I've heard a lot of positive talk in the education world regarding passion projects and "Genius Hour" in the classroom, but I never knew how hard it would be to get started. As a University student who works two jobs, I never thought about having a passion because I didn't think I had the time or money to pursue one. After much thought, I realized that my passion project could involve creating a solution to one of my biggest daily struggles - cooking. Not just any cooking, but learning how to cook GLUTEN-FREE.
A year ago I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Although this was a relief, after years of feeling sick and exhausted, I was also devastated - I was not only broke, busy, and in love with gluten-filled foods, but I had no idea how to cook. For the past year I have managed to follow a gluten-free diet, but it is time-consuming, costly, and lacks variety. Thus, my Genius Hour question is...
How do I make gluten-free cooking quicker, easier, and more cost-efficient?
In order to figure out where to start, I did what all good educators do and... went to Pinterest. After browsing a few posts, I started to outline some potential goals:
- Learn how to cook gluten-free meals that are practical
- Create dishes that are quick, easy, and affordable
- Find staple ingredients that can be used for a variety of meals
- Discover strategies for meal prepping
I was also able to get a broad idea of the materials that I may need to accomplish these goals:
- Gluten-Free ingredients (e.g., rice flour, quinoa, and other common gluten-substitutes)
- Other foods/ingredients (e.g., fresh fruit and vegetables, potatoes, spices, etc.)
- Kitchen/Cooking space
- Research tools (e.g., cookbooks, Pinterest, etc.)
I also began to look into gluten-free cooking classes, which typically span for 4 to 6 weeks. Thus, I am planning to give myself a 6-week timeframe to accomplish my goals. Wish me luck! I will leave you with these guidelines I found regarding "The 5 First Steps of Eating Gluten-Free", a blog which also includes links to online cooking classes and meal prep ideas.
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