Hi there! Whisking Outside the Box is a site which dedicates itself to creating delicious, gluten-free waffles.
So, who am I?
I'm Brooke, the creator of Whisking Outside the Box. I knew there was a story and a passion inside me, I just didn't know how to express it. So, naturally, I figured I'd just started a blog.
I shared a lot of different types of recipes (you can see them as you see my older posts), and in focusing on all of these areas, this blog just fell flat. So, I began to really concentrate on what things are the foundation of my life, and then things on here seemed to make a little more sense.
First Up: Whisking
How am I going to tackle whisking on this blog?
Well, by stepping in my kitchen of course! I've long denied myself the pleasure of creating waffles, as a method of self punishment. I used to cook "Waffle Wednesdays" with a former roommate as a way to nourish ourselves and nurture our friendship. It was a way we connected, and a way I totally found a passion.
But, as our friendship ended in a painful and permanent way, I stopped creating those weekly waffles. I stopped reading food blogs and lost a vital part of me. Even as I went to culinary school, I felt there was a piece of me I locked away, just as I had done with the memories of our breakfasts. I never fully enjoyed culinary school the way I thought I would. Because I've been punishing myself ever since for the loss of this friend.
But, during my health struggles over the past year, I woke up one morning ready to try again. I decided the punishment had to stop. I bought a waffle maker. I began researching recipes. I began to cook again. And slowly...very slowly in fact, I've started to heal. All by being courageous.
Second: Outside the Box
Merriam Webster defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."
And courage is my word for 2017. I'm tired of living in fear. Of playing small. Of actually shining. Of sharing my light. Of being afraid to tackle ALL things, both in and out of the kitchen. Choosing to shine my light when the world (and my ego) tells me to hide is the epitome of courage.
So, my "outside the box" is shining my light. It's being seen for who I am. It's embracing the release of forgiveness and the shame of self punishment. It's living life in my truth, rather than what others wanted for me. In short, I'm getting out of the boxes I've created for myself.
And on another level, it's getting away from those boxes we use to feed ourselves a quick and otherwise unsatisfying breakfast. Think cereal boxes of all kinds; toaster pastries of various varieties; and those freezer meals held in icy isolation.
In this sense, getting outside the box is slowing down by taking the time to actually make breakfast. And we are getting outside the box by making gluten free waffles.
So.Many.Waffles.
Speaking of waffles, let's chat about what you'll see (and what you won't) in my blog. Things have changed since my first generation of waffle makin'. I no longer use a glutenous waffle mix anymore. I no longer use dairy or soy either. I've been gluten free, dairy free, and soy free since 2014. So, that's what my new waffles will be. I do use eggs in my baking, but will be experimenting with vegan "eggs" as well.
Regardless of the flours or binders I use, there will always be fun flavors over which to linger and reconnect.
I post new content two times a week: Thursday and Sunday.
I'm always on the lookout for waffle inspiration, so if you want me to create a waffle based on some of your favorite flavors, contact me and let me know!
Wait, you mentioned sickness....are you ok?
I've always been sickly. But these past 8 or 9 years I've experienced a wide range of symptoms, from massive blood sugar fluctuations to major stomach & digestive problems. I was diagnosed in March of 2014 as having a dairy allergy; soy allergy; and, a gluten intolerance. I was in culinary school for baking and pastry at the time, so needless to say it rocked my world. I changed my diet, my career path and thought my culinary life was over. But, I was hopeful this dietary change would fix the most prevalent symptom I was experiencing--absolutely crushing fatigue. Each night, I laid awake exhausted and each morning, I was so tired I felt like I could sleep for years.
The diet only aided a small part of my digestive problems, but the fatigue continued. I felt it was my new normal, so I tried to manage it as best I could, but it became increasingly difficult, especially the past couple of years.
After this time of just struggling to get by physically, I did seeking out medical help in December of 2015, when I was told my illness was probably mono (for the 3rd time in my life), and most likely chronic fatigue syndrome. Everything looked normal blood test wise (save for a positive test for Epstein Barr antibodies from a "past" infection) though, so it was just a guess at best. I didn't want to believe I could have something which was so permanent, so I didn't do any of the things which were suggested to me (like taking anti-viral supplements, changing my diet to whole foods, and letting my body rest). I just kept pushing through the fatigue with harder workouts and eating fewer calories. And I continued to get worse.
I went back to the doctor in late July of 2016, where I was told Candida was to blame for all of my health issues. I underwent a massive diet change to a low carb/high protein/no sugar diet. I thought this time, these changes would cure me. But, it didn't. The fatigue became so crushing I could barely move. My digestion slowed to a crawl. My face exploded with acne. I slept more than I was awake. I felt awful all the time. And I felt this way for 9 weeks.
When I returned for my 9 week check up, the doctor was confused--I was supposed to be getting better on this diet, not worse. This meant something else was at the root of my illness, not an overgrowth of yeast in my gut. More blood tests were taken. I made appointments with a couple of different specialists. After receiving my test results (round 2), the "past" infection of Epstein Barr Virus was very much alive and well in my body. Now, a formal diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome caused by a chronic Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection was made.
Somehow, I felt vindicated. I knew there was something wrong with me, and I knew it wasn't Candida. I happily changed my diet to include fruit again (I cried the first time I had a banana after 9 weeks...so delicious!) I happily turned away from meat and went more plant based. The first thing I noticed was a return of my regularity. As the weeks have progressed since that checkup and massive direction change, my skin has started to clear. I'm able to stay awake for much longer during the day. which is great for getting through work let me tell you. And, I've been back in the kitchen cooking all of my meals with all the healing, loving energy I can muster.
Where am I now?
I still have a very long way to go. I was told my chronic fatigue/chronic EBV infection will most likely take up to 18 months to heal (As of tonight, I've still got 12 months to go). Anti-viral pharmaceutical drugs don't get rid of EBV, so the virus is being eliminated from my body by a full battery of natural supplements and by powerful fruits and veggies. I'm taking it slowly. learning new things each day about myself and my body. Come along as I share my journey..and my waffle creations..thank you for being here!!
So, who am I?
I'm Brooke, the creator of Whisking Outside the Box. I knew there was a story and a passion inside me, I just didn't know how to express it. So, naturally, I figured I'd just started a blog.
I shared a lot of different types of recipes (you can see them as you see my older posts), and in focusing on all of these areas, this blog just fell flat. So, I began to really concentrate on what things are the foundation of my life, and then things on here seemed to make a little more sense.
First Up: Whisking
How am I going to tackle whisking on this blog?
Well, by stepping in my kitchen of course! I've long denied myself the pleasure of creating waffles, as a method of self punishment. I used to cook "Waffle Wednesdays" with a former roommate as a way to nourish ourselves and nurture our friendship. It was a way we connected, and a way I totally found a passion.
But, as our friendship ended in a painful and permanent way, I stopped creating those weekly waffles. I stopped reading food blogs and lost a vital part of me. Even as I went to culinary school, I felt there was a piece of me I locked away, just as I had done with the memories of our breakfasts. I never fully enjoyed culinary school the way I thought I would. Because I've been punishing myself ever since for the loss of this friend.
But, during my health struggles over the past year, I woke up one morning ready to try again. I decided the punishment had to stop. I bought a waffle maker. I began researching recipes. I began to cook again. And slowly...very slowly in fact, I've started to heal. All by being courageous.
Second: Outside the Box
Merriam Webster defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."
And courage is my word for 2017. I'm tired of living in fear. Of playing small. Of actually shining. Of sharing my light. Of being afraid to tackle ALL things, both in and out of the kitchen. Choosing to shine my light when the world (and my ego) tells me to hide is the epitome of courage.
So, my "outside the box" is shining my light. It's being seen for who I am. It's embracing the release of forgiveness and the shame of self punishment. It's living life in my truth, rather than what others wanted for me. In short, I'm getting out of the boxes I've created for myself.
And on another level, it's getting away from those boxes we use to feed ourselves a quick and otherwise unsatisfying breakfast. Think cereal boxes of all kinds; toaster pastries of various varieties; and those freezer meals held in icy isolation.
In this sense, getting outside the box is slowing down by taking the time to actually make breakfast. And we are getting outside the box by making gluten free waffles.
So.Many.Waffles.
Speaking of waffles, let's chat about what you'll see (and what you won't) in my blog. Things have changed since my first generation of waffle makin'. I no longer use a glutenous waffle mix anymore. I no longer use dairy or soy either. I've been gluten free, dairy free, and soy free since 2014. So, that's what my new waffles will be. I do use eggs in my baking, but will be experimenting with vegan "eggs" as well.
Regardless of the flours or binders I use, there will always be fun flavors over which to linger and reconnect.
I post new content two times a week: Thursday and Sunday.
I'm always on the lookout for waffle inspiration, so if you want me to create a waffle based on some of your favorite flavors, contact me and let me know!
Wait, you mentioned sickness....are you ok?
I've always been sickly. But these past 8 or 9 years I've experienced a wide range of symptoms, from massive blood sugar fluctuations to major stomach & digestive problems. I was diagnosed in March of 2014 as having a dairy allergy; soy allergy; and, a gluten intolerance. I was in culinary school for baking and pastry at the time, so needless to say it rocked my world. I changed my diet, my career path and thought my culinary life was over. But, I was hopeful this dietary change would fix the most prevalent symptom I was experiencing--absolutely crushing fatigue. Each night, I laid awake exhausted and each morning, I was so tired I felt like I could sleep for years.
The diet only aided a small part of my digestive problems, but the fatigue continued. I felt it was my new normal, so I tried to manage it as best I could, but it became increasingly difficult, especially the past couple of years.
After this time of just struggling to get by physically, I did seeking out medical help in December of 2015, when I was told my illness was probably mono (for the 3rd time in my life), and most likely chronic fatigue syndrome. Everything looked normal blood test wise (save for a positive test for Epstein Barr antibodies from a "past" infection) though, so it was just a guess at best. I didn't want to believe I could have something which was so permanent, so I didn't do any of the things which were suggested to me (like taking anti-viral supplements, changing my diet to whole foods, and letting my body rest). I just kept pushing through the fatigue with harder workouts and eating fewer calories. And I continued to get worse.
I went back to the doctor in late July of 2016, where I was told Candida was to blame for all of my health issues. I underwent a massive diet change to a low carb/high protein/no sugar diet. I thought this time, these changes would cure me. But, it didn't. The fatigue became so crushing I could barely move. My digestion slowed to a crawl. My face exploded with acne. I slept more than I was awake. I felt awful all the time. And I felt this way for 9 weeks.
When I returned for my 9 week check up, the doctor was confused--I was supposed to be getting better on this diet, not worse. This meant something else was at the root of my illness, not an overgrowth of yeast in my gut. More blood tests were taken. I made appointments with a couple of different specialists. After receiving my test results (round 2), the "past" infection of Epstein Barr Virus was very much alive and well in my body. Now, a formal diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome caused by a chronic Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection was made.
Somehow, I felt vindicated. I knew there was something wrong with me, and I knew it wasn't Candida. I happily changed my diet to include fruit again (I cried the first time I had a banana after 9 weeks...so delicious!) I happily turned away from meat and went more plant based. The first thing I noticed was a return of my regularity. As the weeks have progressed since that checkup and massive direction change, my skin has started to clear. I'm able to stay awake for much longer during the day. which is great for getting through work let me tell you. And, I've been back in the kitchen cooking all of my meals with all the healing, loving energy I can muster.
Where am I now?
I still have a very long way to go. I was told my chronic fatigue/chronic EBV infection will most likely take up to 18 months to heal (As of tonight, I've still got 12 months to go). Anti-viral pharmaceutical drugs don't get rid of EBV, so the virus is being eliminated from my body by a full battery of natural supplements and by powerful fruits and veggies. I'm taking it slowly. learning new things each day about myself and my body. Come along as I share my journey..and my waffle creations..thank you for being here!!
