Of Corn and Computers

Breaking news of the day: I ate corn! A friend dropped by to visit this afternoon and brought with him a bag full of freshly picked corn on the cob. It had occurred to me on the drive up here that the opportunity would probably come up to try corn again, and it did. I just couldn’t resist giving it at least a little try.

Fresh corn

My allergist had advised me to cut out corn for several months in hopes that it would lessen my sensitivity to it. Since it had been about that long, I figured that now was as good a time as any. It doesn’t get any better than eating it hours after it was picked! It was SO good!! So far I’ve had no problems. I’m maybe a little itchy around my chest and arms, but nothing major. It’s hard to tell if that’s only my imagination. I think I’ll give it a few days and try it again before we head home.

My corn

In more important news: Jesse finally has his new computer! We have been planning this purchase for quite a while now, he was so excited when it was finally time to go to the apple store.

Purchase

We have been watching our budget very closely these days. We are working very hard to save money and not spend money spontaneously. Our goal was to get ahead a little in the business account and then earn enough on top of that to pay cash for the new computer.

BoxOpening box

With all the programs Jesse usually has to have running at once, the laptop would often have a hard time keeping up with him. I know he was frustrated with being slowed down by his computer, but he was determined to stick with his goal. He wanted to prove to himself that he could be wise with his money unlike he used to be.

New computerHappy Jesse

I’m so proud of him for EARNING his new computer before purchasing it. I had one very happy Jesse after making that purchase. We decided it would best if I drove home from the store so that he could play with it on the way home.

Jesse's office

It turned out to be great timing that we were able to make the purchase right before coming to Grandpa and Grandma’s house. He’s been able to set up his entire office here and work like he would have at home. Plus that means the taptop is now free for me to be able to use. Good work Jesse, I’m glad you’re happy with your new purchase.

Millet

Bulk milletMillet is another one of my new allergy friendly snacks. I never would have thought to try it if a friend hadn’t recommended it to me. According to my limited (Wikipedia) research, millet has very similar nutritional value to wheat and is a much more common food in other parts of the world. Since it’s gluten free it’s a regular ingredient in many of new my new snack foods, but I like to eat it plain as well.

I buy millet at my favorite health food store, Nutrition S’Mart. It comes packaged or we like to buy it in bulk since it’s much cheaper that way.

Preparation is very similar to the way you would make oatmeal. The millet first has to be rinsed and then boiled in water. I measure out one cup of water and 1/3 cup of dry millet. The millet is brought to a boil and then cooked at a lower temperature until all the water has been absorbed.

Rinsed millet

I’ve found that the best way to eat it is with lots of brown sugar sprinkled on top. It’s a filling snack and is super satisfying when you are in need of something sweet.

Millet cereal

Yummy!

Enjoy Life Foods: Granola

I ate cereal with my breakfast! I haven’t been able to eat any cereal in months. I bought Enjoy Life granola a while ago, but hadn’t tried it until now because I was afraid the milk would bother my stomach too much. I finally gave it a try and was fine with the small amount of milk.

Granola

The granola is super yummy. I tried the cinnamon flavor first. It’s very cinnamon-y, which is great! The main ingredient is brown rice flakes. And of course, all of their products are free from the top eight most common allergens so I know they are always a safe choice. I love their brand!

Being fine with the milk makes me think it’s time to give some of my other allergens a try too. Supposedly, eliminating my allergens for six months will make me more tolerant to them again, as long as I have them in very small amounts. It makes me a little nervous to try the other foods again since I had more unpleasant reactions to them, but it sure would be nice to not have to worry so much when eating away from home. I’m getting close to six months now so we’ll see.