I was born, raised, went to college (University of Tulsa….GOLDEN HURRICANE!), and now reside in Tulsa, OK. That may sound boring to some, but I think it just makes vacationing anywhere that much more exciting. I absolutely LOVE Tulsa and always knew that I would end up settling here even if time tossed me somewhere else for a bit. It didn’t though, and although I had opportunities to study abroad, or go away to college I have felt content here. That said I want you to know that I do travel a lot! As much as I possibly can. I get antsy if I stay in town for more than two months at a time.
I have a very large Greek family. Ok I know what you are thinking…My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Ya, I had one of those and that movie pretty much sums up my family. It was a ball growing up Greek. My cousins are some of my best friends, I have the best support system, we are loud, proud, and a bit of a rowdy bunch. And yes, we also love to eat. And eat. And eat. We are always hanging out in the kitchen together and I’m sure that’s where my love of cooking started. I enjoyed helping my Yiayia (grandmother), Theas (Aunts), and mum (mum) prep and cook all day for holidays or our traditional Sunday lunch. If that doesn't sound like we get our fill of one another, I'll add that we also travel together. All of us. In one giant, noisy, bustling bunch. We used to go to Mexico every other year together until college hit and one by one we flew the nest. Given the opportunity I wouldn’t change one thing about how I grew up. Even the fact that I was forced to attend Greek school with my Thea Georgia every Friday night in the Church basement while the other kids were attending slumber parties. I don’t honestly think I learned too much there and remember mostly looking at flashcards of birds and serving dishes and reciting the Greek words in unison. But, it was a learning experience in many other fashions.
After I was told that I was intolerant to gluten I immediately saw it as another adventure. New possibilities opened up to me and my cooking really took off. I was eager to explore and research and share all that I learned. Then I got the idea about the blog. I wanted to help people. I wanted to make people laugh. I wanted to take everyone with me on this wild and crazy journey through chocolate lava explosions in the oven, gluten free product experiments, and restaurant hunting. I wanted to be the guinea pig. And most of all, I have always wanted to write. Alas, GF Indie was created. The name for the blog came to me in an instant. Indie was a childhood nickname that I obtained when I dedicated a portion of my life pretending to be Indiana Jones. If you recall, his father called him Indie for short in the movie. I even accidentally scratched my chin once with a willow branch pretending it was my whip and ended up with a little cut just like he did which of course I thought was incredible cool. I must admit, I was sad when it healed. I still sometimes hit the garage button and sneak under right before it closes. I used to full on roll but I have grown up a bit. And GF, well I hope you put two and two together and got gluten free. So there you go, the history of the blog’s name.
Cooking is almost therapy for me. Not that I need therapy mind you but we all need unwind somehow. I run almost everyday, travel, and go to as many live shows as I can, but cooking brings something different to the table. Well, I suppose it always brings something to the table regardless. And not to boast, but it comes pretty naturally. I pride myself on being able to whip up something great without a recipe, and by simply plucking this and that out of my pantry. Cooking is an endless endeavor. It will always challenge me to do better, create something tastier, indulge in foreign fares, and research and read other’s recipes and takes on food. Cooking is a never ending treat that I will savor for the rest of my life. Or at least until I’ve aged and gone all loola, but that’s not in the near future. I hope.
So cheers to new adventures to come, and I am excited to have you all on the ride with me.
XO,
Heidi
The GF Indie
