Surfer wannabe

Have you ever surfed a wave - or at least body surfed on a boogie board? I'm a surfer wannabe!  

Yesterday as I was gliding through my swimming pool, cherishing one last swim before closing the pool for the winter, I thought about surfers.  How awesome it must feel to ride along the top of a wave, to "carve" (turning on a wave)  or - the ultimate - to be in the barrel or "tube"!  According to Surfer's Dictionary, "a barrel is where the wave is hollow when it is breaking. For some surfers, it's the 'be all and end all' of surfing." 

Some of my favorite surfing pictures are of those taken of a surfer inside the tube.  That spot can be exhilarating and frightening at the same time. That's the spot I find myself today.  As I ride this unemployment wave, I've been baking gluten-free goodies and selling them at the local farmer's market.  I knew I couldn't pay the bills with the income from the farmer's market, but I thought it would give me a good "feel" for the supply/demand of my local gluten-free community.  As the has summer progressed, I've also contacted local stores and restaurants to request that they carry my gluten-free bread and cookies, and I've dreamed of riding even bigger waves.

Just like the churning and swirling energy and activity that takes place during the the swelling of a "bomb" wave (a really big wave), the anticipation of this new venture has my mind swirling.  Some days I'm focused and staying on my "board", staying inside that tube, and other days my mind is going in so many directions, I crash into the wall of that tube and I wipe out.  Some days the ride is exhilarating.  Other days it is frightening... and other days it is frustrating and depressing.

But, like that dedicated surfer who wipes out and gets back on the surfboard, I, too, will get back on the board and ride the next wave... and I'll try to avoid low tide. LOL  In the meantime, I'll continue to coordinate our gluten-free support group, CEGIS and help educate others about gluten - and of course bake some delicious gluten-free goodies...

Here's a picture of the delicious, fluffy hamburger buns I've been marketing to the stores: 

Want a teaser about what my next post is about? It's about whitewater rafting and slow cooker cooking.  What a contrast right?   I'm honored to be chosen to test two recipes from GingerLemonGirl's cookbook that will be released in October. Go ahead and preorder several copies of this book - they make great gifts and you can't beat the pre-order price! 

"Everything-Gluten-Free-Slow-Cooker-Cookbook"

Until the crest of the next wave rises...