New Year, New Kitchen Adventures

Am I the only one out there that thinks of New Year's Day as an extra birthday each year? While it may be another reminder that you're getting older (I'm still shell-shocked from hitting the big 3-0 over the Summer), there's a sense of renewal. Each year is one more chance, a possibility of new adventures and a scheduled intervention for rebirth. Most people have some health-related resolution, whether it be to diet and exercise or to stop smoking. They begin these resolutions with fresh vigour until falling back onto bad habits a couple months later. A little treat here and there turns into "cheat days" and suddenly you're back where you started and unsure how to get back into the race.

My resolution started early this year. Back around my birthday, I intensified my fitness regimen, incorporating more yoga and even trail running. Donnie soon noticed a difference in my physique (i.e. a more toned gluteus maximus) and my physical performance definitely improved, but I really didn't feel any healthier. My brain was beginning to feel even foggier than before (which I had been attributing to work stress) and my weight actually started to go up! I was horrified when trousers continued to get tighter even though I was exercising 5-6 days a week, burning an extra 2100+ calories a week. Oh, and the stomach problems? Even worse. I went from tolerating regular discomfort and a bad flare-up once or twice a month, to counting the number of days I could go in a week without pain. A work day culminated with me curled up in a ball on the sofa and my temper was on a short fuse. How my husband managed to put up with me and my erratic moods is beyond any explanation.

On November 29th, I stopped eating gluten. Over the weekend I finally reached the point of no return when I had to cry myself to sleep. It felt as though my intestines were going to burst and it was just about the worst pain I had experienced yet with this stomach issue (maybe 3rd worst). Donnie had been suggesting an elimination diet for a while, which I had been reluctant to try as I wanted to get a diagnosis first. Unfortunately, at the time I had also just received the results from an abdominal CT scan with nothing remarkable. Blood tests apparently all normal, including thyroid.

So, after that weekend, I began the week of November 29th sans gluten with the intention of doing a month elimination trial. A month quickly turned into 2 months. I am now looking at a 6 month elimination and am strongly considering a year. At some point, retesting is going to be necessary - that is going to be an issue. By eliminating it, I may be repairing damage caused and this will not lead to an accurate diagnosis without returning to gluten for a month or so. I don't think I can do that. Not mentally, not physically. I'm looking at other testing options.

In the meantime, welcome to my new way of living! I still have to be careful with non-gluten grains, even GF-certified oats, but I have opened our kitchen to new culinary creations. Rather than focusing on what I cannot eat, we are embracing what I can eat and my diet and kitchen experiments have been becoming more creative. Naturally, with all my previous pizza adventures, that MUST include a GF pizza!

Oh yeah...check out that crust. No floppy Pizza Hut here. You're drooling.

Gluten Free Pizza #1

Crust (recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour):
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Pantry French Bread & Pizza mix
2 tb dry milk powder or soymilk powder
1 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum
packet (2 1/2 tsp) GF yeast - many are GF
1 cup warm water
2 tb olive oil

Sauce:
Use my Neapolitan sauce recipe: http://cymry-pa.blogspot.com/2007/06/im-alive.html
-or-
your preferred recipe or jarred margherita sauce

Prepare crust by proofing yeast with warm water in a 2 qt bowl with a lid. Mix in xanthan/guar gum, milk powder and GF flour mix. Mix in olive oil and cover with lid, setting aside to rise in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes. Be aware that the dough will look nothing like a traditional dough at this stage - as mentioned on King Arthur's site, it will actually more resemble plastering spackle. However, the dough will poof up and become more like a regular dough in very short time. While you are waiting for the dough to rise, prepare your pizza sauce and any toppings.

Once the dough has risen, prepare a pizza crisper pan by spraying with nonstick spray or drizzling liberally with olive/peanut oil. Scoop dough out of bowl onto pan, drizzling with more oil, and press into pan. Let dough rest for about 10 minutes, then bake at 500F for about 5 minutes. Take out of oven, add toppings, and continue baking for another 4-5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown. Enjoy with a bottle of Strongbow or Woodchuck cider!

Crunchy on the outside with a pillowy texture

If you're wondering about the cheese, that's a mix of Mozzarella and Daiya Cheddar. I have to be careful with dairy, so I blended the two to cut down on lactose.