It is not that gluten-free eating saved my life (or that I used to be morbidly obese). It is not that I am still shocked that cancer sucks. It is not that my heart is still broken over Blondie.
It is also not that I am pregnant, nor am I engaged, switching jobs or launching a cool new project (ok I am sort of doing that).
I am also only sharing this with you because it is the reason for the delay in my second ebook. And because it caused me to almost quit blogging.
This post is part of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, a group of gluten-free bloggers inspired and empowered by Ruhlman‘s Ratio. We get together each month and post many different takes on the same theme. This month that theme is Gluten-Free Crackers and the rally is being hosted by Rachel from The Crispy Cook.
This is a post about crackers. Which happen to be another something I don’t care too much for the commercially available options, and I always thought that baking them was incredibly labor intensive.
I took a break after my incredibly sad month to refocus, to heal. To breathe. (Something I often forget to do). I needed to grapple with sudden heartache and cancer’s grip stealing people, and I needed to do it in private. Read more
I have some pretty amazing friends (I have probably told you that before), and I am certain that is an understatement. The thing is, they are all easily bribed. Learning how to bribe fairly compensate show gratitude for your friends will get you far in life. Offering food in exchange for advice helped me land my current job.
I try to keep this blog all about the food. But today is one of those days where I cannot ignore real life. Most days real life is designing websites and working with cool people. It is brewing beer with coworkers and grabbing drinks with friends.
Today’s real life was filled with heart break. Blondie ended our 3 and a half year relationship. I am going to go to bed for the first time in almost 4 years without talking to him before I go to sleep. We will hopefully be friends. But today I can’t be. Today, I need to be sad. In real life and blog life. (side note – please do not bash Blondie or tell him what he is missing, he is still a good person with a big heart and a smile that can light up a room. Just because our time together is over doesn’t mean he deserves any ill-wishes).
I am trying to “smile because it happend, not cry because it’s over”. But I think that is going to take time. Right now, I need to escape. I need to escape to where I have control and no one can make me sad. I need to take some time in the kitchen.
When I am in the kitchen, my brain quiets, the world slips away. The hum of old faithful is hypnotizing. The motions of baking are calming. When my world starts to crumble, I can find refuge in my kitchen. Worries and stress melt away. There are no clients to please or deadlines to hit. There are no time budgets to watch.
It is just me, old faithful and some kitchen magic.
I just hope there is enough magic in the kitchen in the coming days. I have never had to cook away a broken heart before.
People have suggested wine and chocolate. But I know I just need a hug and a bourbon. Ok, I need an endless supply of hugs, someone to squeeze my hand and tell me that I can conquer this too, and an endless supply of homemade ginger ale to go with my bourbon.
You also might notice that this is not mexican fruit salad and grilled fish. I felt the need to live on ice cream. (Project info is after the recipe).
| Homemade ginger ale with a kick |
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This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration from a wide range of food bloggers. Each week, I will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us! My posts for this project can be found here. This month’s host is Sarah who posted the original recipe and you can see all the other brilliant salsas on this week’s roundup (check the comments).
This year is the FDA deadline for creating standardized gluten free labeling. This will be a godsend to me, my family and my friends who must follow a gluten-free diet to stay healthy. The proposed rules state that a product can be labeled as gluten-free with less than 20ppm gluten. There is lots of science behind why this is thought to be a safe level. There are less than 150 days until the FDA will issue rules that will make gluten labeling as clear as allergen labeling. And it is about dang time.
Last may, Jules (from Jules Nearly Normal) baked one ginormous cake. The largest gluten-free cake ever. They got the attention of the media and the FDA.
This year, the movement is showing its support for the progress that has been made, with its campaign, Cupcakes for a Cause. (If you want to know more about what they are doing, you can visit their site or follow them on twitter).
(these are my cupcakes)
They are asking everyone to post a picture of cupcakes in their facebook event, with one for each year that you have been gluten-free. Once you post yours, you can like other people’s photos to vote for them. If your photo has the most likes, you can win a whole box of gluten-free prizes and cookbooks. So, go bake some cupcakes! There are different categories for things like kids (under/over 12, presentation, most years gluten-free, etc.), and then spread the word & invite your friends!
I posted mine, an adapted version of Kyra Bussanich‘s winning cupcakes from Cupcake Wars. Her’s were already gluten-free, but I made a few adjustments.
I would have made up my own cupcakes, but these just sounded so very good…and they are from a cupcake wars champion after all! 🙂
I buy a bunch of new cookbooks and cooking magazines. I read them, cook from them and let you know if they are worth your purchase or not. Read on for my review of one of my latest purchases, the Joy the Baker Cookbook.
I buy a bunch of new cookbooks and cooking magazines. I read them, cook from them and let you know if they are worth your purchase or not. Read on for my review of a newer favorite of mine, The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen. Read more
When I come home from work, I feel like I get pastry super powers. I get to work at being someone who gets to throw around terms like frangipane and galette and genoise. I get to put my French degree to work because I understand recipes and histories of pastries wrtitten in French (because we all know that the French invented pastry). I want to invite you to my gluten-free pastry super-power club. Today you are going to learn how to make frangipane and you are going to be astounded by the fact that it takes 3 minutes to make (after you measure out your ingredients). You are also going to be able to throw around the term frangipane in normal conversation.
This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration from a wide range of food bloggers. Each week, I will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us! My posts for this project can be found here. This month’s host is Alissa who posted the original recipe and you can see all the other brilliant salsas on this week’s roundup (check the comments).