All posts tagged: lifestyle

Gluten Free Alcohol

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Let me just start by saying that there is much debate about if certain types of alcohol are gluten free or not. I don’t have time for that shiz so I stick to what I drink and you do you boo (or course only if you are of legal drinking age). Here is what I am drinking right now: 1. Dry White Wine – usually Trader Joe’s 2 buck chuck Sauvignon Blanc because I’m ballin’ on a Social Worker’s budget.     2. Hard Seltzer – Here are my favorites in order – Truly: Grapefruit & Pomelo (if you get the multi-flavor pack you may have to mix the lemon & yuzu one with tea/sprite/flavored vodka like I do because I think they are nasty on their own; the rest of the flavors are good)   – White Claw: Ruby Grapefruit / lime flavors are my favorite. Black Cherry and Raspberry aren’t my favorite. I think they are too sweet for a seltzer and I drink seltzer to get away from the sweetness of Cider …

Soulard Coffee Garden and Cafe | Soulard, St. Louis, MO

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Soulard Coffee Garden is a cozy spot located in the Historic Soulard Neighborhood near Downtown St. Louis. At first glance, you would never expect this hole in the wall restaurant to have great gluten free options but stop in and you’ll be surprised. Menu items are marked with a “G” if they are gluten free and the home fries are baked not fried. And let’s not forget the mimosa pitches and other boozy breakfast delights. My go-to’s are the Hash & Eggs (pictured here) and the Slinger. Always get the home fries, you will regret it if you don’t. Check them out here and hmu next time you’re in the neighborhood and looking for a brunch date 😉

10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known When I Was First Diagnosed…

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This upcoming summer I will have officially been gluten free for four long, rollercoaster years. If you would have told me that I would be where I am today four years ago, I don’t think I would have believed you. I was about to be a junior in college, had gone through some major life changes outside of my diet, and now I was supposed to give up pizza rolls? I was in a rage of teenage angst and had no idea where to start. Here are the 10 things I wish I would have known when I first went gluten free: You are going to have to build a high tolerance for nay-sayers. There are always going to be people out there who tell you that they learned from South Park that being gluten free isn’t real (yes this actually happened to me). It is okay to be sad, angry, and at times completely and utterly defeated. I can’t tell you the number of times I have gotten mad at myself for crying about being gluten free, which …

Happy Celiac Awareness Month! 

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As you know, it’s May. What you may not know is that it’s Celiac Awareness Month! I typically have no shame in spamming the internet with all things gluten free but this is the month to turn it up to 11. Advocacy is the name of the game in May (and every other month).  The happenings:  I’m hosting a St. Louis Gluten Free Meet-Up this month. If you’d like more information please email me at sociableceliac@gmail.com May favorites:  Goodie Girl Cookies now at Starbucks !!!!!!! Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe and photo from Against All Grain

Learning How To Say No

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Recently, I was invited to a homemade pizza making party and it made me think about the things in my life that I have said yes to because I didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings who, at no fault of their own, didn’t understand my disease. The friends of mine who were hosting the party bought gluten free flour and offered to make me my own special pizza but I knew the chance of cross-contamination was way too high. This kind gesture is what has gotten me in trouble often in the past. I used to accept the offer and would end up with a stomach ache and a day on the toilet because I couldn’t handle saying no. However, there is a point in life where you have to understand that doing what is best for yourself is not always selfish. It is necessary for your health and well-being. I went to that pizza making party and had a hell of a time but for the first time in a long time I learned to say …

Homemade Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

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I’ve never even had a spring roll before let alone attempted to make them but I was very surprised how quick and easy it was to make these. They weren’t the prettiest spring rolls but they tasted amazing. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors Gina Homolka at Skinnytaste.com. She classifies all of her recipes and has a gluten free category which makes it really easy to sort through her impressive repertoire of recipes. Check out the original recipe and the rest of Gina’s awesome site here. I started off by making the sauce. I could not find hoisin sauce to save my life so I improvised by looking up a recipe online for homemade hoisin and went from there. The following is the recipe I used. My boyfriend loved the sauce so much that he kept the leftover amount to “dip whatever food I can” in it later this week. That is also why the photo above is not great, we inhaled the sauce before I remembered to take a picture. 1/3 cup creamy …

2017: Time To Accept My Normal 

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Celiac Disease is not glamorous and a lot of times it is the farthest from that. This year I have decided to make my new years resolution to accept my normal. Living with an invisible disease, most people do not know the full extent of my illness and the struggles I deal with on a daily basis because I don’t look sick. I am going to be extremely honest in this post in hopes that it helps someone going through something similar or to help someone have more sympathy for things they do not understand. (And honestly to help myself more than anything) I have been living with Celiac Disease since I diagnosed at the age of 19 but I am coming to the realization that I have yet to accept that this is the hand that I was dealt. I ended my 2016 ill and crying in the bathroom of a good friend’s apartment while the party raged on a floor below. The last hour of 2016 was spent in and out of the bathroom …