missed the boat

Okay, I'm bored. So I did my once a year (or so) of looking at various fast food places and seeing what I could possibly eat there.

DISCLAIMER: I don't do this very often. There's so much cross contamination to worry about that has gotten me in the past. So this is a last ditch effort that sometimes happens on the way to camping trips or such.

Wendy's still rules with a "Gluten-Free" link that is a .pdf file (which I can put on my Treo). It's slim pickings unless I want to eat salad and dressing.

Taco Bell is still limited to tacos and the southwestern steak bowl. No changes, and it's easy to find.

Jack in the Box is a pain because you have to read the ingredients and look for wheat to start with. I got major cross contamination gluten from a couple of their establishments, so I pass on them.

Arby's is nice because they specify gluten on the food allergens. And you can specify a specific sandwich, like a grilled chicken sandwich, and de-select the bun. When you do that, it's gluten-free. And their fries are still gluten-free along with those potato cakes that I indulge in once in a while.

McDonalds really surprised me. It's really cumbersome to get the information. But their iffy standby of french fries are now OFF the list because of the beef flavoring. This was the biggest surprise to me.

And makes me real glad that I didn't give in to my lunch time craving on the drive home. I would be so miserable tonight if I had stopped.

post-Valentine's love

And I went nuts the week before Valentine's Day. I wanted to do something for the work Valentine's Day stuff. So I spent a lot of time trying recipes, and then making enough for everyone.

I made a gluten-free cake that used applesauce and beets for moisture. I'll post the recipe because it worked so well. I made a cream cheese frosting that I dyed pink for the top, and baked the cakes in little heart shaped pans.

I also made jelly candies. They weren't as successful because I made them days in advance. The time allowed the powered sugar topping to congeal and leave a sticky film on top. But the candy part itself was still quite tasty, and three people asked me for the recipe, and we joked about how we could adapt it for Easter candies.

Then to the love of my life.

From my mom's observations, I went to a deli in Mesa that sells frozen fresh caught perch. It was expensive ($16/pound), but I treated him to a package. I bought a couple potatoes, sliced them real thin, and fried them up to be chips. I breaded the perch with this breading my love bought me from Cabella's that works real well and fried that up too. So I made him real fish and chips. It was something he's been griping about for months.

It was a nice surprise for him because it was something he wasn't expecting at all.

One of these years, he'll make it up to me.

Lent?

I should just say that I was abstaining from blogging for Lent.

But that would mean that I'm a practicing Catholic.

I've been super busy. I signed the papers for a house, and literally picked the keys up today! So I'll be spending the next week moving in. I'll be breaking in the washer and drier before anything in the kitchen.

The best part is that there's a fireplace, with charming brick work around it. And it might get cold enough this weekend that I might actually use it.

I love how big the kitchen is. Complete with an empty corner for a small table. But I'll put in a butcher block cabinet thing instead to have more working surfaces.

The bedroom furniture is being delivered tomorrow thanks to my awesome dad going over to accept it. The mattress won't get in place until Friday, but hey, small steps.

Not sure when the cats will move in (take over). Furr monster (Magnum) will be easier to move, since he's had lots of recent vet visits due to his illness. So to de-stress him, I took him for non-vet car rides (pick up prescriptions, go see my sister, whatever). The fluff monster will be difficult to get to the final destination, but she'll be running the place soon enough. There's lots of closets they'll love to climb up in, and these nooks and shelves they'll love to take over.

Yes, the furr monster has cancer. And the vet thinks it's spread to the liver too. So I've been very torn about what to do with the poor fellow. The two biopsies couldn't produce anything useful for a real diagnosis. I have the ultrasound images, and left with letting things go or putting him through major surgery.