The new normal

I decided it's time to get back to blogging.  Food has always been such a huge part of my life and I find myself wanting to share this latest journey in hopes of helping others who may be in this same new normal.
Back in the summer, we thought my son might have become gluten intolerant.  The Dr was very quick to have blood work drawn to rule it out.  It turned out to be nothing and he has been fine since.  While the Dr was rattling off symptoms, I was making a checklist in my head and realizing that a lot of the symptoms that I had matched that of someone who was intolerant of gluten.  I was nauseated all the time, frequent trips to the bathroom, and fatigue were at the top of my list.  I was soooo sure it couldn't possibly be that.  After all, I'm a baker!  I work with gluten EVERY DAY!  But the crappier I felt, the more pressed I felt to give it a try.  Sure enough, a week of no gluten and I was feeling great.  I didn't feel like I was going to throw up constantly and my trips to the bathroom slowly started to lessen.  Still, I wasn't convinced.  Maybe denial is a better word.  Slowly though, the denial started to go away and the reality set in that this was going to be my new normal.  I had already started to offer gluten free cupcakes to my clients after hearing stories about how they could never find anything that tasted good. Now that I am finding myself to have this same issue, I find that my options are VERY limited especially when eating out and of course the tasting good part as well.
My plan with this blog is to share with others recipes, brands, tips and anything else I might come across that would help someone else with the same frustration- what to eat!!!


I had a lot of requests for the recipe for gluten free Monster cookies.  I am finding that online websites such as Vitacost.com have the gluten free oats cheaper than in the stores.  This has been one of my biggest 'missions'.  To figure out how to eat gluten free inexpensively.

Monster Cookies

4 1/2 cups gluten free oats
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar*
1 cup sugar*
2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 stick of butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup M&M's

Cream together eggs, sugar, butter and peanut butter.  Add oats, baking soda, chocolate chips and M&M's.  Stir together.  Spoon out approximately 1 TBSP per cookie onto a cookie sheet and flatten with your fingers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min.

*If you would like, you can cut the sugar in half.  Still tastes great and a little healthier to make.  I make them with half the sugar and let my kids eat them as a snack.  I also like to use raw sugar.  Just another way to make them a little healthier.

Cupcake flavors

Cinnamon and Sugar
Chocolate chip and Orange
Mojito
Orange and Buttercream
Guava and Cream cheese
Key Lime Pie
Lemon curd and toasted coconut
Mint Chocolate Chip
S'mores
Death by Chocolate
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Rocky Road
Sweet and Salty- Chocolate cupcake with popcorn and drizzled chocolate and caramel






Flavors in development-
Pina Colada
Peach Bellini
Guiness and Irish Cream




Mini Cupcakes start at $1.25 for one, $1.00 per cupcake for 6 or more.  


Regular Size cupcakes start at $2.00 for one and $1.75 per cupcake for 6 or more.  

CUPCAKES!!!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter 

Cookies and Cream 

S'mores 

Mint Chocolate Chip 

Chocolate Chocolate 

Chocolate Chip Orange 

 Lemon Curd with Toasted Coconut

Raspberry and Cream 

Peanut Butter and Jelly 

Cinnamon and Sugar

aaarrrrgh Matey!

Raya's birthday

This was for my daughter's 4th birthday.  I had this Rapunzel cake all drawn out and I couldn't wait to get it started.  Then we took a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium.  And every day after that trip, all she wanted was a 'pink dolphin with a flower' just like she had seen in the gift shop at the aquarium.  There was no changing her mind.  So out went the Rapunzel cake and in was the pink dolphin!  She was very excited to see it and that meant more than anything to me!

So much to do so little time!

I am currently trying to update my blog with all the recent things I have been producing!  Keep checking back for more updates!!!  Including my most recent additions to cupcake flavors!!!!

Hot Wheels!!!