Damn it! One by one my kitchen appliances were starting to bite the dust. I’ve come to ask myself if this is me or some universal force trying to tell me that I should step away from gadgets all together. Two broken blenders were more than enough to push me over the edge. I was convinced that I wouldn’t get myself another blender, ever. Of course, this and other New Year’s resolutions ultimately failed. The homemade pesto, bulletproof coffee and warm soup fanatic in me wouldn’t overcome this loss. Or to put it differently, without a blender I’d need to retire from blogging all together.
I still doubt the necessity of most other gadgets though. Let’s consider the exemplary ice-cream machine. The idea to make our own sugar-free ice cream whenever we want sounds fantastic at first. But then winter kicks in early and the tool disappears somewhere in storage for some 9 months or more. Not the kind of tool I like to spend my money on to be honest.
But what if the object of desire is no ordinary gadget after all? What if it has the potential to be a companion for life? A tool made from elegant wood, with an indestructible stainless-steel roller. A gadget propelled by your own body power rather than nuclear power from the socket. A helper for your everyday needs and beautiful to look at!
“And then she jumps to her feet to dance her little happy dance!” – This is me, everytime I look at this little fellow. It was love at first sight! This buddy here is definitely still an insider’s tip, on it’s way to becoming a mandatory household item everywhere. …
Now and then I get invited to talk on other blogs by other inspirational bloggers, who also happen to be affected by fructose malabsorption, IBS or allergies of some sort. Before every interview I worry that I won’t have anything new to tell. But I’m always surprised at how much I learn about myself and my own habits, when asked the right questions. Eva (individualisten.at) and Danée (lucyvstheglobe.com) know their craft and I’m particularly proud of being featured on their blogs this month.
The culprits: Black tahini and coconut butter! The victims: Two broken kitchen machines in less than a week, one of which wasn’t even mine.
It’s not always easy. People like you and me, are surrounded by endless menus, we run around supermarkets for hours, but in the end we still end up going home hungry and annoyed. “Do we really need to add onions, wheat, tomatoes, sugar, honey and dates to every freaking dish?” According to research, “every third German suffers from fructose malabsorption”, so do I really need to argue with the waiter when all I need to know is exactly what they put in the that dressing? Whoever came up with fructose malabsorption, must have loved complaining. After all, it’s what really comes naturally to us (sarcastic undertone), isn’t it?…
The word is out: Last week I gave my final approval for my very own cookbook to go into print, but my small chipmunk heart is still pounding like mad. Between writing posts, testing recipes and the usual chaos here in Istanbul, I somehow forgot that the real excitementis only just about to begin. Writing a cookbook on the quiet is one thing. But waking up everyday to your good wishes, knowing that there are people now actually waiting for my cookbook to bet published, that’s pretty absurd.
There may have been few signs of it lately on FRUCTOPIA, but don’t be fooled, fructose malabsorption still plays a major role in my life. While I sometimes feel as though the symptoms are not worth mentioning anymore, I can’t help but remember the hell I used to go through before receiving the liberating diagnosis. Who would have thought, I’m actually feeling rather fine these days. True story.
Seeing lettuce heads hanging low, mere pale shadows of their former selves, while all the iridescent and plump berries have retired to the freezers emphasizes the writing on the wall: Winter in Turkey has arrived. Not only are the temperatures dropping, so is the availability of fructose free fruits and veggies. But don’t despair, there are still some fructose friendly gems around just waiting to be turned into warming soups and stews, hearty casseroles and fondues. All we need to do, is to switch our focus from green to white: Wake up dear celery roots and parsnips! These days we require more nutrients and energy to keep us warm than during any other time of the year. …
Last week I was eating myself through several spelt products to test my personal level of tolerance. What can I say? I’ve fallen in love with it. I didn’t experience any side effects no matter what sort of spelt product I was eating. What’s more, spelt or “Dinkel” in German is a very popular grain here in Germany. That is why you can find a gazillion spelt products in almost any supermarket and, even better, freshly baked spelt bread at any bakery that sells quality bread. Wohoo!
Willkomen in Fructopia! In dieser kleinen Welt dreht sich alles um ein gesünderes Leben ohne Fructose, ohne Zucker, ohne Weizen. Schön, dass ihr da seid! 
