About me

This blog is about Canadian food with a German flair and a gluten-free twist.

Hi, my name is Margaret.

I’m a first-generation Canadian born to German immigrant parents, learning to cook from my talented and innovative mother, and influenced by all the other good-cooking German aunts and omas in the family, too. Food was, and still is, central to all our family gatherings. We like nothing better than to get together and cook, then sit around the table for hours visiting, eating, and visiting some more (and okay, I admit it, picking at the bowls, too). I have a cookbook addiction that fuels my love for learning to cook new foods from many different cultures.

I am a teacher, writer, and mother to four children in various stages of grown-up-ness, the youngest still in junior high school. I live on an acreage outside of Stony Plain, in north-central Alberta, Canada (long, cold winters – short, glorious summers). I get to indulge my inner-farm-child in my large gardens and a small chicken coop with a flock of very pampered hens.

Three years ago our oldest daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, along with a dairy and corn allergy. Yikes. That forced a recharge and revamp of my cooking, but it has been a fun and exciting journey. I discovered all kinds of new ingredients. Then a year ago, two more of our children were diagnosed with gluten and egg allergies. Double yikes. Cooking got even more interesting and challenging.

At present our youngest son (aged 15), my husband, and I, can still eat everything we want, but since the oldest three are university students, and in and out of home in constantly changing combinations, my meals vary according to which allergies I’m cooking for. When they’re all home, I cook gluten, dairy, corn, and egg-free, and when it’s just the three of us, I can relax a bit. So the recipes on this blog will often be free of those allergens, but always gluten-free, or have gluten-free adaptations included (except for the bannock recipe – sorry, that was earlier on, but maybe one day I’ll revise it).

I am no expert on gluten allergies or celiac disease, so please refer to a medical doctor or other experts for information. This site is just a chronicle of my own bumpy journey along the road to gluten-free cooking, but more importantly my desire to share my passion for great food made with wonderful ingredients and lots of love.

Guten Appetit!