Better off without you!

After so many years together, I now realize that all you ever did was drag me down. And for what? A few moments of pleasure? You made me think I needed you...you, with your hard exterior and soft interior, so pleasing to look at and to taste. So many times I felt like I couldn't enjoy life without you. You have been the foundation of so much in my life, though I never realized that there was something so much better out there.

Now you're history and though you do cross my mind from time to time it's only to think about how happy I am to no longer feel like I depend on your goodness. The truth is that you were never really good at all. Though you may have tasted sweet in the moment, you only caused me anguish and pain. I've hurt. I've cried. All this because you never loved me back. You found your way deep into my gut and tore me apart once you were there.

So now when I see you with other people I do not crave you. I walk right by when we run into each other at the grocery store. Though I see you or your shadow everywhere I turn, I'm getting better and better at avoiding you altogether. Soon, you and the pain you caused will only be a distant memory.

Yes, wheat, I've moved on.

No longer will you be the foundation of my pizza or the heartbeat of my bolognese sauce. I know now that I can mop up my olive oil with another. You are not required for terrific toast or for a delectable dessert. These things, in fact, can be so much more beautiful without you.

I don't mean to be harsh. No hard feelings. As I continue to mend from the heartache you've caused I will always look back on our time together so that I can truly appreciate all the beautiful things ahead.

With gluten a thing of the past, I have moved full force into a world of cooking that is unknown and exciting. I've discovered so many new ingredients that I've tried or hope to try soon that there just aren't enough meals in the day to satisfy my curiosity! Whether you're on a special diet or not, I urge you to get out there and try all the beautiful foods this world has to offer. Truly God has created an amazing world for us to enjoy and has given us our senses so we can experience it to it's fullest. Allow yourself to look around, to notice the pink rose in your neighbor's garden and maybe even take a moment to experience its amazing scent or to look at and appreciate God's craftsmanship when you interact with the important people in your life. All these things can and should incite praise in your heart as you realize God's love and kindness in giving us such fine gifts to enjoy.

So let's use our taste buds and our creative power (which I think is an image of God's creativity) to find that this creation is, indeed, very good!

Inspired by the Gluten Free Goddess, I made a quinoa salad the other day following her recipe (pictured above). Though it was very good, I felt like it could be improved upon (based on my own tastes). Thus, rather than using chick peas, as they do not agree with my tummy, I exchanged them for white beans. I do think that pecans give the dish an autumn-like feel, but I felt that using chopped hazelnuts would be better. Thus, I roasted them on low heat with some salt and about 1 tsp of maple syrup. Additionally, I feel that spinach is a little overpowering for the dish, so I opted for a more delicate and neutral lettuce. I chose an Italian baby leaf mix, which worked beautifully! Finally, I decided to change the dressing a tad. I used 4 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp maple syrup (the real stuff, people. Mrs. Butterworth is not allowed here!), and the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon. Whisk that up with a fork until it comes together, pour over your salad, mix, and enjoy. Truly, this salad is the best I've ever tasted and I caught myself going back for seconds...and then thirds, though it was only just a tiny taste. :-)

I would encourage you to try this recipe! Fresh, whole foods put together in a gastronomically exciting and satisfying way!!

On a final note, I'd like to add that cooking quinoa is really no big deal. Please do rinse it well as it may turn out bitter otherwise! I'd rinse it a couple times, just to be safe. 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water should do it and please ensure that you let it sit for awhile to soak up all the water. Otherwise it's a little too "hard" to be enjoyable, I've found. It has great nutritional value! I told the kids we were eating planets and they ate it all up! We then looked at pictures of Saturn, since it has a ring around it like the quinoa. They ate that up too!