I was diagnosed with celiac disease a few months ago, so like many Americans now, I am unable to tolerate the protein “gluten” that is found in many, many foods. Additionally, I am soy and lactose intolerant and have a list of food allergies (nuts, etc) a mile long. My list of allergies and intolerances to medications isn’t any shorter. Needless to say, doctors cringe when they pull up my list.

Anyway, I’ve been struggling since my diagnosis to really find a decent bread that you can eat without toasting. Most of the gluten free breads are dense and just plain gross. There’s a local bakery that sells homemade loaves once a week, but honestly, I wasn’t impressed. My favorite so far has been Glutino Premium Fiber Bread. I can actually eat it instead of choking it down.

My mom recently discovered that our state owed me some money from a tax return a few years back. I decided to purchase a bread machine in the hopes of trying some recipes on my own. This machine is amazing! It even has a gluten free setting. Yanking the paddle out before the bread starts to rise is a pain, but only because gluten free dough is so different from wheat dough.

A few weekends ago, I tried my first gluten free bread recipe. Let’s just say it ended up being stashed in the freezer and demoted to “bread crumb” status. Last weekend, I tried a new recipe, and what looked like a beautiful loaf when I eagerly peered into the window, quickly became a collapsed, gummy brick when I turned it out of the pan.

Yesterday, I tried again and decreased the liquid amount in the recipe (I mean, really, are 2 eggs PLUS 2 whites necessary??). It’s been the best loaf so far and you can actually eat it without toasting it! There’s a bit too much of SOMEthing in it, but I haven’t been gluten free long enough to develop a well-seasoned palette for the various flours and starches in this bread. The result? Take a look!

My recipe was adopted from this one. Garbanzo beans are a no-go for me, so I substituted the gluten free flour and the garfava flour with the following:

1/2 c brown rice flour
1/4 c tapioca flour
3/4 c sorghum

I also eliminated the flax seed (didn’t have any), and decreased the liquid content by cutting out the 2 whites. The thing I’ve learned in a very short period of time, is that the xanthan gum takes time to develop. I actually mix everything with a hand mixer on medium for a full five minutes before transferring it into the bread machine and setting it on the gluten free cycle. Doing this results in a much higher bread. Think TALL!

This loaf needed about 30 extra minutes on the “bake” setting before I felt confident enough to remove it. I let it set in the machine with the lid open for about 15 minutes and then I transferred it to a cooling rack. The result? A pretty decent loaf of bread if I do say so myself! The sides caved in only a very, very small amount. It’s hardly noticeable, really.

So, try it and tell me what you think!

Be on the look out for a brand new Bead Lavada! I am currently working on a new site. When it’s all done, it will flow a bit more seamlessly and be easier to navigate and order from.

Today, I had an open muscle biopsy as part of some diagnostic testing I have been undergoing for awhile. My rheumatologist (whom I refer to as “Dr. House” on a regular basis – seriously, the guy is amazing) sent me for a consult with a fantastic surgeon. This surgeon is unique in that he actually abides by the philosophy of “patient centered” care. He asked me the very first time I met him whom he worked for. “For me, if you’re doing your job right!” was my reply. “Exactly,” he had said. He continued to emphasize this throughout that initial meeting and today when he came to speak to me before the procedure.

Most people are familiar with the needle muscle biopsy that is commonly depicted in tv shows and medical dramas. An open muscle biopsy is done when larger pieces of muscle need to be removed and preserved a very special way in order to be sent off for staining, slicing, and analysis. It is not a procedure to take lightly, and like anything, there are risks involved.

Naturally, when agreeing to do something of this magnitude, you want a doctor who is working for you! Not all of my doctors have had this philosophy, and in fact, a few have been axed by yours truly. YOU are your own best advocate. Use those powers to do good (and to get the care you need)!

So, I will wait for the results of my biopsy, which should take about 2 months to get back. I am curious, but I am also anxious. I know what my doctors are looking for and I understand what I’m up against depending on what they find out. Hopefully, we will be able to pinpoint a treatment plan that will get me better able to function on a day-to-day basis.

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” ~ Joseph Campbell

So I got this brilliant idea to make Bead Lavada a bit more interactive. Sometimes I feel like clients really don’t understand the time and effort that goes into designing one-of-a-kind pieces. I take pride in my work and it won’t fall apart the way some cheap department store pieces do. My jewelry should flow seamlessly with your wardrobe and not be a pain to put on or maintain. It is made to be durable. No one likes having to twist or pull or clasp a certain way to prevent the whole darned thing from falling apart.

Anyway. I thought it would be cool to put up a video of me creating something. Then I realized it would bore you to tears for several reasons. First off, I have a habit of signing when I talk. I only have two hands, so talking and making jewelry simultaneously doesn’t sound like a good plan. Video cameras are expensive dontcha know!

Second, I have a neuromuscular disorder that affects my coordination. It takes me approximately twice as long to create my pieces as it used to. These days, tools go flying, beads are dropped everywhere (the cat has a field day), and I just can’t seem to get the beads and wire to do what my brain wants them to.

So I decided to spare you all and make a *very* short video that pretty much fast forwards through the bulk of the work. Think of it as a magic moment – you see some fingers diligently twisting things around and voila! – a gorgeous earring. Too bad I still have to make the other one!

Typically, I work in the office at a desk, but I relocated to the kitchen table for today’s project. I have always been a “messy” worker. I work better when things are as scattered as my ideas are. Mom, if you’re reading, I swear my apartment is much cleaner than my work area!

The messy work area

Plus, I seem to be a safety hazard when I’m beading (flying tools and all), so it’s easier for me to be in the office away from innocent guests and four-legged creatures.

So, here ya go! These earrings should be making their way onto the site soon…when I can muster up the energy to make the other one!

Finished earring:

It has been unseasonably cool here, but the weather is finally turning around and it actually feels like July now. It is almost 90 today and the kitty is enjoying soaking up the sun by the patio door.

Earlier, I was at my university working on a video that demonstrates my walking and mobility capabilities. The video I am compiling is for a program called Capable Canines that operates out of The Guide Dog Foundation in NY. I am applying to GDF and to East Coast Assistance Dogs (ECAD) for a service dog.

Many of you who had followed my previous blog and helped me with fund raising for a dog I was supposed to receive from a different agency have been curious as to why I did not complete training. This was a personal decision based upon my medical situation, the dog’s medical situation, and the wealth of information I had gathered during my waiting period.

Unfortunately, there is not yet a standard when it comes to how service dogs are trained and how facilities are operated. This is both a good and a bad thing. Over the past year and a half, I have learned more about the standards service dogs should be trained to and the types of temperament characteristics that should not be present in a working dog. I think it is very important to enter into a major life change with all the cards stacked in your favor. Yes, there will be uncertainties, but why enter into a partnership knowing from the beginning you are more likely than not to hit bumps in the road?

I encourage those of you actively looking for a service dog agency to do your homework. Learn about the types of medical screenings you want your dog to pass, the type of temperament the dog should have, the methods the trainers use to reinforce good behaviors and to discourage wrong behaviors BEFORE you agree to work with them.

Well! After nearly 24 hours of fussing with CSS and what was supposed to be a simple WYSIWYG theme generator, I am finally making headway.

This blog, like my main site, is a work in progress. It isn’t quite the way I’d like it yet, but it is getting there. It is very difficult for me to work on one thing for any length of time, which is why production is so slow these days.

If you visit the necklaces and earrings pages, you will see there are a few new pieces up. I haven’t had the time to write the info blurb for these pieces, but if you have any questions, just drop me an email.