BabyCakes, NYC

Happy belated Halloween! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I enjoyed mine, making yummy, g-free finger foods (coming soon to a blog near you!), seeing all the trick or treaters, possibly getting spooked at a local haunted house (possibly), and spending time with my family. With all of the candy around, I can't deny it was hard not to think about satisfying my insatiable sweet tooth. However, just days before I had my own treat from New York City bakery, BabyCakes.

BabyCakes specializes in vegan, allergy-friendly sweets that girls like me (and I'm sure all of you) can enjoy. After a fun-filled dinner with my husband and some friends, they humored me by trekking over to the Lower East Side. Coming from Hoboken, I think I had the longest commute, but I was on a mission! We got there with minutes to spare, but when I arrived the woman behind the county was still super nice and eager to help.

I explained that I wanted to buy some cupcakes, and she said, "Do you have any allergies?" I paused for a moment. No one had ever asked me that whenever I ordered food. So often, I've had to be the one to list all of my intolerances, or scrutinize the menu before I even arrive.  For a moment it felt like I had entered my favorite doctor's office. Someone actually cared to ask the right questions.

All I managed to get out was gluten. She said, "Ah, okay, we have these cupcakes here. And the chocolate chip cookies." She added, "we also have all of these muffins," as she gave her best Vanna White wave to the assortment of choices. It was exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I decided I would try the vanilla/vanilla and chocolate/chocolate cupcakes. My husband also took a chocolate chip cookie for the road, so I snuck one of those in there for me too.

I carried my precious cargo all the way back to NJ, and laid them out on the counter. Decisions, decisions. Both cupcakes looks so cute, tucked nicely in their pink boxes. In the end, I chose the vanilla cupcake for that evening. My husband scarfed down his cookie, saying it was "good," which in his language meant it was delicious! The following evening I would have my chance at it and agree. Those cookies are amazing!

The one thing non-vegan or new allergy-related people need to remember is that it's not going to taste like a regular cookie. It actually doesn't rise the way that other cookies do, but that flat-bread-like quality actually makes it taste better because you enjoy the chocolate chips that much more. If you like crunchy cookies, this one is for you!

The vanilla/vanilla was also yummy. I must confess that it takes some getting used to for vegan, --free cupcakes. I love that they use natural sweeteners and flours that are safe for everyone. But when you're used to refined sugar and/or flour that seems lighter but wreaks havoc on your gut, it probably takes a bit of detox to fully appreciate the distinct flavor of these cupcakes. I've had some really terrible ones that look and feel like they could break a window. The vanilla/vanilla was nowhere near that. And the frosting ranks pretty high in my book. It was melt-in-your-mouth sweet without giving you a sugar crash. It's probably a good thing that they're in the Lower East Side, or I might frequent more often just for that frosting!

A few days later I tried the chocolate/chocolate, which was deliciously sinful. Having tried a few different types of chocolate, I can honestly say they use the real deal. The slight after taste of strong cacao was what I tasted, so I savored each bite. And honestly, isn't that what you look for in anything worth eating? Something that makes you enjoy the distinct flavor of each morsel? That's what I got out of my first visit to BabyCakes.  If you're ever in the area, I invite you to give them a shot. I'm sure there's more edible fun to be had there, and while they definitely have some tricks up their sleeve, their treats are simply sweet.

Until next time,

SensiGirl

Nice to Meet You!

Hey there,

For those that don't know me, I'm a self-proclaimed health nut. Not the body-building, I've got an eight-pack kind of nut. No. I've just been exposed to so many health-related issues, they should probably put SensiGirl in Merriam-Webster's with my picture next to it. Case and point, how many people do you know that, at age 10, break out in hives from head to toe with 102 degree fever? Then to be told that it was caused by a dandruff shampoo that had sulfur in it. Something that they found I was allergic to after really exciting panel tests were taped to my back. You know what I'm talking about. Those itchy, sticky panels that make you feel gross because you can't shower. Odd right? Just from a little shampoo.

Fast forward three years later. A week before my fourteenth birthday, I was having heart burn. After a few days of discomfort, and just not feeling right, I was taken to the ER to find out I had Hodgkin's Disease. The burn turned out to be a tumor that quickly spread to my neck. I was enlisted in a protocol that had a pretty high remission rate.  Of course, it included two months of chemotherapy and a few weeks of radiation, but three months after my initial diagnosis, I was in remission.  It wasn't without side effects, the most obvious being the hair loss. I'm not going to lie, it sucked. But having met other kids my age who had it so much worse, my awkward re-growth phase was definitely tolerable. I also developed mild cardiomyopathy due to the chemo, but years later that went away too. The worst of it was over and I beat it.

Twelve years later, I'm still blessed to be cancer-free. There are so many other moments, but I'll save those for future posts. Why do I want to share so much? Because after inexplicable moments of allergies, rashes, cancer, sinusitis, IBS (the list can go on and on), I've come to a place where I want to know what's the cause of it. It can't possibly just be a coincidence that I was bestowed upon all these health issues. And after talking to others, I know I'm not the only one going through this. We could have a whole SensiCommunity!

So I'm on a quest. I've met with leading allergists, internists, and naturopathic doctors alike trying to understand, "what is healthy?" In the interim, I've also done my own research about diets, both fad and long-term. Feeling inundated with the benefits of everything from dairy-free and g-free, to veganism and plant-based diets, it's hard to determine what's in the best interest of my overall health. Hence the blog. Here's where I'll be sharing articles, recipes, and my own experiences as I try my hand at bits of what I think may work. I'll report back and hopefully inspire you to share your experiences as well.  If something works for you, please share. I want this to be as collaborative as possible.

What I won't do are the extreme plans: I won't be eating solely protein, or starving myself for 6 weeks in an attempt to lose weight. While weight loss might be achieved, that's not really what I'm going for here. Everything should be in moderation. More so, now more than ever, I'm learning that while we go to medical practitioners for assistance when needed, only we have the power to heal ourselves. Whether it be through food and exercise, or Chinese medicine and meditation. East, West, Mediterranean, South Beach. All of it has certain aspects that can be of use. So I'm out to find the answer. I hope you'll join me.

Until next week,

SensiGirl