Hi, I’m Beth Allingham - proud mom of two and grandmom of two, food-lover, retired chemistry teacher and the recipe developer, CEO and food photographer behind A Meal In Mind. I love everything about food: choosing it, designing recipes, cooking it, eating it.
Besides the fact that I love to eat (and to feed people) I've always wanted to know the WHY about food: is it healthy and why? Does this set of ingredients work together and why?
Gluten-Free and Paleo Recipes
My older son was 7 when we were told to avoid wheat, dairy and corn for a couple of weeks. That was 30 years ago and all I could think about was the bagels with cream cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza that had been our meals the day before.
Here on A Meal in Mind you will find my recipes from the last 30 years of cooking for my family - even more so now that I cook two meals a week for my daughter-in-law, who must avoid gluten. Most of my recipes are naturally gluten-free and/or Paleo.
Q & A
Why did you start A Meal In Mind?
In early 2019, I wanted to document the two meals a week I was making for my daughter-in-law, who had just given birth to our first grandson. She has gluten-intolerance, and that was my starting point.
As soon as I delivered a meal, I'd start thinking about the next. I always had a meal in mind - thus the blog name!
What did you do before starting your blog?
I taught high school chemistry and biology for 22 years in Honolulu and San Francisco. My students said I could make almost any science lesson about food.
Do you cook all the recipes on AMIM?
I cook all the food you see here, with occasional help from my son Rob, now 37, and my grandson, now 4.
Do you do your own photography?
Yes, I'm the food photographer, and my son helps me with food styling when I'm in Honolulu. I use a Canon 6D Mark II and, for some overhead shots, a Nikon D3400.
Resources
Check out this page for suggestions for elimination diets. And this simple framework for thinking about carbohydrates, the Carbohydrate Continuum.
What I can tell you is: If I can go gluten-free, anyone can. Rather than dwell on my love for bread, I’ve challenged myself to develop a repertoire of recipes that are so good, you won't think there is anything missing – because there isn’t!
Plus, from time to time there will be recipes that I gathered during 30 years living in Honolulu (and dancing hula for 20 of those). This is my hula group (and me in the back center) after a hula competition that I participated in on Maui in 2015. I credit the way I eat with being able to dance into my 60's!
Whether you are cooking for yourself or sharing with family like me, I hope that you will find something you love here.
More about me and my Background with Food
I cooked for others for years. Usually, there was an ailment involved: allergies; anorexia; ulcerative colitis; fibromyalgia; hypoglycemia (mine). With each new culinary focus, my natural scientific curiosity took me into more research.
My Culinary Companion
This is Boone, who keeps me company and makes sure I don’t leave anything delicate on the floor. Will I ever make his food? Stay tuned!
Boone thinks that when I am not sitting AT the computer, he should be sitting ON it.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you find what you seek here!
Beth