Here we go!

The trip is just a day away now and we are so looking forward to it.  I may even go a little crazy and eat something that's not Gluten Free...but I'll only do it once, so I'm going to make it good.  It's almost been a year since I was diagnosed, and since then I have never (knowingly) eaten anything that was not GF and my life is, I would say, 10 times better because of it.  

I don't want to go off on a tangent, because I was talking about the trip, but I do think people generally have the question, "How could your life possibly be 10 times better just because you went off wheat?!".  I really do get asked that a lot.  And the answer is two-fold.  First of all, my tummy thanks me.  I went probably 2 to 3 years undiagnosed, and I had serious stomach issues.  So that speaks for itself.   And second of all, like as soon as I went off wheat, probably within a week- I started to feel WAY more energetic.  I was getting NOTHING done when I was eating gluten.  Celiac kinda sucks, but I won't go back to wheat (nor the long list of other things I can't eat).

On the same topic, I was thinking of starting maybe a list of places (restaurants) in my area where I've eaten and not gotten a bad reaction.  But would that make this more of a Celiac blog than a Bead blog?  I guess I can call it whatever I want to call it.  It's my blog and I can write about whatever I want.   And it's up to you whether you want to read it.  (Suddenly, they all rushed for the door...)

So with that said, the first place I would like to recommend is a place that my husband and I go to ALL the time, and we've gone there for years.  I know a lot of things on the menu are safe, but to be honest, I've never tried the thing they're probably famous for.  It's House of Falafel on Stevens Creek (Cupertino-there's one on Lawrence as well).  I've had the Kebabs and the rice and the hummus-all SUPER delicious, but I've never tried a falafel...I don't know if they use actual flour in them, or just chickpeas.  Obviously, you have to use your Celiac discretion there; for instance, you couldn't have a wrap.  Stick with the Kebabs and I would say you're safe.  And if you're going with your non-GF friend, have them order the DELICIOUS baklava, which I tasted before I was diagnosed, and I miss very much.  Also, I've never had the Shawerma, but I would vouch for that, too.  It looks okay...but once again, use your judgment.

Now that I've broken through the wall, you can look forward to more GF restaurant recos as the blog trudges forward.  We tend to eat out a lot.  That's not to say I don't cook!  I cook like every night!  But a girl likes to go out!  (and so does her husband)

So look forward (on Friday-or Saturday morning) to a new post on our first day in Hawaii, hopefully with some pictures.  And of course, in the days following that, there will be updated posts on a (anticipated) daily basis.  

Well now I've written more than I intended to write.  :)  Bonus!  TTFN!