Friday, May 3, 2013

but not for me

Do you know the old song "But Not For Me?"  You can hear the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald croon it if you follow this link.

Lately I've found myself humming this classic tune a lot.  Mostly in the kitchen.

It's not love that I've missed out on.  (If that were the case, I'm pretty sure I'd be singing this one 24/7.)  Not at all.   Still, I have been a bit wistful of late.  And there's a very good reason for that.  Let me tell you about it...

my gluten-free toddler & me


Here's how my personal adaptation of the song goes -

"I'm making sourdough now
But not for me
Soaked whole wheat waffles now
But not for me

Because I truthfully
Need to be gluten-free
For now, they're not
For me

I'm bottling 'bucha now
But not for me
Concord or berries, wow
But not for me

Four batches regular-ly
But I feel no, no glee
Because it's not
For me..."


It's true.  It's all a bit complicated, and I won't go into all the gritty details just now, but for the foreseeable future I am on a very restricted diet.  No gluten, indeed very few grains.  Ideally no sweeteners at all save stevia, although I'm letting myself have a tiny bit of raw honey each day.  No kombucha (*sob*).  And very little, if any, dairy.

It hasn't been easy, and I can't say it's fun to prepare my favorite foods every day knowing that I cannot enjoy them.  But the last month or so has told me, loud and clear, that I need to be very careful right now.  As wonderful (and healthful!) as these things are, for me the consequences to my own health are not worth that moment of pleasure.

And so, I'll go on serving English muffins with honey, and jam, and other things I can't have.  I'll make ice cream and keep on brewing that fizzy kombucha.  I'm glad my family enjoys partaking of these things, and am truly happy to serve my loved ones in this way.  But this stuff?  Right now?

It's not for me.

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