Introduction

Well hello, I'm here mostly because myspace at msn finally shut down and this blog server looks like a better option.  I may eventually upload my old posts, but for now, the fresh start is feeling great!

Cooking: I specialize in cheep gluten free.  

Gardening: I specialize in green growing and often edible stuff of all kinds.

First and foremost I am a gardener!  (Except in the winter, when I am first and foremost a cross country skier!)  I live in Pittsburgh, I have a half lot, and I have no grass, all I have is garden.  Most years I grow nearly all my own vegetables.  I love to cook and bake, and I have celiac disease.

What is Celiac Disease?

A genetically linked inability to digest wheat protein, aka gluten, also found in Barley and Rye. It's poorly labeled in foods, and can be found under such dubious titles as modified food starch, malt, or caramel color. Eating it when you're celiac causes upper intestine damage, and usually leads to malnutrition because you can't absorb certain nutrients. Swelling, pain and loose bowels are also common. Only solution is to remove all gluten products from the diet, in fact food can not even touch or be cut on the same cutting board as something containing gluten. 

I found out I had celiac disease in October 2008, and I LOVE how healthy I feel now!  I would never go back.  Also, I'm lucky.  While I have a severe reaction to any trace of wheat or gluten, I have no difficulty with milk or corn, and those two sensitivities are also common for people with celiac.  I do have difficulties when my diet contains too much starch or soy, so I limit those.

Most people say eating gluten free is expensive, but it doesn't have to be that way!  I have actually been able to reduce my food expense while maintaining a well balanced diet.  I attribute this to making so many things myself and using low cost ingredients.  

This blog will have some strange food sometimes, because I come up with some bizarre stuff sometimes!  I can't help it, I'm just silly!  But then again - you'd be surprised what tastes fantastic.  I love my crockpot, and I love to experiment.  If anyone gives me a good recipe, you can bet I will make modifications on the first try.  Sometimes I have humorously epic failures.  Usually nothing some chili powder can't fix, though.  

In addition to the cooking, I will include little bits about what's growing in the garden.  I'm not terribly frequent with posting, because I'm a busy lady.

So.... welcome to the Glutenless Garden!!