I was in gluten free heaven the last two days...New York City. My husband planned out a big super-date for us before our next baby is born, and I finally got to visit NYC. I loved it way more than I thought I would, and I've always wanted to go there. I read up on restaurants at celiacchicks.com and glutenfreerestaurants.org and had a hard time narrowing down all the options. I mainly went for the food as we didn't have time to see many sites between appointments, and I was not disappointed.

The flights were a red-eye mess, including a 5 hour delay (most of which spent waiting on the runway), but we got one good night of uninterrupted sleep, which I haven't had in a month due to everyone getting sick. The delay was on the way back so I had some decadent treats from Happy Happy Happy, a Gluten-free/Dairy free bakery, to get me through it.

I ate some avoids, but handled them fine in a stress-free state, up until the gelato at the last stop, that surely had some corn in it.

Risotteria was amazing, and the only place I visited twice. How they make their rice pizza crust is a marvel and a mystery to me. I loved it. The risotto looked fabulous too, but I couldn't resist the chance to eat pizza. The chef reminds me of Harry Connick Jr., and it's in the lovely Greenwich Village area. We loved that area for walking around and window/chocolate shopping.

Chennai House was amazing too, a sada dosa is a wonderful thing (sourdough rice/lentil flatbread), as is their fried appetizer (battered and deep fried green peppers are surprisingly good.) The batter has garbanzo's in it, but what celiac can resist? No regrets there, just glad I can't get them locally or my compliance would go way down. Hampton chutney company was great enough to add it to my dream list of impossibilities (1. National Gluten-Free Day where all food is GF for a day and (2. Hampton Chutney Co. becomes a nationwide franchise competing with McDonald's. They make chutney, sandwiches and huge dosa wraps...heaven.

What else...a really interesting place with bouncers at the door and red lights on white curtains surrounding the restaurant and bar...Asia de Cuba. I wouldn't have gone there but my husband had an appointment there and they have a GF menu so I tagged along and ate in the bar (with a seltzer water, of course!). I had a grilled pesto shrimp with roasted tropical vegetables. It was very good! Huge fresh shrimp. It was the most expensive place I went, but very interesting. I didn't make it to Rice, another restaurant with fusion cooking, but I sure covered a lot of ground and ate a lot of good calories. I wasn't brave enough to try the vegan raw food places this time around, but maybe next time. The only raw food meals I've had have made me sick, perhaps it was the Bragg's Liquid Aminos. I also didn't try any meat or steak places, but I can get that out here at Stockman's, this is rancher land, so I'll make up for what I lacked.

That's it for this blog. News on my ultrasound coming up tomorrow! Place 'yer bets, and wait for the news Can't believe I'm halfway to my due date. I certainly carry the baby like a girl, but that could just be because it's my second pregnancy. I'm just starting to kinda show. What do you think? Everyone who knows my husband says Boy, everyone who knows me says Girl. I'm not sure anymore!

Food in social situations can become an emotional issue. Years ago somebody told me that her mother told her never to trust someone who doesn't eat. In that sense I've become very untrustworthy in food-centered social events, and I ponder how prevalent that particular attitude is. I do tend to shy away from many social situations due to the inherent discomfort and my tendency to be careless about what I eat. My particular concerns are business dinners or dinners with those who primarily speak other languages. It is easier to eat out at restaurants in these situations, rather than having to turn down home-cooked specialties.

Then of course, family events have their own unique challenges, like when somebody thoughtfully prepared something just for you, but you actually can't eat it for reasons they weren't aware of. Eating at restaurants is no good either, with a large family event, as waiters tend to mess up the orders and I end up too embarrassed to make a scene during an event to honor somebody else.

Really the only way to survive these situations is to cover the whole menu and ingredients ahead of time. So far, my mother is the only one who volunteers this for me. That's partly because we love food, and we love to talk about it, and partly because I'm the youngest of 6 food-allergic children. My sister-in-law is good this way too, though I don't see her or eat together with her very often.

My son was sick with a miserable cold or flu last week. My husband was away on business, so I was an around-the-clock mommy nurse. 4 nights with very little good sleep, and very little help. I succombed once again to my latent milk addiction through some frozen gluten free pasta meals, as I didn't have time to cook, or really sit down and eat. I've come to the conclusion that milk is very bad for my pregnancy, even goat or buffalo milk cheese. I'm beginning to really think that it causes contractions...usually just Braxton Hick's, but when I was really worn down I felt one that seemed like more.

So... as if I didn't have enough reason to avoid it already, I now have a darn good reason.

This all started with a little goat cheese, I figured I could handle a bit and I needed to cut loose on something due to how strict I have to be on so many counts with my diet. That triggered my latent addiction, soon I was drinking milk, and I put an end to that, but cheese still called my name too loudly.

I still have some goat cheese sitting in the fridge, I think I'll toss it, I have to cut off this casein-laden relationship completely. I'll save any future avoid fests, if any, until after the baby is born...in November.

Funny how quickly those around me can forget how unhealthy I used to be. I've recently been classified as somebody with no health problems who has always kept in shape. My blog readers know that's not true, as I write as much about my health problems as someone twice my age. Thinking about it though, my main complaints lately have been just about my skin's reactions to avoids. Skin is important, but nothing compared to my health problems years ago.

I don't even have heart palpitations anymore, and I hardly ever get sick or experience unexplained symptoms of anything...I've come a long way.

I don't mind being classified as healthy, of course, but I also like to remember how I got here. I guess it's easier for others to forget than to admit that there is something to this wacky diet I follow.

I am healthy, but it's anything but inherent.

I've been lacking lately, I try to eat grass-fed beef or buffalo once a day, but it's been about once a week. I can feel a difference, as I get tired more often. If you haven't guessed, I haven't been eating enough protein compared to carbs either. A little chicken, a few eggs, some turkey sausage, salmon patties, and such, but not enough protein overall.

Tonight we're repeating the chicken and dumplings, with a few alterations. My organic chicken was thawed, so I roasted it up. It's a real hit with my husband and son, and I have to admit it's pretty good.

My brother is feeling fine, though still without past memory before about a week ago. He gets frustrated with not knowing some things, but finds he likes all the same people and things that he did before, and he's happy with his surroundings.