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Two years ago, at the age of 38, I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, including wheat and dairy along with sensitivities to sugar and gluten. I discovered I needed to change my cooking, shopping and dining habits overnight. Weighing 250 pounds, exhausted and with near-debilitating health problems, I began my quest for advice and recipes.
Finding little practical and specific information, I started from scratch creating modified, allergen-free recipes, many inspired by stacks of treasured family recipes left to me be my great-grandmother. Fully immersed in the process, I enrolled in the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago and will complete their 15 month program later this year.
Now allergen-free and symptom-free for two years, I've shed almost 100 pounds, work out, run, and I am strong and healthy. I have successfully built a delicious life around my allergen challenges and now want to share my recipes, food tips, and insight with others. I believe that leaving out the allergens doesn’t mean leaving out the fun.