In response to the original poster's statement: you do not *need* an enormous amount of protein to start your day. In fact, one does not require a large amount of protein per day at all. Rather, this is a gross exaggeration on the part of various "how to get fit" diet books. What you need to kick start your day is a lot of vitamins and micronutrients with some good sugars. To do this, I usually mix about 1/3 of a pineapple with 1/2 a mango in some orange juice, then embellish with a variety of other fruits or berries such as banana, cranberry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, kiwi, or really any fruit that would taste good with the pineapple/mango base. The fruits are a good kick start (especially the banana and pineapple) because they are natural "feel good" fruits that contain a little bit of caffeine (*dramatically* less than in coffee, and far far less than even in green tea, but present and functional!). They will literally make you feel awake, aware, and alert. If you are a busy-body and don't get around to lunch often, it's important to add some healthy fats in with this shake either in the form of a splash of olive oil, or more ideally, a heaped tablespoon of coconut milk (preferably with no preservatives, but that's a rare find these days). Mix this all up in a blender until smooth (or you could eat it all raw, but that takes a long time and you're looking for a quick fix). "But what about protein?" Well, first of all, fruit has more protein per calorie than meat or beans do. That's because a lot of what's in a fruit is water or calorie-free minerals and the like. As such, your body is packing on fewer pounds per unit of protein it is extracting. Secondly, you don't WANT a bunch of *excess* protein, because this negatively impacts your overall health and has been linked with heart disease, early stage diabetes, and a variety of dermatological pathologies, most notably acne and cellulite. Moreover, you can add a raw egg yolk or two (be sure to mix the min with a fork rather than the blender as the friction with the blades is sufficient to cause heat denaturation of the fragile amino acids in an egg yolk) to your drink. Egg yolks are loaded with natural amino acids as well as good HEALTHY cholesterol (as opposed to 7-ketocholesterol). On days when I do not work out and have a light schedule, I have found that this one meal keeps me full for basically the full day without making me feel bloated or 'stuffed.' For a creamy alternative to coconut milk or olive oil, try peeling and pitting an avocado and sticking it in with all the other fruit. It sounds gross, probably, since avocados have such a thick texture on their own, but blended in with fruit it makes the whole smoothie taste like you added a shot of cream or ice cream to thicken it, and is one of the most pleasant add-ons to a recipe I've ever tried! In closing, let me say that I have drawn all this information from an authoritative source which is available online at www.freeacnebook.com. The first link on the page takes you directly to the book which is a few hundred pages of information about dermatopathologies and their link to diet as well as an explanation of why the diet this book recommends will work. It is well-researched, and cites all the major assertions the author makes. As a research biologist, I loved that this work cited its sources, since many diets are content to say "The FDA said so," and leave it at that! Finally, I have been on this diet for around 2/3 of a year and have lost 60 pounds (I'm convinced I would have lost more if I had been more overweight, but I'm now at an ideal weight for my height, build, age, etc.). More importantly, my level of energy has increased, my attention span (which was not bad to begin with) has improved, my IQ is measurably higher, and I feel more alert and oriented than I ever have in my life. I should note that when I was younger I was an athlete, and I feel more fit than I did as an NCAA division 1 rower. As such, I can't see any draw backs to this diet, as it has done nothing but make me healthier, happier, and keener. It's done the same for friends and family who have tried it. Up to you what you want to do with it, but either way I applaud you on your decision to eschew grains or dairy as they are addictive, noxious substances that cause you to eat 10% extra calories, resulting in obesity or chronic health conditions. Sincerely, Dave Stratton

This corn & pecan dip has gotten raves on the Food Forum. Corn & Pecan Dip 2 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened ¼ c. lime juice 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp ground red chiles (I used 2 tsp cayenne and it was plenty hot) ½ tsp salt dash black pepper ¼ c vegetable oil 1 16-oz. can whole-kernel corn, drained 1 c. chopped pecans 1 small onion, diced (I like more) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except corn, pecans, and onion. Beat until smooth with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in corn, pecans, and onion. Serve with tortilla chips Or how about the classic spinach & artichoke dip? This recipe is from Southern Living. FLORENTINE ARTICHOKE DIP 1 (10-ounce) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed 2 (6 1/2-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely minced 1/2 c. mayonnaise 12 oz cream cheese, softened 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 c. freshly shredded Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 c. French breadcrumbs, (homemade...see note) 2 Tbsp butter, melted DRAIN spinach; press between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Drain and chop artichoke hearts. Combine spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic, and next 4 ingredients, stirring well. SPOON into a lightly greased 11" x 7" baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs and butter; sprinkle over spinach mixture. BAKE uncovered at 375° for 25 minutes. Serve with assorted crackers, bagel chips, or breadsticks NOTE: To get 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, tear off a piece of baguette. Pulse in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Measure crumbs, tear off another chunk, and repeat procedure until you get 1 1/2 cups These toasts are excellent. Robust Onion Cheese Toast 1 cup mayonnaise 1 8-zs pkg cream cheese, softened 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled 2 Tbsp chopped parsley 2 Tbsp minced onion ½ teaspoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce ½ teaspoon white pepper 1 loaf sliced cocktail rye bread Combine mayo, cream cheese, blue cheese, parsley, onion, garlic, pepper sauce and white pepper. Cover and chill for 2 hours to let flavors blend. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. Spread 2 teaspoons mixture on each slice of bread and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic and chill until ready to serve. To Serve: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover baking sheet and bake 10  15 minutes until toasts are puffy and slightly brown.

Shambo, I often make my favorite apple cider brined pork loin, it's something everyone likes, from the gluten free to the meat eaters and a pork loin will serve lots of people. It works equally well with chicken, and the meat can be done on the grill with really good results. I've cut the salt down to half because I wanted the apple cider flavor, and it was still pretty good, I don't know if you could cut it out entirely or not. Cider Brined Pork Loin 3 cups water 3 cups apple cider 1/4 cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 bay leaf 1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed 2 cups apple cider Cooking spray 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preparation Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Preheat oven to 350°. Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Place pork on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat pork with cooking spray. Combine rosemary, sage, and black pepper; sprinkle evenly over pork. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until thermometer registers 155°, basting twice with cider reduction during final 20 minutes of cooking. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Note: Overnight brining tenderizes the roast. If the cider reduction becomes too thick to brush on the pork, warm it in a saucepan over low heat. I've found that the Ronzoni and Mueller's gluten free pasta is actually pretty close to "regular", I can't tell the difference and neither can the kids, so big pasta dishes are a possibility, like steak tips with noodles or baked ziti. Turkey is always a "go to" in my family, and most of us like grilled salmon, glazed with some maple syrup. Kabobs are good for everyone too, and I make various marinades, using Bragg's Aminos instead of soy because it's gluten free, but it's still got sodium, so be careful with that if you're going the teriyaki route. AnnT's Salisbury steaks can be made gluten free easily, and are flavorful enough that the salt or other ingredients wouldn't be missed. I often make swiss steak to be served with rice or mashed potatoes, and pot roast is easy and can be made ahead without a lot of last minute prep. Most of all, just have fun! Annie

I'm saying a heartfelt hello to many familiar faces on this thread! Have been out of town/working and have missed everyone. Hope to have time to post more in the future. Ellie RK: We just had a breakfast similar to the one you're planning that included GF, DF, fodmap diet, chemo, etc. etc. etc. :) Oh, and I have a nut allergy:) It may have been a little more casual than your event, but all enjoyed. The basics: We had scrambled eggs (I used water in the eggs -- I always have), bacon, Canadian bacon, ham and sausage (lots of guys). I cut, diced, cooked, green/red peppers, onions, and mushrooms. I also made some salsa. I had some cheese. I made sourdough bread, dairy-free sourdough English muffins (below), bought GF bread from Trader Jo, corn tortillas and then made dairy-free banana muffins (below). We had salads, fruit and I wished I would have done potatoes but I was transporting this to mom's house and ran out of laundry baskets:) I loved watching everyone make their plates. Lots made breakfast sandwiches, other were "separatists", my dear friend on chemo just wanted toasted English muffins with grape jelly (yeah! I can do that). I had prepared a more formal luncheon for a larger crew the weekend before (pulled pork, salads, desserts) and "deconstructing" is probably the most efficient way to serve many different needs. Banana muffin recipe using dairy-free margarine: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17652/banana-crumb-muffins/ Sourdough English muffins dairy-free (I made mine wheat): http://www.mykitchenaddiction.com/2012/04/sourdough-english-muffins/ As an aside, the banana muffin picture was sent to my son at school. His response: "I like the crumb to cake ratio":) And yep, too many pictures hanging on the phone:) Also, why did no one tell me about bacon in the oven?????? Oh my word -- I fairly danced when that worked! Good luck -- I know everyone will enjoy your heartfelt efforts (that's the important thing:) Cathy in SWPA