Leap Day!

Happy Leap Day, folks!

In traditional Leap Day style, I hope everyone wore their yellow & blue. {Thank you 30 Rock for the Leap Day episode. Twas inspiring!}

This Leap Day was celebrated by receiving Girl Scout Cookies I ordered before my whole GF decision... F A I L. Why didn't I decide to go GF after Girl Scout season? Now I've got five {yes, FIVE} cookie boxes all with that evil thing we call gluten.

Who wants 'em?

But seriously...how does one attain the power to say "no" when  Tagalongs or Samoas are offered?

Maybe this is just a trick done by the Leap Day Gods to get me to give in & eat that gluten. Weird things are supposed to happened on Leap Day. Maybe this is my weird thing. I don't mind if that is my 'weird thing' it could be worse. I could catch Flesh Eating Algae or worse- be kidnapped by strangers who don't let me wear J.Crew or watch 30 Rock. That would be awful.

So, Girl Scout cookie temptation it is... Not too sure how well that's going to go considering I already ate one a few {oops} Don't judge me. How was I supposed to resist?

This week I'm going to make Gluten-Free on a Shoestring's gf Do-si-dos. Maybe Hopefully, they will taste just like the real thing.

Getting back on my gf track - I was being so good. Blast those Girl Scouts.

Happy "Gotcha" Day!

Today is Dutch's {first} "Gotcha" Day!

"I'm gonna have a pawty?"

I can't believe I've had him for a whole year. At the same time, I can't believe I have ONLY had him for a year. Dutch was rescued via LRROF from a shelter in west Florida. He was found as a stray; thin, heart-worm positive, not neutered or micro chipped. LRROF District 4 (Northeast Florida) took him in. He got to fly on a private plane to Jacksonville thanks to the amazing volunteers at Pilots N Paws. LRROF is an incredible organization. Am I obsessed? Maybe.  Probably. YES. Here's why: a foster mom took Dutch in & helped him gain some weight, LRROF paid for his heart-worm treatment, neutered and chipped him. All of this adds up to a fair amount, but surprisingly there are dogs that cost LRROF even more! If you can, donate to LRROF. You won't regret it.

Moving on.

As my first "child", of course Dutch-pup is spoiled rotten. I'm pretty sure positive he got more presents today than I did on Christmas. His loot:

Zuke's Mini Naturals, Fruitables, Best Bully Sticks, Bravo! Duck Feet, KONG Cozie, IQ Treat Ball, KONG Wobbler, Premier Waggle, Instinct Treats, Premier Squirrel Dude, KONG, Cloud Star Buddy Biscuits, two Kyjen Squeaky Squigglers

I have to include this lovely cake that Southern Inspired Treats (SIT) made for today. The wonderful folks over there are very talented! See for yourself...

It was a wonderful day spent with my best friend. Happy one-year, puppy dog. 

at a snail's pace...

I feel overwhelmed by reading all the labels and the amount of food in my house that I cannot eat, but everyone else is happily enjoying. Not that I'm bitter... Ok, I am. Dad brought home a warm French baguette today & ohmygosh did I want to rip into that. Only a handful of days without gluten & I'm already going through withdrawal issues? I did stay on the GF track, even with all the temptations {fresh baked chocolate chip cookies at a friend's house were really hard to say "no" to}.

While becoming accustomed to Gluten-Free & Casein-Free foods, I have felt a little defeated by all the new change. SO, as of today I am allowing casein back into my diet {for now}. Hopefully, by slowing things down a bit, I can get used to & more knowledgable about Gluten-Free foods. Then, once GF is a regular thing that I don't have to really think about, I will {again} go CF, too.

This is not a sign of defeat. Just a sign that sometimes change can be overwhelming & slowing down to analyze said change more closely is just fine.

Coconut Milk + Whenever Bar = Surviving

Thanks to Mom-B, I've got a plethora of awesome resources to help me get started.

Due to the fact that I have the palette of a five-year-old, I was not-so-secretly scared to try the milk substitutes. First, I tried the So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk. {sip} Erm, no thanks, that stuff is too sweet for me. Next! I then tried to So Delicious Original Coconut Milk. It sure isn't Organic Valley Fat Free {which had its own section on my nutritional pyramid}, BUT it's not bad! Yay! So, a milk substitute enters my refrigerator for the first time.

Mom-B got some product samples from Pamela's and offered me a couple. I have tried both the Oat Raisin Walnut Spice Whenever Bar {my personal fave} and the Oat Cranberry Almond Whenever Bar and they are surprisingly tasty. They're a mix between a granola bar and a Clif Bar; they have the softness of a Clif which makes them look like "a weird granola bar" as someone said to me. Don't let that freak you out - they taste good, I swear.

A Little About Dutch

This is the famous Dutch Reagan Lewis, but you can call him Dutch. He is my best friend - cheesy, I know, but it's true. I got sweet Dutch almost a year ago when I was going through a hard time. He, being the silly dog that he is, doesn't go "number 2" (TMI?) in the backyard SO all this to say: he forced me to get off my butt exercise and those amazing endorphins kicked in and definitely made me feel better. My dad says Dutch is the perfect dog for me because he seems to have a lot of my issues: ADHD, stubbornness, picky palette, and doesn't like to be alone {I get bored...I think Dutch-pup thinks no one is ever coming back for him, poor pup}. He's a spoiled dog, but he deserves it. Dutch came to me via Lab Rescue and I am forever in debt to them. 

Entering Into The Blogosphere...

I thought I would never write a blog. Who would read what I write? Whatever. My chocolate Labrador Retriever named Dutch (whom I got via Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida) and I go on adventures together. Even though the adventure may just be into the kitchen, it's an adventure nonetheless. So, I am embarking on this journey of blogging taking you {if there are any of you out there} on the adventures of life along with us. From my new diet to Dutch's upcoming Gotcha day it'll all be here.

I have been taking medicine for ADHD {look...something shiny!} since my second semester of 9th grade. Due to a recent conversation with a neighbor, I read Dr. Julie Buckley's "Healing Our Autistic Children" and learned more about ASDs (Autism Spectrum Diseases) as well as the Gluten Free/Casein Free diet that can significantly improve symptoms. As ADHD is on the Autism Spectrum, the GF/CF diet has been shown to help with it as well. The idea that I might be able to go off the stimulants due to a change in diet is AMAZING.

In the beginning, the idea of going Gluten & Casein Free was so depressing as I love bread. Side note: My dad thinks he's Italian and we eat bread like there's no tomorrow. I also drink a half-gallon of Organic Valley milk every 2-3 days, so going Casein Free seems impossible. With the help of Mom-B, I have been introduced to some AWESOME foods that are both Gluten and Casein Free and taste normal great!

So, this begins my journey of blogging AND being Gluten Free & Casein Free.