My name is Teresa and I am a celiac…..
I’m married to my best friend, who happens to be a Dairy-Free Type 1 Diabetic. I’m also a mom to two fabulous people. One is a Celiac and the other is Not (she prides herself as being the ‘normal’ one in the family!). Our family has a few dietary restrictions, yet I don’t think any of us really notice…. most days! It is just our ‘normal’. Of course, food IS part of our daily life but it doesn’t rule our life. I hope what I’ve figured out along the way can help you.
My doctor said that she believed I was a celiac since childhood, due to the damage. Yet, I had never heard the word celiac until I was an adult. The day that I was diagnosed, my doctor scared me to death with her chat about what could happen if I continued to eat gluten. Her words stuck with me and I never ate gluten again!
Just to let you know a little bit about me, my dad is a professional glutenated baker. Before he retired, he got up early and baked for about 50 years! When I was a child, I could walk into the bakery and the ladies behind the counter would let me pick any mouthwatering donut I liked. Of course, I picked the biggest one I could find!
When I was first diagnosed, I really needed my doctor’s words in my head to keep me from eating gluten. Her words helped me to be able to walk away from ordering a donut with my Tim Horton’s coffee. Or saying, ‘No thank you’ when my extended family gathered and ate cinnamon buns around the kitchen table. Or smile politely when a friend or family member made fun of my gluten free food, never thinking that I didn’t have a choice about this gluten free diet and that this wasn’t a fad diet for me. It was hard, in the beginning.
Yet, I appreciate my doctor’s fear tactic approach. It worked for me. She told me that if I ate gluten my chances of cancer and other autoimmune diseases would increase, that was enough to walk away from a donut or a really great tasting bagel.
Once my son was also diagnosed celiac, I had a desire to learn how to bake gluten free. I did not want my boy to loose the tastes of home. He really was my inspiration to learn! I read a lot of books, cookbooks, blogs, I took courses and I began to understand the chemistry behind gluten free baking. My background in dietary technology also helped and made me want to add nutrition whenever I could. Over the years, I have adapted my Grandma’s, Mom’s, Sister’s, Friends and Mother-in-law’s old family recipes to be ‘gluten free style’. I have enjoyed revamping and changing old and new recipes to make the baked goods have excellent texture and taste.
I no longer have any desire for gluten and have not for a long time. BUT if you are finding it hard …. I hope my recipes and tips help you enjoy eating baked goods again! Bread and muffins do not have to crumble and gluten free food does taste good! My family and I enjoy the food we eat very much. Take the time to learn some techniques and tips and you will be equipped to carry on some of your old traditions gluten free style.
You can follow my blog or social media and I will give some tips, ideas and recipes. Grab one of my cookbooks and enjoy cooking some great gluten free food in your kitchen. Or, if you have difficulty baking gluten free, then sign up for my baking videos to equip you with the skills you need to be successful. I hope you are successful at baking gluten free and carrying on traditions.
I use ingredients that are not hard to find, the baked goods taste excellent and the recipes are not complicated, YOU CAN do it!
By the way, many people seem to get confused on how to say Gluten Free ‘KOB’. Let me explain, KOB rhymes with BOB and stands for ‘Kid Okay’d Baking’. My celiac and non celiac kids have OKAY’d each and everyone of my gluten free baking recipes. I hope you also enjoy and ‘okay’ Gluten Free KOB.
Enjoy!
Teresa