For Jill
I am very excited to announce that I am now a contributor for my dear friend Jill’s new blog, which is dedicated to chronicle and document her journey in the recovery from autism of her 9 year old son Connor. I will be developing gluten, casein and soy free recipes, such as these blueberry crumb bars and chocolate chip cookies.
Jill has been asking me to do this for years now, but I was always hesitant and afraid because I was not familiar with the necessary ingredients and methods involved in gluten free baking. I am still far from really understanding all the properties of gluten free grains but this will be a great start for me.
Connor was unofficially diagnosed with autism when he was about 18 months old. I have to admit that it took me a long time to really understand all that is involved in raising an autistic child. We moved away from Connor shortly after they discovered it, but Jill always kept me informed of the progress and every new thing they were learning. She researched, tried alternative medicine, behavioral therapies, diets, biomedical therapies… she has been relentless in trying to cure Connor. The entire family started a gluten, casein and soy free diet and as Jill can probably confirm, this was difficult at first but has delivered great results and has become a part of their everyday lives.
So with these new recipes for her blog, I would like to encourage all of those with food allergies to get back in the kitchen to bake. The recipes will be simple, quick, very different from Cannelle Et Vanille, but still very rewarding for me.
I am shipping the raw cookie dough and the blueberry crumb bars to Jill so the entire family will be able to taste them. There is nothing better than a fresh, out of the oven cookie so I have to ship the cookie dough raw so she can bake cookies as she needs them.
Please check out her blog for these recipes and pass along her blog address to anyone you might know that needs information regarding autism. She is an endless pool of information. Honestly, my hero.
That is really wonderful. Our good friends, whom we saw while in So Cal last week, also have an autistic child (he is 8 years old). He was on a gluten-free diet for a while, but has since had it reintroduced into his diet. He is doing great, but that is in large part because of the tremendous efforts of his parents. Your friend sounds remarkable too and I sincerely hope the best for her and her son. Bravo that you are helping out. Too few people really understand what living with autism is. I only get glimpses when I visit my friends, I can hardly claim to know much – but I know enough to realize how amazing the parents and the children are. xxoo
What a wonderful project, Aran! I’m sure a lot of people will benefit from your involvement.
Can’t wait to see you expand your creativity to include gluten, casein and soy free recipes! I’m sure you’ll be great!!
You are a great friend. You and Jill are lucky to have each other.
oh aran, this is so so wonderful to hear! So many people have gluten-free diets these days, and many gluten-free recipes are just not very inspiring, but yours will be fabulous! What a great blog, I am going to head over right now and take a look! Thank you for letting us know. px
This is wonderful Aran!
Me parece una iniciativa maravillosa, Aran. Sobretodo teniendo en cuenta que en la actualidad acciones de este tipo no son de lo más corriente.
Me gusta Connor y la lucha de sus padres por una via mejor para él.
Tanto las galletas de chocolate como los cuadritos de arándanos tiene una pinta estupenda. me he creado una carpeta con estas recetas por si algún día conozco a alguien con esas características.
Besos enormes para jill y para connor y por supuesto para Jon a para ti.
Ana
This is really good of you. :) With your immense pastry experience, I’m sure you will develop some great recipes for Connor.
I am super excited that you will do this for Connor and Jill! The bars and the cookies look wonderful and sound super tasty! Well done (as is I had a doubt :))!
I have read Jills blog before, through you and it is touching and informative and I often think of them. It is so cool that you are doing this! How exciting for both Jill and Connor! They look beautiful…as usual :)
This is so wonderful of you to do Aran–the people around you are so lucky to have you in their lives!
I took a look at Jill’s blog yesterday when i saw you had added it to your blog roll…it’s very inspiring…
Of course I will enjoy these recipes for myself as well, you know…
this is such a lovely project and very generous of you! Delicious looking cookies too!
Aran, my husbands nephew is autisitc aswell and seems to be on the same diet. I will be making these cookies for him at the weekend for a family party and I know he will be thrilled as he doesn’t normally get anythign nice at things like this that has been homemade.
So great when you see people using their talents to help others…you inspire me! These treats look perfectly yummy too!
This is a great thing for you to do. I would certainly be at a loss in this kind of situation. The photos look like the end result should be delicious!
wow, i’m so impressed and inspired by your thoughtful and magnanimous gesture. yours is truly an example of using one’s talent and passion and skill to better the world. this post totally puts a smile on my face :)
ah fantastic! i love to see that! i’m gluten free coeliac (though i bake with flour a lot for other people) i never get to eat anything, but i do have a lot of recipes for gf. I had never heard of gluten free as an aide to autism, i will be sure to start baking gluten free more now too. and visit jill’s blog!
bisous
how fabulous! you’re so incredibly talented [and generous]..totally inspiring.
What a wonderful way to help make delicious treats for Connor and hopefully lots of others kids that have the same diet.
Baking gluten free can be challenging but that’s were the challenge lies ;)
Aran,
Awesome post. I am amazed at how much can be achieved by changing our diets. It is not a cure-all but it can help on so many levels. I know that your gluten-free recipes will be delicious as always.
Gluten-free baking is an adventure which I find fascinating and I have learned so much through playing around with it. I don’t assume to be an expert but please feel free to write to me if you do have something that puzzles you… chances are I have come across it before and I would love to help.:-)
Thank you everyone!
Alexa- I will definitely take you up on it and will contact you with any questions!
Que cosa preciosa estas haciendo! A mi me intriga mucho hacer dulces gluten free, la verdad es que siempre admiro muchisimo la imaginacion y conocimiento que hay que tener para hacer cosas verdaderamente buenas. Voy a ver la receta de las galletas esas porque parecen divinas, gluten free o no!
Great new recipes that look delicious enough to try even if not on a gluten free diet. Thank you for sharing and for introducing us all (who weren’t previously aware of their blog) to Jill and Connor.
I just need to say that I didn’t think it was possible to love you more….well guess what? I do, I do, I do! Amazing story. Maybe not as fancy as the typical Aran post, but so full of heart and the photos are as magnificent as always!
An excellent thing you are doing for your friend.
such a wonderful project to be involved in!
There is no better motivation than doing what you love and being a positive part of people’s lives. You have a gift and I’m sure that many will benefit from it because you will enable many to enjoy decadent desserts when they may have thought it impossible.
The thing I love most about baking is the way it can be used to create tangible expressions of sentiments that are otherwise sometimes difficult to put into words: comfort, companionship, sympathy, support, encouragement, simple affection. You have provided a perfect illustration here.
Yay! I’m excited to see what you come up with as I have celiac’s disease and am always looking for more delicious gluten free recipes.