meet sarah
It all began with a little girl, wanting to be right by her mom's side…in the kitchen. For as long as I can remember, I have had a love for baking. My mom was the best at making fabulous meals and treats from scratch, without a recipe. Loved that! My grandma was an amazing baker too and passed down her legacy to my mom. I guess you could say that it has now been passed on to me. Forever I will be grateful for my inherited love of baking.
In the summer of 2010, my baking journey came to a crashing halt. My husband found out that he has celiac disease. For those who don't know, celiacs is an autoimmune disorder where your body cannot digest gluten (wheat, barley, oats and rye). All I could think was, "how am I going to bake without flour?!" To add to our big life change, I found out that I have a gluten, dairy and egg intolerance. I've had stomach issues for as long as I can remember. I knew dairy bothered me, but I had no idea about gluten. My son Kaden, also had tummy troubles and by eliminating gluten from his diet, realized he has a response to it as well. Oh my!
I started trying new recipes and let's just say…it was a whole lot of trial and error! My spirit was crushed as I would open up the oven door, only to find my cookies were melted into one big giant crusty cookie mess. What was a non-gluten free baker to do? God didn't give me this passion to just be smashed by the dreadful gluten. I was going to bake again. I was going to be a darn good gluten free baker too! I finally decided to come up with my own gluten free flour blend that I could use in place of all-purpose flour. I had so many favorite recipes that I was dying to bake again. I was able to use my blend in just about any recipe for cakes, cookies, and muffins that really did work. The victories were starting to far outweigh the defeats. Praise the Lord!
My family and friends were pretty happy when they would see those treats coming to their door. I was starting to create desserts that no one could even tell were gluten free. They were amazed! It really was a proud moment for me, to know that I could continue my love for baking. My kitchen is now 100% gluten free, but it most certainly isn't cupcake or cookie free!
I have had many friends ask for my recipes once they try my treats. It's been on my heart for some time now, to start a blog where I can share my gluten, egg and dairy free baking adventures with all of my family and friends…and those who are scared to try baking gluten free. I just want those that have celiac disease or a gluten allergy to enjoy blackberry cobbler or a chewy peanut butter cookie again! There are those (scrumptious) simple things in life that just aren't worth giving up. Don't give up baking…just bake gluten free with me!
My heart belongs to Jesus and my family. I am married to the most amazing man. Kevin is so supportive and is always encouraging me in my greatest passions in life. I just love him! I also have 4 precious kids, Kyri, Kaden, Julian and Serenity. Adoption grew our family from a family of 4 to a family of 6 in 2017. I am a stay at home mom {which includes all the craziness that comes with that!} and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also get to share my recipes as a blogger, here on Sarah Bakes Gluten Free. What a blessing it is to be a wife, mother, friend and baker. All roles that bring me great joy!
