Overcoming Gluten-Free Waffles Disaster: Lessons in Perseverance and Success

By

Desiree Future

One morning, I had a taste for waffles. After having been diagnosed with Irritable Syndrome (IBS) almost a year earlier, my food decisions drastically changed. Removing that food was one of them.

Before getting sick, my diet was eating a variety of foods that were low in sugar and sodium. My baked goods as far as bread, biscuits, and cornbread were either premade or poured out of the box and cooked.

I’ve never been the type to spend hours in the kitchen baking cakes and bread. It was simply easier to buy them already made. Yes, it would have been less expensive to make at home, but it was too time-consuming.

Yet here I am spending loads of time in my kitchen cooking and baking from scratch. Who knew at my age, that my stomach would no longer digest wheat? I’m still having a hard time with this.

The foods I’ve grown to love are not for me anymore. It’s like we’ve grown apart in a relationship.

Eating Gluten-Free is very tricky because not only are the prices scary but so are the ingredients. Certain flours well with one thing while others work best with something different. To me, flour is flour.

Taking a recipe from a Gluten-Free book from my library the fun began. The white powder was all over my table and apron. I substituted almond milk for whole milk and olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Blueberries made the batter even better.

To say I was excited was an understatement since I’d been craving waffles for some time. My days of going out to get a nice hearty breakfast with delicious waffles are long gone. Making mine homemade is new for me.

Ladling my batter onto the hot-oiled machine, my mouth began to water in anticipation of what was to come. The green light signaled it was done minutes later. I opened the top slowly to avoid being burned by the heat.

My smile was replaced with a frown. A disaster lay in front of my eyes. The flour mixture looked uncooked and clumpy. It resembled a first grader’s attempt at making a ball using playdough.

Opening the recipe book, I reread the instructions to see where my mistake was. Except for replacing three items, the brand of Gluten-Free flour, almond milk, and olive oil, everything was right.

In addition, when I used the substitutes, I followed the ratio for subbing items. It didn’t make any sense, but I was still hungry. Scrambled eggs on sourdough bread became my breakfast instead.

I was so disappointed because this flour was supposed to be great for what I was making. Having tried three other brands without success, I just knew this would work for me. Looking at my disaster made me see the money I spent on it go up in flames.

Lunchtime came and the thought of my blueberry breakfast image popped back in my head. Back to the drawing board for round number two. Doing things differently I went to the flour maker’s website to find a recipe this time.

Viola! Finally, my breakfast at lunchtime was good enough to eat. Sure, it took me some time to get it right, but my stomach wouldn’t let me stop at failure.

In a way, life can be like these waffles. You set out to do something that you want but it ends not as planned. Though you consider you bombed at it, you really didn’t.

It can be getting your driver’s license (I’ve had a few tries myself & finally got it). Losing those ten pounds you put on during the holidays. Or even learning how to eat with chopsticks (It was a struggle, but I taught myself), it’s a process.

You win some and you lose some, is what my late mother used to say. The key is to be consistent no matter what. With consistency comes new opportunities for you to explore.

For me learning to cook Gluten-Free is super hard and frustrating. I’ve made expensive food mistakes. With the high cost of this type of food, it hurt my wallet and took up hours of my time only to fail.

Healthy eating is essential for me and finding ways to do that is a plus. Sure, it may take a few attempts until I get it right but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is my goal.

Through research, my friends and I have located two restaurants in my county that serve Gluten-Free meals.

These tips below have helped me:

1. I’ve found that instead of having a sandwich on bread, I can have it as a lettuce wrap.

2. When going out to restaurants, I review the menu before getting there to see what’s available for me.

3. I’ve learned to steer clear of any breaded foods because more than likely they are battered with white flour.

There are so many other options just waiting for me and you to discover.

Just because your plans didn’t work does not mean you have to quit. It means you need to go back to the drawing board and start again. Even if it takes putting it down for a while and returning to it with fresh eyes.

What tasty Gluten-Free recipe have you put down and started again. Let me know in the comments below.

Side note: The waffles pictured do not belong to me. Mine were so good I forgot to take a picture of them. The next time I make them I’ll be sure to take a picture and add them to this post. Thank you for your understanding.

2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.