Change, and change, and change again...the latest

Over the years, my diet has undergone upheaval after change after change after upheaval. My cooking and baking have had to stop and regroup and take on a whole new shape with each change. The first, over twenty-five years ago, was giving up dairy. Wow. That was earth-shaking for us. Almost our entire diet consisted of Mexican and Italian foods, and our fridge was heavily stocked with all kinds of dairy products at all times. Over time we adapted, until living dairy-free became our norm. Our kids grew up in a home that was almost entirely dairy-free.

About twenty years ago, I started having trouble with garlic, tomatoes, and chocolate. It took a while, but I was able to figure out which foods were the culprits behind my digestive distress. Giving up garlic and tomatoes was not easy, but I was able to make that change. Chocolate, though...that was a long, painful struggle. It took over two decades for me to reach the place where it rarely tempts me.

Nearly a decade ago, I hit another big change. After months of misery, I found a naturopath who ran blood tests to discover food intolerances. My results were surprising...and not surprising. My system was in a complete state of panic and had at least some reaction to every single food on the list. At the same time, I learned that I am insulin-resistant (a condition that often leads to diabetes).

These discoveries necessitated a comprehensive overhaul of my entire food world.

No eggs, dairy, wheat (or any wheat-type grain), soy, almonds, garlic, tomatoes, chocolate, peanuts, onions, asparagus, cranberries...

...greatly reduced intake of starches and sugars... not easy for a sugar addict like myself.

In time, I was able to adapt to this restricted diet. It has not been easy, but I have learned how to eat within those limited parameters.

As time passed, I found that more foods have started to bother me: sorghum, cashews, fresh greens...potatoes, bell peppers...

This has all been a profound challenge, and has taxed my ingenuity as I've adapted and invented recipes to make it all work.

And now.....now it is not a dietary change, but a life change that has thrown my baking another curve ball.

My husband and I have begun our life of living full-time in an RV (bumper-pull/travel trailer/pull-behind trailer). As someone who cooks and bakes from scratch (partly from preference, mostly of necessity- I cannot eat most prepared foods), this new living situation presents some stiff challenges.

For a trailer, the kitchen is good-sized......but for a baker? Wow. I'm working with about an eight-inch by sixteen-inch space on the counter, for all bowls, ingredients, mixing and shaping. And the oven is a typical RV oven- fifteen inches square! And it is a gas oven. I have used a gas stove/oven before...but that was about twenty-nine years ago.

So, here I am again, in a phase of comprehensive change, figuring out yet again how to make it all work. I have just finished my first attempt at tiny-space baking.

Oh, and I can't seem to find the baking sheet that I bought to fit this oven...so I baked scones on the pizza stone....which will take another level of adaptation and experimentation.

The scones are alright. The dough was far too wet, so they are very fragile, but the flavor is good. The bottoms burned but as long as I just eat the tops, they'll be fine. :)

It should be an interesting ride, continuing to produce food that I can eat, in tight quarters, under constantly changing elevations and conditions. :)