Monday will mark my one year anniversary of living in Philadelphia. I love being in a city where there is always something going on within walking distance! Here are some of my favorite spots in this great city, as well as some things still on my to-do list:
Favorite restaurant: Audrey Claire - I have loved this BYO spot since my first time eating there, on a callback interview. The food is very veggie-heavy, with lots of gluten-free options. It is delicious without making me feel gross after. Plus, the outdoor seating options and location are ideal. Most nights that we go out to eat, Audrey Claire is on the short list of options.
Favorite bar: The Bards -- this Irish bar has that great neighborhood feel: a good selection of drinks without too much frill. It feels like everyone knows your name, but it would be too much pandering for them to admit it
Favorite group activity: Johnny Goodtimes Trivia --this is related to the above entry. Johnny does eight quizzes a week, one at the Bards, plus some special events. I find that the questions are difficult but not impossible. S and I will sometimes even go alone and give it a shot.
Favorite occasional date night: Paint Nite -- whether you are great or terrible at artistic endeavors, Paint Nite is a fun way to express your creative side. It bounces around the city in various bars, and a teacher leads you in painting a certain piece. There is step-by-step instruction, but participants can also make their own adjustments. The first time we did it, I tried to do exactly what the instructor did but that stressed me out a little too much, so the next two times I added my own creative twists.
Favorite delivery place: Kermit's -- not only does Kermit's makes a great gluten-free pizza, it usually has gluten-free French macarons which are amazing. It is located south of South street, so it will deliver to Scott's apartment.
Favorite gf bakery: Sweet Freedom -- we discovered this gem when Scott was a summer associate in Philly and I loved it then, now, and always. I am still convinced the employees bake magic into their cupcakes, because the long list of ingredients that aren't in their goodies includes everything that usually makes baked goods so....good. Yet even without these things, everything there is incredibly delicious.
Philadelphia bucket list:
1. Finish the 50 best bars in Philadelphia -- we have a group of friends that are trying to complete the list of bars in a year from the list's publication. We are about 30 bars in so far, so I cannot wait to hit the rest!
2. Try some more new restaurants -- I feel like we like certain restaurants so much that we are reluctant to go outside the box and try new ones. In year two, I want to try more new ones! Restaurant week is coming up, so we will hopefully experience some new places then.
3. Go to more outside/special events -- there were some pop up beer gardens and events outside this summer that I did not hit this summer, partially because I traveled so much and partially because I was reluctant to miss out on the tried and true options. Next year, I want to keep a closer eye on these things and make a bigger effort to attend them.
What are your favorite places in your city? What's still on your bucket list?
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Check-In on New Year's Resolutions
Over half of 2014 is over! I feel like it is cliche to remark here, 'where has the time gone?!' but the year really does seem like it is flying by. Given that we have passed the halfway mark, I feel like now is a good time to go back to my New Year's resolutions and see how I am doing. I keep a google doc for myself with ALL of my goals that I update each month and then think about on what I should be focusing for the next month, but I did promise to try to update here too.
I have gathered two lessons from looking at this list so far. One is adaptability: sometimes, things do not work out as planned and the ideal situation does not happen. Other times, an equally ideal situation happens instead of the planned situation. In these situations, sometimes it is best to adapt your goals to fit the new situation, instead of beating yourself up about not completing what you set out. The second is persistence: there are some goals that frankly need much improvement. They are still realistic goals, so I do not need to adapt them, I just need to persist in the determination that I will be better. I may never reach the ultimate goal, but I should strive each day/week/month to get a little better at the goals that are harder for me.
So, without further ado, here are the goals I set out in January and how I am doing so far:
I have gathered two lessons from looking at this list so far. One is adaptability: sometimes, things do not work out as planned and the ideal situation does not happen. Other times, an equally ideal situation happens instead of the planned situation. In these situations, sometimes it is best to adapt your goals to fit the new situation, instead of beating yourself up about not completing what you set out. The second is persistence: there are some goals that frankly need much improvement. They are still realistic goals, so I do not need to adapt them, I just need to persist in the determination that I will be better. I may never reach the ultimate goal, but I should strive each day/week/month to get a little better at the goals that are harder for me.
So, without further ado, here are the goals I set out in January and how I am doing so far:
Work resolutions: meet billable hours requirement, publish 5 articles/blog posts
-Billable hours has been a REAL struggle for me. I am finally coming to terms with what that means in actual time worked, and it is a lot. The second half of the year is definitely more focused on this, and the last couple of months have already seen an increase in hours billed.
-I have written or co-written three articles so far so I am well on my way to five this year
Health resolutions: cook for yourself on weekdays (Paleo), half marathon, Nerd Academy
-The half-marathon is in September so I should be training for that right now. I ran a ten-miler in May so I definitely have a semi-long-distance runner somewhere in me, but I have not been training well since then. I got a slight injury after the ten-miler and found a whole lot of excuses to not run because of/in addition to that. This is definitely a focus for the second half of the year.
-I really enjoy doing strength exercises. I am happy to say I am on the 3rd level of the Nerd Academy bodyweight routines, with only a few modifications. I do this at least once or twice, or optimally, three times a week. There are two different workouts per week, that you are supposed to rotate. The basic structure is three sets of: arm exercise, leg exercise, arm exercise, leg exercise, ab exercise, :30 of cardio. Then there are some additional "level-ups" on the end. My goal is to get to a real pull up soon!
-I signed up for a CSA - community-supported agriculture -- where I get a big box of veggies each week, some fruit, and some eggs. This is all organic, sustainably farmed, hippy dippy, etc. I do not cook a meal for myself EVERY day of the week, and calling it "Paleo" is really cheating. However, I think it is forcing me to make healthier choices at least 50-75% of the time.
Social/personal resolutions: reach out to a new couple/a new female friend a month, keep up with hobbies (tap, guitar, tennis)
-This goal is my least successful, but one that I have found the opportunity to adapt. I have been able to keep up with old friends, due to many planned reunions, weddings, bridal showers, etc., but being out of town on the weekends so much makes it hard to make plans with others. It also makes keeping up with hobbies harder, if I do not have the weekends to catch up on work/errands, then I need to do them on week nights which eliminates much of the time for hobbies. I did play tennis for a little bit but that fell by the wayside after a few weeks. This week starts my renewed vigor for tap, after seeing Philadelphia Dance Day with performances from all types of classes. If those women (mostly) have time to fit a class in here or there, then I do too. This is my focus for the second half of the year.
Recap: I have made some improvements, but need to focus on: billing, running, cooking, and hobbies. My overall goal is to keep pushing a little harder every day! How are your new year's resolutions looking?
-Billable hours has been a REAL struggle for me. I am finally coming to terms with what that means in actual time worked, and it is a lot. The second half of the year is definitely more focused on this, and the last couple of months have already seen an increase in hours billed.
-I have written or co-written three articles so far so I am well on my way to five this year
Health resolutions: cook for yourself on weekdays (Paleo), half marathon, Nerd Academy
-The half-marathon is in September so I should be training for that right now. I ran a ten-miler in May so I definitely have a semi-long-distance runner somewhere in me, but I have not been training well since then. I got a slight injury after the ten-miler and found a whole lot of excuses to not run because of/in addition to that. This is definitely a focus for the second half of the year.
-I really enjoy doing strength exercises. I am happy to say I am on the 3rd level of the Nerd Academy bodyweight routines, with only a few modifications. I do this at least once or twice, or optimally, three times a week. There are two different workouts per week, that you are supposed to rotate. The basic structure is three sets of: arm exercise, leg exercise, arm exercise, leg exercise, ab exercise, :30 of cardio. Then there are some additional "level-ups" on the end. My goal is to get to a real pull up soon!
-I signed up for a CSA - community-supported agriculture -- where I get a big box of veggies each week, some fruit, and some eggs. This is all organic, sustainably farmed, hippy dippy, etc. I do not cook a meal for myself EVERY day of the week, and calling it "Paleo" is really cheating. However, I think it is forcing me to make healthier choices at least 50-75% of the time.
Social/personal resolutions: reach out to a new couple/a new female friend a month, keep up with hobbies (tap, guitar, tennis)
-This goal is my least successful, but one that I have found the opportunity to adapt. I have been able to keep up with old friends, due to many planned reunions, weddings, bridal showers, etc., but being out of town on the weekends so much makes it hard to make plans with others. It also makes keeping up with hobbies harder, if I do not have the weekends to catch up on work/errands, then I need to do them on week nights which eliminates much of the time for hobbies. I did play tennis for a little bit but that fell by the wayside after a few weeks. This week starts my renewed vigor for tap, after seeing Philadelphia Dance Day with performances from all types of classes. If those women (mostly) have time to fit a class in here or there, then I do too. This is my focus for the second half of the year.
Recap: I have made some improvements, but need to focus on: billing, running, cooking, and hobbies. My overall goal is to keep pushing a little harder every day! How are your new year's resolutions looking?
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Stitch Fix
I have never been much of a shopper. I dislike trying on clothes or being in stores for longer than, say, 15 minutes. So I signed up for stitch fix! It is a super convenient service that asks you for your preferences in fabric and what kind of clothes you need, then they ship you a box of clothes every so often (they ask you how often you want the shipment). I wanted to share with you guys what I got in my first two deliveries.
You pay a $20 styling fee for each box, which goes to the purchase price of the items if you do end up buying something. With these packages, I felt like the stitch fix staff read my mind! It was a great combination of things that I love and things I needed. I kept two items from the first package: a polka dot sheer blouse with sleeves that roll up to the elbow, and skinny jeans. I kept the entire second package, which actually gives you a discount from the purchase price. That included: a pink lace dress, a herringbone skirt, a crocheted sweater, a long layering necklace, and some bright blue skinny pants. All great items!!
If you want to sign up yourself, here's a link While this is not a paid endorsement, in full disclosure, I think I get some money off if my friends register clicking that link. Here are some pictures:
You pay a $20 styling fee for each box, which goes to the purchase price of the items if you do end up buying something. With these packages, I felt like the stitch fix staff read my mind! It was a great combination of things that I love and things I needed. I kept two items from the first package: a polka dot sheer blouse with sleeves that roll up to the elbow, and skinny jeans. I kept the entire second package, which actually gives you a discount from the purchase price. That included: a pink lace dress, a herringbone skirt, a crocheted sweater, a long layering necklace, and some bright blue skinny pants. All great items!!
If you want to sign up yourself, here's a link While this is not a paid endorsement, in full disclosure, I think I get some money off if my friends register clicking that link. Here are some pictures:
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| Polka dot top and skinnies |
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| Close up on the polka dot top |
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| Detail on the sleeve |
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| Herringbone skirt, and the old school swiffer |
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| Side view of the skirt |
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| Blue skinnies (hard to see the color) |
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| Trying to get a better view of the color |
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| Pink dress |
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| Detail of the dress |
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| Crotchet sweater, herringbone skirt, long necklace |
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| Close-up of sweater |
Sunday, August 3, 2014
My Response to Marc Vetri
DISCLAIMER: this is my own personal opinion, based on my own personal experience. While I frequently read books and forums on celiac disease and gluten allergy/intolerance/sensitivity, I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist. If you are experiencing symptoms that you think may indicate food issues, I would urge you to see a doctor and possibly also a nutritionist, despite what might seem like discouragement below.
Philadelphia seems to be buzzing these days about an article written by one the city's favorite restaurateurs, Marc Vetri. Vetri rants about gluten-intolerance in the article, or, more specifically the people who claim it. I will preface my response by noting that he does recognize celiac as a more serious issue and is not aiming the article at those afflicted by the disease. Yet, I still could not help being rubbed the wrong way by it. After waiting tables throughout college, I understand that certain customers are just more infuriating than others. But I also think that those with food allergies or intolerances are facing a bigger hurdle than someone who thinks cheese is making her fat or that spinach is too slimy to eat. That hurdle, in a nutshell, is information.
What's Wrong With Me?
We are living in the age of allergies. At lunch the other day, I was with three other people, two of which had varying levels of gluten sensitivity, one had a dairy sensitivity on top of that (I, too, am "avoiding" dairy), and the fourth was allergic to tomatoes. At a party the next day, multiple people had crab allergies. Kids these days are not allowed to bring peanut butter to school for fear that the dust will set off a classmate's severe allergy. With all the focus that has been put on allergies (this most recent gluten article is not the first ridiculing the "trend," nor will it be the last), one would think that this came with a wealth of knowledge. One would be wrong.
To start with, allergies are a strange beast. Most nutritionists and internet resources say the best way to figure out if you should not be eating something is to systematically eliminate and reintroduce common allergens into your diet. If you feel less cruddy the week you are off gluten, well, then you might be possibly gluten intolerant/allergic/sensitive. Yes, there are tests to determine some allergies and intolerances, but in my experience, doctors do not recommend many of these, short of the celiac blood test, to the masses. Many people, myself included, may feel like they're taking stabs in the dark about what is actually making them feel so bad. And I have an autoimmune diagnosis, so I have MUCH more information than most people trying to figure out what's wrong.
So...What CAN I Eat?
Once someone figures out what they are allergic/intolerant to, then comes a whole maze of information on how best to deal with it. While I am an extreme case, I think my experience can be enlightening. I am still figuring out everything that comes with celiac disease, after being diagnosed 4 and a half years ago. Here is a list, by no means comprehensive, of things that I learned had gluten in them that you might not expect: toothpaste, soy sauce, ketchup, fries that have been fried in a shared fryer, certain wines, vitamins, cosmetics, spices....the list goes on. All of this can be very overwhelming, especially for those without a photographic memory. Celiacs are less likely to have that photographic memory because "brain fog" is a common symptom of celiac, leading to memory loss and lack of focus. Even after all of my reading, I frequently end up googling ingredients on my phone in restaurants, grocery stores, and pharmacy aisles, thus contributing to the downfall of a normal dinner experience, from some peoples' perspective.
Then comes the information on how best to manage the disease. Should I stop eating soy and legumes too? Should I go completely paleo? Should I try to spot and eliminate my other food issues, or go on a rotation diet to prevent further sensitivities? What the heck is a FODMAP? What supplements should I take, if any? How do I heal my body after all of that damage and still go on living a normal life? I have done a significant amount of reading, particularly on celiac and holistic living forums, and it seems like everyone has a different answer. Some tell me I should not worry too much, and that I can eat out at restaurants like a "normal person". Others go so far as to dry their own spices to prevent accidental glutening. And here's the thing: they are all right, for themselves. Everyone has to figure out which path to take, perhaps with some nutritionist/doctor support, but their own path nonetheless.
While the above questions are more specific to celiac disease, I do not pretend that I am the only one being barraged by information. It seem science still has not decided on the health effects of eggs and coffee -- either they are going to extend my life for 20 more years or kill me tomorrow. Vetri's article says "You're most likely listening to some half-truths written in a book by some doctor who is more concerned with the width of his wallet rather than the width of your waistline." My response: how do we know? How do I pick the book or the doctor that has the whole truth and is looking out for my best interest? I try to pick information from people that give it out for free and seem to be the most trustworthy. Yet, these days, it seems that everyone is struggling with incomplete information.
Here, I have to respond to Vetri's anecdote about the woman who sent back her risotto dish. Despite the waiter telling her it was gluten free, she refused to eat it and flagged down Vetri to complain. While some people may think this is a funny story, I could not help but imagine what her thought process was like. I sometimes get orzo, risotto, and wild rice confused. They are all rice-looking dishes but orzo has gluten, and some rice blends may as well. I imagine this woman had a similar problem as I did. With my apologies to the hospitality community, I have to point out that sometimes the waitstaff is not knowledgeable. I have definitely become sick after a meal where a waiter swore up and down that the dish was gluten free. I am sure the folks at Vetri's restaurants are not this ill-informed, but that is just another area where we have incomplete information. How do I know that this particular waiter has been trained properly and that he/she remembers all the complex information about what is and is not gluten free? How do I even know that I am being taken seriously, particularly with all of the jokes that are made about gluten-free eating? While I am not the type to send back a dish once I order it (I would have googled to make sure I knew what I was talking about), or complain to the restaurateur about a dish, I do not think this woman should be ridiculed for her lack of knowledge. (However, the fact that she drank a beer after does open her up to more ridicule for sure).
An Important Side Note on Emotions and Eating
For a moment, I will talk about how incredibly emotional all of this is. My celiac journey has been a series of the seven stages of grief. I went through all the stages for the diagnosis itself, then I repeat it every time I find out a new aspect of celiac I do not particularly like. The denial phase lasts the longest for me. That stage is even worse when you do not have a concrete diagnosis, for sure. A typical thought during denial might be: "a little gluten/cheese/tomatoes/insert your own allergy here won't really hurt me." I am still in denial about some things, mainly because of my giant weakness for french fries. The pain/guilt stage, the anger/bargaining stage, the depression, and hopefully, the upward tick and coping stages -- they are all there, every time.
Let us also not forget how many emotions food carries with it. People commonly talk about "eating their emotions" but it is not only sadness or stress that leads us to food. We celebrate with food, and potentially have very happy memories with certain foods. Whenever I see a great looking bowl of macaroni and cheese or cooked apples, I am reminded of the many happy hours sitting around my great-grandmother's table, eating her southern home cooking.
Vetri seems to forget this in his article. He discusses, and dismisses, the idea of making common gluten-full foods in a gluten-free fashion. And while Vetri would never serve something "shrimpy" to a person with a shrimp allergy, many of the gluten-full foods that we can no longer eat are known as comfort foods. Who does not have good memories with a plateful of pasta or a hot slice of pizza?
Where Do We Go From Here?
So here we are, as a community of people who feel cruddy sometimes/a lot/most of the time. We are not sure exactly what we are allergic to, in what foods it may or may not be, and what to eat instead of those foods. We might be missing something that we used to be able to eat, or confused between a lot of concepts that seem the same to me. So here's my plea: give us a break. We are all trying our hardest to eat healthily and feel good. Eating has a multitude of emotions attached and it is hard to be denied something you used to love. Maybe instead of making gluten the punchline of your jokes, take a step back and realize how hard it is to make reasoned decisions about what, when, and how much we eat. Aren't we all just trying to figure out how to do what's right for our bodies?
To be honest, I think many of these thoughts had been stewing in my mind and heart for a while, and Vetri's blog (which he admits he titled provocatively, to entice readers) just provided the impetus for me to write them out. My opinion of Vetri's restaurants, or the good he does in the community, has not changed. I just felt that many stories did not address the challenges that many people face. I love food, and sometimes (many times) food does not love me back, and that is, quite simply, hard. That's really the point here. A quote comes to mind, which is apparently oft-misquoted or misattributed. Paraphrased from the original Ian Maclaren quote, it says: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." So that's really the moral of the story here: be kind.
Philadelphia seems to be buzzing these days about an article written by one the city's favorite restaurateurs, Marc Vetri. Vetri rants about gluten-intolerance in the article, or, more specifically the people who claim it. I will preface my response by noting that he does recognize celiac as a more serious issue and is not aiming the article at those afflicted by the disease. Yet, I still could not help being rubbed the wrong way by it. After waiting tables throughout college, I understand that certain customers are just more infuriating than others. But I also think that those with food allergies or intolerances are facing a bigger hurdle than someone who thinks cheese is making her fat or that spinach is too slimy to eat. That hurdle, in a nutshell, is information.
What's Wrong With Me?
We are living in the age of allergies. At lunch the other day, I was with three other people, two of which had varying levels of gluten sensitivity, one had a dairy sensitivity on top of that (I, too, am "avoiding" dairy), and the fourth was allergic to tomatoes. At a party the next day, multiple people had crab allergies. Kids these days are not allowed to bring peanut butter to school for fear that the dust will set off a classmate's severe allergy. With all the focus that has been put on allergies (this most recent gluten article is not the first ridiculing the "trend," nor will it be the last), one would think that this came with a wealth of knowledge. One would be wrong.
To start with, allergies are a strange beast. Most nutritionists and internet resources say the best way to figure out if you should not be eating something is to systematically eliminate and reintroduce common allergens into your diet. If you feel less cruddy the week you are off gluten, well, then you might be possibly gluten intolerant/allergic/sensitive. Yes, there are tests to determine some allergies and intolerances, but in my experience, doctors do not recommend many of these, short of the celiac blood test, to the masses. Many people, myself included, may feel like they're taking stabs in the dark about what is actually making them feel so bad. And I have an autoimmune diagnosis, so I have MUCH more information than most people trying to figure out what's wrong.
So...What CAN I Eat?
Once someone figures out what they are allergic/intolerant to, then comes a whole maze of information on how best to deal with it. While I am an extreme case, I think my experience can be enlightening. I am still figuring out everything that comes with celiac disease, after being diagnosed 4 and a half years ago. Here is a list, by no means comprehensive, of things that I learned had gluten in them that you might not expect: toothpaste, soy sauce, ketchup, fries that have been fried in a shared fryer, certain wines, vitamins, cosmetics, spices....the list goes on. All of this can be very overwhelming, especially for those without a photographic memory. Celiacs are less likely to have that photographic memory because "brain fog" is a common symptom of celiac, leading to memory loss and lack of focus. Even after all of my reading, I frequently end up googling ingredients on my phone in restaurants, grocery stores, and pharmacy aisles, thus contributing to the downfall of a normal dinner experience, from some peoples' perspective.
Then comes the information on how best to manage the disease. Should I stop eating soy and legumes too? Should I go completely paleo? Should I try to spot and eliminate my other food issues, or go on a rotation diet to prevent further sensitivities? What the heck is a FODMAP? What supplements should I take, if any? How do I heal my body after all of that damage and still go on living a normal life? I have done a significant amount of reading, particularly on celiac and holistic living forums, and it seems like everyone has a different answer. Some tell me I should not worry too much, and that I can eat out at restaurants like a "normal person". Others go so far as to dry their own spices to prevent accidental glutening. And here's the thing: they are all right, for themselves. Everyone has to figure out which path to take, perhaps with some nutritionist/doctor support, but their own path nonetheless.
While the above questions are more specific to celiac disease, I do not pretend that I am the only one being barraged by information. It seem science still has not decided on the health effects of eggs and coffee -- either they are going to extend my life for 20 more years or kill me tomorrow. Vetri's article says "You're most likely listening to some half-truths written in a book by some doctor who is more concerned with the width of his wallet rather than the width of your waistline." My response: how do we know? How do I pick the book or the doctor that has the whole truth and is looking out for my best interest? I try to pick information from people that give it out for free and seem to be the most trustworthy. Yet, these days, it seems that everyone is struggling with incomplete information.
Here, I have to respond to Vetri's anecdote about the woman who sent back her risotto dish. Despite the waiter telling her it was gluten free, she refused to eat it and flagged down Vetri to complain. While some people may think this is a funny story, I could not help but imagine what her thought process was like. I sometimes get orzo, risotto, and wild rice confused. They are all rice-looking dishes but orzo has gluten, and some rice blends may as well. I imagine this woman had a similar problem as I did. With my apologies to the hospitality community, I have to point out that sometimes the waitstaff is not knowledgeable. I have definitely become sick after a meal where a waiter swore up and down that the dish was gluten free. I am sure the folks at Vetri's restaurants are not this ill-informed, but that is just another area where we have incomplete information. How do I know that this particular waiter has been trained properly and that he/she remembers all the complex information about what is and is not gluten free? How do I even know that I am being taken seriously, particularly with all of the jokes that are made about gluten-free eating? While I am not the type to send back a dish once I order it (I would have googled to make sure I knew what I was talking about), or complain to the restaurateur about a dish, I do not think this woman should be ridiculed for her lack of knowledge. (However, the fact that she drank a beer after does open her up to more ridicule for sure).
An Important Side Note on Emotions and Eating
For a moment, I will talk about how incredibly emotional all of this is. My celiac journey has been a series of the seven stages of grief. I went through all the stages for the diagnosis itself, then I repeat it every time I find out a new aspect of celiac I do not particularly like. The denial phase lasts the longest for me. That stage is even worse when you do not have a concrete diagnosis, for sure. A typical thought during denial might be: "a little gluten/cheese/tomatoes/insert your own allergy here won't really hurt me." I am still in denial about some things, mainly because of my giant weakness for french fries. The pain/guilt stage, the anger/bargaining stage, the depression, and hopefully, the upward tick and coping stages -- they are all there, every time.
Let us also not forget how many emotions food carries with it. People commonly talk about "eating their emotions" but it is not only sadness or stress that leads us to food. We celebrate with food, and potentially have very happy memories with certain foods. Whenever I see a great looking bowl of macaroni and cheese or cooked apples, I am reminded of the many happy hours sitting around my great-grandmother's table, eating her southern home cooking.
Vetri seems to forget this in his article. He discusses, and dismisses, the idea of making common gluten-full foods in a gluten-free fashion. And while Vetri would never serve something "shrimpy" to a person with a shrimp allergy, many of the gluten-full foods that we can no longer eat are known as comfort foods. Who does not have good memories with a plateful of pasta or a hot slice of pizza?
Where Do We Go From Here?
So here we are, as a community of people who feel cruddy sometimes/a lot/most of the time. We are not sure exactly what we are allergic to, in what foods it may or may not be, and what to eat instead of those foods. We might be missing something that we used to be able to eat, or confused between a lot of concepts that seem the same to me. So here's my plea: give us a break. We are all trying our hardest to eat healthily and feel good. Eating has a multitude of emotions attached and it is hard to be denied something you used to love. Maybe instead of making gluten the punchline of your jokes, take a step back and realize how hard it is to make reasoned decisions about what, when, and how much we eat. Aren't we all just trying to figure out how to do what's right for our bodies?
To be honest, I think many of these thoughts had been stewing in my mind and heart for a while, and Vetri's blog (which he admits he titled provocatively, to entice readers) just provided the impetus for me to write them out. My opinion of Vetri's restaurants, or the good he does in the community, has not changed. I just felt that many stories did not address the challenges that many people face. I love food, and sometimes (many times) food does not love me back, and that is, quite simply, hard. That's really the point here. A quote comes to mind, which is apparently oft-misquoted or misattributed. Paraphrased from the original Ian Maclaren quote, it says: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." So that's really the moral of the story here: be kind.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Wedding Planning Post #1: Searching for a Venue
What a weekend! After the 4th of July, S and I spent three
days visiting almost every single venue in which you could possibly host a
wedding in Asheville. Mostly for
my own recollection, here is a quick recap of what we saw and what I thought of
it:
1. Country Club of Asheville: I knew I would love this
venue, because I grew up right across from the street from it. I’ve spent countless hours at the pool,
tennis, and restaurants here. More
importantly, I have watched countless sunsets from the balcony of the
club. This has a fantastic view of
the mountains to the east and when the sun sets, it is just magical. The club is a top contender for the
wedding,
2. Century Room: the CR is above Pack’s Tavern, a popular
downtown restaurant. It is a large
loft with a rustic feel, but still central to everything happening on the
streets of Asheville. To me and S,
this venue just lacked the “wow” factor – ¾ of the view from the windows was
obscured by trees and the other fourth was just downtown, no mountains, no real
magic. It was nice but probably
not what we want. It may remain on
the list for price reasons, however.
3. The Venue: a cool upstairs/downstairs space with patios
on both levels (each level would only host one wedding), which was nice. This view was a little better, while
the location remained central.
However, two things stood out to us: first, the bathrooms were minimal –
only one per gender! No one wants to stand in line for the bathroom when a
party is ongoing! Second, the
price seemed to break things down instead of including what we wanted in the
initial price. It may have not
become a problem, but I felt like I might experience some hidden costs here.
4. Capital Club: an awesome new venue – it is right behind
the church and on the 17th floor of the building with a great patio. You can see the downtown and views from
all around. It might be a little
small for our group but is still in contention. It is a great space with lots of control for people who like
planning the details
5. Avenue M: we dropped by this restaurant as a potential
rehearsal dinner spot. It has a
nice neighborhood feel and the private room would be great if we have a
slightly smaller room. They had a
projection screen that would have been able to show a slide show or something
during the dinner, and I love the food there. The owner said the kitchen could handle a number of various
allergy/food preferences which is obviously needed. It’s on the list!
6. Grove Park Inn: we did not get an official tour here but
really we just grabbed a drink on the terrace here. The ballroom is nothing to speak of and it is expensive as
all get out. But the views are
preeeeeeetttttttyyyyyy
7. Tressa’s: we looked at the top floor at Tressa’s for a
potential rehearsal dinner spot.
The downstairs is an awesome jazz venue but the upstairs was a little
disappointing in comparison. I
think it would have been too small anyway, although it would have been an easy
after party, but ultimately just not our style.
8. Taylor Ranch: we did not have an appointment here, we
just drove up and looked at the place.
It was a great rustic feel, on a large property, but with nice bathrooms
and other facilities. The
structure was three-fourths walls and one-fourth open, but with plastic that
would roll-down to cover the opening in case of bad weather. It would hold a lot of people and a
band, easily, and looked out on a lake.
Great option.
9. Hickory Nut Gap Farm: I used to go to horse and art camp
here, and the family that owns it knows my family as well. It was a great space - the ceremony
place was enclosed by the stones and trees around it, and the reception area
was nice a big. The history of the
venue was great as well. The
problem for us was that the only bathrooms were port-a-potties and that was not
ideal for us.
10. North Carolina Arboretum: this was another self-guided
tour -- it was hard to visualize
exactly how things would be set up here and both S and my allergies were
flaring up there, so we nixed that idea.
11. On Broadway: this venue’s location is pretty self-evident,
right on Broadway street in the heart of downtown. It has a big, open floor plan and is owned by Celine and
Company, a catering company. Big
shocker: my mom knows Celine. It
is a very pretty space and an awesome location, so it is on the short list.
12. Orange Peel: the peel (I just made that up as a
nickname) is a concert venue downtown.
I have been to a number of concerts there and it is a really cool
space. My childhood dreams of
being a rockstar were definitely piqued in this space. Definitely on the short list.
13. Altamount:
another concert venue, this one is named for Thomas Wolfe’s pseudonym for
Asheville. This is literally right
across the street from the church so it would be extremely convenient. It was a bit too small for us though,
and the bathroom was on the lowest level, past the bar, which might have been a
glitch.
14. Homewood: located in historic Montford, Homewood is an
old castle-looking building.
Montford is the neighborhood where James Taylor did rehab and wrote
‘Fire and Rain’ and where Zelda Fitzgerald died in a mental hospital fire. The ceremony location was gorgeous –
visitors would walk down a spiral stone path to a secluded, peaceful area and
the bride and groom would be standing up a little elevated area. There were two problems: the first
owner was a dookie and modeled Homewood after that gothic architecture; also it
was too small, which is really the problem.
15. Biltmore: what can you really say about Biltmore? It’s
historic, it’s beautiful, there are so many venues that are available. However, the price is out of our
budget, particularly if we used it for the reception.
16. The Farm: this is a gorgeous, rustic location with some
great cabins on the site in which the wedding party could stay. It had a lot of décor that could be
included in a package deal, even some awesome archways under which we could get
married. So pretty, but a bit too
pricey for a rustic locale.
Other things we did that trip: two cake tastings (Short
Street Cakes and Blue Ridge Bear – both great, and some fun flavors) and ate
dinner at Posana, an all gluten-free restaurant downtown. The trip was super packed, but also
very productive and fun. I am so
excited to plan this wedding!
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Virginia Wine Tasting
Let's go back in time to March for a moment. Winter had FINALLY ended, although it was not quite warm in Philly. What a perfect time for a trip back to Charlottesville! My birthday lined with up the libel show (our law school's annual comedy show, of which both S and I were a part) so I thought it would be a good time to get together with law school friends. It was also the birthday of another dear friend of mine, so we merged the events together. We rented a van and headed to three different wineries: Montfair, Stinson, and White Hall.
Montfair had the best atmosphere of all of the places. The vineyard itself only makes red wine, but it also had cider from a nearby cidery (not technically a word). The wine tasting room there was great, with big wine barrels and christmas lights, plus they had a band at the time.
White Hall was very nearly a terrible venue, since the people there did not want to accommodate us at first, despite us having called ahead. They eventually got their act together and put us in an upstairs room. The woman who served us there was very sweet and we had a great time, despite the original confusion. I also enjoy some of the White Hall white wines, including the bottle that S and I had on our first date.
Stinson was the last venue, and has a different feel than the rest. Their equipment looks more modern so loses a little of that old-world vibe that some of the others have. Stinson has a great view, however, despite the fact that the day was grey and gloomy.
We ate dinner at Fox and Hound but that was a bit rushed, due to the libel show's imminent start, but all in all a fantastic Charlottesville day!
Montfair had the best atmosphere of all of the places. The vineyard itself only makes red wine, but it also had cider from a nearby cidery (not technically a word). The wine tasting room there was great, with big wine barrels and christmas lights, plus they had a band at the time.
 |
| Downstairs at White Hall |
 |
| Upstairs |
 |
| Upstairs |
 |
| The view from Stinson |
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| Birthday girls at F&H |
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Engaged!
Today I have the most exciting story of this blog so far -- how I got engaged!
As some background, I have to mention the "perfect day". Three years ago, S and I were in Philly since he was a summer associate there at the time. It was the weekend before the 4th of July weekend, and I was about to go to the beach for my extended family's yearly vacation. We toured around old city all day, and everything was remarkably perfect. The weather was great, we found all of these cool, historic places and just enjoyed being together. We found Elfreth's Alley then -- it is the oldest continuously-inhabited street in the U.S. and retains a colonial look and feel. We also ate at City Tavern that night (outside in the perfect weather) which is where the founding fathers decided to declare independence. The perfect day ended with some early fireworks, topping off a day so ridiculously perfect, it inspired laughter. S had joked throughout the day that he felt he should propose, since the day was set up so nicely for us.
Fast forward three years: I had lunch plans with two friends on Saturday, June 21st. S seemed nervous all day, but I attributed that his brother being in town -- he had told me that his brother, his brother's boss, and maybe his brother's client(s) would meet us later that day, but he did not yet know the plan. So S asked me many times during the day what my plan was, and I kept telling him that I had lunch then was waiting on his plan. I even remarked to my friend that it was frustrating waiting for him waiting on someone else! My friends and I went to lunch in a "fringe" neighborhood in Philly. I thought it was strange that the one friend who planned it suggested the far location, but she said our other friend (in town from D.C.) would like that neighborhood so I stopped thinking about that then. After lunch, my friend commented that her nails had already chipped since her manicure the previous week so she wanted to stop by a place nearby and get them redone. This also should have been a red flag in my mind, since their excuse to get us back into town was that they had a spa day set up at 3. I suggested in the cab back that we were running late and they should call the spa and let them know! Little did I know, both friends were in on the plan and all of these little oddities were part of the overall plan. (I also luckily did not look at her nails, which were still perfect from her last manicure).
I got back to S's after lunch and he said we should leave "soonish" to meet his brother. He said his brother was being vague about the details but it felt like it was kind of a big deal. He said we would meet them all at Cuba Libre, in old city. In the uber, he mentioned that we do not go to old city much, "wasn't the last time for the perfect day?" This stood out to me because it was not at all true. We had been on a tour of old city with his parents just a few months earlier. Despite all of the little clues earlier, this was my first hint that something big was happening. We got to cuba libre and S checked his phone (way too fast to actually read any texts, this was my second clue) and said his brother was going to be an HOUR late. "We should go to Elfreth's or something, that way we have a story instead of wasting our whole day," he said. This is when I really started to wonder what was going on, but I did not want to get my hopes up too much. We strolled down the alley, in perfect weather again (even though rain was predicted most of the day). There were a bunch of tourists on the street, as well as someone who looked like a professional photographer (my fourth hint). S commented that it was really cool that this street still existed, that it was a tranquil place in the city, just like I was a tranquil place in his life. At this point, we had stopped in the alley. Even with all the hints, what happened next was a little surreal to me. S said that he wanted to be with me forever (or something to that effect), and dropped down to one knee. After this, I have absolutely no recollection of what was said. I remember a ring and I am pretty sure I said yes! It was funny how I had suspicions but still could not really pull myself together to remember all of the details!
After the actual proposal, we went into a courtyard, through a museum that was set up in a house owned by two women entrepreneurs. There was champagne set up with two glasses that fit together in a heart and a Carolina champagne bucket. S and I called our parents and I commented that they must be at a tennis tournament, since it sounded like they were surrounded by people. My mom at this point proved herself to be a terrible liar, but luckily did not ruin the later surprise. I knew that S had asked her in advance, but when I said I was engaged, she said "engaged? to be married?!" What other kind of engaged would I call my mother to tell her?!
S and I drank champagne in the courtyard for a little bit, and recovered from the shock a little. I asked him who all knew, and he flat out lied to me by playing down who all knew and did not know. This lie was exposed a few minutes later, when my parents and little sister, his parents, and a few of our friends from Philly, D.C., and New York came out of the other house attached to the courtyard! I was truly stunned by this development, and started crying (I had only teared up before, and laughed at the surreal nature of it all). S had set up snacks in the other house and we all toasted to our future. S's dad had written a sweet toast, incorporating the history of the alley in with our own story. His mom and my dad also gave great toasts. We then all ate dinner at City Tavern, and finished up the night at Bards, one of our favorite Philly bars.
This day was truly perfect and I thank everyone involved. I am so looking forward to planning a wedding, but more importantly, spending my life with such a sweet man who took the time and effort to plan an amazing proposal.
As some background, I have to mention the "perfect day". Three years ago, S and I were in Philly since he was a summer associate there at the time. It was the weekend before the 4th of July weekend, and I was about to go to the beach for my extended family's yearly vacation. We toured around old city all day, and everything was remarkably perfect. The weather was great, we found all of these cool, historic places and just enjoyed being together. We found Elfreth's Alley then -- it is the oldest continuously-inhabited street in the U.S. and retains a colonial look and feel. We also ate at City Tavern that night (outside in the perfect weather) which is where the founding fathers decided to declare independence. The perfect day ended with some early fireworks, topping off a day so ridiculously perfect, it inspired laughter. S had joked throughout the day that he felt he should propose, since the day was set up so nicely for us.
Fast forward three years: I had lunch plans with two friends on Saturday, June 21st. S seemed nervous all day, but I attributed that his brother being in town -- he had told me that his brother, his brother's boss, and maybe his brother's client(s) would meet us later that day, but he did not yet know the plan. So S asked me many times during the day what my plan was, and I kept telling him that I had lunch then was waiting on his plan. I even remarked to my friend that it was frustrating waiting for him waiting on someone else! My friends and I went to lunch in a "fringe" neighborhood in Philly. I thought it was strange that the one friend who planned it suggested the far location, but she said our other friend (in town from D.C.) would like that neighborhood so I stopped thinking about that then. After lunch, my friend commented that her nails had already chipped since her manicure the previous week so she wanted to stop by a place nearby and get them redone. This also should have been a red flag in my mind, since their excuse to get us back into town was that they had a spa day set up at 3. I suggested in the cab back that we were running late and they should call the spa and let them know! Little did I know, both friends were in on the plan and all of these little oddities were part of the overall plan. (I also luckily did not look at her nails, which were still perfect from her last manicure).
I got back to S's after lunch and he said we should leave "soonish" to meet his brother. He said his brother was being vague about the details but it felt like it was kind of a big deal. He said we would meet them all at Cuba Libre, in old city. In the uber, he mentioned that we do not go to old city much, "wasn't the last time for the perfect day?" This stood out to me because it was not at all true. We had been on a tour of old city with his parents just a few months earlier. Despite all of the little clues earlier, this was my first hint that something big was happening. We got to cuba libre and S checked his phone (way too fast to actually read any texts, this was my second clue) and said his brother was going to be an HOUR late. "We should go to Elfreth's or something, that way we have a story instead of wasting our whole day," he said. This is when I really started to wonder what was going on, but I did not want to get my hopes up too much. We strolled down the alley, in perfect weather again (even though rain was predicted most of the day). There were a bunch of tourists on the street, as well as someone who looked like a professional photographer (my fourth hint). S commented that it was really cool that this street still existed, that it was a tranquil place in the city, just like I was a tranquil place in his life. At this point, we had stopped in the alley. Even with all the hints, what happened next was a little surreal to me. S said that he wanted to be with me forever (or something to that effect), and dropped down to one knee. After this, I have absolutely no recollection of what was said. I remember a ring and I am pretty sure I said yes! It was funny how I had suspicions but still could not really pull myself together to remember all of the details!
After the actual proposal, we went into a courtyard, through a museum that was set up in a house owned by two women entrepreneurs. There was champagne set up with two glasses that fit together in a heart and a Carolina champagne bucket. S and I called our parents and I commented that they must be at a tennis tournament, since it sounded like they were surrounded by people. My mom at this point proved herself to be a terrible liar, but luckily did not ruin the later surprise. I knew that S had asked her in advance, but when I said I was engaged, she said "engaged? to be married?!" What other kind of engaged would I call my mother to tell her?!
S and I drank champagne in the courtyard for a little bit, and recovered from the shock a little. I asked him who all knew, and he flat out lied to me by playing down who all knew and did not know. This lie was exposed a few minutes later, when my parents and little sister, his parents, and a few of our friends from Philly, D.C., and New York came out of the other house attached to the courtyard! I was truly stunned by this development, and started crying (I had only teared up before, and laughed at the surreal nature of it all). S had set up snacks in the other house and we all toasted to our future. S's dad had written a sweet toast, incorporating the history of the alley in with our own story. His mom and my dad also gave great toasts. We then all ate dinner at City Tavern, and finished up the night at Bards, one of our favorite Philly bars.
This day was truly perfect and I thank everyone involved. I am so looking forward to planning a wedding, but more importantly, spending my life with such a sweet man who took the time and effort to plan an amazing proposal.
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