The Butterfly Rash That Changed Our Lives
It was 2021 when I first learned the words “Gluten-free.” I was unfamiliar with the term and highly confused when the doctors first diagnosed my then six-month old beautiful baby boy with a gluten allergy. Months before his face developed a butterfly-like rash around his cheekbones and for the life of me I couldn’t correlate it to anything. His medical team struggled with identifying what was causing the rash. He wasn’t breastfed and only drank formula. After months of misdiagnosis and trial and error, we finally pinpointed that he has a wheat allergy. The doctors suggested a gluten-free diet and here lies where our journey began.
Our life and the food my family consumed changed drastically. It was challenging to find balance between what we usually eat and what didn’t include wheat products as an ingredient. Grocery store shopping consisted of a mom with two small children under the age of three storming up and down aisles with the grocery store’s beaming ceiling lights fiercely reading each label on the products her family once enjoyed. I quickly learned that companies use a variety of words that were ultimately made with wheat and or were manufactured in a warehouse where gluten was an ingredient. This was a huge “No” for my family.
Restaurant visits were quite interesting. I would call in advance and ask if the establishment had gluten-sensitive meals while also forgetting to ask if the foods were cooked in a kitchen where there were nuts, wheat, and seafood prepared (all of which my son is allergic to). Usually, the answer was “ma’am I am unsure let me call the manager.” That was never a good sign. I would politely ask again. Once we arrived and were seated by our friendly hosts, I’d ask the server the same question but this time the answer changed to “we don’t cook it on the same grill,” which would be the end of our dinner outing.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Through this process I quickly learned while there are glute-free options they often aren’t the most tolerable foods and unlikely to return to my pantry. Since my family enjoys home-made soul food inspired by African American cuisine I began to slowly substitute various ingredients into our meals. This includes breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert. There were a lot of fails with my children generously and directly staying “mom, this isn’t yummy.” They were my biggest fans and best critiques always with love and honesty.
“Mom, this isn’t yummy!”
Finally, I started to refer to myself as a homemade gluten-free soul food chef. Yes, that is a mouthful but it is a title that resonates with the mission. I’d enthusiastically share my recipes with friends. They’d take a bite and quickly turn and ask “Is this gluten-free?” I’d smirk and reply with a gentle and humble “yes” followed by a wink.
Through this experience and with love I’d like to continue my journey with all of you. Here I will share gluten-free resources, product reviews, recipes inspired by African American cuisine, all with full transparency. Thank you for exploring this new experience with me. Please stay in touch with me and follow me on your favorite social media platforms.
The information shared here regarding our gluten-free lifestyle is based solely on our family’s experiences and should not be interpreted as representative of anyone else’s journey.
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