Certain aspects of my personality are always going to come out on-screen. I guess that’s just me – if they say I am quirky, I’m quirky. It’s better than being boring.
Zooey Deschane
Howdy! If you are reading this, you are either bored or you are really interested in what the quirky baker has to say? Well good luck because I have a lot to say, in fact, I never stop saying, but sometimes I say the truth😊
So, let us go back to the beginning. My name is Lara, nice to meet you, and I am the Quirky Baker who is going to write to you and tell you sad stories, jokes, give you facts, and most importantly cook/bake for you.
Oh, you probably want to know more about me so let us see; I am a funny, quirky lady that is full of energy and strange ideas. I was lucky enough to be presented with an opportunity to migrate to Australia 10 years ago and make a new life for myself and my small family. Of course, as any clever (or insane) person would do, I took the opportunity, and here I am living the dream of every person …well of some people at least!
I bet you want to know why I am writing to you. Well, you will have to wait a bit because I need to finish my ME story!
Professionally I am a lawyer (I LOVE saying that😊) at least I was trained to be one. I do practice Migration law here in Australia, not now though, and I am considering that business to be a very expensive hobby…just so I can say to people “I am a lawyer”!
However, in real life, I love to bake! I can spend a whole day in my small humble kitchen baking and creating. It makes me happy, gives me joy, and keeps me healthy. But no, that is not the reason why I am writing to you!
I am writing to you….you ready?……I am writing to you because I have Celiac Disease! That’s right!
I spend most of my life with stomach issues like pain, bloating, allergies, and migraines without knowing what was wrong with me. Let’s be honest here, I come from a country where people never stop eating bread. In Macedonia, we don’t even know what Celiac means. I believe that word Celiac was removed from the dictionary because who is going to believe that in a bread eating society, one can be intolerant to bread. No way! We are a nation that lives on homemade baked goods like Burek, Kifli, Zelnik……I am telling you, a lady cannot get married if she doesn’t know how to work a dough (I am joking, of course). But seriously, Macedonia is a massive producer of wheat so bread-making industry blossom.
Anyway, soon after arriving in Sydney, my condition worsens, and I started visiting the Emergency room with stomach pains. Every visit, the handsome young doctor in the emergency room would touch gently my tummy pretending he knew what he was doing, gave me a pain killer while looking puzzled, and send me home…till the next time. Even my GP thought I might be stressing about life in Australia and that upsets my sensitive tummy. And all that until I got fed up with long waits and lack of solutions, so I did my research. I found all I needed to know about my condition, and I am telling you as if my name was written all over it. One has Google nowadays and can find all the necessary information.
So that is how I know about my Celiac… oh, plus I was diagnosed 3 years ago! Right here in Australia. I decided to check because I suddenly developed uncontrollable Reflux that comes from the inability to process food properly which comes from the Celiac disease. I didn’t know that, but one doesn’t learn until they live, right!
When I found out what Celiac means I had to make a decision; Do I continue eating like everyone else or I start my incredible Gluten-free journey.
My decision was easy to make because I was desperate to get well as soon as possible but it was probably the most difficult decision because one cannot anticipate the challenges of removing the gluten from the food we eat.
The main challenge for me was finding bread that would not make me sick. There are a lot of gluten-free products out there, some good and some bad, but they all make me unwell. And that is because having Celiac doesn’t mean that one is only Gluten intolerant but also cannot consume any wheat products, even the gluten-free wheat flour where the gluten is chemically removed. That’s why I took my challenge further and decided to make my bread!
Yes, you heard me! To make my wheat-free bread. I have always been a baker, remember one cannot marry in Macedonia unless one can bake, not that I am married. Man oh man, when I think about all the gluten-free bread boo-boos I made over the past 8 years, it makes me giggle! What I forgot to mention is that my mother has Celiac as well, severely, so when I took the so-called Gluten-free journey, she did it with me and she was forced to taste all the “wonderful” bread I made over the years. Her difficulty is that she can’t give up bread. Every time she sees beautiful bread on TV I find her licking the TV screen (giggles:))…I am kidding, I am just exaggerating so you can understand how difficult this journey has been for her…and me!
My challenge became even bigger. Suddenly my Celiac was not so important anymore. The importance is to make a wonderful gluten-free bread that my dear mum will enjoy eating without noticing the difference…well almost!
But have I managed to make bread that mum would love? You will have to stay around and see yourself. I am hoping to teach you what I know and to learn from you if you are willing to share.
I think I said a lot on our first chat, and I hope I made you curious enough to stay around and see what is next.
See you soon my friend
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