Gluten or Breathing???

Well, as hard as this transition may be...
I prefer breathing over eating all the bread and goodies my heart could desire...
cause really,
what good is it going to do me if my tongue and throat swell closed again??? 
Won't be any enjoying going on at that point!!!
And not being broke out in a million lovely red spots is pretty enticing in itself!

I'll be honest...
I was MORE THAN DEVASTATED
at the thought
of NEVER indulging in all these goodies again. 
Actually I was just flipped out about how to REALLY make this happen for the rest of my life...
HOW???
It just feels so BIG and quite daunting!

AND THEN
a dear sweet friend of mine came to my rescue!

Geri Gropp is an angel in my eyes!!!
She came to my home, made me breakfast, brought me a little care package of a few things I might need and the next day came and picked me up...we shopped for a few hours while she taught me all her tricks (well, I'm sure not all of them, but some GREAT ones!)
I don't know that I could have received a better blessing at this time...
AND she was soooo happy to help me with this.

Just tonight, I cooked up some biscuits to eat with the yummy shredded beef and creamy horseradish that I made...I'm smiling!!! 
They were really quite yummy...
IF I didn't KNOW they were gluten free, I would never have guessed! 
Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I am going to attempt the brownies or chocolate cake...I'll give you an update!
Gotta have some delish chocolate happening in my world!!!  This is one I WILL MASTER very, very soon!!!

For any of my friends who are searching for some answers to help make your body and the bodies of your precious family a little healthier, I highly suggest you run out and pick up this book:
 
Eating Gluten Free Presents
More From
LIFE
TASTES GOOD
AGAIN
by Betsy Thomas & Kirsti Kirkland
Eating Gluten Free, LLC
I also see that they have a website and a blog...gonna have to check those out!
www.eatingglutenfree.com    www.lifetastesgoodagain.blogspot.com

I picked this little treasure up from Jakes Gluten Free Store on Fairview (between Eagle and Cloverdale) 
I particularly like this book BECAUSE they share many secrets on how to put together different FLOUR MIXES...takes so much of the guess work and the trial and error away! 
Jakes had a pretty fine selection of "stuff" to choose from. 
I will say none of it is very cheap, but for some things, it is the only place to make your purchase.  
Most of the things we needed were found in the bulk section of Winco...prices weren't terrible. 
I was able to order in bulk from them and I am READY to get going on this adventure.

I've known for such a long time that I REALLY needed to do this, I've been told repeatedly to GET AWAY FROM GLUTEN, but that isn't always as easy to do as to say.
I have dabbled in and out of it...just not seriously enough ~ UNTIL my little ER visit....nothing like one of those mornings to wake you up and make you take life a little more seriously!!!

Another place I would encourage you to take a little jog on over to is this GREAT BLOG...www.lovinlivinhealthy.blogspot.com.  Geri has devoted the past four years of her life to living gluten free and she is an inspiration to me as I begin down this same road. 
Thanks again Geri for giving me hope and not making this so SCARY...love you to pieces, girlfriend!!!

IF you are gluten free and you have some recipes that YOU JUST LOVE...PLEASE SHARE!!!

Food is meant to be enjoyed and I would love to enjoy some really great stuff!