Another Gluten Free Sighting...

What should I find flipping through the pages of my Better Homes and Gardens July issue than a fairly accurate article on celiac's disease lurking somewhere in the middle. It is always always always a surprise to me when mainstream magazines report on gluten free eating. Even though it is becoming more and more common to meet people who either have celiac's themselves or have someone in their family who is afflicted, I find myself still feeling like I live on the fringe. Seven and a half years later, I still feel weird ordering a hamburger without a bun at Wendy's, and still get funny looks when I order my dinner salads without croutons.

I know this phenomenon is 75% mental. If I were completely comfortable and confident about how I have to eat then I would be saying "heck yes, Better Homes and Gardens should be reporting on this!" but instead I'm still a little shy and sometimes I'm surprised that people are taking interest in how we celiacs have to eat. I definitely have gained a lot more respect for other people like diabetics and folks with nut and dairy allergies, the others who have to be vigilant about what goes into their mouths.

It's not as though food is only fuel to me and I only eat what I can force down because it's non-toxic. I definitely enjoy life and enjoy the food that I cook. Some of it's actually really tasty and sometimes people even ask for my recipes when they don't have to eat gluten free. That's always a bonus. But I have learned that sometimes you can't judge the success or failure of an evening based on what you got to eat at a party. And sometimes you have to just eat a bowl of cereal for dinner. Food is not the enemy, but it's not the captain, either.

Happy eating!