I'll Be Back Soon

     I can't believe how much time has gone by since my last post!  Although, in a way, I can.  I have been so extremely busy with my children's schedules, as well as my husband's and my own.  I am rarely home long enough to cook, so I haven't been coming up with any new recipes.  "What have you been eating?" you may ask!  Well, we haven't been eating very healthy, that's for sure!
     Our staple stand by foods over the past few months have largely been rice cakes with peanut butter and bananas, Food For Life Brown Rice Tortillas with various fillings, fresh fruit, baby carrots, rice with veggies, beans, and meats.  We have also been eating a lot of Bob's Red Mill's new GF Quick Oats with brown sugar and cinnamon, as well as GF Chex cereals with Silk Vanilla Almond Milk.  I have also been making my own trail mix with varieties of raw nuts, dried fruits, and GF/DF chocolate chips.  On the down side, we have been eating a lot of tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, GF packaged cookies, GF packaged doughnuts, GF packaged rice bars, etc.--in other words, lots of processed, packaged junk foods that have little nutritional value!  That just goes to show you that we are human and revert back to what is easiest in times of great busy-ness.
     During this time, my husband and I have been trying to carve out special "together moments."  It is so important to make time for your spouse, even if it's just an hour or two per week during the busiest months.  Since he has many physical limitations, we have a harder time figuring out what to do together and usually end up going to a local restaurant for lunch (it's so much cheaper going then).  Because of my dietary restrictions, restaurants are difficult for me, even those that try to offer gluten free meals.  I have found that over the last four months, my health has suffered.  I have had a return of symptoms that had completely gone, leaving me feeling "down in the dumps."  Since we are eating completely gluten free at home, the only explanation I have for the return of symptoms is that there is cross contamination at the restaurants I am eating at, which makes me frustrated because it is about the only thing hubby and I can think of to do together that gives us an opportunity to talk about the things that are important for us to talk about and give each other our undivided attention.  What to do in this situation?  I honestly don't have a solution, yet, but I'm trying.  So far, I am continuing to go out with my husband because that is so important to our relationship right now.  I have purchased some digestive enzymes specifically geared to digesting gluten, so I am just starting to try those out, not for the purpose of eating gluten, but to try to avoid symptoms in situations of cross-contamination.  I'll let you know if they help.
     On top of everything else, I am starting an entertainment business.  Cassie and I paint faces, Chuck makes balloon animals and sculptures and is teaching our kids to do the same, and Elijah is learning to juggle and do magic tricks.  I have been very busy with all of that, but I am starting to have a little more time to think about cooking again, now that the slower months are upon us.
     So, I should be back very soon.  Be watching for new recipes that I will be sharing in the next month.  I will also start doing book, food, restaurant, and equipment reviews as I have been trying new things.  I will try to post something more by next week.  We have a big party to do tonight, and Elijah's birthday tomorrow, which will keep us busy all weekend since we usually have more than one celebration with various grandparents when it is someone's birthday.
     I hope you all have a great weekend, and God bless you!