Lights, Camera...Dessert!

They were having a gluten party at The Bakery. They call it "Dessert Night". Since it is for gluten eaters only I wasn't going. But I went to the Pre-show. That's when the professional photographer came to clickety click those luscious looking morsels of sugary goodness. He's a regular too.

It was a "real" photo shoot with one of those 12' umbrella lights, a spotlight and a tripod. He never told the cake to "show me more emotion". He didn't have to. Those cakes were quite expressive on their own.

I found it funny to watch customers come in and not even blink about the photographer and lights. Just here to buy cookies and bread...

I got to taste the fillings for the crepes. Just a spoonful. The Baker could see the look on my face and he said 2 things:

I need the rest of that!!

and

All is right with the world now...

I nodded in agreement. In my world, at this moment...all is right.

The Bakery...where everybody knows your name.

I haven't posted about the Bakery much lately but that doesn't mean I haven't been going there regularly. Oh I've been going there regularly alright. And Saturday when I walked in 2 hours later than I usually go and was greeted with a chorus of "where have you been!!" from the The Baker, Mrs Baker and the "regulars", I wondered if possibly there was a slight chance I've been spending too much time at the bakery.

Late on a Saturday afternoon there are not too many real customers. I know that because if a "real" customer comes in The Baker tells us (the regulars) to be quiet. That's how you know you're a regular.

You see late on a Saturday afternoon is THE MOST FUN TIME AT THE BAKERY. In my humble opinion. I've popped in at other times and it's just too busy for my liking. I'm sure The Baker likes those times. But I don't.

I like Saturday afternoon because the sun shines in at just the right angle, casting an extra special glow on the yummy trays behind the glass. The Baker is done making his magic delight-able delectables in the kitchen for the week. Mrs Baker puts on the music that makes us all happy. And over an endless cup of coffee or a tea (for $1.50) we talk about nothing and everything.

So why was I late?? I was all discombobulated from working different shifts this week and couldn't get organized plain and simple. And isn't that what Saturday is for? Well that and going to the Bakery.

So lately The Baker has accused me of having no friends outside the regulars. He doesn't even count himself as a friend because I pay him to be my friend. If you baked gluten free bread for me I'd pay you too. Now I've even brought friends in with me so I don't know WHAT he is talking about...I also brought someone I gave birth to...

Have you ever watched Hell's Kitchen? We were saying that The Chef is not too far off from The Baker. When I walk in and it's too quiet I immediately know The Baker is not there. And he tells us to be quiet when a customer comes in. Whatever.

The Baker challenged me to bring a friend in which I did last week. And it turns out they knew her. She's a regular at a different time(not Saturday). And she just happens to be from Oklahoma City, OK. So The Baker said I don't even have local friends and I had to go that far to import a friend. Again I say...whatever.

So now I'm up for the challenge. Calling all friends! Wanna join me at The Bakery on a Saturday afternoon?
Oh and remember to be quiet when the real customers come in...

It turns out The Baker hangs out at Starbucks on the days The Bakery is closed. I don't know why I find that funny....but I do. I had this vision of an exact replica of The Bakery in his kitchen. Guess not.

A Baker's gotta have a place to be a regular.


Click here to read another post about The Bakery...one of my personal favorites.

Gluten Free Challenge and Triumph

I've been gluten free almost 10 months. And it is still a journey of discovery. Up to Christmas it was steady improvement. Then after the New Year it all started to inexplicably unravel. Unexplained reactions, rashes, hives, illness. It's been rough. People asked me what I had eaten, told me to take better care of myself, go for extensive testing. I was frankly demoralized at feeling that I had done all that I could and yet was still sick. And then a discovery.

Every product I was applying externally had WHEAT OR OATS in it. Right there on the label of my lotion, shampoo, body gel, hair gel. It was the third ingredient on one. I have had the worst reactions from oats. I know some who are gluten intolerant can eat oats. Not me. That is what was in the lotion I was slathering on at work. Bath and Body Works...I'm gonna miss you. I would get to work and break out in hives. Then take meds for the hives while still applying the lotion. Antihistamine, cortisone cream and prednisone. Thank God for prednisone. At one point my buddy offered to make prednisone cookies for me!

It was because of a post I saw titled the 10 silly mistakes I made going gluten free.

So I feel so much better now! And Easter was a wonderful feast after months of suffering!! (I guess that is what Lent is for, right?)
Big thank you's to these special people:

• Nana's Bakery for the AMAZING GF BLUEBERRY PIE
• Irene for the STICK TO MY RIBS CHILI and asking how to make a meal gluten free
• Barb for the best feta cheese this side of the Aegean Sea and the whole grain gluten free crackers and taking me for GLUTEN FREE FISH AND CHIPS IN TORONTO at Broadview and Danforth
  
• El Mayor restaurant and the waitress who first asked if "gluten" was Arabic, then went out of her way to tell me everything I could and could not eat when she understood
• Frances for listening, for warming up the pie and ice cream, for coming to Easter Vigil, sharing Easter Sunday and for being so darn lovable

Florida Friday

This weeks theme has been the importance of taking care of yourself.It is really hard for me to say these words. I am a professional caregiver. And for most of my life I was last on my list. My life has come to the point where I really can do it now. And I must do it now if I am to live the rest of my life in health. But sometimes I feel guilty about it. Bear with me as I work through this.

Fridays are a very good day. I have my favorite treatment at The Chiropractor after my rehab work out on my favorite equipment. Last Friday I had a chance to chat with Tracy, one of the angels (and they ARE angels) who work there. We sat for a few moments in the amazing sunny window and I pretended I was in a very warm place...Florida (which isn't always warm in January...but I'm in Canada so I imagine it must be warmer there than here). And I said Fridays are like a trip to Florida for me. It's Florida Friday! And at the very same moment we both thought that sounded like a blog post.

I showed her my cashmere socks. They are the most luxurious and soft socks in the world. It is amazing what only 5% cashmere can do to socks. Now this is where I must say that they were under $5 and were purchased at the grocery superstore because I don't want to sound self indulgent. I make a distinction between pampering self-indulgence and taking care of yourself.

Saturday I met M.E. (not to be confused with M.E. C.) at The Bakery and immediately we were regaled by The Baker's tale of an injury which I will not describe here because it gives me the shivers. He continued working (going to the hospital later in the day) and suffice to say THAT pain is deflecting the pain in his back. My motives for him taking care of himself are purely selfish because he takes care of my ability to have freshly baked gluten free goodies. I am glad he is taking care of himself by visiting the chiropractor and going to the hospital and the clinic.

Cashmere socks, chiropractic, medical attention, hormone replacement therapy, exercise, swimming, healthy eating. These were some of the topics of conversation this week.

Remember to take care of yourself, OK?!

January Hibernation/Inspiration...

I haven't posted for a while. January is a hard month for me and anything I thought of posting sounded really negative and not so inspirational. My theory? My people are from the Mediterranean and I haven't acclimatized yet....somebody tell me again why they left??

Oh yea...a better life...yada yada...

It's cold here. There's no sun. Actually today it IS sunny but it's cold sun. See what I mean? Negative. I've been sick but I won't give you the details. It wasn't pretty. There were witnesses and they would concur.

So what am I going to do to get through this month? This is my plan: go to the gym, go to the bakery, watch videos, listen to net radio. What would I like to do? Go someplace warm and sunny with a pool.

I have a LONG way to go towards fitness but I have to tell you it really is true. It feels good to exercise. I go after work in the middle of the night. Sometimes its raining, sometimes its snowing and always I am tired. But after 30 minutes on the bike I walk better, sleep better and have less joint pain.

The Bakery is one of my weekly stops. Unlimited refill coffee cup and lessons in life. Oh and gluten free goodies. I am in love with the GF flax bread. The Baker went global. He appeared on a local radio call in show that is available on the net. He's a natural radio personality, a font of food info and when he's on again I will blog it so EVERYONE can hear My Baker.

I invested $3.97 in a DVD with old black and white TV shows from the 50's and 60's. 15 hours of viewing entertainment from a simpler time. I could critique the slowness, the silly jokes, the stereotypes but I enjoy it too much.

My radio doesn't get good reception so I am so glad that all my favs are on the net: Joyce Meyer, Relevant Radio, the CBC. I WILL be a better person.

And on a happy note we have a new addition to the family. Gracie Lou is a 120 lb St Bernard/Bull Mastiff. I'm not a dog person but I like this one. She has a sweet disposition and is really quite lovable. Pictures soon. (Be nice...she's sensitive about her size...)

What inspires you in January?

(The pic above is the place my people left...)

Remember your Nana's kitchen...

I went to the bakery twice last week. I smell like cookies and bread...gluten free of course.

I go for the cookies and bread. I stay for the stories. Some people go there twice a day. I forgot to ask if the unlimited coffee refill applies if you step outside and come back later. While there I met the first gluten free customer they ever had. She was just stopping in for an order and to give a Christmas gift before she left for a winter trip to Florida. She was very excited to have passed her driving test again. She always gives Mrs Baker a hug for carrying her gluten free goodies to the car.

There was a new GF product....Christmas "crackle". I love it!! However, the Baker says this may be the one and only batch of crackle 'cuz he has no idea how he made them. He is confident enough in his skills to admit they were ginger cookies gone wild. They all ran together in one mass of crackley goodness. They may never happen again.

The Baker and I are both allergic to real Christmas trees. We also both had those silver artificial trees as children, those ones with long, straight tinselly branches about a foot apart. Instead of "Andy Williams"... we had "George Jetson".

I loved hearing about their trip to Mexico in February. Since he was "in the business", the Baker got to tour the kitchen of the hotel/resort. It was their first big vacation in years and a well deserved one in my opinion. I hope they take another one soon. Getting up to bake in the wee hours of the morning can wear you down a little. We can't be having any baker burn-out around here. Please. Renew that passport. Plan another trip. Shut the shop...but not for too long! And make some more crackle please!

I think I am definitely a "regular" now...