Dear Willing Cook Readers,

This post has been a long time coming.  I’ve not really been putting it off, I just haven’t sat down long enough to compose it.  As you may have noticed (or not), I haven’t added any new blog posts here at The Willing Cook for a couple of months.  To be honest with you, it has been quite freeing in my schedule.  Do not get me wrong, I very much enjoyed sharing my experiences with you of how to live with food allergies on a budget.

I trust that the Willing Cook has been a source of helpful information to each of you.  But I have said all that I think I needed to say.  I shared with you how to Balance Life and Food Allergies.  There was the long series on how to live a productive and joy-filled life with food allergies.  In addition, there was a nine post series on how to live frugally with food allergies, and the fun series where we experimented with new recipes together in the Willing Cook-a-Long.  And, of course, the most important is the food!  I have done my best to show you that cooking for a family with food allergies does not have to be paralyzing.  You can embrace the challenges, meet them, and produce good from it.  Check out all the recipes that I have shared over the years.  Finally, it was such a great honor to be included with a number of other amazing food allergy bloggers for Allergy-Free Wednesdays! I encourage you to continue supporting those ladies as it is an outstanding community centered on promoting safe, healthy, and always delicious allergy-free living.

Thank you for all the support that you have given me over the years of The Willing Cook.  While I am stepping away from posting updates, the website will remain up.  There are still hundreds of food allergy articles and allergy-friendly recipes available at your fingertips.

Stay well, be healthy and allergy-safe, and enjoy the life with which you have been blessed!

My kindest regards and gratitude,

Michelle

P.S. This is how I am spending my days, a mere shadow of its greatness, and I could not be more joyful and thankful in it and them!

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

Well, I have one thing to say about my absence from AFW for the last few weeks: LIFE!!  I’ve been living it.  We’ve been on vacation.  We’ve been playing.  We’ve been working.  And blogging hasn’t been getting done.  For me these days, that’s the way I want it.  If blogging happens, it happens.  If life gets in the way, yay for life!!!  I hope you feel the same.

~Willing Cook Features~

4-Ingredient Coconut Delights from Practical Stewardship

Breakfast Pudding from Eat. Play. Love….more

~Reader Feature~

Why I Gave Up Peanut Butter from Real Food Forager

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

Warning! Warning! Today’s features are all sweet and chocolate!  I couldn’t help myself. They all look and sound so scrumptious.  And I am so overly excited that some are completely grain free! Great job allergy community; you are really rocking the great recipes!

~Willing Cook Features~

Grain Free Almond Butter Bread from Practical Stewardship

Chocolate Chip Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze (grain free) from Allergy Free Alaska

Vegan Cranberry Cookies from Fitting Into Vegan

Chocolate Banana Cake from Fairy Wings and Pixie Dust

~Reader Feature~

Raw Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Icing from Oatmeal with a Fork

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

I want to personally vouch for the Reader Feature this week: Gluten & Dairy Free Hamburger Buns.  I have made them and they are fantastic! My husband didn’t believe that he could really safely eat them.  And besides tasting good, they were very easy to make.  So, when you have your next cookout, fix some of these great gluten-free buns so that everyone can enjoy the party.  {They also freeze well.}

~Willing Cook Feature~

No Bake Mini Coconut Lemon Tarts (& berry flavors too) from Livin’ the Crunchy Life

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars from this mama knows {This recipe can be easily transformed into something a bit more allergy friendly!}

Summer Salad with Homemade Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette from The Tasty Alternative

Top Eight Avocado Recipes from Real Food Forager

~Reader Feature~

Gluten Free Hamburger Buns from Allergy Free Alaska

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

Happy 4th of July! I hope you all enjoy your festivities.  As always, stay allergy-safe: Don’t assume anything is safe, but be proactive.  And, don’t forget that rescue medication!!

~Willing Cook Feature~

Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Gut Food

~Reader Features~

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls from Fairy Wings and Pixie Dust

Flourless Sunbutter Cookies from Oatmeal with a Fork

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

It is with great sadness that I share another anaphylactic shock in our home while on vacation.  Perhaps I’ll do a blog write-up on it soon, but for now, just know that my son is doing quite well.  The thing that saved his life was the all-important epi-pen! I cannot reiterate the importance of always having your rescue medication with you…No. Matter. What!!! You never know when the unexpected might happen.  All precautions may be taken, and still, accidents can happen.  I am thankful for the blessing of my son and the epi-pen!

~Willing Cook Features~

Gluten-Free Mug “Pancake” from Gluten Free Easily

Glazed Lemon Muffins from Simply Living Healthy

~Reader Feature~

Drink This; Lose Weight from Gluten Free A-Z Blog

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

Yum yum yum! You can always tell the season of the year by my features alone  I love all the wonderful fruit-filled delicacies shared at AFW.  Thank you!

~Willing Cook Features~

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cups from The Knoxville Holts

Grain-Free Strawberry-Almond Coffee Cake from Tessa the Domestic Diva

Egg Stuffed Avocado from The Knoxville Holts {No one in my family could or would eat this except me.  But oh my! What a flavor combination!}

Coconut Multi-Fruit Tart from Real Food Forager

~Reader Feature~

Personal Pan Cauliflower Pizza Crust from Oatmeal with a Fork

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

We finally did some strawberry pickin’ over the weekend.  I was thrilled to pick some 15 lbs of no-spray berries for a mere $2.10 per pound.  Now, what to do with all those scrumptious berries!?! We had dairy-free strawberry ice cream on day 1.  Day 2 was yogurt & berries for breakfast and strawberry shortcake for dinner.  I think the pie below is a perfect choice foe another fixin’! Mmmmm…be sure to get out and enjoy all the scrumptious berries right now!

~Willing Cook Features~

Grain-free Strawberry Pie from Live Right Be Healthy

Banana, AB & J Cups from the veggie nook

Schoolroom Chili Mole and Rice from Yummy Smells

~Reader Feature~

Cocoanutty Good Bars from My Sister’s Pantry

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy Free Wednesdays!

I am super excited about the featured recipes this week! I can’t wait to give them a try.  In our news: Schools out for summer!!! We’re off here and there and everywhere, and hopefully, we’ll enjoy every minute of it.  Be safe this summer, don’t forget your emergency meds and allergy-safe foods, and enjoy all that the freedom and wonder of the summer offers!

~Willing Cook Features~

Almond “Sugar” Cookies from Sandi’s Allergy Free Recipes

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad from Easy Natural Food

Roasted Black Bean Sweet Potato Cakes from Gluten Free Easily

Maple Sweet Potato Muffins from Homespun with Love

~Reader Feature~

How to Make a Healthier Cup of Coffee from Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

Well, it’s our last week of school this week and I can’t say I’m not super excited! It feels as though we’re all holding our breath throughout the entire school year with so much homework and extra-curricular busyness that we finally exhale on the last day of school.  Yay summer break!!!

~Willing Cook Features~

Dairy Free Caramel Sauce from Allergy Free Alaska

Soft Ginger Cookies from Live Free, Gluten Free

Cinnamon and Apple Baked French Toast from Peanut Butter and Peppers {I can’t believe this recipe is free of eggs! I can’t wait to try it!}

~Reader Feature~

Why You Should Avoid All Products with this Ingredient from Eat. Play. Love…more

~~~

Grab the AFW button off the sidebar to share on your site.  Thanks for being a part of the Allergy-Friendly Community and spreading the word!

~~~

Allergy-Free Wednesdays is a blog hop dedicated to allergy-free living and eating.  You can share your allergy-free recipes, knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others within the allergy community.  We hope you will glean much from your time spent here.

This blog hop is hosted by myself and four other allergy-friendly bloggers.  When you link up your post below, it will automatically appear on all 7 blogs! Each of us will choose a favorite recipe/post to feature each week, so be sure to check in every Wednesday.  Allergy-Free Wednesdays is hosted by…

Adrienne @ Whole New Mom

Amber @ The Tasty Alternative

Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal

Laura @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Michelle @ The Willing Cook (that’s me!)

Nancy @ Real Food, Allergy Free

Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva

Allergy-Free Wednesday Guidelines

• Any linked recipes should be allergy-friendly in some way.
• Provide a link directly to your post, not your homepage.
• Please link back to this site.  It’s good blogging etiquette.  Feel free to grab the bottom below to display on your post.  In order to be featured next week, you must link back.
• Current and past recipes/posts are welcome.
• It’s helpful if you provide a little description with your recipe (i.e., GF, DF, EF, Paleo, GAPS, etc.).
• You can link-up as many as 2 posts weekly.
• Leave a comment telling us about your submission, and visit other bloggers submissions too! It makes us all feel loved.
• Entries that do not comply with these guidelines will be kindly removed.

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest.  You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work, or else has a broad usage license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).