After a long, long road of misdiagnosis; medications that made me feel worse than better; the wrong diets; the wrong food choices; gaining weight; losing weight; doctors who say this, doctors who say that; needles; blood tests; liver biopsies; ultrasounds; and medical bills in so many different piles I can’t see straight, here I am.

Finally a diagnosis that might be right. It seemed horrible when I heard it. But, I feel better already and that’s all that matters. I can’t eat wheat, rye, or barley products. I can’t have much sugar, and I have to keep my carbohydrate count low. It leaves me with few options. My nutritionalist calls it the hunter-gatherer diet. I call it sucky.

Alas, I will put on my apron and begin the journey of learning to cook. I always always a great baker. I loved making cookies, cupcakes, banana bread. Anything with flour, sugar, oats I could bake, and bake well. Not anymore. Bye-bye to those fond memories of delicious apple pies baking in the oven. I will learn to use new ingredients, things I would see and scrunch my nose at, vegetables that look at you funny, and honey or agave nectar where sugar once poured.

I look forward to the challenge, a little scared to taste some of the things I will make. But I promise, I will give accurate descriptions, even when I royally screw up, even when the dish tastes like shoe, no matter what so that you out there will know what to try and what to avoid!

I will photograph and document these adventures with the hopes of bringing flavor to my flavorless life. Sans flavor no more! And so the journey begins…

I hope you gain knowledge, get ideas, feed your belly with new recipes that you might have been scared to try and share your experiences with me as well.

~Nicky