It's count your blessings time for me. I find the best way to cheer up, is to think of the good experiences and efforts people do make.

One of the best was a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo. The chef and I didn't even speak the same language, but somehow we communicated our needs. He brought out a chicken fried rice seasoned with sesame oil and salt. It was very good and my son couldn't get enough of it. He ate every part of it, even the little vegetables. That was nice. There were many similar experiences in Japan, and the service everywhere was wonderful. A few places in the US have been good that way too, though I find it most difficult in Utah.

My mother-in-law also makes efforts to make sure there's something I can eat when we go there. Sometimes it's just a chicken breast, if everyone else is having some sort of casserole thing. She always keeps the crutons, cheese and dressing to the side of the salad, so I only have to worry at potlucks if somebody else is doing the salad.

I have a sister-in-law who is also quite conscious of it, and usually makes something my son and I can eat. Her daughter has a classmate who is also a celiac, so she has lots of ideas from what they do for him.

My mom also calls me to discuss every menu ahead of time. This is my favorite approach, though I usually end up feeling pretty demanding when I change everything around as much as I sometimes do. But hey, I shouldn't feel bad about that.

I'm proud of my brother for getting tested and going gluten-free. He loves food more than anyone I know, so it hasn't been easy for him. He said he wouldn't have gotten tested if it weren't for the increased risk of GI Cancer. There's a lot of cancer in my family, so that got his attention. He had plenty of symptoms, but it's the possible complications that he took seriously.

Celiac Ramblings:

Of all unassertive people to get celiac disease, I'm one of the most unassertive. Maybe that's the lesson I'm meant to learn by it. I feel bad for passing on the gene, so I tell myself that I'll just also pass along the knowledge of how to deal with it. Then when I don't even know how to deal with it, I feel worse on both counts. That's the rub, I guess. Now I may be passing it on to another little soul, and it makes me more emotional. On one hand it's really no big deal, but this pregnancy is making me pretty emotional.

Plenty of people out there have celiac disease and don't even know it, they just go about their lives eating normally and getting sick, sometimes seriously ill, from it. Who knows, maybe my son didn't even get the gene from me. Now that I think about it, I remember my husband's cousin talking about how the doctor put her dad on some ridiculous and weird diet, but he didn't even try it. So the gene could be on my husband's side too. They're all so terribly addicted to wheat, that it's not even funny, it's kind of sad actually. There are autoimmune problems, weight problems and osteoporosis. Who knows...but I bet nobody would volunteer to find out. Just the idea of one day without bread, rolls and brownies turns their world upside down. I'm inclined to think that wheat addiction is a symptom of celiac disease, but then every american is addicted to wheat. I sure was, I'd be eating it now if the repurcussions weren't so terrible, but I'm glad to have it's influence out of my body.

Now I'm thinking, why is it more difficult in Utah to be gluten free? Wheat is ingrained in the culture here. It is in all of America: "American as Apple pie" or eating hot dogs at a baseball game, that whole bit. But in Utah it's almost part of the religion. Our dietary code is very much A-like, though I read it more as being against processed food...that's not a very popular opinion I have I'm sure. There's a pretty strong hold that some food manufacturers have around here. Even though we all agree that it's best to cook your own food, for most, cooking involves such ingredients as cool whip, condensed soup, soup mixes, ketchup, crumbled cookies and other such processed foods, you know the recipes you see in ads for processed foods...

I love how international my local church group is, because the potlucks often include real food from other countries, like the French neighbor's bean salads which are simple, yet amazingly good.

Well, my deviled eggs have turned out well. I cheated a little and used storebought canola mayonnaise. I think I can survive that, at least it's corn-free and soy free, and I only used a little bit I prefer my angeled eggs myself though, so I'll reiterate that recipe just slice the boiled eggs in half and drizzle with salt, olive oil and lemon juice, and any other seasoning you like, curry is good. No mixing involved, so they're quite easy, compliant and good.

One last grump

My last grump for the day is that I have to give up my beloved Trocomare, because of my rosemary allergy. At least I'll give it up while I'm pregnant, I'll probably start using it again afterwards. It really bites to be allergic to an herb. Now I have to check on every ingredient label that says "spices" before I can eat anything. If celiac disease and corn derivative allergies didn't stop me from eating processed/prepared foods, this surely will. Time to give away a few jars of spice in the cupboard now.