Read more about Shay

My 9 to 5… I am a meteorologist for the ABC station in Tampa.  When I am at home, I spend a lot of time cooking and baking, because that’s what I love to do!   If my husband and kids are in the kitchen with me… even better.  When I can have a glass of wine while cooking, well… that’s the best:-)

I’ve always believed strongly in Karma.  So when I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2012, I wasn’t entirely surprised. Afterall, my biggest pet peeves as a self proclaimed “foodie” were: first, excluding foods from your diet as a trend.  “Moderation in everything,” I would say.  My second pet peeve was when people would “special order” in restaurants.  “Chefs make it that way for a reason, so don’t change it!” I thought.  So now here I am “special ordering” and keeping gluten out of my diet. Thank you, Karma! Lesson learned!

Once I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I began experimenting with new ingredients while trying to make my favorite recipes. I will be completely honest here.  There were quite a few flops.  Eventually, I hit my stride and started making awesome food worth sharing again. Just as I was starting to feel confident about my cooking, my husband and kids developed their own food issues. Hey Karma!  I heard you the first time!!! Got it!

I got back on the horse, so-to-speak, and kept experimenting with more ingredients. I began perfecting recipes without eggs, dairy, nuts, meat, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant) and at one point… chocolate! My mind was about to explode at that point, but I kept cooking.  

Fortunately, it became a delicious journey.  Now I have this website as my playground, where I can share great recipes and other resources for all of us trying to enjoy our allergy friendly meals.  Check out my favorite products and substitutions page for more ideas.  Please share your great finds with me as well. Pop something into the comments section or holler at me in a private message. Goodness knows, living allergy free takes a village!