Thursday, January 26, 2006

Food glorious food!

It's been almost a year since we found out that food was contributing to our stomach aches and overall discomfort. Yes, food. Right before the allergy test results came back we were "practicing" by eliminating wheat and sugar from our menu. I'll never forget Erin's comment at the time, "Watching what I eat ruins the one part of the day that I was able to enjoy." It was true, mealtimes really were content times.

After a year of being on our diet we can sing along with the orphans in "Oliver," the musical of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. We can't relate to every verse; we haven't had it quite as badly as they did. But we've experienced hunger in a way that most Americans never will and we've had cravings like you wouldn't believe.

"Food, glorious food, hot sausage and mustard,
while we're in the mood, cold jelly and custard..."

"Food, glorious food, we're anxious to try it,
Three banquets a day, our favorite diet..."

"What is it we dream about? What brings on a sigh?
Piled peaches and cream about six feet high!"

"Food, glorious food, eat right through the menu.
Just loosen your belt two inches and then you
work up a new appetite in this interlude,
Then food! Marvelous Food! Wonderful Food!
Fabulous Food! Beautiful Food! Glorious Food"

We dream of pasta, homemade bread, and chocolate... not only of eating these things, but eating as much of them as we want. Smelling pasta cooking or white bread toasting has brought tears to our eyes. Really.

My research on the Internet isn't confined to supplements and doctors. I also spend a lot of time trying to find recipes that keep with our restrictions, but give us different tastes and textures. Sometimes the results are great and sometimes they're not so great, but guess what always keeps me going...

"Food, glorious food! What is there more handsome?
Gulped, swallowed, or chewed
Still worth a king's ransom..."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Mrs. McIntosh,

I'm amazed at all the recipes that you have found, that your family can eat. Having sampled some, I have to say that they were really good. You are very dedicated.

Traci

Sherry said...

Traci,

You've been a trooper trying out so many of my concoctions and helping us make some too! Mrs. Mc