Welcome to my blog! I have considered putting one together for some time now and have finally gotten around to it. I really wanted to have one place to store all my recipes & food photos, as well as a place to communicate with other foodies. I spend so much time lurking around other people's blogs, I figured I may as well have my own!
About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, which means I am allergic to gluten - so no wheat, barley, rye, "normal" breads, pizza, pasta, etc... but what cook doesn't love a great cooking challenge? It has definitiely been a learning experience! I am very lucky to have a wonderful fiance, family, and friends who are always willing and eager to try my new recipes and read labels and put up with my *special* orders at restaurants.
Unfortunately, I also suffer from migraine headaches and have since I was about 8 years old. They recently have gotten more frequent and severe, so last week I saw an allergist and had a skin allergy test performed -- the test indicated I was allergic to pork, beef, tuna, scallops, oysters, crab, mussels, shrimp, salmon, lobster, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, watermelon, canteloupe, raspberries, nuts (including hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, & pecans), mustard, vanilla, chocolate and nutmeg. WOW! What a shocker that was! Of all those foods, I had the biggest allergic reaction to garlic, tuna, and pork. I cook with garlic every day and LOVE LOVE LOVE tuna sashimi. drat. Of course, like most tests, it *is* just a test, so my allergist recommended the "elimination diet" where you eliminate all the potentially offending foods for 10-14 days, and then re-incorporate them one at a time, three meals a day, for up to three days, documenting any reaction. Since my list was SO long, my doctor just said to call him for a follow-up when I near the end of the list. It may turn out that I'm not allergic to some of the foods, or that I need to simply avoid the foods rather than eliminate them entirely (read: a little once in a while is okay, gorging on 3 dozen raw oysters in New Orleans in probably not the best idea!).... so that brings me to today. Day 5. My food has been kinda bland - I really do use quite a bit of garlic & onion! I've been doing stir-fries with ginger & jalapeno and other veggies for dinner, salad at lunch, and a bit of fruit for snacks. I'm also trying to be careful to avoid foods on the migraine-potential-offender list, including eggs, dairy, tomatoes (in addition to pork, chocolate, and the wheat I already have eliminated).
Stay tuned for recipes & pictures!
