Ceriously? Ceriously. Cereal.

I remember combing the cereal aisle when I first got diagnosed with Celiac Disease to try and find something that was GF. Each time I saw a new GF cereal on the shelf, I'd give it a try. There were definitely a few boxes I regretted trying. Tastes like sweetened baking powder? Thrown out. Doesn't taste like anything? I might finish it just because it was expensive. Now that there are plenty of GF cereals on the market, I aim for GF and tasty. I could pull a line about being careful on what you spend your mone on in "this ecomony," but I'll spare you. Here are a few cereals I think are top notch.



O's: Whole O's by Nature's Path are not sweet but not dry. These are my favorite GF cereal. I think they taste closer to the "real thing" (Cheerios) than other brand's attempts at O's.



Corn Flakes, Non-Frosted: I really enjoy the Nature's path flakes, especially the lightly fruit juice sweetened ones. They aren't too kid-cereal surgary, and taste great with dried cranberries sprinkled on top.



Corn Flakes, Frosted: If you (or your kids) have a preference for frosted flakes, Amazon Frosted Flakes by Enviro-Kids are my favorites. They are nice and sweet, and don't taste particularly "organic."



Rice: If you are a rice krispy fan, Rice Twice is for you. They are light, fluffy, but don't taste like you are eating moistened carboard bits.



"Kid's" Cereal: If you are looking for the GF version of Kix, try EnviroKids Gorilla Munch. If you are looking for Cocoa Pebbles, try the EnviroKids Koala Crisp.

Wrap it up!

Each member of the Shepherd SCI-A (Spinal Cord Injury Unit) crew seemed to have their own individual plan for health and fitness in 2009. Many ladies joined the Weight Watchers group. One is doing South Beach. Lots of the RNs are working out on days off, with or without a workout buddy. Me? I'm in an eternal state of trying to eat healthy and work out.

One of my coworkers has added wraps into her daily lunches. At first they were wrapped in flout tortillas, but in the interest of eating "low carb," she's been just making lettuce wraps. Here is my delicious GF version. While it involves a few repeat ingredients from sandwich posts, its a healthy choice and a good way to change up the average sandwich.

When using corn tortillas, you must warm them up on a very slightly greased pan before trying to fold/wrap them, or they will break. Make sure when you pull the lettuce leaves off of the head of lettuce, you realease the base of the lettuce leaf to avoid too much tearing.

Salami Wrap
Layer toegher:
* 1 corn tortilla
* 1 teaspoon GF mayo
* lettuce
* 4-5 thin slices of salami

Chicken Wrap
Layer together:
* 1 corn tortilla
* 1 teaspoon GF hummus, tahini, or mayo
* lettuce
* GF chicken or turkey deli meat to cover totilla (not too thick!)
* thin strip of tomato

South City Kitchen

Matt decided we should all go to South City Kitchen for his birthday. This restaurant has been on my list of places to try for some time now. I have been ever so slightly hesitant because Southern food is not exactly the first thing of as GF-friendly. Before we went, I emailed the address listed on the website (http://www.southcitykitchen.com/midtown/index.htm). They assured me I would have no problems, and to let my server know.

At the restaurant, I notified my server about my food concerns. Jeffery, the chef, came out to our table to talk to me. He was very nice and very helpful. I pointed out a few things on the menu that sounded appealing to me. Jeffrey was relaxed and took the time to really find me a food experience I would enjoy. He recommended the Cider and Chile Pork Braised Shanks first, the jambalaya second. I took his enthusiastic recommendation, and ordered the pork. It was an amazing dish. The pork fell off the bone, and the Brussels sprouts were rich and mouth-watering. I sampled a bite of my boyfriend's "Country Captain" and loved it. I highly recommend trying the restaurant and the pork shanks. Next time, I am trying the jambalaya.

Derby Day!

Each year the Junior Committee helps the Shepherd Center Foundation raise funds with a Derby celebration on Foxhall Farm. Since Derby Day benefits our hospital, two of my nurse friends and I decided we would attend.

Low Country Barbecue catered Derby Day. I emailed Bennett, the president of Low Country BBQ, and asked him about GF food. Bennett was wonderful- he made sure to bring a batch of unmarinated pulled pork, and assured me that the sides (besides the bread, of course) were GF. I met Bennett at the food tent, where he made sure I was well taken care of. It was wonderful food, made even more wonderful by being worry-free gluten-free.

Fajita Tacos

Boring week at work? Too broke to go out? Not to worry! Here is a cheap meal that will spice up any evening and keep a few dollars in your pocket. I used the leftover ingredients on tortilla chips the next night with some leftover spinach I had from the previous night's meal.

Fajita Tacos
1 Red bell pepper
1 Green bell pepper
1 Can Annie's Black Bean Chili
1 Avocado
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Cheese- goat or Mexican mix shredded
Sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)
GF Salsa (optional)
Corn Tortillas

1. Heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and saute them until they are soft, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the can of chili in a small saucepan. Slice the avocado. Heat the corn tortillas on a separate skillet. This will allow them to be pliable.

3. When the peppers are done, start assembling the fajita tacos. Enjoy!

Baraonda

I bought my father two tickets for the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center as a birthday present. We made it a Koranda Family affair, and Aunt Lee, Nick, and I all went with Dad and his girlfriend. We spent a few hours gawking at the marvels of Egyptian artifacts, then planned on getting "treats" somewhere afterwards. In the end, my aunt and I lobbied for Baraonda, an Italian restaurant near the Fox Theatre. I've been wanting to try out Baraonda for a long time, despite it being Italian.

The decor and service were all I'd hoped for. Doors open with the warmth of spring, stucco walls, Italian wine posters, rustic wooden tables, everything just as I imagined. Our waiter was accomodating to my father and I's GF needs, my aunt's garlic-free needs, and my Dad's girlfriend's need for fish. We started with an antipasto plate of fresh meats, olives, and greens. Next, Nick and I tried the gorgonzola salad. Divine. In the end, four of us ordered the organge ruffy special, and Nick got a cheese pizza. Usually I am not a lover of steak-like fish, but this ruffy was amazingly good. The was laid upon a bed of spinach and topped with a tomato vegetable mixture. I enjoyed my experience so much, I would love to go back again. Maybe next time I'll go for appetizers and wine.

Eye Surgery

Over a month ago, I signed myself up a Friday morning SBK procedure (like LASIK) with Dr. Woolfson (http://www.woolfsoneye.com/). So on Thursday, the barkers and I packed up my Fit and headed for my boyfriend's house to camp out for my long weekend of vision correction surgery. My boyfriend happens to live 5 minutes from Dr. Woolfson's office headquarters, and volunteered to be "my person" for the surgery.

To say thank you, I cooked Nick dinner on Thursday night- his favorite "comfort" food of pork chops, rice, and applesauce. I warmed up Imagine brand's creamy broccoli soup on the stove for the "veggie" portion of the meal, adding fresh broccoli florets for an added veggie bonus. If you haven't tried Imagine's soups (http://www.imaginefoods.com/), you should. They are quite tasty, especially for work-week meals and good food in a pinch.

Friday we spent most of the day at Dr. Woolfson's. Since my eyes are so small, Dr. Woolfson had trouble getting the little suction cups placed over my eyes. After 3 tries, lots of deep breathing, and Nick holding my hand, we got the suction cups placed, and eyes lazered. Dr. Woolfson is a great surgeon with a comforting bedside manner, making the discomforts of surgery bareable. After the post-op proceedings, Nick and I went home. Following my post-op instructions, I took my happy sleepy pills, ate some lunch, taped on my eye protectors, and was happily off to sleep.

Nick cooked us a late dinner, since we ate a very late lunch. He woke me up to a delicious surf and turf- flank steak cooked in malbec with peppers and onions with a side of shrimp. I have no idea how exactly he went about cooking it, but I hope he remembers and cooks it again. I enjoyed every bite of my dinner in bed before drifting back off to never-neverland.

When I woke up on Saturday, my eyes were quite puffy. I have red spots on the whites of my eyes (bruising) from the suction pressure, reminiscent of vampire eyes. Over the weekend, I had an hourly drop schedule. Now it's tapering down. Today is my first day sans protective eyewear. I see halos around traffic lights at night and have a little dry eye, side effects which may subside over the next few weeks as my eyes heal. Seeing 20/20 definitely makes up for the weekend of eye drops and sleep. I donated my 3 sets of frames on my way out the door of Dr. Woolfson's (post-24-hour follow-up), and tossed that last set of contacts this morning. I am thrilled that I won't have to look back on planning life around being able to see.