Social Media is in the works!

 I have a Facebook Author page!

https://www.facebook.com/oasisofthefae

It has been a rough ride for this birthday present!

I paid Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing to help me get my book published.

After learning that not all proof readers, can, well you know, proof read, I had to hope that they didn't make any changes when the manuscript was completed and ready to publish. That didn't end up being the problem.

They printed my book in 8.5x11, it was crazy, no page numbers, headers or footers.  The correct trim size and corrections were done with the 2nd publishing, on May 2 2023.  

Now I am finally getting some of the Marketing that I have paid for done, I hope to have all the wrinkles ironed out soon!  

I would love to hear from you!  

It's Official! I am a published author! See my Oasis Of The Fae

 I decided that for my birthday I would publish my book. Oasis of the Fae: Realms of the Fae is published!

Oasis Of The Fae

After thousands of years, the magic protecting Ciara’s magic world is fading and she must learn to live in two worlds, magic and non-magic.  Ciara is a Seer in a world where being a Seer is dangerous. A powerful Seer Sentinel has been waiting to claim any Seer and Ciara must avoid the powerful and dangerous Pall, with her and her powers he could destroy the magic world and the Mortal world. The hope for both worlds has been given to Ciara and her friends who must find a wand, a powerful Fae missing for millennia and the key to the magic that has protected them all. In finding what they need to save magic, they will save more than just their home.

I would love feedback!  

This Has been a wonderful experience and a huge learning curve!  

What Must Everyone Think?

Just to clarify, I can eat gluten, I actually love gluten. Gluten won’t make me fall to the floor and suddenly die, but, I'll have painful joints, headaches, rashes, and feel just awful. When I think about how I used to feel each and every day before my CD diagnosis and compare it to how I feel today, what a difference not eating gluten. I am still amazed that I managed to even function with CD symptoms before I was diagnosed.

When I go out to eat, attend dinner parties, BBQs, or join friends for drinks, I wonder what they are thinking about my “limitations” on what I can eat and drink. I wonder if they think I am some kind of food snob, putting my nose up at everything. Are they convinced that I just making up excuses not to eat foods I don’t like? (Okay, maybe there are times …….)

I often liken my new way living to being on the ocean in a row boat. “Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” I don’t know who said that, but they are so right, especially when applied to “food, food everywhere, but not a bite I can eat!” Television ads for fast food, well, they just suck! It’s the only word I can come up that really describes the feeling of knowing that I should never try the new Wendy’s burger, or as I salivate over a commercial of my old favorite, taco burgers. (Wistfully, Ah, to be able to walk into a fast food joint and order anything I want off the menu, and then sit down at on one of those benches that have 12 small tables nailed to floor in front of it, and eat till I’m sick.) After three years of eating GF, eating in a fast food joint sounds like a small slice heaven. (Do pizza parlors have those benches too, been awhile since I went to a pizza parlor.)

As I’ve rowed my way around this gluten laden ocean, looking for that place where it's supposed to be calm, quiet and gluten free, I’ve been stuck in several whirlpools, chased by sharks, and I think I’ve met Nessie along the way (really! I think she is a vegetarian. )

I have to know what is in everything I eat. I’m getting better about asking those wonderful cooks to tell what is in their dishes, but there are times when it can difficult and embarrassing. When I eat out at restaurants, I often feel like I’m being rude to the wait staff for being so demanding and requesting specially prepared meals. When I go to parties or BBQs at friends and families homes, I just hope and pray that the hostess doesn’t notice that I am not enjoying their carefully prepared, delicious looking platters of food! (And I hope that they don’t notice that I brought all my own food and beverages). When I go grocery shopping I’m reading every label and spend hours in the store to buy a dozen items. If having to read every label isn’t time consuming enough, I really get disgusted with the labels on products that are printed on brightly colored paper, and the print so small that you need a microscope to make it out! (Although, my boyfriend thinks that I am getting old and just can’t see anymore, I refuse to accept that explanation!) If by some miracle the label is legible, it usually has gluten in it. (My ever present luck.)

Eating GF is as much a choice for me as it is a necessity, my options are eat gluten feel awful, or don’t eat it, and feel good. When I began this GF journey, I felt cheated, left out, and hungry, now I realize (after gaining about 80 lbs) that it’s okay to ask questions, make special food preparation requests, bring my own food and beverages to parties. Bringing a friend when I go shopping to read the labels is a real asset. (Okay, that might be pushing it, but I really hate my glasses!)

Most of all I have learned that I have the strength to say no to gluten. I have the rest of my life to thank for my choice of a GF diet. I know that with each day, month and year that passes with less pain, I will be able to improve my quality of life. I am grateful for each day I have to enjoy my family and friends. My journey, as I see it isn’t about the destination, but am I feeling good enough to enjoy the ride. Now, the question I asked myself; What do my family, friends and those unfortunate wait staff think? It’s not about them, it’s about my choice to live gluten free, and to live a long, happy and healthy life.

I named my blog site after my nick name for my home. West-End-Acres is a little, 1 ¼ acre patch of heaven, located in what seems like the middle of nowhere. I was certain that It would be the end of me after the first week.

The sky is always putting on a show, a 360 degree view of the desert plane, which is surrounded mountain views. What a way to go! I won’t mind my end much, if I can spend my time here!

Comfort foods for the Celiac

I had started to write about the flavorless and bad tasting GF food I had found, it wasn't very entertaining. So I thought I would share some recipies that are not only GF, but are delicious!

This recipe has always been a hit, but Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup contain wheat, and I had to figure out a way to still have the great taste. Sour cream adds just that little something to the flavor!

Rice Balls with Mushroom Sauce

1 lbs of hamburger
1 can of GF Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 a box of GF Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup
1 cup of GF sour cream
1 tbs corn starch
1 egg
1 medium onion grated
2 tbs brown sugar
1 - 1 1/2 Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup of instant rice
Grate onion into a large bowl, add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, egg, paprika, salt and pepper and beat together with a fork. Add hamburger and gently mix ingredients together (do not over work the mixture, the meat will be tough and dry if mixed too much). When all liquid is worked in add rice and gently combine.
Roll the meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place in a large sauce pan heated to medium high heat, and brown all sides of the meatballs.
Pour both soups, corn starch and sour cream into a large bowl, mix until smooth and pour over the meatballs, reduce heat to medium to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender. Serve over cooked rice or mashed potatoes.

(This meatball receipe works great with a sweet & sour sauce too!)

I always loved meatloaf, but not being able to always find GF unseasoned bread crumbs, I found that mashed potatoes add great texture and flavor!

Meatloaf (even the kids will eat it!)

1 lbs of hamburger
1 egg
1 medium onion grated
2 tbs brown sugar
1 - 1 1/2 GF Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup mashed potatoes (or ½ cup GF unseasoned bread crumbs)

Piquet Sauce

1/3 c Brown Sugar
½ c GF catsup
1 tsp paprika

(For extra piquet sauce mix ingredients in a microwave save bowl, cook on medium heat till sauce has a glossy appearance, stirring often)

Pre-heat oven to 350º, grate onion into a large bowl, add brown sugar, egg, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper and beat together with a fork. Add hamburger and gently mix ingredients together (do not over work the mixture, the meat will be tough and dry when mixed too much). When all liquid is worked into the meat, add potatoes or bread crumbs and gently combine. Pat meat mixture into loaf pan, and poke the surface with a fork.
Mix Piquet Sauce ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour Piquet Sauce on top of the meat mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, till done. Piquet Sauce will be hot and will burn skin quickly, so let stand for about 5 minutes, remove from pan and place on serving plate to slice.

Much to my surprise, I found that these GF recipes still pleased the gluten eaters. Another food that I miss is Miracle Whip! I don't think I had ever tried to cook without it. But I think I have found a way to get close. Try this light and tasty GF pasta salad! If (like me) shrimp will put you in the hospital, omit it. It tastes wonderful without it.

Shrimp Salad

1 package of GF Shell Macaroni
1 small can of shrimp, well rinsed
2 large or 3 small Tomatoes, diced
2 cucumbers peeled and diced
2 bunches of green onions, chopped
1 cup GF Mayonnaise
1 cup GF Sour Cream
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Cook shell macaroni to al dente, ( if overcooked the noodles will fall apart, will still taste good though), let cool. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and milk, mix with a whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, paprika and vinegar (should be slightly salty, the noodles will absorb most of the salt.) Add remaining ingredients to the bowl; stir gently to avoid breaking of the noodles. Add more Salt and pepper as needed.

I am still learning to convert my all time favorite comfort foods to GF. I will put more recipes out when I have mastered some of my other favorites! Happy GF dinning!

MY BATTLE WITH CELIAC DISEASE

I thought I would start my blogging experience with one most important thing about my life, my battle with Celiac Disease. I started having symptoms as child, with abdominal pain and joint pain, but my worst symptoms started when I was in my early twenties and continued until two years ago. As my symptoms became worse, I would see a doctor and a new health discovery would be made. I would feel relieved, thinking “at last,” I am going to feel better! This doctor had figured out what was wrong! Each time I would say “This must have been my problem." It wasn't all worthless though, some of the health problems that the doctors found over the years were life threatening and required emergency medical attention:

§ Bowel blockages
§ Cholecystitis
§ Ovarian cystic disease
§ Ocular TIA
§ Swollen lymph nodes
§ Pernicious anemia
§ Chronic diarrhea
§ Stool incontinence
§ Chronic fatigue
§ Nausea, vomiting
§ Headaches and disorentation
§ Rashes
§ Life threatening allergies

Since Celiac Disease has so many symptoms, it’s not unusual to be diagnosed with many different diseases; it mimics them so close sometimes that without the proper testing I might have gone through life never knowing that I had CD. I was given multiple diagnoses before I found I had CD:

§ Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
§ Cat scratch fever
§ Mesenteric adenitis
§ IBS
§ Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
§ Overuse tendonitis (in my hands, wrists, and elbows)
§ Herpetic encephalitis
§ Shingles
(This is the short list)

Eventually I would realize that my doctors felt there was nothing they could do, and I would leave each doctor’s office feeling devastated that they couldn’t help me. All of the doctors I had seen had one prescription in common; all of them felt I needed antidepressants. I can’t say I disagreed, at times I requested them. The depression that comes with being in pain all the time can be debilitating. The medication helped me as I learned to plan my life around these new and often socially crippling symptoms.

Two years ago I was hardly able to walk, the joint pain had become unbearable. I felt beat down, depressed and too tired to care anymore; I just wanted to give up. I began researching my symptoms on the internet, it was then that I realized that I was not beaten yet. Still, it seemed like a long shot, but worth a try. I went to several medical web sites, entered my symptoms one at a time at first, checking each result against how I felt. There were so many symptoms, the results would get pretty crazy, and some actually made me laugh! Then out of sheer frustration I entered all of my symptoms on the search line, thirty of them. I didn’t have much hope that this would turn up results, I had tried it before with fewer symptoms with disappointing results, but when I hit “search”, just that action made me feel a little better. The search result was for Celiac Disease (CD), matching 28 of the out of my 30 symptoms listed.

I contacted a gastroenterology office; they said I could schedule an appointment with one of their doctors for a consultation. On the day I went to my appointment, I was introduced to the most unorthodox and surprising physicians I had ever met. At the end of our visit he let me know that he didn’t think it was all in my head, and the test would take place within the week. Thanks to this wonderful, unorthodox physician I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

For over 20 years I turned to the medical community to find answers. The symptoms of CD are so broad, and seemingly unrelated, that misdiagnoses are not only common, but expected. I know that my story is not uncommon, many CD sufferers had just as much, if not more trouble getting a diagnosis. In the United States CD is often ignored and rarely diagnosed. Had I been born in England, I would have known I had it from birth. There is no cure for CD, a genetic, auto-immune disease that has many associated diseases. The only treatment for CD is a strict adherence to a gluten free (GF) diet. Imagine, just a diet change! (Gluten Free mishaps may very well be another blog!).

It is unclear if some of my health problems could have been avoided if CD had been diagnosed earlier. It makes very little sense to ponder over that now, I look to the future and I feel better than I have in years. After almost two years of living gluten free, I have enjoyed a better quality of life and I have more energy and less pain. Before my gluten free diet, I would be in pain all day, I would pray the day would end so that I could crawl into bed. Now, I look forward to doing things, going places and in general "living" again. I will always have health problems, I will never be completely pain free, and I will never again eat what other people eat. I am glad that I didn’t give up, and that I had the courage to take the next step, getting tested.

www.webmd.com key work celiac, www.celiac.org, www.celiac.com, http://celiacdisease.about.com