Another GF Blog? Really?

Yes! This is a blog about being gluten free! No, I hope it isn't a typical blog. I discovered that I would need to live Gluten Free a few days before my birthday this passed March. For those who know me, I love cake. No, I seriously love cake (and cookies, donuts, danishes, baked goods)....a lot. So imagine the tears when I received a call from my doctor's office telling me that I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I know it probably sounds ridiculous to cry over cake...and it certainly is. However, at the time I had no idea what life would be like with out WHEAT! You never really think about how much wheat one can consume until it becomes a big no-no.

Now, I tried to deny this need to avoid gluten and had some unhappy consequences. Fortunately,  I have a wonderful support system and on my birthday, I came home to a freshly baked cake (thanks, Brian). I was so so happy to be able to eat boxed cake on my birthday. So my birthday weekend started my journey to not only live gluten free, but healthy as well.

As I was posting on the lovely Facebook about my new life style, my first year teaching mentor, Lisa, posted to me that she too was living gluten free. Little does she know (until she reads this) how relieved I was that someone I knew understood my situation. Since then we've swapped ideas, discoveries, and then she said to me one day (via Facebook) about how fun it would be to start a blog about living GF in the Lehigh Valley. I thought it was a great idea. After an overly irritating trip to Wegman's yesterday, I was inspired. And here we are.

My hope and goal for this blog is to share what two people are learning, eating, and discovering in this progressive world of Gluten Free. I hope that you, reader, find some help, inspiration, or even make a GF friend. Thanks for reading!

- Mandy

A cupcake that I made from a recipe from a fellow blogger....