See Lives Changed

~Tamela~

Two years ago I met Sally in the flour aisle of Whole Foods. Noticing I was a novice to GF shopping, she helped me find just what I was looking for that day. She had the same allergies/intolerances as my 10-year-old son. She has been a great resource for my family ever since.

Sally’s class I attended on allergen-free cooking in Atlanta was great–original recipes that have become staples in our house, packed with experience and information, and cooking tips to make it all work. This past winter I had to adjust to cooking not only allergen-free, but for my son’s newly prescribed rotation diet removing no less than 54 foods! Even though she was now in another state, Sally still came to our rescue. She took the full list of our “approved foods” and helped me come up with a variety of new menu ideas that had not occurred to me. I had stepped into this feeling quite overwhelmed, but she made the following months more manageable. In just the last six months, my son is visibly more healthy, no doubt because his “gut” is finally healing from years of damage. The doctor may have prescribed this diet which healed my son, but Sally helped us see it through and enjoy the process!

— Tamela

~Vicky~

I attended the cooking class in August of 2009 held at Cook’s Warehouse–Midtown (Atlanta).  It was informational and delicious.  Basically, it was the first time in about 2 years that I have eaten outside of my home and did not get sick.  It gave me hope that I will be able to survive celiac disease and all my other allergies and eating restrictions (milk, soy, eggs, honey, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork).  The recipes you provided in the cooking class were very easy to follow and I have used them several times since.  I would recommend your class to anyone that has lost hope or thinks they will never have another good tasting and healthy meal again because they live with eating restrictions.

— Vicky

~Karen~

Sally’s passion for amazing food that happens to be allergen-free is both eye-opening and contagious. Her influence on my own cooking has been considerable, and immensely beneficial for my health, because of the new foods and preparation methods I’ve learned from her. I used to follow recipes perfectly, and learning from Sally has made me more comfortable in experimenting–and often improving–recipes that have allergenic ingredients. Sally knows what it’s like to have food allergies, and her refusal to allow anything to limit her enjoyment in the kitchen is an inspiration for everyone with limited food choices.

— Karen

~Erica~

Sally’s energy and excitement about what is “supposed to be” a big challenge is contagious. She makes cooking allergen-free more enjoyable and certainly more tasty than I would have ever thought it could be. I appreciate her creativity in preparing various recipes and her resourcefulness in answering questions–even those of one who is not so comfortable in the kitchen.

— Erica

~Margaret~

Sally’s guidance in learning to cook and live gluten-free was invaluable.  She helped me focus on all the wonderful foods that are available for gluten-free folks and to accept failure on a particular baked item as part of the learning experience.  Sally’s recipes are wonderful.  Her style in the kitchen is homey and flavorful with an emphasis on seasonal whole foods. (I hope you have a chance to have her cook for you–a delight.)  Her understanding of gluten-free baking chemistry has helped me transform many a complex or favorite recipe. She is gifted at finding joy in food and in life and her sharing of that is infectious.  I honestly don’t know how would have survived my first months of being gluten-free without her guidance.

— Margaret

~Terri~

When my doctor suggested I try an elimination diet to figure out what was causing my breastfed son’s digestive problems, I felt overwhelmed.  Sally has helped me previously in dealing with my own sugar intolerance, so I knew she was the person to contact now that I have to cut so many other foods out of my diet. Sally was great–so positive and supportive! She flew to Madison, WI, to work with me. She and I discussed the foods my doctor suggested I eliminate as well as other known allergens. I decided to eliminate the Top 8 allergens, plus sesame, corn, onions, tomatoes, and garlic. That is quite a hefty list, but Sally was full of ideas for how I could still eat delicious, fulfilling foods on such a diet.

Sally went shopping with me and helped me wade through all the hidden terms while reading labels, showed me which brands of allergen-free food tasted more like their usual counterparts, and helped me get excited about my new diet. She was full of helpful information that I would have never known otherwise.

Besides directing me to her recipe-filled blog, Sally gave me a lot of personalized recipe help and suggested delicious substitutions such as paprika for garlic and nutritional yeast for some cheese. She never tires of answering my questions and always shows she understands the plight of switching to a restrictive diet.

I’ve only been on my new diet for eight days, but thanks to Sally they have been eight days full of wholesome, filling, and delicious food. My husband has marveled over how much he is enjoying eating allergen-free foods with me and how much my cooking skills have increased just over the last week with Sally’s guidance. Most importantly, my son is already showing major improvements in his digestion–as have I–and I know it will only get better from here!

— Terri

~Amanda~

Long story short: my husband’s mom has celiac disease, and over the past couple of years, we’ve both grown pretty certain that my husband has it, too. We finally put on our big-kid panties/undies and decided to go gluten-free this summer. Part of the impetus for that was already knowing Sally–we knew she approached cooking things she could eat in an adventurous way instead of focusing on the depressing aspects of what she couldn’t. Unfortunately, since our big resource had moved across the country, we were feeling apprehensive about even starting.

I mentioned in an unrelated email to Sally how were were considering going gluten-free but feeling overwhelmed. Sally replied and asked if we wanted help or advice–to which I said YES!

Sally sent a series of questions and then long, very helpful emails about how to begin, what to look for in stores, and where to shop.  She also sent a TON of recipes based on our favorite foods and our eating habits. Because of Sally, I feel excited about going gluten-free rather than sad and scared, because I know that she has already blazed a path for pretty much everything I want to make gluten-free, and because her positive attitude is truly infectious. I am so grateful to Sally for being such a pioneer, and one who will only settle for great-tasting food even with ingredient limitations.

— Amanda