November 24, 2008. Tapioca Calling.

5:51 p.m.

What a different Thanksgiving, this year. My stormy relationship to the country's most favored grain is deeply changing the event. However, because I am diligent and conscientious, and because I love projects that let me put off more lucrative endeavors like promoting a Celebrancy business and making books to sell on Charles Street in Boston, I am taking responsibility for some of my meal, so that I can have as close as possible the true Thanksgiving Dinner experience.

The dishes I committed to are: an acorn squash recipe we had in Austin that is out of this world; gluten free stuffing and gravy, and a gluten free and largely sugar free pumpkin pie. All the baking must be done here prior to going to Rose's house, as her oven will be very busy. I was going to have to make, from scratch, cornbread to make the stuffing with, and ginger snaps for the pie crust, in addition to making the actual stuffing, pie, and gravy. And squash. This is hours of oven time and a day and a half of effort.

I got lucky at Wholefoods, I must say. I found a g.f. stuffing mix that I can doll up with the celery, the pecans, the onion, etc., so no making of cornbread. Then I found g.f. ginger snaps for NOT $11.00 a bag, like the last ones I'd found. (ELEVEN DOLLARS for a bag of cookies? With not even any wheat in them???) These were more like the usual bag of g.f. cookies.

Still, the grocery run involved the buying of several kinds of flour (brown rice; soy; tapioca, to add to my quinoa and bean flours) and other powdery things (baking powder; cornstarch; xanthan gum... what the hell is xanthan gum?). Things are no longer straightforward in the baking department. It amounts to a lot of money and a commitment to doing a lot of baking this winter.

I also found, at Job Lot (along with the weather stripping), doggone Tapioca Pearls. ANGANGANGANGANGH!!! (Sound of wordless, slobbery delight) I LOVE tapioca pudding. I used to make it with my mom when I was a kid. The only kind I've eaten in recent decades is Kozy Shack. It's delicious but pretty sugary, and not homemade. I have a plan to make this with Stevia and maybe a little Agave nectar (very low on the glycemic index) instead of sugar. I might do it tonight. I even got some milk. Later I'll try making it with soymilk, but for now I'll just make the change in sweetener and see how that goes.

I refuse to give up dessert.

Meanwhile the living room is done and beautiful. I've a mind to spend some time in there tonight. I get to go have a mammogram and a GYN exam tomorrow, lucky me. (Actually it is lucky me, as I get them free through a special program.)

Okay; tapioca calling.