Okay, in an effort to get back on my slice of life blogging schedule (and to procrastinate from grading), I am going to talk about my grocery shopping trip on Monday.
Regular readers will know that I’m on an elimination diet to figure out the cause of my stomach issues. Part of my overall crabbiness and meh days has also been linked to my diet–mostly because I have had to pretty much overhaul the entire thing, and every single food I usually eat (including most fruits and vegetables) is on the no-no list. So it has been a big adjustment.
Right, so, the other day I almost had a meltdown because I wanted toast and the grocery store I usually go to never has the bread on my yes list in stock. On Monday, I decided to be proactive instead of reactive and to look up the bread online because I know that most of those specialty foods/products have a “where to buy” link on their website. My hunch was right, so I discovered that the bigger Target had the bread in stock. So off to Target I went.
Another frustration I’ve had with the diet is that I love sweets but have not been able to really have any sweet treats since most of them are made with wheat (no-no) or milk (lactose = no-no). And while there may be negligible amounts of milk in a dessert, most of the ones I’ve encountered have definitely been wheat-based. Or ice cream.
Two important things happened at Target:
1. When I went to get gluten-free Bisquick, I discovered gluten-free Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix next to it on the shelf, which made my whole night because (a) I can make a cake and have a sweet treat and (b) I CAN MAKE A CAKE AND HAVE A SWEET TREAT. You know, the kind that I actually want. And since I’ll be making it myself, I’ll know that it’s safe to eat. The plan is to bake the cake this weekend, cut it up, and freeze it so I can take out slices when I know I’m going to want a treat.
So, this was basically me in the GF aisle at Target:
2. The gluten-free bread turned out to be $9 which I find to be excessively expensive even as I’m paying $3+ for cake mix and $5+ dollars for Bisquick. So I rechecked the app to see if all wheat bread is off limits and it turns out that I can eat sourdough bread, which is just right there on the shelf. NO MORE SPECIALTY BREAD FOR ME. I am not even a superfan of sourdough bread, but if it means I can just buy some bread at any store and not have to keep going on a hunt for it, then yay for that.
Can I also just say how much I love living in the future (which is now the present, so I need to stop saying that) because I can have up-to-date information at my fingertips?
I also bought some Fruity Pebbles because I am sick of eating Cheerios. As a person who prefers Honey Nut Cheerios (no-no), regular Cheerios are just so boring even with the spoonful of sugar added. Plus I don’t want to eat Cheerios for breakfast AND as a mid-afternoon snack. So it’s nice to get a break.
The Englishist 
It takes. a lot of adjusting and change, frustration and loss, to adjust the diet, but your health is worth it. i could see how your emotions went up and down in your search for food. With time and help of internet you will hopefully find many interesting recipes that are allowed, easy to make, affordable, and super tasty.
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My daughter-in-law is going through the same elimination diet right now. I’ll have to tell her about the cake mix. Then she can have some when the next birthday comes around!
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Glad some hunting and creativity are giving you some variety.
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Smartphones are great for providing information and the gluten free fad has been a great thing for the celiacs of the world. My cousin has celiac disease and my aunt talks about the difficult she had finding things for him back in the 1970’s and 80’s. Good luck with the elimination diet!
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