A sad day in Sparks, NV

As I drove from West Wendover to Sparks today I kept daydreaming about fish and chips. You see, the entire trip had been planned around a visit to Off The Hook in Sparks. More than one, actually. I planned for two days in the area.

But when I arrived, there was a note on the door... due to economic factors, they have closed.

So I went to Mel's Diner at the Sands and ordered the chopped steak without gravy. Not too bad, but certainly not fish and chips!

West Wendover, NV

Boy, when I mess up, I do it right. I thought I would be okay ordering a small steak with two cheese enchiladas. (Corn tortillas, of course)

Not so much. I actually scared myself in the bathroom tonight. I haven't had a problem like that since my diagnosis. (Although it was a routine occurrence prior to the diagnosis) I may be skipping meals for a while, just to give my gut a chance to get rid of whatever I ate that is fighting back.

But tomorrow it is on to Sparks to try their new gluten-free restaurant - Off the Hook. I'm looking forward to some fish and chips. And maybe I'll take some extras with me for the dinner at the hotel tomorrow night. Yum.

Day two - Joliet IL to Seward NE

I am a bad celiac. Or perhaps just a bad planner. I somehow managed to go through the entire day on just breakfast - the remains of the spanish tortilla I brought from home.

Tomorrow has to be a better day, doesn't it? I must say I'm not making bad time, but then I did get to the motel this afternoon and immediately flopped into the bed and fell asleep until 1:30 this morning.

Guess I'll start over in the morning.

Day one - Joliet, IL

Never, ever leave town with an empty stomach. If you learn nothing else from me, ever, please learn this.

Got started almost on time, but of course by the time I got to Chicago I was way too late for OMY Its Gluten Free. So next time I'll leave earlier and plan to stop for a late lunch.

Thank goodness for Hillshire Farms roasted turkey. I grabbed a small package of that and munched on it most of the day. I'll probably finish it off for breakfast tomorrow.

So no, not much in the way of nutrition today. A few potato chips, some Spanish tortilla and deli turkey. But I'm full, and I'm not sick, so I am willing to call that a victory. This time.

Tomorrow? On to Lincoln, NE!

The Adventure Begins Tomorrow

I think I'm all set. I have a Spanish Tortilla cut into cubes for snacking, corn tortillas, cheese and gf cold cuts for lunches, homemade chocolate Chex mix for munching on the road, lots of tic-tacs for avoiding the dreaded dry mouth (I can't drink too much while I'm driving or I wind up stopping at *every* available rest area) and a whole bunch of things to make dinners with while I'm on the road.

I also have directions to two Gluten-Free restaurants I'm planning to visit along the way. So at least two meals on the way out there will be fresh. One is the first night - if I make it to the Chicago area in time. The other is in Sparks, NV - almost at the end of the journey.

Lots of availability of gluten-free places to eat in the SF Bay area. One in particular (they have gluten things available there, but not anything I have ever ordered) is Kabul Afghan Restaurant on the peninsula. One of my favorites from when we lived out there. Yummy lamb and rice dishes, pumpkin, great salads. I'm looking forward to it. And I was really relieved when I found out that my very favorite dish is naturally gluten-free.

I'll update when I can, and let you know what is working and what isn't. (I have a nasty tendency to just skip meals if I'm tired and it seems like too much work.)

Wish me luck!

New Route To California

Via this new restaurant in Frankfort, IL... OMG, It's Gluten-Free! I'll have to leave a little earlier than planned, and drive a little faster than planned to get there before they close at 6, but I think it might just be worth the extra effort!

(mis) Adventures in Eating Out

Went to lunch with a friend this afternoon. I had glanced at the menu on line (about six times) and decided I could have the pear and walnut salad. Shouldn't be anything in there to bother me, right?

Um, not so much.

I wonder how long it will be before I can eat fresh fruit without having to run to the bathroom immediately thereafter.

GIG meeting at the Raisin Rack

Today's meeting was great. We had a potluck - and it was wonderful. Cheesecake, biscuits and gravy, pasta salad, lots of fruit dishes, peach bars (yum!) meatballs, just loads of great stuff.

We also planned a trip to Ferrara's in Sharon, PA for next month. Yum! Looked at the website, and I'm thinking the "Taste of Italy" is in my future.

Still working on the plan for the road trip at the end of the month. Oh, and the taxes. Guess which one is getting more of my attention?

Easter with the family

Went down to my sister's house for Easter. I will continue to go, as she needs help getting ready. I will, however, hide out as soon as the rest of the family arrives.

Not because of the food thing - not a one of them cared if I had anything to eat or not. Just because she married into a family of people who drive me nuts. Especially the younger set.

Who brings a four month old baby along for a two day trip with eight (8) diapers? And who asks for a walker for said four-month-old when the child doesn't have a place to sleep that's up off the floor?

Had a lovely Sugerdale Ham (all their meat products except the cheese stuffed hot dogs are gluten-free) and green beans with Sugardale bacon (yum) and potato salad and mashed potatoes and corn.

Oh, and then I told the baby's 19-year-old father to quit f*ing around and make her a bottle.

Happy Good Friday/Passover

Hope everyone is going to have a wonderful holiday weekend. I wish I knew how to add a photo to this thing, as I just received a lovely basket from the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center. They offer it to people who are within three months of having been diagnosed via biopsy, even if you aren't one of their patients!

It is so pretty I almost don't want to open it. But what a lovely Easter Present!!