During my four months of morning sickness, I also developed an aversion to reading.  This was perhaps one of the saddest parts of those months for me.  I was afraid I would never want to read again.  Slowly and steadily over the last 17 weeks, I made my way through three books.  I thought I’d share my most recent reads with you:

Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling: If you enjoyed the humor of Bossypants, you should check out this memoir written by Kaling, a writer, producer and actor on The Office. (She plays the hysterically self centered and petty, Kelly, on the show.)  Kaling makes clear from the beginning that she is not trying to be like Tina Fey nor will she ever be as funny as Tina Fey.  I thought she came pretty darn close.  Any woman in her 20s and 30s can identify with Kaling’s thoughts, rambles, battles with weight, and other random concerns.  My personal favorite story was when she auditioned for the musical Bombay Dreams without any dance background.  While it took me a month to read this one, it should be a fast read for anyone who’s a normally functioning human being.

Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman: Written about a fictional boy named Harrison Opoku, who emigrated from Ghana to the London projects, this story deals with a range of topics, from the simple to the complex.  Opoku loves pigeons and spends much time trying to catch them, but a great deal of his life is spent trying to catch a murderer and avoiding run ins with a local gang.  It took me awhile to get into this one, but I love the message I took away from it, that childhood can be so simple yet many children are forced to come face to face with harsh uncontrollable realities that are better suited for someone way beyond their years.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Beautiful, poignant and moving, this book blew me away.  I read the entire book in about a week and enjoyed every sentence.  I’ve never seen words fit so beautifully on a page.  While The Book Thief is classified as “young adult fiction,” this should not deter you from reading.  The story of a girl named Liesel, who moves in with a foster family outside of Munich during World War II, this is the story of her journey and life and the people around her.  She is not Jewish and this is not The Diary of Anne Frank. In an interview, Zusak said he wanted his characters to be unforgettable and they truly are.  I wept, smiled, and connected with these characters, both adults and children.  I don’t want to share too much of the story because The Book Thief is so complex and so special.  One unique note that might intrigue you: death is the narrator.

So what did I do while I wasn’t reading? Um, I became addicted to the Ellen Degeneres Show. I slept. I played lots of Settlers of Catan which is an awesome board game and iPad game if you have never heard of it.

Bye bye Oprah, hello Ellen! Ellen grilling Bachelor Ben on his choice in women.

PS: I promise this will not become a baby blog.  I promise.

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.

This year was quite a year for me.  Lots of travel, adventure and really calling Atlanta home.  There are many highlights so I thought I’d take a little walk down memory lane (clearly in no particular order)…

Bachelor Brad won, and broke, Emily’s heart.

Richard Blais brought home the “W” in Top Chef All-Stars

Articles published on my travel tips for Wyoming/Montana, Washington, D.C. and Charlottesville

Surviving an earthquake and tsunami in Japan, while also getting to spend such a special time with my brother, sister-in-law and nephews.  (I really wouldn’t take back the trip, even if I could.  I promise.)

Dinner at Bacchanalia…always makes the highlight list!

An amazing trip to NYC full of gluten-free yumminess.

Ashley lived up to expectations as a disappointing Bachelorette (but we still watched)!

Rice Krispies went gluten free!

A trip to Nashville to meet my new niece, Anna

A week in Laguna Beach with the love of my life…so awesome.

Rob, Alden and boys visit us in Atlanta

Filming a “Sizzle-Reel” for a TV show pilot in Vail, Colorado

Wow!  What a year!  While it’s sad to say goodbye to 2011, there are many good things to come in 2012.  Thanks for all of your support and continuing to read Gluten Freedom.  Apologies for nearly two months of being MIA.  Let’s just say I needed a little rest…

Have you noticed that food trucks are all the rage in ATL?  Well, they are!  Sadly, many of the food trucks serve greasy sandwich type meals that don’t meet the needs of gluten-free diners.  BUT, I’ve discovered a food truck with plenty of GF options!  One of my new favorite things that’s uniquely local to Atlanta is Honeysuckle Gelato.  Native Atlantan, Wes Jones, decided to drop his regular job and start Honeysuckle Gelato with two of his buddies.  I, for one, am very thankful for his decision!  You can find his delicious gelato by following his stylish teal food truck.

Many of Honeysuckle’s flavors are naturally gluten free and so delicious.  Creamy, yummy and overflowing with natural ingredients, not a bunch of chemicals and artificial flavorings.  You might have seen Wes and Honeysuckle at the most recent gluten-free vendor fair.  If you were lucky enough, you tried his ridiculously amazing Salted Caramel flavor.  It is truly divine.  The salty-sweet flavors blend perfectly together and it’s the ideal evening treat!  If salted caramel doesn’t sound delicious to you, what about peanut butter honey or ginger molasses?  Go to their website to see more of Honeysuckle’s signature flavors.

Honeysuckle Gelato at the GF Vendor Fair

Honeysuckle also offers sorbets which are naturally gluten free and dairy free so there’s something for everyone!  Many of their flavors are naturally GF.  Mmm, chocolate mint or watermelon sorbet, anyone? Check out this southern inspired gelato for yourself!

Don't miss the Honeysuckle food truck!

Recently I asked Wes a few questions about himself and his new business.  Here’s what he had to say:

Gluten Freedom: Are you a native Atlantan?

Wes: Yes, I am.

Gluten Freedom: What do you love about Atlanta?

Wes: My wonderful friends and family and the amazing food! What are your favorite eats in Atlanta? That’s a tough one because there are so many great choices. Hal’s is usually up there and Fox Brothers has been a frequented place recently.  Other than that, anywhere in Decatur.

Gluten Freedom: How did you get interested in gelato?

Wes: My business partner, Jackson Smith, was making gelato in NYC at Il Laboratorio del Gelato and we first kicked the idea around of starting a gelato place here in Atlanta as a joke and before long we had talked ourselves into actually doing it.

Gluten Freedom: Where does one purchase a food truck?

Wes: The same place you purchase everything else…the internet.  We actually found our truck on eBay.  It was a New Orleans Shaved Ice Truck in a small town in Alabama.  We thought it looked cool so we convinced the people to take it off eBay for a couple days so we could come look at it.

Gluten Freedom: Where does the name Honeysuckle come from?

Wes: We we’re having a hard time coming up with something we liked that was catchy, southern and sweet all in one until Jackson had an epiphany. He called me up and said “I got it!! Honeysuckle!”  Before I had time to argue he hung up the phone.  Lucky for me, I loved it and it stuck.

Gluten Freedom: What’s your favorite GF flavor?

Wes: It changes weekly as we make awesome new flavors, but “Dock of the Bay”, our Sea-Salted Caramel, was my first love and I always feel guilty when I name a flavor other that.

Gluten Freedom: Where can we find Honeysuckle?

Wes: That’s the beauty of having a food truck – you can find us all over town! We post our schedule here - http://www.honeysucklegelato.com/contact-us/ – and we also tweet our daily menu and locations at @honeysuckleatl.  Our goal is to be in some specialty stores and select grocery stores in the area next spring so keep an eye out for us!

Thanks, Wes, for taking the time to answer my questions!  I hope everyone will check Honeysuckle’s website to find a location nearest you!  This is not just another ice cream place, I promise.

Now that I’m back at work for the school year, my reading list is a little shorter than those summer months with endless reading time.  Here are my three fall reads, all of which I recommend!  (No, really I promise I’m reading Anna Karenina next!)

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, Barbara Demick: This nonfiction book tells the story of individuals born in North Korea, who ultimately defected to South Korea.  Even though I’ve studied North Korea before, Nothing to Envy brough a personal touch to history and truly exposed just how desolate life is in North Korea, and has been for the past half century.  The propaganda, brainwashing and control the North Korean government has over its citizens is inexcusable and it’s heartbreaking to read.  Author, Barbara Demick clearly developed relationships with the subjects of her book and hours upon hourslistening to their stories and testimonies.  I find history to be much more personal and understandable when told through individual’s stories.  Demick does a great job sharing these stories with her audience.

State of Wonder, Ann Patchett: I loved Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, but didn’t love her previous novel, Run. My sister-in-law, Alden, raved about State of Wonder, which was published this summer, and she was right.  This fiction story tells the tale of Dr. Marina Singh, who is sent to the Amazon to search for a missing doctor, Dr. Swenson, who has been researching a plant that is believed to extend women’s child bearing age.  Dr. Singh also ventures to South America to find out more about the recent death of her co-worker.  State of Wonder is a great read, that beautifully weaves together characters and shares a story with many different layers and emotions.  A must read!  Fiction at it’s best.  This ones at the top of my “Favorites” list for 2011.

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, Alexandra Fuller: One of my all-time favorite books is Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight. I even used to offer it as extra credit for my World History students.  Fuller, who has a gift for hilarity and poignancy in her writing, has chosen to focus on her mom’s (Nicola Fuller) story in her newest book.  Fuller grew up in Rhodesia, during a turbulent time in the nation’s history, while her mom’s childhood was spent in Kenya.  Her family epitomizes the colonial (British) farmer trying to live off the land in a nation where they are a minority.  Fuller beautifully illustrates her mom’s unusual childhood, from her best friend, Stephen Foster (who’s a monkey) to her humorous experiences at Catholic school.  Nicola’s adulthood is full of much geographic bouncing around, heartache, and even madness.  My favorite lines of the book involve her mom referring to “that awful book” Fuller wrote.  (She must be a good sport to have her life exposed in her daughter’s books!)

How did I not (re)discover Mellow Mushroom pizza earlier???  Of course I remember Mellow Mushroom from my college days in Charlottesville, sitting outside, after a long day of tailgating.  Nothing went better with a pitcher of beer than a Mellow Mushroom pizza and pretzels.  Mmm, just thinking about that crust and those late afternoons makes me miss college and my gluten-eating days.

While I had read that Mellow Mushroom has a gluten-free pizza, I just hadn’t made it over there yet.  What was I thinking?  One Sunday afternoon, David and I decided to head over to the Mellow Mushroom on Peachtree Road and try out the GF pizza.  Not only was the craving for pizza pulling us toward Peachtree’s Mellow Mushroom, but their flat screen TVs and the NFL Sunday Ticket.

We’ve discovered our perfect spot for watching the Redskins when they’re not on the Atlanta networks.  Mellow Mushroom was just the right place for an early Sunday dinner with four football games happening around us.

Kosmic Karma with sausage: so many toppings. I love it!

I was very pleased by the GF pizza at Mellow Mushroom.  Of course it’s not the same as the pizza I remember from my C’ville days, but it’s pretty darn good.  And, they don’t skimp on the toppings so it’s not overly bready.  I went with the Kosmic Karma pizza with sausage and it was amazing.  I can’t resist anything with pesto!  The sundried tomatoes, feta, and spinach are an awesome combination.  Since my first visit, I’ve ordered the Kosmic Karma with chicken, another good protein addition.  (Going with just the veggies is plenty of food and flavor, so don’t feel like you have to order a protein topping.)

Almost all of Mellow Mushroom’s toppings are gluten free, and our server was very knowledgeable as to which ones contained gluten.

Unfortunately, Mellow Mushroom does not currently offer gluten-free beer on their menu but hopefully if more people request GF beer, they’ll add it to their beverage list.

Will I be going back to Mellow Mushroom? Um, already have.  Thanks, Mellow Mushroom, for making a delicious GF pizza that satisfies my carb and greasy food cravings!  I’ll look forward to more Sunday afternoons with you.  You can also call ahead and order takeout too.  Another great option for an easy Sunday dinner! The Vinings location also sells gluten-free pizzas, if that’s closer to your neck of the woods.

Note: I found that reheating the GF pizza worked best in the oven, not in the microwave.  The pizza returns to its normal state in the oven, but is not so good in the microwave.

Mellow Mushroom – 1770 Peachtree Street NW – Atlanta, GA, 30309 – 404.687.4766

It’s almost that time…the Atlanta Gluten-Free Expo, one of my favorite events in our area, is happening on Saturday, October 22^nd.

This will be my third trip to the expo and I can’t wait for a morning of indulgent eating, with no worries about contamination.  It’s the one time of the year that I can literally eat everything in the room.  Nothing’s off limits!  Check out what I had to say about the 2009 and 2010 GF Expos by clicking here and here.

A shot from last year's Gluten-Free Expo

So here are the deets: From 9:00 to 2:00 on Saturday, October 22^nd, come to the Hilton Hotel in Norcross, GA, to indulge in many glute-free items.  Cost of admission is $10 and children under 12 are free.  This great event is hosted by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and organized by gluten-free expert extraordinaire, Jennifer Harris.  For more information on the day’s speakers and events, click here.

Hope to see my fellow Atlantans on the 22^nd!  What are some of your favorites from last year?

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.)

Last week I spent time in Norfolk with my sister-in-law, Alden, as she gets settled into her new home in Virginia.  We unpacked, entertained my nephews, Pete and Chip, watched Bachelorette (of course), and did some good eating.  Alden even taught me how to cook tofu and we made delicious tofu Pad Thai.  I’m even willing to say it’s better than chicken pad Thai

We also ventured out for lunch with both boys to Taste Unlimited, a yummy (and very popular) spot, just down the street.  Taste Unlimited’s Hampton Boulevard location offers a large gluten-free sandwich menu and they use a separate sandwich making station and utensils for all gluten-free orders, to prevent cross-contamination.  Their sandwiches are delicious (reminiscent of my gluten-filled college days spent frequenting Bel Air and Take it Away) and I’m a huge fan of their house dressing.  I got their Northender sandwich, which includes the amazing combination of turkey, havarti, bacon and avacado.  The sandwich gods were looking down on me because they put practically an entire avocado on my sandwich.  I went with the house dressing in lieu of the aioli mayo because I just can’t resist the stuff.  (You can buy their house dressing by the container too…this would be way too dangerous for me.)  All in all, my sammy was a messy, delicious masterpiece.

Taste uses Udi’s sandwich bread (a personal favorite of mine) and you can also buy it by the loaf at the store as well.  (They even sell Udi’s muffins and a brand of gluten-free ice cream sandwiches in their freezer section.)

Also, if you check Taste Unlimited’s website, they tell you which of the daily prepared foods are gluten-free.  (They make take out foods like chicken salad, ribs, cucumber salad, etc.)  A perfect weeknight dinner when you don’t feel like cooking OR if you’re going to be entertaining someone with a gluten allergy and feel overwhelmed by the task.  Taste Unlimited is a great option.

Save room for dessert because Taste Unlimited offers glow gluten-free cookies, in multiple varieties, and Tate’s Bake Shop GF chocolate chip cookies.  I bought glow’s chocolate chip cookies and they were yummy.  They don’t skimp on the chocolate chips, which is key for GF baking!  I love their packaging…looks similar to a Chinese food take out box.  There are enough cookies in a box to share with your group. (If you’re feeling generous!)  Their other varieties include snickerdoodle and ginger snap.  You know me, I can’t resist chocolate!

Right now Taste Unlimited offers their gluten-free menu at their Newport News location and this fall they’ll roll it out at their new (and bigger) location in Virginia Beach.  I contacted the folks at Taste to get more details and it turns out that one of their co-owners was diagnosed with celiac in 2009, hence the efforts they’ve gone to in order to accommodate customers with gluten allergies or celiac.  I feel reassured when I know that someone personally involved with a restaurant has celiac because it means they get it, and they’re not just serving GF bread for their sandwiches.  Taste Unlimited is taking all necessary precautions to ensure my safety, for which I am grateful.  AND they make delicious sandwiches!

Taste Unlimited - 6464 Hampton Blvd.- Norfolk, VA 23508 – 757.623.7770

Yum…so easy but so good.

Sliced local tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese, S&P

Grilled swordfish: If you haven’t tried this fish, you’re missing out.  It’s meaty, not fishy, and worth the financial splurge. Just a little olive oil, some herbs and lemon juice make the perfect marinade.  This time we used a tequila lime rub.

Grilled corn on the cob: shuck the corn, wrap each ear separately in tin foil, with a little butter, S&P, and put on the grill.

My kind of food!  Simple, fresh, easy and highlighting the naturally delicious flavors.  What are your favorite easy suppers?