May 09, 2012

Hey cupcake!

Well. I have fallen off the face of the earth. How does one get back on? By telling a story?


My daughter's daycare asks the kids a question every day and records their answers for the parents. It's fun to get insight into their minds and helps us get to know her classmates. One day the question was "What was your favorite thing you did this weekend?" My daughter's answer was "Making cupcakes with Mama!" And the next day we found out about her gluten intolerance. Dangit.

I will start by saying that I know we are so lucky. It isn't diabetes, or cancer, or anything we can't fix. And it is a great chance to make healthy changes in the food we eat as a family. But I love being a mama who says "OK!" when my kid says "Let's make waffles!" or "Let's make cookies!" and I feel a little adrift, grasping at recipes online and boxed mixes where I used to feel so confident and capable. Having to decide whether I really want to use "potato starch" or "xanthan gum" in anything I cook.

I've gone from cooking 80% of our meals to cooking 95% of our meals. And I guess that 15% difference was the space that my blog lived in? Instead of writing posts during my online time, I've been looking up recipes or figuring out if I can grind my own brown rice flour in my blender. I recall a similar food-readiness obsession during my first pregnancy. That time it was freezer cooking. I was like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter. This time it's broader. Healthy homemade food that is quick and kid friendly and also gluten free. No biggie, right? 

I want to feel capable of feeding the family when #2 arrives in two months and rocks our world all over again. So instead of sewing I've been in the kitchen. These days I simply can't rest until I've made the carrot muffins with almond flour, or tried homemade yogurt in the new slow cooker. Hearing my intense state of mind you probably won't be surprised to learn I had a few days of contractions a couple of weeks ago, just to keep everyone on their toes. Happily the little guy is still inside, right where we want him, head wayyyyy down and leading me to waddle a lot earlier than I'd prefer.

And that's that. Everyone is adapting. A week into the gluten free diet my daughter proclaimed "My tummy and my booty feel better!" Which made me cry. And we just celebrated my birthday with... cupcakes. Gluten free, hedgehog cupcakes, that my daughter and I made together.


Things are getting back to normal, (or, the new normal), and I expect to back in the swing of things here soon. The days grow warmer and we have rediscovered our backyard and our neighbors. And I've even spent a bit of time here and there in the sewing room. Is there any better therapy?



I'm not sure what these will become, but that's just the kind of project I'd like right now. Hope you are all doing well out there, blog-folk, thanks for all the support and encouragement and checking on us! I wish I was better at responding to emails and blog comments right now but life is just happening so fast.... Until next time!