great!

so i did the zucchini tomato gratin tonight for dinner, and it was great! didn't look exactly like the picture, but it was soooo tasty!

also tried my tinkyada gluten-free spaghetti for dinner tonight, and it was also wonderful...i love the feeling of my body regrouping and getting back to what's right!

getting back to the right place

i have to say, i'm really loving the gluten-free decision! i can already feel my body regrouping and renewing itself. also, as i mentioned before, it has not only made me more excited about what i eat, it's changed my point of reference to food. after my 'aha' moment in the produce section last week (see previous post), i am just really enjoying getting back to the natural goodness of nature in my food.

now, that's not to say that i haven't splurged a little (even though in a gluten-free, vegetarian way)...for example, the load of spinach-artichoke dip that i scarfed down with some gf crackers at wild wings last saturday! CLEARLY not the healthiest or most natural thing in the world to eat en général, but the point is that what i am ingesting everyday has become so much more fundamental and simple. added to the awesome knowledge of exactly what is in my food is the fun of getting into the kitchen and cooking again.

purely as a matter of coincidence, i noticed a flyer for the farmers' market at clems*n on monday, just in time! it only happens from 11-2, but i was able to take 20 minutes and walk on over there. there were so many cool things for sale--fresh goat cheese, vegetables, etc. there was also a gluten-free bakery booth with AMAZING cupcakes as well as a booth with some potted herbs. i bought some gluten-free treats (although ended up giving them all away) and a potted savory plant. i had never heard of that herb, but apparently it goes well with beans and related recipes, so it will be great for my new endeavors. i plan on going back next week to get some of the cheese and another herb. hopefully soon i'll have a nice little herb garden!

last night i made up a batch of steamed brown rice and veggies...so simple, so cheap, so easy, and makes so much! i made enough for 3 days worth of food just from that! while steaming the rice, i just chopped up some garlic and tossed it into a pan with some of my new savory (yay!), then zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli. i have to say, the smooth feel of cutting the vegetables and handling every ingredient was awesome. i tossed the veggies in with the garlic and savory, added some herbes de provence and natural french gray sea salt, then just monitored and stirred so that they didn't get over-cooked. by the time they were ready to go, the rice was done, and i just tossed them together.

there was clearly a taste test...which was so good!

so, not only was it a stress-reliever to get in the kitchen with the veggies and herbs, it was an amazing, affirming experience.

this weekend, i hope to make some zucchini-tomato gratin. i'll try to remember to take pictures; perhaps there can be some good comparisons between my final product and the website picture!



still working on perfecting the quinoa...tastes great, but doesn't look like the pictures yet! :)

adventures in food, the sequel

so, as some of you know, i recently decided to go gluten-free. this was a big decision in that i am already a vegetarian (thus already limiting what society deems "normal food"), but also in that it was not based on a medical diagnosis of celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity...just on my intuition of the latter. the more i read, i felt that i do not have the extreme symptoms of celiac disease, but i do feel that the non-celiac gluten sensitivity is probably a legitimate issue for me. as someone who experiences these discomforts with "only" a sensitivity, i cannot imagine how bad the suffering from celiac disease must be. i salute all those who have published such helpful information regarding the presence of these materials in different products and the constant support that they provide to such a wide community, and will continue to honor their hard work and dedication.

the intuition comes from the fact that i already suffer from and have a family history of autoimmune diseases, and from the variety of digestive symptoms that seem to coincide with this sensitivity. so, after some wise and judicious advice from friends and loved ones, as well as a lot of research, i thought it might be a good choice. that's making a long story short, obviously.

overall, it has been a great decision! it has been so long since i have been excited about my food...and that's really sad. how did i get this unenthused about what i ingest? and not only unenthused, but uncaring? how did it only become something to make me feel not hungry as opposed to something that can provide my body with needed resources in a specific context (in my case, vegetarian with fish and shellfish allergies)? at the risk of being too "eat, pray, love" (based on the five minutes of the movie i could stand to watch), why has there been such a disconnect between eating and providing good things for my body? whether or not the vegetarian or the gluten-free things become a permanent aspect of my life, the idea of thinking critically about what i ingest is an ongoing process through which i am always growing. although one of my last posts was about the celebration and enjoyment of food, this one is going a step further--the celebration and enjoyment of finding out how what one ingests helps and hinders a body. it's obviously a lengthy and totally individual process, but that is one of the most exciting things about it--it gives me a sense of agency and individualism as i focus on making changes that may benefit me in such fundamental ways. in turn, it helps my self-esteem to know that i am learning to value my physical self as much as my emotional self.

with this, i am excited about seeing how changes in my diet could help me in many different aspects of my life, and i realized that i was also excited about trying out new recipes. i have had so much fun cooking the new dishes and i am also excited about my meals for lunch and dinner now in a way that i haven't been in so long. the focus on how the different aspects of a meal can affect the human body is a fascinating and exciting aspect that i have not considered in a long time...

i also really enjoyed getting into the slicing, seasoning, and cooking of the fresh vegetables...it's so ironic that as a vegetarian, i don't spend much time in the fresh veggie/fruit aisle. because of time, money, and "good" diet concerns, i always headed for the frozen foods aisle to find the lean cuisines or the veggie burgers. but now that i know a little more about the benefits and FUN of cooking with fresh ingredients, i feel ready to conquer any recipe! to be sure, my quinoa isn't as great as an expert's and i had to do some last-minute substitutions, but this is definitely something that will improve as i continue to work on my nutritional lifestyle (notice i didn't say diet).

i'll keep everyone posted as i continue on this journey...

i heart bill maher

thank god for these podcasts...one of my new favorite quotes:

"i know you [republicans] hate the media; it doesn't mean your image doesn't appear on videotape. you're hypocrites, not vampires."

(~on the republican about-face regarding the libyan air strikes)