Eating Gluten-Free at Barrio Cafe in the Phoenix Airport

Gluten-Free Airport Eating

It wasn't even the holiday season yet, but I was looking at a layover of undetermined length in the Phoenix airport.

Undetermined because my flight had not (yet) been cancelled for weather reasons. But I can evaluate weather forecasts too.

Regardless of whether I got on my scheduled flight or not, I had enough time for a real meal. And I thought I had better take advantage of that time to get just such a meal, since the rest of my day was still so undetermined.

See, layovers are not all bad. Time for a sit-down, leisurely lunch is good. Time to chew. Time to shallow. Time to absorb. Time to digest.

But it wasn't exactly a relaxed lunch. I still didn't know when I was getting out of that airport. Or how many other airports I would have to endure in the same day. Or if I would make it to my intended destination that same day. Or not.

I'm always on the lookout for a gluten-free meal, especially when traveling. Often the gluten-free compromises are less than satisfying.

Barrio Cafe in the Phoenix Airport

Men and Dogs

Book Review

Men and Dogs, by Katie Crouch.

I was reading classics and well-known older novels for awhile. And then I realized I was kind of missing out on the current releases.

So I started looking for newer novels.

This looked like it could be fun. So I read the back. And more than one snippet of praise claimed that this book is "hilarious."

Hilarious? I'm good with hilarious.

And why not? 

Many of the men I know have or have had dogs. The men in my family. Friends. Acquaintances. Hmm... come to think of it, this title could refer to just about a quarter of the population.

Okay, not really. But really.

Anyways, it sounded like this would be worth a try. So try it, I did.

Men and Dogs

Giddy Up & Go Granola - Notoriously Nutty

Gluten-Free Granola Challenge

I was back visiting in the House of Granola and needed to buy an appropriate snack. While in the House of Granola, one must have granola at hand.

Gluten-free granola for me, that is.

A previous purchase of gluten-free granola left much to be desired.

So the challenge is on. The challenge is to find a suitable gluten-free granola that truly passes as granola. And is tasty.

So I went shopping. And I found this. 

I should have read the package more carefully. Or maybe it is better that I didn't. If I had, I might have been scared off by the name.  

I don't do "giddy up" anything.

I am not a fan of western talk. Or western wear. Or western ware. Or country/western music. 

Never mind that I am from the west. And proud of it.

And I ride horses. Or I used to, back in the day. For hours at a time across BLM land. Through hills like these.

In western saddles.

I'm just not western. 

I'm not even remotely into "western" anything. Despite desperately missing the west.

Please make a note of the difference; west versus western. I am from the west, but I am most definitely not western. 

I'm sure glad we cleared that up.

If I had read "giddy up" while still standing in that grocery aisle, I might have put this back.

Giddy Up & Go Granola - Notoriously Nutty

Gluten-Free Lasagna

Feeding More than a Few

It was New Year's Eve morning. I got a call from our friends taking us up on our offer for dinner that night.

New Year's Eve dinner. Cooked by me.

Yes, they did acknowledge that they weren't giving us any notice. But that's okay. They are friends and we had offered days before.

But now I had to scramble. No, not eggs. Scramble to get more ingredients. The menu was already set, but I didn't have enough of everything to add five people.

Now I was cooking for more than eight. With only enough ingredients for up to eight.

Sometimes even I can do simple math.

I was planning on making lasagna, and one pan usually feeds eight. I might have been able to squeeze enough appropriately-sized servings out of one pan for all of us, but I wasn't about to risk it. Not for dinner at my house. I needed more ingredients.

So, out I went to fetch what I needed.

Gluten-Free Lasagna

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Book Review

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

Walking through the library some many, many weeks ago, I noticed a display of books. Each book was propped on a stand with a card sticking out of the top. I had to investigate.

Each card sticking out of each displayed book was a recommendation from a specific librarian.

This was a display full of recommended books. Favorites.

That sounds like a good place to get ideas for what to read next. Except that I almost never need more ideas. I usually have too many books to read. I usually have to take books back before I find the time to read them.

This time was no different. Except that I picked up this book. Even when I had more than enough to read already. Even though I didn't know when I would get to it.

But it looked exotic sitting on that recommendation table at the library.

I had to get it. And I didn't regret it.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

Book Review

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini.

This was an easy book to pick up. I was browsing the large print aisle at the library.

Yes, I do this. No, I'm not a senior citizen. Yet. No, I don't have particularly bad eyesight. Yet. No, I don't need reading glasses. Yet.

I browse the large print aisle because I like large print for reading on my treadmill. I can read normal-sized print when I walk on the treadmill, but not so well when I jog. Too much bouncing to follow a line of print comfortably. This is where large print really comes in handy.
 
Yeah, yeah, I've tried audio books when on the treadmill, but I can only tolerate staring at a blank wall for so long. Even while listening. I need something for my eyes. 

Large print does the trick. And the librarians stopped smirking at me in the large print aisle years ago, once they learned how many books I read and how many miles I cover in a year. And all this is recreational. None of it counts as part of my full-time job. The walking/jogging or the reading.

Oh, speaking of reading...

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker