Contact: tessa@saltedplains.com
After several years in New Orleans and New York City, I settled back in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, with my husband, Heath, and our two pups. With a masters in counseling psychology (school counselor by trade), I also have a degree in music (violinist) and coach swimming.
In October of 2012, I went gluten-free on a whim after a conversation with a friend about the possible connection between gluten and migraines. Suffering debilitating migraines since the age of 14, I spent years trying the gamut of medications, doctors, acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, stress relieving activities, caffeine–you name it–in order to prevent or save myself from a 12-hour migraine episode that many times landed me in the ER. Why not drop gluten? I thought. What do I have to lose?
It has made all the difference.
Since then, I have become fascinated with turning my love of baking and cooking into creating gluten-free treats and meals that taste good. In August 2014, after a year of extreme fatigue, weight gain, and depressed mood, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Removing gluten from my diet has been vital not only to my migraine prevention but for my overall health with an autoimmune disease. The connection between the two now seems so clear.
Many of the recipes you will find here are also dairy-free or vegan, and I strive to use whole ingredients and bake without refined sugar whenever I can, often using my favorite natural sweeteners–honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar.
Whether you are new to gluten-free cooking and baking or just want a good place to start, here are a few of my favorites:
Want an easy gluten-free cookie recipe? Try these Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Brownies to please a crowd? Try these Gluten-Free Brownies.
Something more on the savory side? Try this Heirloom Tomato and Ricotta Tart with a Cornmeal Almond Crust.
