Why is this???? There are certainly adults along the autism spectrum, and the children that everyone seems so very single pointedly focused upon do tend to grow up when ones back is turned. And gee, they become adults. I truly applaud the efforts of parents to help their children and the network of information that has ensued. I guess what I’m grousing about is the dearth of stuff available to many adults that need it….and I know many.

While I understand that statistically speaking there are a whole lot fewer girls than boys that are AS/Autistic, I also understand that it tends to manifest very differently in girls and women than in the male of the species due to gender based neurological differences. Speaking statistically again, girls are far more likely to be misdiagnosed due to these differences in manifestation. I know that was certainly the case in my life.

I’d love to hear from y’all adult spectrum specters. Have you found resources? Diets that work? Coping Mechanisms? And how about the stuff that doesn’t work?

Inquiring minds want to know

On a side note I had my first GFCF dinner party the other night…oh and add VEGAN to that as well.

I did a lasagna that was pretty darned good, if I do say so myself. BUT the crowning achievement of the nite was dessert…rich chocolate layer cake , filled with marion/raspberry filling, coated with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache and decorated with fresh berries. This was served with a very rich bittersweet coconut/chocolate ice cream that I whipped up. It was good by any standard, let alone gfcf.

I’m insufferably pleased with myself at this point.

If you’re on a gfcf diet what dishes do you miss the very most?

If you’re NOT on a gfcf try and extrapolate…which dishes would you miss the most?

Beer doesn’t count, people

Sound off! I’d really like your input on this one!

As I had mentioned in a previous blog, I am now writing down all of my GFCF recipes as well as devising new ones. My goal is for dishes that aren’t just “good for what it is” good but rather “OH MY GAWD that’s good” good.  I did a ‘cheese’ sauce based Potatoes Au Gratin with Ham that fit the bill this last week.  It made my gluten and casein consuming husband very very happy.

I’m not only transcribing existing recipes but devising new ones as well. The idea in my little brain is that since I cook all the time anyway, I might as well put it all together into a cookbook. If any of you have leads on publishers that would take such a manuscript I’d gladly accept any information.

My mom seems to think that I could do this with one frying pan tied behind my back. I’m not so sure.

My big issue so far has been which things to leave out. Only a bit over a week in and I’ve got 10 pages just on sauces, and I’ve only covered 2 of the French mother sauces and a few variations.

Iwillnotobsessiwillnotobsessiwillnotobsess

Most of the rice and soy creams out there are pretty rank. It seems that if one doesn’t eat dairy one requires copious amounts of sugar.

Not so with Good Karma desserts, which I glibly call my favorite Rice Cream. It’s smooth and has the unctuous mouth feel of full fat dairy ice cream. It’s not too sweet. It has add ins like chocolate cookies…..

AND it’s organic, gfcf and works for sustainable farming practices.

What’s not to like?

You can access the company’s website here for more information about their products

1. Because there is no possible way that I can separate my artistic process from my autistic function. Believe me, I’ve tried and tried again. In order to begin to explain my work in any kind of real fashion I must address the autism and visa versa.

2. Blogging gives me an avenue to actually express where I am in either process in a manner that is less socially awkward and potentially alienating i.e. the ability to edit. It’s also helpful the the reader decides when they’ve heard enough

My work is an area where I apparently have a really difficult time interacting like a civilized human being. This forum also gives me a place where I can send people that are interested in what’s happening in that area of my life without having to traverse that slippery social slope.

If I perseverate, (an action I once had a friend call “arting in my face”) the reader can opt out on their terms, no harm, no foul.

3. I hope that I can, in some small way, dispel some myths and stereotypes that surround Adult Autistics and Apergers folks from all areas of the spectrum.

I don’t claim to be any kind of expert on the subjects that I am putting forward for public perusal.

All I can do is share my personal experience.

As far as the potential social stigma? Well, I’m capable of committing social suicide all by my lonesome. This blog isn’t going to make a whit of a difference there…..

Each piece that I start is worked on to the same music, much to the consternation of room mates and spouses. Apparently, each painting has its own soundtrack.

It seems that an internal routine gets set with the music and I have an almost impossible time re-finding the mindset that I was working from when I stop working. I hate it when my my train of thought derails! Music serves me by blotting out external stimuli, which I have a hard time filtering.

Music also acts as a sort of emotional/ intellectual mnemonic device for me. It helps in keeping my work from becoming overly preoccupied with detail and stiff. In short, I can set aside technical aspects of art and ride on an emotional stream pouring out of the speakers.

A wall of sound protects me from the outside world and allows me to put my brain on artistic/autistic autopilot. This frees me to work as I see and at hand rather than dealing with niggling mental subroutines.

I tend to get utterly immersed when listening to music anyways, working or no. Sometimes my eyes roll back in my head and I cry unconsciously.

When I’m perusing new cd’s to purchase, one of the biggest criteria is “Can I work to it?”

which is , btw, one of the greatest compliments that I can pay any given album.

Currently in heavy rotation are:

Afro-Celt Sound System: Anatomic

Sound Track: Tout Les Matins du Monde Crappy film, GREAT performance by Jordi Savall

Bjork: Post

Tanzwut – Ihr wolltet Spaß Tanzwut are the boys from Corvus Corax plugged in

Gjallerhorn All albums. An awesome group of Swedes residing in Finland. As a didg player as well as visual artist, this stuff makes me crazy

In Extremo All albums. Another Mittelaltel Metal band from Germany, similar to Tanzwut

Mozart: Requiem Mass performed by the Wiener Philharmoniker

Actually finding casein free products that taste decent has been a bit more problematic.

Now who’da thunk that there’d be casein in SOY CHEESE for crying out loud?? I mean who the hell eats soy cheese except those sensitive to milk products and vegans??? Almond cheese too.

I want to know which brainiac in product development decided that this was a good idea. Having an ooey gooey melted texture isn’t going to do the company any good if it makes their clients sick now is it?

I also found out my favorite bratwurst from the Alaska Sausage Company (awesome products btw) while being gluten free has milk solids in it. Poop.

A few cool finds though.

Ghee is caesin and lactose free. WOOHOO for butter taste! I think I can add it to baked goods with a non trans fat margarine to get that oh so not duplicable flavor.

Soy yogurt is a pretty good substitute for sour cream or thinned a bit for buttermilk. It also drips out fairly well and can be used as a soft spready cheese like ricotta or sweetened for use in place of marscapone. The drip thing takes longer than with regular yogurt, but oh well.

Hmmmm. Maybe I should think about a cookbook. I’m cooking anyways (always have), I just tend not to write things down. Mayhap I should start…..

EDIT: I have since found that Tofutti brand soy cheese does NOT contain caesin! The Mozzarella sort even tastes ok! I’m going to try out a GFCF lasagne! Tinkyada rice pasta ROCKS!

I’m an artist. I’m also a musician. In addition to these things I’ve also been diagnosed High Functioning Autistic/Aspergers.

Now the autism label can be fraught with mythconceptions. I don’t necessarily consider it (at least for me) a disability…well, maybe at parties. Rather I consider it to be who I am, rather like having blue eyes or an allergy to ragweed pollen.

More importantly I hold firm to the notion that I don’t need to be “Cured”, social interaction difficulties aside.

In the coming posts I’m going to try and document my artistic process, my thoughts on autism in general and whatever else strikes my fancy.