Welcome to the Gluten-Free Baker’s Bench!
I stopped at the store to pick up some baking ingredients. While we were in the gluten-free section, a mom and her daughter came through, looking for a gluten-free treat that looked inspiring. Their comments to each other didn’t seem to suggest anything wonderful hiding inside the cardboard and cellophane packages. I wanted to scribble out my address and invite them to come to my home sometime to bake some gluten-free treats together.
My husband lived with chronic, severe abdominal pain for years before discovering that gluten was the culprit. During the early phase of his new gluten-free life, we tried several store-bought products. Once in a while I would taste something and ask him, “Do you actually like this?” He would answer, “At least it’s something I can eat.”
The man I love deserves better options.
I bought books, tried flour blends, tested recipes, and learned to enjoy the ways that gluten-free baking can be more fun than traditional baking. What I enjoy the most is giving a gluten-free baked good to people who can eat whatever they want and watching them really enjoy it.
I am grateful to the independent shops in Mecklenberg and Union Counties who carry Gluten-Free Baker’s Bench muffins and bars. Our creations are currently available at Alice Jules Coffee House in Monroe, NC; Cathy’s Coffee Shop in Indian Trail, NC; Julia’s Cafe and Books in Charlotte, NC; and Mugs Coffee in Charlotte, NC. Special orders are available for delivery to individuals and businesses in the Matthews, Mint Hill and Indian Trail area.
I’m also grateful to my family for being my most trusted taste-testers, and to my amazing daughter-in-law, Allie, who created this site. May we enjoy many more years of sharing warm, soft cinnamon rolls, hot mugs of coffee, and peanut butter chocolate chip squares together.
~ Vera
