About me
Hi there! My name is Marte and I live in Kokomo, Indiana. My favorite pastime is cooking, reading and spending time in my beautiful garden. Occasionally, I like to draw, watercolor and write. I am self taught and I lack confidence so I rarely share my art with the world.
My husband is a jewelry designer and amateur photographer. We have owned and operated our own bricks and mortar custom design and repair jewelry store Retherford Fine Jewelry since 1987. www.retherfordjewelry.com
I have an Associate Degree in Business from Ball State University. I would have rather gone to school to be a dietitian or a chef, but somehow I just didn't. My grown children try to encourage me to go back to school, but I'm very content with the life I have. Besides, I am the head chef and dietitian of my household!
I was diagnosed with Celiac's Disease in 1998. Celiac's Disease in a nutshell is extreme food allergies, an allergy to all the grains; wheat, oats, barley, malt, and sometimes corn. I had to teach myself how to cook all over again. I struggled to find substitutes for the foods that were now off limits to me. I have developed some of my own recipes and adapted others. I am currently in the process of building a website to help other celiacs through the tough transition. I will post a link when I get it built.
My Favorite Foods
The gluten-free foods I prepare are very flavorful and also have an added benefit-- they are naturally low in fat and calories. I assume they are also nutritionally sound as we seldom feel the need to snack. I have lost 36 pounds in a three year period. My husband has lost 20 pounds in 2006 and his eyesight has improved FOUR steps! (Not bad for a fifty-year-old.)
I prepare old favorites such as macaroni-and-cheese or barbecued beef roast. My daughter is a type-1 diabetic and when I prepare deserts I half the sugar.
I recently revisited an old recipe that my family called "refrigerator cookies". These chocolate and peanut butter cookies are not baked but set up in the refrigerator. One of the main ingredients is quick cooking oats; off limits to me. I discovered a gluten-free substitute ingredient that had the same consistency as oats. I will be sharing this recipe soon.
My biggest problem in developing or adapting recipes is that I do not measure ingredients. It is difficult to write a recipe when the chef is guessing the amounts. I'm working on this personal problem because I know that others are struggling with the question on "What to eat?" and I know I can help.
Website
http://://www.bigoven.com/~CeliAck
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