unrefined

Email.

It is a perfectly appropriate super easy way to communicate with teachers. No lost notes, no awkward phone conversations etc.  So, I get an email from my sweet Natalie's 2nd grade teacher.  Not a big deal.

But...

Someone is having a birthday next week and are bringing cupcakes to share with the class.

I panic.

A million excuses are running through my head to avoid going to school and work THAT day.

I have been avoiding birthday parties all summer.  I mean I hate birthday's as it is, so don't take it personally. They are full of disappointment anyways. I categorize them right up there with Christmas, my least favorite holiday. Like ever.

But honestly I could not even begin to deal with my girls disappointment when everyone else was having cake and ice cream.   The last thing I wanna do is drag my kid to a party where everyone is stuffing there faces with food and drink she can't have. Maybe she would handle it fine. Maybe it's really me that has the issue. But whatever.

Anxiously I lay in bed late one night googling a gluten free and vegan bakery in Dallas.  Did I mention I am indeed the worst non-conventional baker that there ever was? Yep, I am awful. But I can make a mean streusel but only because it's mostly oats ha!

I came across a bakery called unrefined. I check out their website and sure enough they are corn free too. I woke up the Mr. and told him all about my findings and that I was going to visit that bakery tomorrow matter of fact. It was even located in Lakewood, not far from us.

I was giddy. I was hopeful. I was gonna get my girl a cupcake that was egg, wheat and corn free and it was going to taste good and be pretty. And she was going to eat cupcakes like everyone else in her class.

See the girl can have dairy and animal products all day long, it's the egg. Vegan is a safe code as well as gluten free category for us. She doesn't have celiac disease or anything like that, just an allergy to wheat and corn and a bunch of other great foods.

I walked into the bakery, it was easy to find. The curb appeal was pretty dang adorable too. I was greeted with confidence.

I ordered up an egg free vanilla cupcake in it's own little brown box with a lid, a loaf of egg free pumpkin bread and a egg free pizza crust. Are you sick of reading "egg free" yet? Me either.

Wish I'd taken more photos but I was too dang excited. There were not cases of baked goods, they keep everything in the back except a small display case on the counter. I hear they have coffee and smoothies too but I was too distracted to even take notice.

I sampled a piece of incredibly soft yeasty bread while I was there. The girl is used to frozen rice flour based bread and well toast and grilled cheese is the extent of her sliced goodness. I'll have to save that purchase for another day. The Mr. may ban me from this bakery, gotta play it cool on the checkbook my first trip.

As I was leaving I told the lady I loved her. I left with tears in my eyes. True story.

I couldn't wait to share the goodies with my family when I got home. I could barely contain my excitement.

The pumpkin bread was delicious, not as good as my mine of course but for what it's lacking you'd never know it.

The pizza crust was crispy and satisfying and best of all I didn't have to venture out for pizza night clear across town. Or fail miserably and make a mess of my kitchen not to mention spend a gazillion dollars on ingredients I was just going to mess up anyways.

Did I mention they were dairy free too? Well, they are mostly anyways.

It's Doughnuts with Dad at school later this week. Fried dough, I think I can handle.