A Brief Introduction

I am currently a web designer turned military software tester. This column is part of a creative outlet for me (believe me, I need one at my job!). I'll share weekly posts about recipes, recipe disasters, knitting patterns, various traditional and digital art and craft techniques, product reviews and related resources.

I have a fair number of food sensitivities and allergies which can cause havoc with my health. It has been a fun adventure learning to cook for all these issues, and also a major pain in the %*$ at times. I hope that by sharing these learning experiences, others might learn with me from some of my many mistakes!

As for my food issues I need to avoid; soy, eggs, cane sugar, peanuts, sulphites, and uncooked tomatoes. I have to limit my exposure to other foods as well; wheat (including wheat gluten and gliadin), barley, garlic, spelt, dairy, tomatoes, pineapple. My household also eats kosher, so I need to try to learn and observe those dietary restrictions as well :)

People can have difficulty understanding that food which is healthy for them, can make me very sick. I want to assure all of them that I am not making a comment on the healthiness of their diets, or the goodness of the food they enjoy. I have friends who worry that I could possibly be getting a healthy balanced diet or eating enough with these limitations. I assure them I am indeed eating very healthy (I really should post one of my weekly menus sometime!), in fact I eat more frequently then most of them :) That said, yes, I do miss the taste of certain foods, but not enough to ever eat them again, the days of migraines and weeks of rashes, not to mention other crippling effects, are simply not worth it! I better enjoy being healthier and more able to function day to day :D