Gluten-Free/Cow-Milk-Free Lunch and Dinner Ideas

I am going to continue sharing gluten-free, cow-milk-free, recipes here for dinners and lunches.  Again, most of these recipes have been inspired by the ones PlateJoy has sent me this summer.  At least one comes from my friend, and cook extraordinaire, Andrea.  

I am lumping lunches and dinners together because I often double a recipe for dinner and then it becomes a lunch the next day.  And in the summer when it is very hot, we like to eat more lightly in the evening - so PlateJoy lunches often became our dinners.

Bacon, Avocado and Egg Salad with Lemon Aioli

2 tbs. mayonaise

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 lemon

1 tomato

1 avocado

1 butter lettuce head

4 eggs

4 rashers bacon

Chop the bacon, add to a hot skillet and brown until done.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.   Whisk together mayonnaise, olive oil and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dice the tomato and avocado.  Tear lettuce into bite sized pics and place in a bowl with tomato and avocado.   Drizzle the aioli over the salad and toss to coat.  Sprinkle the bacon bits on top.  Put the salad in two bowls and top with fried eggs.  (We had this for breakfast too, when it was hot)

Shrimp, Orange and Avocado Salad

2 oranges

1 red onion

1 avocado

1 lime

8 oz.frozen raw shrimp

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Peel and slice up the oranges into bit-sized pieces.  Peel and dice the avocado and drizzle with half the lime juice.  Season with salt.  Dice the onion.  Defrost and peel the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.  Place half the oil in a skillet and add the shrimp and cook over medium heat until done, turning at least once.  Combine the oranges, onion, parsley, avocado and shrimp in a bowl and toss.  Drizzle with the remaining oil and lime juice.

(This is also good with leftover cooked chicken or turkey)

Chard and Avocado Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 cups Swiss chard, chopped

12 oz. artichoke hearts

1/2 cup cashews

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced onion

1 tbs. chopped fresh basil

2 portobello mushroom caps

Preheat oven to 350 - 375 degrees, depending on altitude.  Place the chard and drained artichoke hearts in a pan with a little salt over medium heat until wilted and warmed through.   Place the cashews in a food processor and grind until they are the consistency of coarse meal.  Add olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and basil and process until a smooth puree.  Add the cashew puree to the pan and mix well with the vegetables.  Fill the portobello caps with the stuffing and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.  Place in the oven and bake until done, 10 - 15 minutes, depending on altitude.  

Breaded Lemon Sage Pork Chops with Summer Squash, Capers, and Olives

1 lb. yellow summer squash

4 poblano peppers

2 lemons

4 oz. pitted green olives

4 tbs. chopped fresh parsley

2 pork chops

4 tbs. fresh sage leaves

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup panko-style gluten-fee bread crumbs

4 tbs. coconut oil

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. chopped, fresh oregano

2 tbs. capers

Preheat oven to 350 - 375, depending on altitude.  Slice the summer squash, the peppers and half of the lemon into 1/4 inch slices.  Coarsely chop the green olives.  Combine the almond flour and bread crumbs.  Press a few sage leaves into each pork chop and dredge in the bread and almond mixture until covered on all sides.  Heat the coconut oil in a skillet and add the lemon slices and the rest of the sage leaves to the heated oil.  Cook until they bloom and then remove, leaving the aromatic oil behind.  Add the pork chops to the pan and brown thoroughly on both sides.  Remove to a covered roasting pan, careful to keep the sage leaves and crust in tact.  Place in the oven until cooked through.  Timing will depend on your altitude and the thickness of the chops.  Ours took 45 minutes.  While the chops are cooking, add olive oil, squash, peppers and oregano to a skillet.  Sauté until vegetables have softened.  Stir in olives, capers and parsley.  Remove from heat.  Serve together with the chops, garnished with the remaining lemon.

Seared Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto and Spiced Carrots

8 carrots

2 tsp. cumin

2 tbs. olive oil

4 lamb chops

3 tbs. chopped fresh oregano

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup fresh mint

3 tbs. macadamia nuts

1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 425 - 450, depending on altitude.  Scrub carrots and place in a covered roasting pan with 1/3 the olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper, tossing to cover. Roast until done, 20 -30 minutes, depending on diameter and altitude.  Meanwhile, rub the meat with salt, pepper and oregano and sear on both sides in a skillet in another 1/3 of the olive oil, until desired doneness is achieved.  To prepare the pesto, place garlic, mint, remaining olive oil, and nuts in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Serve the chops, topped with pesto, and along side the carrots.  

Simple Rock Cornish Game Hens with Basil and Artichokes

2 game hens, split

2 fresh artichokes, split, the choke taken out, and leaves trimmed

crushed, vine-ripened, tomatoes (or canned)

onion

garlic

a generous amount of fresh basil, chopped

olive oil

red wine

This is one of those recipes that you just sort of have to wing the amounts.  Brown the hens in a large dutch oven in olive oil.  Remove to a platter.  Soften the onion and garlic in the dutch oven with more oil, if necessary.  Add the tomatoes, basil and red wine to the pot, deglazing the brown bits.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Nestle the artichokes and hens in the sauce and simmer, covered,  on top of the stove until the hens are done.  Ours took about 45 minutes.  

Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas

I have embarked on a journey with my cooking this year after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  I have had to learn to eat and cook in an entirely new and unfamiliar way and it has been challenging. For assistance - because I real didn’t know where to begin - I subscribed in July to PlateJoy, an online service that provides recipes and shopping lists to people with dietary restrictions.  I have had to modify the recipes that they send because our food is sourced a little differently our here - and we like eating local, fresh, and unprocessed.  Below I will share some of the breakfast recipes that we have especially liked this summer. 

I highly recommend PlateJoy to anyone trying to figure out the challenges of cooking for someone with dietary restrictions.  I still have to read the labels on the processed foods they recommend that I buy, but they have been really helpful in directing me to ingredients that I have never tried and did not know how to use.  

My restrictions are: I cannot have wheat, rye, barley, quinoa, oats, coffee, grapefruit, inulin, and cows milk.  I had to list as dairy free on PlateJoy, but I can and do have goat milk and goat cheeses without any problem.   If you, or someone you know, is struggling with the same or similar restrictions - please fee free to try these recipes.  

BREAKFAST RECIPES

Peach Smoothie with Chile and Lime

3 fresh, tree-ripened, Colorado peaches

2 limes

1 1/3 tbs. minced ginger

1 1/3 tbs. raw honey

1 jalapeno pepper

1 cup fresh pineapple, chunked

1 cup coconut water

Chop the peaches, Juice the limes. Seed and dice the pepper.  Place all the ingredients in the blender with a cup of ice cubes.  Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon, Chard and Turkey Eggs

2 sweet potatoes

bacon

2 green onion

2 cups of Swiss chard

turkey eggs
Fresh Cilantro

Poke the sweet potatoes and cook in the microwave until soft. (About 5 minutes)  (There are no amounts on the bacon, because the amount of bacon you want is sort of personal … but we used 6 rashers)  Dice the bacon and onion and add to a skillet and cook until the bacon is browned.  Dice the cooked sweet potatoes and add to the skillet.  Add the chopped chard. Cook until the chard wilts.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fry as many eggs as you would like (Again, personal) in a separate pan.  Plate the hash and top with the fried eggs.

Sausage and Kale Hash with Eggs

1 lb. of Gramma Bertelson’s  farm sausage*

1 yellow onion

4 tsp. minced garlic

6 cups thinly sliced, deveined kale

eggs (We use turkey, duck, goose or chicken eggs, depending on how the girls are laying)

Dice the yellow onion.  In a dry skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up with a fork, until browned.  Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until they bloom.  Add the sliced kale and cook until lightly browned.  Return the sausage to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Fry eggs in a separate pan, plate the hash and top with the eggs.

• Gramma Bertelson’s Farm Sausage: for every pound of organic, free-range, ground pork, add 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp rubbed sage, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves.  Mix with your hands until completely blended.  This can be shaped into patties, crumbled and browned, or rolled in butcher paper, frozen and sliced off in rounds to fry later.  

Acai Breakfast Parfait

2 frozen acai packages

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup goat milk 

2 bananas

4 tbs. sliced almonds

2 tbs. coconut flakes

Run the ace package under warm water for 5 seconds and the break into chunks and slide out of the package into a blender.  Add blueberries, milk, and 2/3 of the banana.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into parfait glasses.  Slice the remaining banana and top the mixture in each glass with sliced banana, coconut and almonds. 

Chorizo Breakfast Stew with Eggs

1 lb. chorizo  (I make it from scratch with our organic, free-range ground pork - but there are good commercially made choices)

1 yellow onion

2 tbs. minced  garlic

1 cup smashed vine-ripened tomatoes (or you can use canned)

1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika (or chipotle chili powder, if you like it hotter)

1 tbs. red wine vinegar

eggs (We use turkey, duck, goose or chicken eggs, depending on how the girls are laying)

Break up the chorizo and brown in a skillet until cooked through. (If your chorizo is encased, squeeze out of the casings into the skillet before browning.)  Dice the onion and add with the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.  Add the tomatoes, broth, chili powder, paprika and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, depending altitude.  Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.  Fry the eggs.  Put the stew in deep bowls and float the fried eggs on top.  

Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs

6 oz. cold smoked salmon

6 eggs  (We use turkey, duck, goose or chicken eggs, depending on how the girls are laying)

1 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs.fresh dill

1/4 cup goat milk 

Chop the salmon.  Whisk the eggs and milk together with salt and pepper to taste.  Chop the fresh dill.  Cook the scrambled egg mixture in a hot skillet with the oil until the desired consistency.  Stir in the salmon and dill and warm through.  

Cinnamon Crunch Breakfast Shake

1 1/2 cups goat milk 

2 raw eggs  (We use turkey, duck, goose or chicken eggs, depending on how the girls are laying)

3 tbs. almond butter

4 whole pitted dates

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp minced ginger

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  (Raw eggs are optional, but they add protein and make the smoothie more satisfying.  We raise our own eggs, so we know where they come from.  If you do not have a good source for fresh, safe eggs, I bet you could add powdered egg whites.)

Fried Eggs over Chard and Peppers

2 cups Swiss chard, chopped

1 bell pepper

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp.red pepper flakes

eggs (We use turkey, duck,goose or chicken eggs, depending on how the girls are laying)

Slice the pepper into thin matchsticks.  Add the pepper to the olive oil in a hot skillet.  Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes depending on altitude.  Add the chard to the skillet and cook until wilted.  Stir in the red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Fry the eggs in a separate pan.  Plate the vegetables and top with fried eggs.

  

Blueberry/Strawberry Smoothie

1/2 cup almond meal

4-5 large ripe strawberries

1 banana

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 1/3 cups coconut water

2 raw eggs (We use turkey, duck, goose or chicken eggs, depending on how the girls are laying)

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  (Raw eggs are optional, but they add protein and make the smoothie more satisfying.  We raise our own eggs, so we know where they come from.  If you do not have a good source for fresh, safe eggs, I bet you could add powdered egg whites.)

Raspberry Vanilla Smoothie

2 cups fresh raspberries

12 oz. plain goat yogurt

2 tbs. raw honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tbs. flax seed meal

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup goat milk 

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  

Fruit Salad with Coconut-Tahini Sauce and Mint

1 tbs. tahini

2 whole pitted dates

1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

3 fresh, tree-ripened, Colorado peaches

2 cups fresh pineapple chunked

1 1/2 tbs. fresh mint, chopped

4 tbs. coconut flakes

Put the tahini, dates, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  Coarsely chop the peaches.  Catch all that juice! Mix the peaches, pineapple and  mint in a bowl.  Drizzle with sauce, toss, and top with coconut flakes.  

When it was really hot, I would put dairy-free coconut ice cream in my cooled chai in the morning instead of goat’s milk, making Iced Coconut Chai Tea.  I have learned to make chai from tea bags

and our fresh raw honey.

Mexican Chocolate Smoothie with Spinach

2 cups goat milk or almond milk
2 cups fresh spinach
2 bananas
4 tbs. cocoa powder
2 tbs. maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp (or more) chili powder

Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth.  You can add ice cubes too if you want it cold and thick.

The Riding/Training - Where We Find Ourselves Right Now

I'm going to outline where each horse is this summer in their training and what we are working on.


Gus - is a 16-year-old OTT that we have owned since he was four and pretty fresh off the track.  He has been a great horse for Jeff; he stays pretty sound and has just had his hocks done.  He has had a few days of light work and now is ready for actual work.  Jeff's back has been a little nudgy since bucking all that hay, so he has just done some light riding.  I have been trying to do more with him - some dressage lessons and hill work - but honestly, our horses usually only get light work by normal standards.

Elvis - is a 7-year-old Quarter Horse that has had a string of injuries and has not been completely sound for almost two years.  So he is green and unruly even though he is old enough to know better.  He has just had his sniffles done and is on light work at the moment which actually seems to be helping his soundness issues.

Prima - is an 18-year-old Oldenburg mare that was retired from dressage several years ago with chronic navicular disease.  She has been a brood  mare and produced two nice foals for us.  New treatments have arisen since her retirement, so we decided to try to do one round of PRP and shock wave to see if that could help her lameness.  She's pasture sound but looks off when ridden in a frame. Her final shock wave was two weeks ago, so the vet will be back to check her next week to see if there has been any improvement.  Right now she is on pasture rest and walking exercise only.

Flicka - is a 9-year-old Swedish mare that has had soundness issues and that we have been using as a brood mare.   When ridden in the past she has showed inflammation in the C-6 and SI areas of her neck and back.  There are no skeletal changes or injuries to the bone.  We tried injections, conditioning with and without a rider, rest. But the problems have always come back.  This summer we are doing a lot of long line and lunge work with her to try to get her going correctly without a rider - to use her back and neck correctly.  I don't think she has ever done this since we have had her.  I think she was injured some way in the past and has always braced and compensated and caused herself more pain.  She is starting to be able to supple and bend while staying forward, which is an improvement.

PJ - is a 4-year-old Oldenburg mare that we bred here at the farm.  She has her first foal at her side this summer. We will be presenting them both next week at the Oldenburg inspection and when  the foal is weaned, she will be started under saddle.

Bella - is a 2-year-old Hanoverian filly that we bred here.  She is learning to have a bit in her mouth, and to stand tied; and practicing bathing, clipping, leading and trailering - all skills learned earlier.  Since we made the decision not to show this year, we have to invent reasons to do these things.

Tempi - is a 1-year-old Oldenburg filly that we bred.  She is learning to stand tied and trailer by herself.  She is practicing bathing, clipping and leading.

Tia - is PJ's foal. She is a German Riding Pony.  She hasn't had bath yet.  I'm going to try that today.  We will have to do it for real on Tuesday as the inspection is Wednesday morning.

This is where we are with the training/exercise needs of our horses.  It's almost a full-time job!!

The Riding/Training - Tia Learns to Hop On and Off the Trailer

Tia and PJ will be presented at the Colorado Oldenburg Inspection next Wednesday.  In preparation for that, my friend and neighbor, who is also my trainer, helped me load them on and off the trailer yesterday morning.  PJ was pretty good about it, which surprised me a little.  She's only four and she hasn't been in a trailer for months.

Tia is her own little pony!  She has reactions to things that surprise me.  Like when I gave PJ her first bath after Tia was born.   Tia reacted as if I were butchering her mom.  PJ loves her bath and water in general - so she was not feeding off PJ in any way.  Tia ran all around the pasture crying and every once in a while she would look back at us in horror - like she couldn't stand to watch.  Eventually the drama subsided.  Next week they will both have to get baths and be braided.  It will be interesting to see how that goes.

When PJ hopped on the trailer, Tia bolted from the noise.  She seemed to lose sight of the fact that mom was unperturbed, standing quietly in the trailer.  Since Tia likes to go first, not follow mom, we took PJ off the trailer to put her on first.  She went on and off a few times and when there was need only of a minimum  of pushing and coaxing, we put them both on together.

When it was all over and we were on our way back to the foal pen, Tia had a bit of a melt down.  Well, temper tantrum, really.  I'm not sure what that was about except she seemed to want to have the last word about who was in charge of her.  It didn't work out the way she had hoped.

The Food - Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Peaches and Chard

I found this recipe on-line a few days ago and saved it for the weekend.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12700-grilled-shrimp-with-wilted-spinach-and-peaches

It seemed a little fussy for me - so I used ordinary ground spices  - except for the fresh ginger - and used Swiss chard from the garden  instead of spinach.  I had cardamom pods and I opened them and used the seeds whole in the rub. We also just grilled the shrimp in the broiler.  It was delicious, fast and easy.

I am always looking for new flavor combinations in a dishes that are not belabored.  I don't have a spice mill - so I had to modify this- but I think I may look for one the next time I am at a mall or kitchen outlet store.

The Grass/Land - Haying All Done

8/18

The crew from a neighboring farm came after work and helped us bring in hay until 10:00 at night for two nights in a row.  It is such hard work.  We rented a smallish, low-sided U-Haul trailer in Kiowa and pulled it behind our pick-up.  They also use their pick-up truck.  There were 1008 bales in all.  380 80-85 pounders from our 20 acres and 628 60-65 pounders from our neighbor's field.  It had all dried out nicely and only got a little sprinkled on at the very end.  It was not enough to  matter.  We have the west end of the loft opened today and a dry breeze blowing to air out any lingering dampness.

The first night I only had water for the crew.  I wasn't thinking clearly that they were coming straight from work without  dinner. I did have a fresh pan of brownies to offer them before they went home and some fruit juice.  Not very satisfying, I'm afraid.  The second night I was better prepared with pizzas and a case of Coke.

It rained buckets as soon as we closed the barn door.  Without their help we would have had no useable hay.

The Grass/Land - Haying 2015

7/12 - One field is baled, the other is cut.  It is supposed to be dry overnight tonight, so they will continue to dry out.  Tomorrow, after their regular ranch work,  the crew will come to pick up bales and put them in the barn for us.   We have rented a trailer.  Jeff stacked all the old hay (200 bales) in the front of the hay loft where we will use it first this fall.  He is moving the dusty and broken hay out to the feeders in the corrals and loafing sheds. The horses probably won't be very interested in it, as long as they  have access to the good grass.  But as long as it doesn't rain it will keep out there.  And that in the loafing sheds will stay dry even if it does rain a little.

7/14 -  We got the baled hay in last night.  There were sprinkles, but I don't think enough moisture to cause damage.  There were 635 bales - give or take - so that is wonderful!   The hay that has been cut and is still lying in the field got a little wet as well.  Time will tell if they will be over this morning to bale it.  Storms are supposed to roll in here today at noon.  

The Grass/Land - Haying 2015

They started swathing our hay yesterday.  It hasn't rained so far.  Hopefully, they can finish here today and the rain will hold off until we get it dried, baled and stacked in the barn.   If you were not inclined to prayer, farming would convert you.  

The Food - Gluten Free Southern Fried Chicken

As I was cleaning up the mess from making fried chicken, (There's always such a mess when I do it!) it occurred to me that I had hit upon a pretty good recipe that I can actually eat and enjoy.  So I am publishing it here - mostly so I don't lose track of how I did it.  It started with a recipe from a North Carolina restaurant that was featured on The Chew this week.  I only had to change a few things to make it user friendly for me.  So If you also cannot eat many grains or cow's milk products - it might work for you as well.

BRINE
6 tea bags
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup salt
a pinch of baking soda
6 cups cold water

Mix all the ingredients together, except the cold water.  Stir until sugar, soda and salt are dissolved.  Add the cold water.  Place the cut-up chicken in a bowl and cover with the brine.  Let it soak for at least 1/2 hour.  If soaking for more than a 1/2 hour, you should probably refrigerate.

FRIED CHICKEN
1 chicken cut up
1 quart goat yogurt + 1 cup goat milk
              or
1 quart of buttermilk
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups masa (corn flour)
oil for frying ( I used safflower oil + a little bacon grease go add smoke)

Take the chicken out of the brine and dredge in flour mixture.  Place in a bowl large enough to hold all  the chicken and the buttermilk or goat yogurt mixture.  Coat the dredged chicken with the buttermilk or yogurt mixture and  let sit for another 1/2 hour in the refrigerator.  Heat the oil in the frying pan(s).  Do not crowd the chicken pieces too much in the  pan.  They will be crisper if they have some space.  Dredge again with the flour mixture and place in the hot oil.  Cover and fry until half done and golden crispy.  Turn and continue frying, covered, until done.  Ours took about 40 minutes, (twenty minutes per side) but times will vary with altitude and the size of the chicken pieces.

This is how the fried chicken looks cold.  I didn't think to photograph it yesterday.  It will be good this way as well!

The Horse Breeding - Bella Speranza's 2014 Award

This just appeared in the Hanoverian Magazine. She tied for third in the nation!!

" YOUNGER FILLIES, WEANLINGS AND YEARLINGS
1. DANAE MF (84.90%)
(Doctor Wendell-EM Rising Star/Rotspon) Owner/Breeder: Maryanna Haymon Weanling
2. RELEVÉ HTF (78.20%)
(Royal Prince-EM Comtesse/Cordoba) Owner/Breeder: Hilltop Farm Yearling
3. QUARTER SINCLAIRE (78.10%)
(Qredit Hilltop-Lady Lucy/Lord Sinclair) Owner/Breeder: Tawna King Weanling
3. BELLA SPERANZA (78.10%)
(Benidetto-Firenze/Florencio I) Owner/Breeder: Ruth Ann Olson Yearling
5. RUBINIA(74.30%)
(Rubignon-EM Davignia/Davignon) Owner: Cynthia Brown
Breeder: Jess Systo
Yearling
HONORABLE MENTION WHAT A GEM (73.25%)
(Wamberto-Rondalet/Rotspon) Owner: Cara Kettenbach Breeder: Jan Voytilla
Yearling"

Very proud of our Hanoverian girl, coming two next month.

Starting Again

This blog has been neglected as I have struggled with some health issues and changes in my life and work.  It's time to rekindle the discipline of writing here.  Balance is coming back to my life and it's time to document some of the storms and vicissitudes of the last few years as I move forward.

I wrote here about my descent into back pain and disfunction in 2013.  I have not had a bad episode since then.  I don't know why, but I am grateful every day that I do not have back related pain.  I have almost constant numbness in parts of my left leg and foot, though, and when I have talked to my rheumatologist and back specialist, they have both said that "numb is your new normal".    After I got over stubbing my toes all the time and learned where my foot was, even though I can't really feel it, it has been alright.  I think  my left leg is prone to being weaker than my right and I need to keep exercising and stretching it to maintain its functionality.

Other new changes have been challenging.  I was waking several times a night with severe leg cramps in both legs.  I started taking calcium, magnesium and zinc at night with vitamin A and D and drinking a large glass of water before bed.  These things helped a lot.  But I was also having rather debilitating bouts of stomach trouble, starting around Thanksgiving of 2014, and lasting until March of 2015, when I woke up with a blistering itchy burning rash on my trunk and a purple lesion on my lip.  It was a weekend, so I got on google and poked around looking for what might be causing this.  I had been eliminating different things from my diet in an attempt to figure out what was causing my digestive problems.  I had begun to think I was somehow allergic to polysaccharides.  They are in many processed foods. But what I found matching my symptoms was Celiac Disease.  So just as an experiment, I removed all wheat, rye, and barley from diet and saw almost immediate improvement.  Within a week all my acute digestive symptoms were gone.  I have since gotten an official diagnosis of Celiac Disease from my primary care physician and discovered that I am also sensitive to coffee, quinoa, oats, and a polysaccharide called inulin.  These other foods do not contain gluten, but have proteins that are similar to gluten.  Conventional wisdom says that after my insides have healed I may be able to reintroduce them to my diet.

As I have been feeling gradually better and better I have supplemented my new diet with extra vitamins: notably vitamin C for the purpura on my lips and vitamin B12 for an oppressive brain fog that had me thinking I was aging prematurely.  The whole "leaky gut" result of Celiac, of course, was terrible for the reactive arthritis that I have had since I was a teenager.  I am hopeful that by getting the Celiac under control, control of my RA will also be more easily achieved.

And the numbness in my leg, while it is probably caused by the herniated discs in my back, might be a neurological symptom caused by the Celiac.  So maybe that will improve as well.  I have no more leg cramps at night.

While these health dramas were unfolding, we had three new foals on the farm.  They are 3 weeks, one year and two years old, respectively.  There will be more details about them to follow.  We had to put in a new furnace and an new septic pipe (The Big Dig).  The drought has truly ended this spring with record-breaking rains in May.  We have built a round pen.  I retired from my part-time job in Denver.  I am volunteering at a local therapeutic riding center.  My studio is functional and I have started to do some collage work.  We have started two small businesses and a little charity which we run from the farm.  

My food entries will heretofore be geared towards my learning to cook gluten-free.

The training of the horses will include writing about the ground work with the youngsters as well as the work under saddle for the oldsters.

All other entries should be as before, as events occur, and seem fodder for, hopefully, interesting stories.  Sometimes I feel like, while the rest of the world is heading in a certain inexorable direction, I have taken a detour onto this little old turn-of-the-century farm and I am engaged in living an anachronism.  Maybe that in itself has significance.  I have no idea, really.