The first trimester of pregnancy can be a little rough.  At least it was for me.  That’s what I get for thinking morning sickness doesn’t really exist.  I had to learn the hard way that yes, in fact morning sickness is real.  As you know from my last three years of posts, I love vegetables, whole grains, freshly baked desserts, and fresh food.  During my first 16 weeks of pregnancy, however, my routine eating habits were thrown out the window, due to constant nausea, exhaustion and a general apathy towards cooking.

Most of the foods one “craves” during morning sickness tend to be bread, crackers, and other gluten-filled items.  With my new taste buds, I had to entirely rethink my trips to the grocery store and alter my grocery lists.

Here’s a list of what I semi-successfully ate for the first 16 weeks of morning sickness:

Udi’s plain bagels and cream cheese: Normally I’m a cereal girl but Baby Metcalf did not appreciate my morning cereal routine.  Fortunately, I found a good substitute.  Udi’s bagels taste so similar to the real thing.  Toasted, they are delicious with cream cheese.  I think I’ve had at least one every day for the last four months.  I even traveled with my own bagel stash over Christmas.

Chik-fil-a French fries: Chik-Fil-A uses a separate fryer for the fries so I don’t have to worry about contamination.  Their waffle fries are delicious and could serve as an entire meal for me.  Warning: don’t try to steal any off my tray.  (David learned this the hard way.)

Ruffles potato chips: How did I not know before how darn good these chips are?  Deliciously salty, with amazing texture I’ve been converted from kettle cooked to ruffle.  I don’t know if I’ll ever go back.

Lucy’s Cookies: These were the only sweet thing I had any desire to eat besides fruity candy during my first trimester.  I think I liked them because they weren’t too sweet and I could nibble on them throughout the day.  I bought the variety pack on amazon on a very regular basis.

Mike & Ikes: I normally enjoy all things minty: brushing my teeth, chewing gum or enjoying a mint.  Well, mint flavored anything just made me throw up so I resorted to Mike & Ike’s to get bad tastes out of my mouth.  I know.  It’s disgusting.

Spaghetti: I couldn’t eat bagels and chips for every meal so I found that my body really liked spaghetti.  (Thanks to my sister-in-law, Heidi, for that suggestion!)

Canada Dry Ginger Ale: No longer did I want a glass of cabernet at the end of a long day but a fizzy, sugary soda to ease my stomach.  Canada Dry is definitely gluten free.  I’ve had mixed findings in researching other brands.

Fruit: This was the one healthy thing that I could eat.  I loved blueberries, strawberries, pineapple and grapes.  I also drank a lot of orange juice which I’ve never been a big fan of before. (I would get the OJ with extra calcium since I wasn’t really getting it anywhere else.)

The good news is that everyone is right: morning sickness goes away.  I’m thrilled to be (sort of) back to my old ways.  I’m still not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and I find myself toasting a bagel every morning for breakfast but I have had salad in the last week.  Baby steps, right?

For those of you gluten-free moms out there: what did you eat when you were battling morning sickness.  I never found a gluten-free cracker that tasted good to me.  I tried Glutinos for awhile but got tired of them.  Would love your thoughts.

I’ve recently been converted to the world of Amazon Prime.  My sister-in-law, Blair, convinced me that Amazon Prime is the way to go, as it diminishes the frequency of shopping, which for me is a huge plus.  Basically, I hope to buy all of my food, toiletries, etc. (except meat and veggies) through Amazon Prime.

For those of you that don’t know about Amazon Prime, it’s truly genius.  You pay an annual fee of $79 and you get free two day shipping on all of your purchases (that qualify for Amazon Prime, which is most items). Not only will I be buying things like toilet paper, laundry detergent and trash bags, but even groceries.  (And of course there will always be the book impulse buys.)

Did you know that Amazon has an amazing selection of gluten-free products???  Some of my favorite GF items are on Amazon.  This is a great option if you live in a small town and don’t have access to a Whole Foods or natural food store.  Or if you’re like me, and the thought of going to Costco or a shopping mall makes you break out in a sweat.

Mesa Sunrise Cereal

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Lara Bars

bionaturae fusili Pasta

Peanut Butter Panda Puffs (Enviro Kids)

Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats

Jif to Go

Bye bye Costco membership, hello Amazon Prime!  Just make sure you recycle all of the Amazon boxes you’ll start to accumulate!

What do you like to order on Amazon Prime?

What a season for Novak Djokovic!  For those of you that follow tennis, you probably know that he beat Nadal last night in four sets to wine the US Open, his third grand slam title of the year.  Impressive, right?  In the 2011 season, he has gone 64-2.  Wow.

While he didn’t seem like the crowd favorite last night in the third set tie break, I was cheering on fellow gluten-freer, Djokovic.  I don’t think you can attribute all of Djokovic’s success this year to his new diet, but it’s definitely playing a role in his victories.  Since going gluten free, Djokovic has had the year of his life on the tennis court.  I’m not advocating that everyone should go gluten free, but I do think we would all feel better if we took the time to figure out which foods our bodies respond well too and which ones make us feel crummy.

And for tennis champion, Djokovic, keep staying away from the glutes!  Congrats on a great year.

The September issue of Bon Appetit has a “Good Health” article entitled “Gluten-Free for All.”  The article discusses the notion that more and more people are realizing that following a gluten-free diet makes everyone feel better, not just those of us with celiac disease or a diagnosed gluten allergy. I’ve been saying this since I went gluten free!  I’m glad to know that the medical world has finally caught up with me.

The Bon Appetit article states, “Devotees say eliminating gluten gives them more energy, fewer aches and pains, and less bloating and depression…after years of skepticism, doctors now think they’re right.”

“Gluten-Free for All” also includes two yummy recipes that I will definitely be making: South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita and Thai Ginger Chicken Salad.  Yum!

Any of you gluten-eating folks willing to give the gluten-free diet a try for a couple of weeks?  Do it for your health!  I promise, you’ll feel energized and your tummy won’t be so darn temperamental.

In case you haven’t guessed it yet, I’m not very wild…I’m not at the clubs late night.  I’d rather split a bottle of wine and have a nice dinner.  I’m not very hip and cool.  I rely on Elaney for all of my fashion pointers and now that she’s not regularly blogging, I’m totally lost.  I don’t wear make up and haven’t dried my hair since I got a $20 haircut a month ago.  (I do like a good pedi though!) I’m helplessly a nerd, and I love it.  That being said, summer, for me, is about relaxing and diving into a pile of books.  I’m always overambitious, as I can’t resist many of the books that Amazon magically suggests for me or that I stumble upon in a bookstore.  My book-buying addiction is a bit of a problem that I definitely inherited from my father.

This has been a summer full of great reads.  Two of my favorite authors recently came out with new books and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.  Here are a few of my summer reads to wet your palette.  More selections to come in the next couple of weeks!

Caleb’s Crossing, Geraldine Brooks: Author of March and Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks yet again does a superb job of taking bits of history and weaving it into a beautiful fiction story.  Brooks tells a story of the first Native American to attend Harvard, in the 17^th century, and a fictional female character, Bethia Mayfield, daughter of a Puritan minister.  This novel takes place in what is today Martha’s Vineyard and Cambridge, connecting two different cultures, people, faiths and sets of beliefs.  Caleb’s Crossing touches on religion, gender, history, emotions, and love, all in one well told and voiced story.  A must read.

In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson: Another all-time favorite author of mine, Erik Larson wrote Devil in the White City and Isaac’s Storm. His newest nonfiction book transports the reader to Berlin in the 1930s, as Hitler rises to power.  The story is told from two perspectives: William E. Dodd, the U.S. ambassador to Germany at the time, and his daughter, Martha, whose wild love life will keep you turning pages.  Larson has a gift of using only primary documents to write a book.  While it reads like fiction, it’s incredibly true.  I was amazed by how the U.S. passively watched Hitler take over, and build up his totalitarian rule.  Even if you don’t consider yourself a historian, this book will hold your interest from start to finish.

New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance, Elna Baker: If you’re like me and couldn’t get enough of Rhoda Jansen’s Mennonite in a Black Dress, then you will love Elna Baker’s hysterical memoir.  Her tales of life as a Mormon in NYC are LOL funny, yet poignant.  I think every twenty-something woman can identify with her awkwardness, self-doubt, and questioning.  Some of my personal favorites include her experiences working at Nobu and “The Fortune Cookie Story.”  You can listen to a few of Elna’s stories live here.  I’m particularly drawn to Elna because she loves The New Yorker and has done pieces for This American Life and The Moth, two of my favorite nerdy radio shows.

The Children, David Halberstam: Definitely the biggest reading project of the summer (over 700 pages!!), this nonfiction book chronicles the civil rights movement through the stories of its Nashville leaders.  Starting with the Nashville sit ins and watching the Movement spread through the south, you will be blown away by the strength, passion and faith that these young leaders showed.  John Lewis, Diane Nash, Julian Bond, Marion Barry, and Jim Lawson are some of the central characters in The Children, so it’s a different perspective from the MLK focused Movement we traditionally learn about in school.  Halberstam clearly illustrates the shifts and changes in the Movement during the 50s and 60s, from nonviolent, Christian based and inclusive to all willing participants, to Black Power and somewhat isolationist.  Thanks to my brother-in-law for putting this book in my hands.

What did you read this summer?  I’m always looking for more books!  (Even though I still have Anna Karenina staring me in the face, begging me to read her.)

Businesses and the media are realizing that the gluten-free diet is not just a passing fad, but a permanent fixture in many people’s diets.

This article from Tuesday’s New York Times, Gluten-Free: Flavor Free No More, discusses bakeries and companies that are working to create more options and better tasting foods.  The article highlights both the growth of the gluten-free market as well as the improvement in the quality of these goods.  In an interview with Gluten-Free Girl, Shauna, she discusses the different flours that can be used when baking gluten-free treats, as well as the gums that give baked goods their elasticity.

At the end of the article, the NY Times links to 29 gluten-free recipes from past articles.  There are a lot of yummy quinoa recipes, including this one that I’ll be making soon.  Be careful though, as one of the other recipes calls for soy sauce and doesn’t explain that soy sauce typically contains gluten.  (A good reminder never to just blindly trust when someone says something’s gluten free.  Always ask questions.)

Reader, Chili T, passed along this CNBC article, Gluten-Free Foods Paying off Big which discusses the growth of companies, such as Kellogg and P.F. Chang’s,  that are focusing their energies on marketing to gluten-free consumers.  While these products can be more expensive, time consuming and require additional training for employees, it appears from the article that the introduction of these items and services are helping global companies continue to grow.

It’s that time of year…college admissions letters are going out, reminding me yet again how thankful that I am not going through the college selection process, which seems to become more and more rigorous each year.

For those high school seniors with gluten intolerances, celiac or a food allergy, this can be a very scary time.  Going away to college means putting your health and well being into the hands of a food service company, not your parents.  Most likely, if you are living in a freshman dorm, you will not have access to your own kitchen for at least a year, if not four.  This restriction is terrifying to people like me who live with a limited diet.

For guidance, thoughts and sympathy, check out the following posts:

• I wrote the post, “Dorms, Tailgating and Cafeterias: Gluten-Free College Advice” about navigating the college world on a gluten-free diet.
• Last year, a former student of mine, Lucy Glaize, wrote this post as a guest blogger, entitled “Living Gluten-Free in the College World.”
• Lucy was also recently quoted in the article, “Gluten-Free Trends at UVM,” where Lucy discusses the importance (and difficulty) of having variety in her gluten-free diet on a college campus.

This year, I have two former students who both have celiac disease and are first years in college.  (That’s what we call it at UVA…we don’t say freshmen.)  They braved boarding school on this diet but I know, even though they are used to living away from home, it has been tough to get adjusted to the gluten-free life in the college world.  Change is always hard, whether changing school, location or even kitchen.  It’s a learning process.  I know they will love having their own kitchens next year in off grounds apartments.  (And we say ‘grounds,’ not campus.)

Do you know of any college campuses that work especially hard to accommodate dietary restrictions?  Is advocacy work being done on your campus to raise awareness?

Best of luck to all of you making your college decisions.  College is a wonderful time and you should be able to enjoy it just as much as your gluten-eating roommate.

Just remember,  Natty Light is not worth getting sick for, even late night at a fraternity party.  Or should I say especially late night a fraternity party? (Even though Natty Light is watery, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have gluten.)

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal online posted an article entitled, Clues to Gluten Sensitivity.  The article discusses a recent study showing that gluten sensitivity exists and can trigger immune responses in people, such as IBS-like symptoms, bloating, and chronic fatigue, to name a few, and that following a gluten-free diet can help alleviate those symptoms.

This article is good news to me because I hope it will encourage people to consider trying a gluten-free diet who are experiencing some of these wide range of health issues.  As the article states, this study will help assure people that they are not crazy to think that they might feel better without gluten, even if they don’t have celiac disease.  Gluten sensitivity can cause much pain and will hopefully be taken more seriously by doctors as more and more research is done in this area.

After international travel and time to peruse my sister-in-law’s bookshelves, I’ve got a good reading list to pass along to you.  I’ve completed some, am in progress on others, or they are a ‘to-do.’  Thank goodness summer awaits in just a few short months!

Room, Emma Donoghue: This gripping novel takes you into the mind of a 5-year old boy named Jack, who has never left an 11 x 11 foot room.  As you read, you learn more about why Jack is in this space and a scary, emotional, sad and hopeful adventure begins from there.  I could not put this book down as the voice of Jack is believable and powerful, and the story is suspenseful and will keep you up reading, late into the night.

Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand: The author of Seabiscuit released this book before the holidays.  I read an excerpt of the manuscript in Vanity Fair, and knew I had to get my hands on it.  Hillenbrand brings the reader the true story of Louie Zamperini, Olympic runner and World War II army hero.  Zamperini’s story brings to life an experience in the Pacific during the war that you will not soon forget.  Airplanes, rafts, and prisoner camps only scratch the surface.  If you know someone who loves history, adventure, or just a well-told story, this is the book for them.  Even though there are a few rough scenes, this book is not to be missed.  I am yet to meet someone that didn’t love Unbroken.

Heat, Bill Buford: This book takes us into Mario Batali’s kitchen at Babbo, in New York City.  Former New Yorker writer, Buford gets the opportunity to work for Batali, as a kitchen slave, line cook, pasta maker, etc. for over a year.  Heat also provides a biography of Batali’s life, his wacky personality and his rise to become the quirky, red-headed, croc wearing, TV star that he is today.  Buford also spends time in Italy, with a butcher, among other places, as ‘research’ for the book.  (I want to do that kind of research!)  I always enjoy a good foodie book and Heat served as just that.

At Home, Bill Bryson: The newest book from Bryson, the author of A Walk in the Woods, and A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bryson takes his reader through each room of his house while giving us the ‘history of private life.’  I’m just over halfway through this book and I love the little nuggets of random history Bryson gives us, but I have to admit, there’s not a lot of coherence to the book as a whole.  It seems as if he just wrote about the things he wanted to research and tried to find a way to fit these thoughts into a room.  Picture interior decorating gone horribly, horribly wrong.  I will finish the book though and if you’re a history nerd like me, especially a fan of social history, you’ll enjoy this read.  I already know so much more about concrete, the Vanderbilts, rats, the Eiffel Tower, and sugar.  If that doesn’t make you want to read more, I don’t know what will.

Villain, Shuichi Yoshida: This Japanese murder mystery, translated into English (obviously), is a “who dunnit?” that takes place in southern Japan.  It comes highly recommended from Alden so I’m putting it in my suitcase for spring reading back in the States.  The book jacket describes Villain as a “stunningly dark thriller and a tapestry of noir.”  Sounds good to me, whatever that means!

The Girl Who Played With Fire, Stieg Larsson: The second book in the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series, I have this in hand for the plane ride home.  I have no idea what it’s about but I thoroughly enjoyed Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which got me through the flight home from Japan, round one, without going crazy, so hopefully the sequel will provide me with the same captivating distraction.

A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens: I never read this classic in high school and I figure, being a history teacher and all, I should read this book.  I loved Great Expectations and I’m eager to dig into this one.  It’s on the shelf at home, waiting for my return.  I promise I’m not reading it because of Oprah.

Have you read any good books lately?  Spring breakers, what did you read during your R&R?

I always like seeing major publications giving attention to gluten-free dishes.  Of course my immediate reaction is, “Why can’t you hire me?” but then I move on and actually enjoy the recipes and appreciate the gluten-free shout out.

With the help of Gluten Freedom readers, I’ve found:

Food & Wine’s website has a Gluten-Free Slide Show, with links to each of the recipes.  Of course the rack of lamb looks good to me!

Real Simple’s website has ‘Ten Gluten-Free Dinners’ for you to try.  I’m thinking about making their zucchini stuffed with quinoa.  Yum!

What looks good to you on these sites?  Have you seen any other foodie magazines recognize gluten-free cuisine recently?