Cup of Coffee with Katie

Since I got sick, there are certain questions I get asked over and over. However, the one that takes the cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free of course) is easy:  “Katie, I just don’t get it, how do you stay so positive about all of this?” And the answer to that one is even easier. I grew up with someone who taught me, not by words but by example, that humor and laughter are the best weapons with which to face any obstacle or battle. My dad was an amazing man. He was kind. He was funny. He had a laugh that could liven up any room. He was smart. He loved to sing. I’m also 98% certain he was tone deaf.   There were few things he loved more in life than Burger King Whoppers and Diet Pepsi. He had the charm of a salesman (which he was) but the moral compass and selflessness of a saint (which he also was). He was the strongest person I’ve ever known. By the time I entered his life, he had already defeated a brain tumor. He still suffered from migraine headaches an...

Yep, I'm sorry: chances are Cher is now stuck in your head. Don't worry, it's a great background theme for the remainder of this post :-) Last weekend I had a big moment in my allergy journey. I arrived at a social event with my own snacks, situated my bag in a corner of the kitchen, and started filling a plate with my veggies, hummus, and chips before heading into the other room to join in the festivities. There, not only did most guests not even notice since my plate looked oddly similar to theirs (minus the croissant sandwiches of course) but one person happened to walk into the kitchen as I was refilling my plate later and she said something that nearly brought a tear to my eye, "Let me guess: food allergies? Gluten? I have two friends who do the same thing". I smiled an appreciative grin and responded with affirmation but added in my dairy, soy, and corn issues and she just shook her head.We talked for a few minutes about her friends and the trials and trib...

Yes, I'm aware: wrong national holiday. You may remember back before Thanksgiving I was working hard to reach the magic total at the grocery store to earn my free turkey. Well thanks to my overstuffed freezer and the bottomless stomachs of the Youth Group kids, I managed to reach the threshold and took home my free bird. It has been taking up residence in my freezer since late November and then in my "prepare for a power outage" purge last week, I took it out...and then realized it needed to defrost, so it would probably thaw out around the same time the sidewalk does. The best laid plans... Today I woke up and realized I'd better cook it today or it would end up in the "Katie left it in the fridge too long and it spoiled" column on my budget spreadsheet. What a damper that would put on my free turkey campaign. Now I've never cooked a turkey, allergen-filled or not, so I was expecting this to be an adventure. I read a few recipes and decided to create ...

As you've probably figured out by now, my true allergy-free passion is baking, not so much in cooking; hence, usually my recipes are more of the bakery/coffee variety...since that's what I plan to open one day. However, as you can imagine I have to experiment with cooking quite a bit as well these days, and every so often I come across a dish that I just have to share. Today is one of those days. And don't worry, there's also a cookie recipe at the end just to balance things out :-) As I imagine most of you know (and have experienced yourself), the last week has been a snow-filled one to say the least. In anticipation of what the news insisted yet again would be "the biggest storm of the season", I went to my freezer to pull out a variety of foods that I could cook in preparation for a possible power outage. If you've ever experienced trying to eat for days in the midst of a power outage, imagine the added challenge of so many food restrictions. Not only...

...and no one is there to hear it...well, I think you know the rest. I found myself pondering this age-old philosophical question over the past few weeks as I've adapted to an interesting aspect of living alone: lack of someone with whom to share my various (usually very excited) reactions to life. As you might have determined by now, I tend to approach life with a great deal of enthusiasm, which often manifests itself in overenthusiastic reactions which those who have been lucky enough to live with me grew to know and love. Just kidding, I've really been the lucky one with roommates over the past few years. I left my ACE family of 5 for a year with "The Leading Lady of Lacrosse". Really. She's a director of events for U.S. Lacrosse (HUGE here in Baltimore my non-Charm-City friends) and she travels all over the country running tournaments. When she was home from her various road trips, she graciously listened to my endless ramblings about my new school, my new...

Yes, I know, I hear you, "Thank you, Captain Obvious". I just have to say today has been a day full of memories for me. For whatever reason, specific events tend to be tied to specific memories...and today has certainly been one of those for me. The Super Bowl might be the most food-oriented event of the entire year. At least in America, that is. Even as a kid, I remember setting out a blanket on the living room floor each year and creating our own indoor picnic. It was the one night of the year we got to eat whatever food we wanted in the living room...that's a big deal. I remember surrounding myself with bowls of cheese doodles, Ruffles potato chips (with ridges), and my favorite dip (you know the delicious one with the Lipton Onion soup mix combined with sour cream...mmmmm!). My brother and I even got to do something we never, and I mean NEVER, got to do on a Sunday night...drink soda. (That was only reserved for Friday nights and family parties.) Needless to say, th...

Yep, it's here in full force: cold and flu season. Sometimes I think if you walked someone into an elementary school with a blindfold on this time of year, they'd mistake it for a doctor's office; The coughing, the sneezing, the red noses, the watery eyes, and of course, the whining. For those first-year teachers out there, I know you're probably on your third or fourth sinus/ear infection, case of strep or bronchitis, etc. by now. Take it from me: it does get better. I can personally attest that I spent the entire spring semester of my first year with a malady of some kind. Your immune system does toughen up and next year, you'll be golden. (And by that I mean you'll only end up with 1 or 2 of the nasty plagues which cross the threshold of your classroom). This is one of those posts that if you DON'T have any food allergies, might just make you face the dreaded cold and flu season with a little more spring in your step. And even those of you who just have...