What's the Point of All This?

I fell in love with the art of baking at the age of 20. I had just bought my first home when my amazing grandma (my Nini) called me up, asking if she could come over to teach me to bake bread.  First, we had to make a shopping trip to Good Will- because that's how we do. :)
After she showed me bread, I was instantly hooked! (I found kneading very therapeutic)  From that delicious classic, I expanded to cinnamon swirl raisin breads, pumpkin breads, cupcakes, and so forth. It was my happy pleasure to bake delicious and inventive treats for my friends and family.

In early 2011, I began a friendship with an extraordinary woman named Kathy.  We met for tea and a chat and I offered to bring something baked and wonderful along. She politely said that as much as she would love that, she did't think there was any thing I could make that was safe enough for her to eat. Huh?
To me that seemed a bit extreme but I said ok :) While we talked, she shared with me what gluten is and how Celiac had effected the last decade of her life.  As she described some of her symptoms to me, my wheels started turning. 

Before this point, I sort of just considered myself a bit of a hypochondriac. I had all of these seemingly unrelated issues- strange weird peely eyebrows, and migraines that would take me out for 3 days, tummy troubles, and other things. Because of these issues (especially the skin and tummy stuff), I thought that perhaps I had a food allergy. I had started tracking what I ate and how it effected me with a food diary. But I had no insight yet. I didn't realize that something like Gluten could be in so much!
Kathy had planted the idea in my head and encouraged me to be tested as well.

In April of 2011, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Although there is no cure for this disease, the solution to effectively treat it, is to follow a strict Gluten Free Diet. So on May 1, I began a completely gluten free diet. I found out quickly that there were Many things in my current diet that I could no longer eat. But I suddenly began to see things labeled as gluten free at almost every grocery store I went to!  These items, though a bit more expensive, gave me hope. The more research I did, I discovered that you can create or purchase a gluten free version of just about anything

What's more, in just one short month of eating carefully, I felt like a brand new person! It was a long time until I had another headache. My skin cleared up, my tummy was happy, and any other symptom remedied itself. It is incredible how soon my body bounced back. After all, I wasn't born with the full-blown disease. It lay dormant in me until I had a stressful situation or a surgery (for some ppl, it's a pregnancy or emotional trauma, or extreme weight loss or gain) sort of woke it up. 

But now that I'm here, now that I know how to fix it, I do whatever it takes. 

I have an incredible husband.  We were still dating when I was diagnosed. Without his support and encouragement, without his willingness to taste test my trial and error creations, I highly doubt I could have made it this far. He also knows how important it is to help our sweet son understand the challenges he'll face eating gluten free in this gluten-filled world.?

Gluten Free is... GOOD?

Going Gluten Free is not Just a fad.

Deciding to pursue a gluten free diet is actually saving lives.

1 out of every 133 Americans has been diagnosed with full blown Celiac Disease, while 1 out of every 24 has either a gluten intolerance or allergy.

10 years ago, that statistic read 1 out of every 6,000.

Celiac Disease is the most common genetic disease in America today. It effects your duodenum.
What the heck is that?
It's that space where your stomach ends and your small intestines begin. This part of your body is lined with feelers, sort of like hairs, that absorb nutrients. (We call these villi)
With Celiac, when you eat foods with gluten in them, your villi are stripped and can no longer absorb nutrients from your food.
(Picture a new tire being rubbed raw, even becoming bald by rough terrain)

That is where the problems begin. Symptoms of Celiac (even intolerance) can show themselves in so many different ways.
Some people are suddenly and dangerously anemic. Many people suffer with Chronic Irritable Bowel issues (constipation or diarrhea or both!). Some get migraines while others are lactose intolerant. Still, some people even have itching, peeling skin. Symptoms can also cause victims to lash out with nutty mood swings or make you infertile. Few unlucky people may have all of these issues.
Not everyone with Celiac has any of these issues (there are many more symptoms not mentioned here).

That is why it can be very difficult to diagnose. Ultimately, it can lead people to diabetes and other life threatening complications.


So if Celiac specifically causes so many problems, how do you fix them?
The sad news is, there is no cure for Celiac Disease. Following a strict GLUTEN FREE DIET is the proven way to mend your damaged body.

So where do you begin?
There are many blogs out there that speak to those who live a life free of gluteny goodness. This is just one of them.
I highly recommend  http://www.celiaccentral.org/Celiac-Disease/21/ (the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) for information that is easy to understand and relate.

Celiac.org and Celiac.com are also great resources.

If you are just starting out and basically all that you know is that you can never ever eat sour dough bread or sheet cake or zaxby's celebration special, or a chicken quesadilla from taco bell ever again, I want you to stop for a second.
Take a deep breath.
(exhale)
It's going to be ok.

The best news of all is that there are alternatives for literally Any food that you can think of!

I am here for you.

You don't have to "live without". You just need to learn to substitute.
It's been more than two years since I have dropped the gluten. I have never felt better in my life! No, I don't eat those things anymore (although sometimes I dream that I accidentally go through the drive thrus at those particular restaurants), but I have learned to cook in a different way. It's the same, but it's different.

I'm here to tell you that eating gluten free food doesn't have to be disgusting. Although, I consider myself a realist; I know that there are some pretty gross gluten free foods out there
I'm also a very honest, picky eater. I have the right to be. I am an American after all. :)

Here is why this blog exists: I will post what I eat, along with how to make it. I will be honest about how delicious or gross it is and I will be happy to share insights along the way.
My dream is to one day open up an all gluten free bakery in the Charleston, SC area.
That is how good my GF cooking and baking is.

Seriously.
So with a little help, I feel confident that you can get a handle on making GF yummy too.

Let's do this!