So You Gotta Write?

So you have the yearning desire to write....everywhere and virtually all the time.
I have good news for you.
There are oooodles of places online in which you can hone your craft.
Get more exposure and utilize that gift that keeps you up at night.

Here' a few ways in which you can just start writing, without a lot of
hoops to jump through before it gets published.

Start a free blog.
Blogs such as this one are published using a "free" blogging template called Blogger.
There is also a similar blogging template under the brand of Wordpress.
Some people prefer Blogger and some people prefer Wordpress. My impression has been that businesses prefer to use Wordpress for blogging and regular folks who make personal blogs prefer Blogger.
You could always try both and see which system you prefer.

Then there is Squidoo. Seth Godin raves about Squidoo.
Apparently you are supposed to create "lenses" which are  little pieces of written work that you
create and publish as a "lense" on Squidoo". I don't know if there is any monetization strategy to use with Squidoo or if it is soley an opportunity to get your voice heard and build your readership.

There there are writing contests. Some have an entry fee and some are totally free to enter.
You can find a  long list of active writing contests through a website called http://winningwriters.com/index.php#.UdtcSTu-rBo\

Let me know how it goes for you creative ones.
C.

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Corn Tortillas

There they were sitting there quietly on the shelves of a local Carribean food shop.
Another answer to my gluten free quest.
The bonus was the price....only $3 and change!
A huge stack of corn tortillas read for the taking.

Have you had similar discoveries in the gluten free world? Have you stumbled upon a reasonably priced gluten free item in an unexpected place?

The corn tortillas are best used when either lightly fried or even microwaved...
If you fry them just right they even puff up nicely with huge air bubbles, that make eating them even more fun.

Share with us your best gluten free discoveries in taste and price in the comments. I will be glad to publish them!
Peace.

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The Gluten Free Minefield

Ok, so you are a human being that has decided to attempt to live a "gluten free" lifestyle.
Here's the basics of what you may need to know:

Gluten free foods don't taste the same as your usual foods that contained gluten. Foods made without gluten often contain rice/corn/arrowroot flour, tapioca starch, potato flour etc.

Many food that you perhaps wouldn't suspect of containing gluten may contain LOADS of it....such as soups, gravies, and chocolate bars.

Expect to pay much more to buy a gluten free product...., even more than double what you would normally spend. Note, that the Canadian government has some kind of tax incentive for people who can medically prove that they are "celiac" . Therefore, if you are interested in that kind of tax incentive, you should save your store receipts for anything you buy that is gluten free. Contact your tax professional or the Canada Revenue Agency for details.

I have noticed that some canadian grocery chains are finally noticing the market for gluten free items and have developed their own store brands of gluten free grocery products. Two stores that seem to be doing a pretty good job of it are  Zehrs and Food Basics. Food Basics even has a whole section devoted entirely to their new gluten free product line.

Lots of gluten free items are made with rice......rice breads, rice crackers, and yes, even rice pizza dough. Note, though, that foods made with rice won't make you feel as full as your old glutenish products did.....but at least you won't activate an unwanted response.

People who can't eat gluten respond to any ingestion of gluten in a HUGE variety of ways. Some people are very extremely reactive to gluten and can become seriously ill from ingesting even the smallest amount of gluten. Other folks who consider themselves "gluten intolerant" can handle tiny amounts of gluten, but may have reactions to gluten that are more inconvenient and not life-altering.
These reactions may include bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, moodiness and
emotional upsets. The gluten may affect their levels of energy and their ability to fight off common colds and flu viruses. They may feel uncertain about traveling because they may not be convinced that they will be able to find gluten free food in their destination of choice.

So what to do? Do your best, my friends, and listen to your doctors. If you aren't having any success with your current "modus operandi", then, go and get a second opinion from another doctor.
You don't have to suffer unnecessarily. Strive to create a lifestyle that you can handle, that is productive and functional. If you are having trouble coping with it, seek some help.

If you are finding the lifestyle very difficult to handle, there are supports around in some communities for gluten free living. There are ooodles of websites to browse . If you are unable to figure out what to do, maybe your local librarian can help you find the support you need.
My point is, that the gluten free lifestyle can be a formidable endeavor, and if you are serious about sticking to it, you may need to get some outside support.
i want to encourage you not to give up, but to figure out ways to make it work for you.
Peace,
Carla

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