The Golden Ticket

For this blog entry, I want to veer from gluten-free cooking.  I am feeling reflective today.  It is so very important for us to "stop and smell the roses" as we journey through this life.  Dieter Uchtdorf sums it up perfectly with the following thoughts about the golden ticket:

"In the beloved children’s story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the mysterious candy maker Willy Wonka hides a golden ticket in five of his candy bars and announces that whoever finds one of the tickets wins a tour of his factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

"Written on each golden ticket is this message: “Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket … ! Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you! … Mystic and marvelous surprises … will … delight, … astonish, and perplex you.”³

"In this classic children’s story, people all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket. Some feel that their entire future happiness depends on whether or not a golden ticket falls into their hands. In their anxiousness, people begin to forget the simple joy they used to find in a candy bar. The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.

"So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about. For some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.

"There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings—we hope and seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”⁴ The problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event—our golden ticket—to appear...

"The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy." http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/forget-me-not?lang=eng&media=video

It is easy to plod along and forget that we have many things to be thankful for...and people who love us.  Often God works through other people to help us to know we are loved by Him.  Again, Dieter Uchtdorf: 

"At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him!"  http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/you-matter-to-him?lang=eng

"Come What May, and Love It"

Life brings a lot of twists and turns, and celiac disease is no exception.  Our quality of life can be greatly impacted by our attitude.  Joseph B. Wirthlin once said, "Come what may, and love it.  I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life." 

Along with a positive attitude, I have found exercise and proper nutrition to be greatly important for both my mind and my body.  Our health insurance association started a program that has helped my motivation to exercise.  If we exercise 5 days a week for a half hour, and complete a personal challenge (such as drinking more water, or eating a food with antioxidants with each meal), we can get $25 each month.  I have the hardest time drinking enough water.  I tend to get busy during the day and I forget.  This challenge helped me.  Even though I fell short (by 3 days) meeting the challenge and getting the money, I still improved greatly in this area and it was worth it.  I decided to try it again with a new challenge, with the idea that even it I don't quite make the goal, at least I am improving.

So..."come what may, and love it!"  Since we have to deal with celiac disease, we may as well learn to eat a gluten-free diet happily.  Let's get after our goals and choose to react in a positive way.  Let's go after something exciting and fun. Think of something to look forward to, like making a new bread recipe from my cookbook.  :)  

About Me

My name is Susan Bell. Aside from being a cookbook author, I am also a busy mom. The idea to write a cookbook came to me when I, after being diagnosed with celiac disease, was wondering what I could eat. That prompted me to search for recipes that could be celiac-friendly.

My mom was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1996.  I remember thinking, “How terrible!  I hope I never get that!” 

In 2003, my sister found out that celiac disease is a genetic disease and tested positively.  Our own tests followed, because I was wondering whether I or any of my six children also had the disease. 

We found out that three of eight in our family have the gene for celiac disease.  We did our testing through Enterolab.  We also had blood tests done, but found them to be inaccurate, since the blood tests showed proteins in the blood for all eight in our family, even those who don’t have celiac disease.  For this reason, five members of the family were on a gluten-free diet for two years until they were properly diagnosed. 

We later found out that 30% of the population have the gene for celiac disease and do not manifest it at all.  One of our sons didn’t get sick when he accidentally ingested gluten.  We decided that we should let our son try gluten-containing food again, if he felt good about it.  After about a week, he decided to eat wheat and has been doing great.  We still plan to follow up with an upper g.i. to make sure he doesn’t have hidden symptoms and to find out whether his villi are flat or healthy.

I wrote a cookbook because of the need for recipes that taste great!  My sister and I started a support group for our area, and we have treasured the friendships we have gained and the opportunity to learn from others about how they deal with celiac disease. This experience has been invaluable. Having celiac disease and being aware of it has changed my life, but it also helped me develop into the person I am now.

How is our lifestyle different from those who still eat wheat? Our day-to-day life nearly always includes:  reading labels, extra baking, converting new recipes, no envelope licking, candy to my daughter to make up for the treats she can’t have, hope that a cure will be found, and the joy of feeling well.