General update :-)

There is a lot of stuff to update, I guess- the living room, gluten-free living, bulk shopping... and my Christmas bonus!

The Living Room- All the furniture is back in place, but stuff is not on the book shelves. I have a place that is on the small side and a family that is on the large side so rearranging anything is a little like a puzzle. The 'dining room' AKA the 'treadmill room' got rearranged so things would fit a little better. This prompted a little rearranging in the kitchen and entry, also. I haven't been just sitting around ignoring you. I've been busy! :-)

Gluten-free living- Everyone came to me last night with a two week update. The general consensus is that it is good and they will eat whatever they are given at the end of the month. Everyone feels better, BUT (this is the caveat so pay attention) I think anyone WOULD feel better if their junk food intake went WAAAAY down. We are basically following the Canada food guide for serving sizes. Snacks are measured portions of nuts, pumpkin seeds, apples and popcorn and the meals are 95 %+ whole grains. I am still using white rice noodles sometimes.

The first 10 days were the worst for cravings, but they dropped off dramatically this week. The first week was BAD, though! You know that scene from 'The Two Towers' where Gollum is rolling on the ground, shreiking because he is so hungry? Well, asking teenage boys to give up bread is a little like that!

I've lost about 7 1/2 lbs in 7 weeks and dh has lost 11 lbs in a month. His Dr was SO impressed with him. Dh has only been doing the gluten-free for 2 weeks, but it was a lot of whole grains for a week or ten days before that- SO- that brings me back to the caveat: Eating whole grains instead of processed is what makes you loose weight not gluten free. In my opinion.

Also! I am very careful about what the family is eating so that it is BALANCED meals and snacks. We are also taking daily vitamins. (B, C, D, Calcium with magnesium, multivitamin and lecithin or Omega 3,6,9)

Bulk Shopping- Now, it has been pointed out to me that I was a little vague on my bulk shopping experience. There is really no mystery. When apples are on sale you find the guy wearing an apron and stocking in the produce section and ask him for a case of apples. After you do it a couple of times they recognize you.

We use the same cashier, shop on the same day of the week and at the same time of day- so it is the same people that we see every week and they do know us. Several of them know us by name. I have four teenagers and I buy a LOT of food. Well a lot compared to a single college student, anyway!

So back to the fruit. It depends on mark up what kind of price I get at the till. Sometimes I get a better price and sometimes I don't. I always buy cases of sale things on 15% off day so I am definitely getting a sale.

So things like whole grains, pumpkin seeds and brown rice flour I was buying from the bulk section. I can't get brown rice flour anywhere BUT the bulk section. Anyway- I asked our cashier if I could get things in cases from the bulk section. She took my number and passed it on to the bulk manager who phoned me back and quoted prices for me on cases of grains, etc. She also told me the size of the cases so that I would be able to do a little planning. Many of the cases are between 3 and 5 Kg. so there is little chance of them going bad before we can eat them.

When I was ready to order I went to customer service and asked for someone from the bulk department. It is not a top secret facility- they just tell you who works in that department. There are only three of them, on a rotation, so they all know me or know of me, now. Believe me- if you order ten pounds of Quinoa your bulk manager will know you, too!

So- no secret - just ask!

And now... my Christmas bonus. It is probably called a yearly bonus, instead, though since it comes in November. I got the bonus for providing a special service to the company- I didn't quit. :-) Anyway- I spent 1/5 of it on a new breadmaker. It was a completely deccadent purchase. I didn't NEED a new breadmaker, but the new one has a gluten-free cycle!

I've been making bread in my old breadmaker and it is okay... fine... if you have forgotten what bread tastes like or feels like in your mouth. If you haven't- it is a reasonable facsimile, at best.

The other great thing is that the new breadmaker makes CRUST on the bread. Gluten free products are usually made with more of a batter than a dough and can end up kind of spongey. I made the first loaf last night and is a lot like the gluten-free bread that you buy in the store, but perhaps, slightly less dry.

And when I take the price of the machine and the cost of ingreadients compared to buying bread it will pay for itself after 28 loaves. 28 loaves might sound like a lot to some people, it isn't much at this house!