![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8csoM_A30Oq9p5wGwKdrmeZEFNImpsYbCK0JlNfM9AOCAgDKodtJspF66oEwh8WkIW5pHZqCB6XZnNMXGTud-lrqaBp2aMeVAxWUh26Q4hRc7AbOP7Y4F02H0gbwpTxgc-b_RqJhyphenhyphene3F/s400/IMG_6177.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYzTwgeZMyw48rR1hodtMSSypjQqFHBy7idS2NTwNpP5iP-QQDq-T-rX81g0jbG5-9o8QHoM2II1re-7BdSGKTShUn9xdd5xPLvzXX5ml5TfTO4_Qs1rfb41kMMDg9dh56Zm11N_7FrMK/s400/family+pics+020.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOFrCo8U0nftE8Cd_bADhE87Oq1FsFL9Fw0nQepYqVIRnr-JQEyK4DsA9GKO600tSoVIxVMWGrk5aQ0Fyzu3UNdJkR88-br6XCrGFsp1cbIsunUKx5yX-0ROJ3jbwqfOlx5jgi5QFiITP/s400/isadora+and+squash+soup+006.jpg)
My granddaughter, Izzie, is about to turn 6. Can you believe it? How can it already be 6 years since I first held her, not even a day old?
The first few years of her life, I indulged. I baked cookies and muffins, made pasta soups, and pasta salads, cakes with fresh flowers and creamy frosting, which she adored. We spent hours cooking together, and it was such a delight. But she wasn't feeling well at all, and it was only when my daughter took her to a specialist, did we find out she was gluten-intolerant, as well as (sometimes) , allergic to dairy.
As a baker, I should have embraced this new challenge, but instead I stopped baking. I arrived at her house with lots of fresh fruits, and little else. Slowly, oh, so slowly, I'm feeling my way to cooking and baking in a new way, and one that will be something she can share in, with her usual delight and passion for good food. Today, I experimented with meringues, sprinkling a pinch of (gluten-free) sparkles on the tiny swirls of airy egg whites.
Happy Birthday, Miss Isadora!