Hey Everybody -
First, let me say thank you to all of you who dropped me emails or messages wondering where I was - it means SO MUCH to have friends, family & G-Free Foodies that care. In short, I've been moving (Twice!), finishing a divorce, getting my kiddo situated and: wait for it: getting diagnosed with a second autoimmune disease. Fun stuff!
The amazing crew at G-Free Foodie kept everything rolling while I was rollin' on, and my friends & family kept Sam & I as close to even as possible. I can't say enough about my support system - thank god for them all.
When I started cooking again, I burned or ruined everything. I mean EVERYTHING. I have an awesome Literary Agent waiting for a cookbook proposal from me, and I really thought there was no way I could write a cookbook, because I would surely burn down my new house.
Time passed, I found cookie sheets small enough to fit in my new-to-me 1960's oven, and figured out that the oven is between 30-35 degrees too hot in the front & 40-50 degrees too hot in the back. I cooked on live TV a couple of times & didn't cuss or drop anything. I went back to cooking the basics. I had my friends & their kiddos over & threw them all in the pool. I gave tours of my bomb shelter/wine cellar. I did my hair occasionally. I went back to the Italian deli. One of my friends asked me to be his "Wine Sensei" and one of my friends married an incredible man in a wedding on the coast where I got to wear a fedora. Meds, diet & supplements got the autoimmune issues to a manageable level, and I was starting to feel closer to normal - but I felt no inspiration.
And then, my friend Rachel the Gluten Free Mama called because she needed some help - foodie help at that! Lord, I know how to come through with food in a crisis (I'm Italian, for sobbing out loud) and I'm certain that a big part of the hollow feeling in my chest was because I needed help from others & I wasn't helping anyone. So, I met Rachel in the Bay Area, brownie & pie crust samples in hand. I led her through Oakland on surface streets when she got lost, and my mom & I showed her everything a G-Free Foodie needs to know about the Ferry Building.I went home, exhausted but more awake than I've been in a long, long time.
A week later, I took a 12 year old budding chef on a foodie tour of our town. I'm forever grateful to Chef Ben at the Vineyard Restaurant (if you're never been there, you're missing out -) for letting Seth sear his OWN duck breast & make his own risotto, that kid will never forget it. I took him to his first sushi restaurant & farmer's market too - and had a very serious conversation about Chinese long beans and restaurant marketing. Feeding Seth's mind fed my soul, for sure.
A few other things have happened in recent weeks - Both of the G-Free Foodie staff members told me - separately - how much they love working for me & for G-Free Foodie. I had close friends over for and all-day football/eating fest, I went to the coast to see a close friend and spent two days in a bulky sweater & watched Sam kayak in the ocean, I spent two uninterrupted hours with one of my best friends in a car (because it was work-related, can you beat that?) and started walking again with two people who will tell me, flat out, when I am right, when I'm wrong, and when I'm being a jerk or an idiot. So my Groove called up my Foodie-Mojo, and they moved back home. If you can't find us, look in the bomb shelter - we're down there with the vino, where we belong.
Funny how peace showed up when I stopped trying to force it to appear. We're back on, Foodies. I hope you're hungry.
XO XO XO -
KC



Molly Brack says
Hi - I have just been diagnosed with celiac and discovered your site yesterday. I want to thank you for the great job you do on here. There are so many sites to wade through and yours is the best I've found both in content and design - professional and upbeat. I don't know what other diagnosis you received this year, but I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 10 years and ow can add celiac to my repertoire, so you have my sympathy for the double whammy. I guess it's not uncommon for that to happen.
Thanks again and keep up the great job!
Molly
P.S. I am the director of a crisis center and part of a national network of crisis centers where anyone can call and just talk about whatever is on their mind. We get a lot of calls from folks with chronic illnesses, especially in the early days of their diagnosis. Maybe it could help some readers to know there are such places.
Carla @ Gluten Free Recipe Box says
Welcome back, K.C.! I just saw this announced on a mutual friends' FB page. We have a lot in common. I'm going on my second diagnosis, as well. Making mistakes in the kitchen gets frustrating, I know, but just push on. They all don't turn out bad! Call me any time. Hopefully you still have my number! We live too close not be closer as friends! Us foodies have to stick together!
Administrator says
Carla - Thanks! Coffee soon for sure!
KC