Learning how to eat again

Corn, it's sure been a while. I hope you folks have all been well.

The middle of November brings plenty of schoolwork, so I haven't been writing as often as I should.  My latest adventures have involved coming up with food to eat. No kidding - I'm trying a gluten-free diet to see if I might have gluten intolerance, since I don't have celiac disease.  Moreover, I'm reducing/avoiding refined sugars and carbohydrates in my diet. This double requirement complicates things; basically I can't eat any bread: since my carbohydrates are reduced to whole grains, fruits and vegetables, I can't eat wheat, barley or rye anyway.

What does that leave? Quinoa, brown or wild rice, corn, potatoes, nopaltillas (tortillas made from nopales - cactus), all kinds of fun vegetables and fruits including squash, bell peppers, mushrooms of all edible sorts, onions and garlic (which contain helpful prebiotic fiber), plenty of beans and legumes to get my complete proteins, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, those lovely tomatoes, etc, etc. At this point, I'm still eating meat and dairy products to help balance things out, and my dinner plates have gotten much more colorful.

Soup is definitely my friend. There are so many varieties of soup which fit neatly into my dietary requirements.  And usually, it's not too difficult to make.  Mmmm, mashed potatoes. I'm generally an experimental cook anyways, but this challenge pushes the bounds of my comfort zone sometimes.  Sometimes I end up making something that is merely a mixture of foods, a result of me going to the cupboards and pointing at random ingredients in succession, then hauling them out and preparing them together.  Fried rice is an excellent example of that. I once ate a bowl of peas with potstickers made from soy protein. I guess pea soup is next on the list. Lentil soup is also one of my favorites, and (you didn't hear it from me) quite delicious with a splash of Ranch dressing.  I ought to watch my fish and shellfish intake, of course - but those are fairly easy to cook and delicious to eat!  I have also been making mixes of nuts and dried fruits for snacking, nothing fancy. Which reminds me, I want to try making root fruits in a roasting pan soon. That is a Scandinavian dish I once saw on a cultural cooking show.  It was made with leg of lamb, but I can substitute something else for the upper rack.

Thanksgiving is sure going to be an interesting meal! I'm looking forward to the food and family. After all, life is too short to die.