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Probably the best part of celiacs so far is the motivation it's given my mom and I to experiment with food. After all, if you're already eating pricey cardboard how much worse could it get? (I jest: once you find the right brand, gluten free can taste even better than "regular").
One of the experiments that has actually worked (unlike our first attempt at chicken noodle soup - not so yummy) is the omelette. Could I have cooked this before my diagnosis? Heck yeah! Did I have the motivation to do so with sandwiches and cereals at my fingertips? Heck no!
I'm still getting my appetite back so I start with one egg, mixed with lactose free milk.
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Then I add my ingredients, which for me are cut up pieces of ham, spinach, green pepper and cheese because I like to eat my omelette for lunch. Cooking something delicious for lunch makes me miss my old sandwiches and chips a lot less.
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A few minutes in the pan and poof! An omelette is formed!
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So I made an omelette. Big deal right? People who have no problem with gluten make them every day! For me though omelets give me hope that more of my experiments will also turn out finger-lickin' good.
When you first hear celiacs and gluten free, your mind, like mine, may immediately go to all of the meals that need to be cut out or changed.
Thing is, it's okay to start small and make that damn omelette you always gave up on and turned into scrambled eggs.
I can't even tell you how much I relate to this. Before I was diagnosed, I was always grabbing something quick to eat while running out the door or to eat while working. Pop Tarts, Hot Pockets, granola bars. I barely ever cooked at all. Now I cook enough that I am pretty confident in my abilities. My friend even started calling me Chefica. I made omelets for breakfast yesterday, for the first time ever and I was really surprised by how easy it was. This weekend I also cooked hot dogs with corn pasta and mixed vegetables, and chicken wraps. I learned recently that I can eat most corn tortillas and don't actually have to shell out all the extra money for special gluten-free wraps. Also, have you tried Chex gluten-free cereal? They have lots of different gluten-free varieties that are made with either rice or corn. My favorite kind is Honey Nut. I eat them when I don't have time to cook.
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