all I have learned about medical conditions that require eating gluten-free such as celiac disease, ADHD, autism and food allergies. I have ideas about how and where to eat out, feeding a family, kid’s meals, where to shop, etc. I love to cook and want to share my recipes. So, check back often. I would love to chat with you.

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