More Food.

I promise this blog is not becoming a place for me to voice my opinion on every issue under the sun.  I designed this blog for my enjoyment of art and writing.  I like to write about what's going on in my mind and also incorporate whatever art piece I'm working on at the time.  But, the last couple of posts have been a little out there, I admit.

For this post, I'm writing about what we are going through as a family with my daughters digestive issues.  We started out dairy free, knowing for years that she is lactose intolerant.  Then we were taken off gluten.  And now.....corn.

Baaaaaa.....

At first.....you would have thought this was a death sentence to my family.  We've always eaten organic but I buy a lot of organic, boxed meals and snacks.  Which only means organically processed.  Ha ha.

Oh....and my apologies for talking about food AND adding in farm animal photos.  I just finished a barnyard painting series.  For once...there is no correlation between the post content and the artwork.  Except that we do eat a lot of meat now that we can't eat much else.  Well....okay.....maybe they do correlate.  Don't judge me.

Moo, moo and moo.

So, anyway......going gluten/dairy/corn free seemed like an overwhelming and unbearable burden at first.  I cried.  I got angry.  I cried some more.  I got angrier.  And then......I started to cook.

Try cooking or buying gluten free without xanthum gum in the ingredients (most xanthum gum is grown on corn).   It will make your head spin.

Cluck.

So I experimented and tweaked and tweaked some more.  I cooked, tasted and threw things out.  I cooked, tasted and thought I had gotten the hang of it.  Then I cooked, had the girls taste, watched them gag and threw things out.  Sigh........back to the drawing board.

But, now!!!  I'm a gluten/dairy/corn free guru.  Our food is good.  There are recipes my girls specifically ask for almost everyday.  Molly even helps me bake our snacks and can't wait for them to get out of the oven.

Moo.

And, we are healthy, people!!  We snack on nuts, seeds and dark chocolate.  We pig out on fruit, veggies and hummus.  And we know EXACTLY how to cook gluten free pasta.....which is no small feat if you've had the displeasure of learning how to cook this gooey, slimey stuff.

So.....the point of this post is.....well......to pat myself on the back.

Not really.

The point is to let folks know that, even though allergies and food sensitivities are an awful plague right now.....there is hope.  You can eat well and still be satisfied.  You can create delicious baked goods that melt in your mouth and don't bloat your belly.  You can fix food you can be proud of without sacrificing flavor.  It's possible.  It's not a death sentence.

Moo, etc.

And you'll feel better!  You'll feel lighter and clearer.  You'll feel so good you'll want to jump on a cows back and wave your gluten/dairy/corn/whatever else free flag in triumph!!  (Maybe not, but it fit the painting.)

Now.....In celebration, I've created a new 'Recipes' link at the top of the page.  There's only a few right now but as we create more recipes, I add them in.  I photograph everything we eat.  I know that's strange, but there are stranger things I could be doing.

Oink.

So, if you or your sweet children have gotten a diagnoses or a 'let's try this' prognosis......you are not alone.  We are in this together.  And, as Molly said the other day, "Mama, we are the healthiest family I know.  I never want to go back to eating crap!"

Me neither, Molly!  (well.....maybe sometimes.)

An update on Molly's tummy troubles......now that her tummy is no longer inflamed, she can tolerate sprouted whole grain flours (which has half the gluten) that is non-gmo.  The flour we buy is called One Degree, sourced from small, clean farmers in Canada.  You can find it online or at Wholefoods.