Outback and Sunflower Market

We took my grandma out for her 85th birthday.  We agreed on Outback near her house, so I checked out the gluten-free menu ahead of time.  I had the chicken and ribs combo.  Instead of the fries, I got mashed potatoes.  Maybe I should have had veggies, no seasoning, but I love mashed potatoes.  I started with the salad, no croutons.  It was a good meal.

We went to Sunflower Market before heading home.  My husband got some beer, I got some wine, and we picked up a lot of groceries.  I wish they had one on our side of town.

I picked up some Coconut ice cream, both the coconut flavor and the chocolate flavor.  The coconut flavor was okay in a "I can take it or leave it" kind of way; the chocolate was better.  They are pretty good mixed together.

Wendy's

Today's dining delight: dinner at Wendy's.  Wendy's has one of those websites that people with allergy issues are so excited to find.  (There is a separate page for you if you only need gluten-free.)  I found quite a few items I can have--from an allergy standpoint--and I point that out because I did run across some information previously about what's in a Frosty and I don't eat them anymore.  By looking through their list, I found out that American cheese has soy in it; I can have the (yummy) chili, some salad and dressings, as well as the hamburger patty or Ultimate Chicken filet.

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Some writers are so poetic when they write.  It's so unexpected when someone is writing about chronic illness such as MS.

This illness, any chronic illness, is a curse, a vile and venal monstrosity that is the very definition of horrible. But despite this beast attempting to consume me, I can endeavor to rise above, to mindfully claim each moment as my own, and to control my emotions rather than have them control me, thereby creating my own reality and snatching it from the gaping maw of illness.

Fajitas and drinks

My schedule was a little crazy today, so I met my husband and our west side bowling friends at Fajitas rather than going home and then going there.  They have corn chips and awesome salsa.  We ordered shrimp and chicken fajitas and some sides, including the mixed grilled vegetables (it's a starter, but it goes with the meal).  The fajitas come with these great little flour tortillas, which I skipped.  I had the meat and veggies with some cheese and salsa.  It was actually filling, and of course, as yummy as expected.  (If you go to Fajitas, get fajitas--they are great at fajitas but I've heard not so much for the non-fajita menu.)

We headed to another friend's birthday party at a nearby bowling alley.  It was fun.  Everyone was drinking beer, so I ordered a "Honey Jack lemonade" drink on the menu.  I watched the bartender make it, and was a little disappointed that I ordered it.  There was no lemonade.  It was Jack (I don't think it was the "Honey Jack" in the picture), Grand Marnier, Sweet & Sour mix, and a splash of something else.  It was okay, but so sweet (I'm not sure that's the right adjective...) that I only drank half of it.  Oh well, live and learn.

Luci's

I occassionally go to Luci's Healthy Marketplace for lunch.  They have some groceries as well, so I thought I might be able to pick up a few things.  I love, love, love their green tea.  When I arrived, I checked the lunch menu and felt at a loss for what to eat, so I checked out the groceries.  I picked up some grits and unsweetened shredded coconut, checked out the chocolate bars (yes, it's true, they have soy lecithin), and headed to the cooler.

While I was checking out the yogurt, a couple of ladies at a table started talking to me.  One was Luci!  We talked about our health issues and she introduced me to her husband, Ken.  She recommended a new-ish yogurt so I picked some up.  It is full-fat, but I'm trying to eat good fats rather than so many low-fat food products.  She also talked to me about their lunch menu.  She recommended the burger with no bun.  She pointed out that turkey or veggie burgers often have wheat (bread crumbs) and/or eggs as binder since they don't naturally bind as well.  She also thought one of the soups and a turkey roll-up would work.  She said the potato salad doesn't have mayo so I could have that on the side.

I ordered the burger, no bun, with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms, and on the side, potato salad.  And the chef brought me a burger with the toppings, no bun.  And no potato salad.  Instead there were tater tots, which Luci had told me I couldn't eat.  He told me they don't have the potato salad, so he brought me fruit.  I am not a fan of the mixed fruit--everything always ends up tasting like the melon.  My burger was not cooked well enough at all, so I took it to go and microwaved it at the office.  Then it was very good.  And the tea is still amazing.

Later, I tried the honey yogurt.  It.  was.  so.  so.  good.

Bertha's and Seasons 52

I needed to pick up a quick lunch on my way to my afternoon meetings out of office.  I stopped at Bertha's Cafe and got my new standard, the chopped salad (greens, chicken, avocado, bacon, blue cheese, veggies) and the soup.  The soup was their gluten-free mango gazpacho.  I get the large so I will have some left for later.  I forgot that I would have it with me during an afternoon of meetings.  So I ate it all during the first meeting (where others were also eating.)

I went to dinner with some professionals I know and volunteer with.  I was a little nervous when someone said this place is known for their great flatbread.  Once we got menus, I thought it would work out.  The table did get a flatbread and I didn't have any.  The waitress told us that everything on the menu is under 500 calories (it was less but I don't remember the exact number).  I found a fish dish that I thought would work.  When I ordered, I asked if it had soy and she said she would check with the kitchen; it didn't, so we were good to go.  The fish came on a bed of vegetables and black beans.  It was amazing.  For a nice dinner out, I recommend!

I'm not a Hoarder. Now close my pantry door.

Don't judge me, but I tend to stock (overstock?) my kitchen pretty well.  I'm sure it's residual from my childhood of non-abundance.  With my new restrictions, I have started cleaning out my pantry.  Again, since I did this when I started taking certain chemical ingredients out of my diet.  The wheat and eggs are pretty predictable, but I'm finding soy in a lot of things I didn't expect.  My canned tuna in water says vegetable broth (soybean), so I assume the tuna pouches that also say vegetable broth, without saying soybean, probably have it too.

So out goes the Nutella, the cans of chicken broth, the soup, most of the pasta and cereal.  I'm rearranging so that I can keep some items for entertaining although I can't eat it, and some items for my husband, although I can't eat it.  It's a little annoying to see all the food I have bought and can't eat.

Zipps

A large group of my coworkers went to lunch at Zipps today.  I know it's kind of bar food, but I thought I would easily be able to eat there.  I think I probably can but I have to be more specific.  I ordered a chicken sandwich; it came with some toppings, including cheese and BBQ sauce.  I told the waitress that I couldn't have wheat or flour so no bun.  I got a side salad instead of the fries or other fried choices.  Everything was good, although too much sauce and dressing, and the salad was covered in croutons.  Really, croutons?  When I ordered no bun?  *sigh*