Gluten Free, that's it.

Some time ago, I finally jumped on the band wagon of Pinterest. What an amazing way to spend the afternoon! I have truly enjoyed the "food and drink" pages. Has anyone else noticed how unrealistic this page is? I scroll through these recipes the same way I read science fiction: I come to the end and think "Well, that's not going to happen." Especially the gluten free recipes.

I have been gluten free since July of 2011, so I am always on the hunt for gluten free meals. But, these recipes are truly unrealistic. In my house: we eat red meat, drink red wine, and cheer for the Texas Tech team in red. Lots of red going on in my house, not so much green: we don't compost, we are not on solar energy, and we don't clean with vinegar. So, forgive me if I am reluctant to consider purchasing Xanthan Gum, or ground Chia seeds, or even quinoa by the pound. Where is the real food? Just because one is gluten free does not mean that one is dairy free, organic and vegetarian! I should write to the Gluten Free think tank to let them in on this breaking news. 

So far, I have found some really great ways to feed my family that satisfies my need to eat a gluten free diet as well as not get me laughed out of my own kitchen. Some examples of these meals: steak and salad, roasted pork chops and vegetables, corn tortilla tacos with black beans and white rice. Over the last couple of weeks, I have attempted to master the "home made hamburger," and now I have been challenged to create a beef stew that even I will eat. I just don't understand why it has to be so hard? 

We are coming upon another Holiday season. Thanksgiving food tends to have tons of gluten involved: bread dressing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, gravy... the list goes on. I searched Pinterest the other day looking for recipes that do not have all the gluten and I ended up in the Science Fiction section again. I refuse to make my own cream of *fill in the blank (chicken, onion, celery, mushroom)* soup using 45 different ingredients that cost $9 a piece when the recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon. Not so much. 

Then again, it would be foolish not to quit while I'm ahead. I have found some gluten free mixes that allow me to have all the food I normally would: corn bread, pizza crust, pancake mix, pasta, and even crackers. I am nothing if not creative, and I don't think this Holiday Season will be any different. Who knows, I may make my own marshmallows. 

Utah

As it turns out, I am not a very loyal blogger. Since my last entry:

The hubs became an assistant professor at Utah State University. This is really awesome, as he has been working toward attaining a position in academia since 2006. So proud of him.
We moved to Hyrum, Utah. This is a huge move for this Texas Girl. We bought a house when we got here. It is surreal to think we are home owners and live in Utah.

I am attempting to learn about Utah, Hyrum, and the Cache Valley since we moved here. I have learned so far that the people here in Utah as so incredibly friendly. It is not unusual for my neighbors to come knock on my front door, just to get to know me. They also bring home baked treats for Jerrad. We even got some veggies from the garden of the local Mormon church. Very courteous.

We have been visiting the local Baptist Church here in Hyrum. I had a massive anxiety attack the first morning we visited. Full on sick to my stomach, cold sweats, hot flashes, and even spotty vision. I had to take a moment to figure out what was getting me all riled up. What I came up with was that I have not attended a church other than Monterey Baptist Church since I was 14. I did not regularly attend church during grad school in Stillwater, so this is really my first attempt at trying out a church since I was a kid. Things did not get better for my anxiety as we walked in the front door. I had a full on hot flash in the front hall way, so obvious that one of the deacons mentioned that it was warm in the church and turned down the air conditioner. When I finally calmed down enough to regulate my own body temperature (right about the last point of the Pastor's sermon), I realized half the church was cuddled up with each other and trying to stay warm. I am just now cooling off, and the folks at the other end of the pew are freezing. Sorry about that. I really like Pastor, and he has good way of explaining things.
I am a worship snob. There, I said it. I am Stephanie, and I am a Worship snob. (Hi Stephanie, glad you are here.) The lady does not play flute like Dana; the pianist does not play like my mom or Glenna; they don't need a clarinet player; a praise team leads instead of a music director. On the other had, the bassist plays on a stand up bass- Cool right? They sing both hymns and contemporary songs. I am learning the words to the songs- that is something I have been working on since I was 16. I have gotten to sit with my husband during worship; he has been asking for that since we got married. I wore lipstick to church. If you're comfortable- you are stagnate.

Until next time!
Stephanie