Hi and thanks for stopping by. I’m Cinde, a foodie who loves teaching people to cook and have fun in the kitchen. I know you can learn to make the foods you miss and create a gluten free lifestyle you love.
Why Did I Start My Blog?
In 2009 my friend was diagnosed with celiac disease and I naively thought I’d just learn to bake her some nice gluten free things. Wow, it didn’t take long for me to discover that cooking gluten free was hard! So many ingredients I’d never heard of and didn’t know where to find, recipe disasters one after another, it was disappointing and sometimes expensive.
I persisted but the learning was slow and often painful. Five years later I finally figured out a flour blend I liked, understood new techniques for gluten free baking and suddenly I could bake things that were awesome! People started asking, “is this gluten free?” That motivated me to share what I learned with the gluten free community.
The Website
Eventually my husband built this website and I started sharing recipes. My tips and tricks are sprinkled throughout the site with blog posts on related topics and overall help for a gluten free lifestyle. I now know many people who are happy and healthy living on a strict gluten free diet and that’s what I hope for you.
I write about organizing for success, cooking with a seasonal strategy and hopefully I provide some inspiration to get you in your kitchen and excited about creating your own culinary adventures.
The Stomachless Food Photographer
I live in Calgary, Canada with my husband Jim who takes all the photos and videos. In 2019 Jim had his stomach removed after being diagnosed with stomach cancer so we now refer to him as the “stomachless food photographer”.
Of course you’re wondering, what he can eat? The answer is just about everything, in small amounts. He still loves food; cooking, eating and taking pictures of it.
Who are Justin and Astrid?
Our son Justin, is a young actor who graduated from the University of Victoria in 2021. He’s got good culinary skills and friends who love food. My favourite thing is to hear them talking about food and their willingness to accommodate all dietary restrictions. Gluten free, vegan, food allergies, they can figure it out.
Astrid is our dog. She can be seen in my Instagram stories and IGTV, most often with the big treat that she gets just before I start a virtual cooking class. She hasn’t appeared in a food photo yet but you can read the story of her eating 9 chocolate cupcakes in the description of this recipe, Black Forest Cupcakes.
What Do You Do When You’re Not Cooking?
I love sports. When I’m not in the kitchen I play squash and golf plus I love outdoor activities like hiking, skiing and kayaking. In the spring and summer I garden and enjoy spending time at our family cabin in Moyie, BC.
For the community I volunteer with the Calgary Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association hosting the Kids Meetup and the Celiac 101 Information Night.
Health Care Experience
I am a registered respiratory therapist and certified respiratory educator. For almost 30 years I’ve been helping people with asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis learn to manage their chronic condition. I also teach health care professionals become certified educators so it is one of my passions. With health education and food being my two passions it’s natural for me to share about food and make it fit into a restricted diet.
Will You Ever Do In-person Classes Again?
Our cooking classes went completely virtual in 2020 because of the pandemic. By doing this I’ve reached a new audience and people appreciate the chance to learn more from their own kitchens.
In 2022 I hope to start some in-person classes but will continue with virtual classes too.
What Is The HEALTHY ME Lifestyle Course?
As well as the classes I’ve developed a digital course called HEALTHY ME. This course if for anyone new to the gluten free diet or still struggling with the lifestyle. The gluten free diet is hard, there’s no doubt about that. Being a foodie and a health educator I brought my skills together to help people transition from overwhelm to confidence. The digital course, HEALTHY ME, will be available in June 2021.
What Do I Get If I Join The Community?
Subscribe on the BLOG PAGE and you’ll get my weekly update and a new recipe or blog post every Friday. The welcome email series will tell you more about what you’ll find over here plus you’ll get resources for how to cook with gluten free flour. Download the free ebook, How To Cook More Everyday Meals if that’s what you need.
