Testimonial from Katy of Finding Home Blog
“There is only one you, and the world needs what you have to offer.” These words jumped off the page at me as I was reading Money-Making Mom.
I wanted to find something that I was good at, something that I was passionate about, and share it with the world.
I made my list of skills, talents, knowledge, and passions. And then it sat there.
I had a list of things that I could do, but none of them seemed quite right. I had a few “odd jobs” on my list, but they weren’t thrilling or exciting to me. I had been blogging for a few years, and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t do it consistently or about any specific topic, and my audience was mostly family and friends.
Then my purpose fell into my lap and took me by surprise.
Of my four children, two of them have a gluten intolerance. We’ve gotten pretty good at gluten free eating over the past couple of years, but we were still missing our baked goods. So I started experimenting with making muffins using only oat flour.
At first, I modified recipes I found online. Some turned out, some didn’t. I moved on to a family recipe from my mom, one of my dad’s favorites. When my own family couldn’t believe they were gluten free, I knew then I was onto something.
I started coming up with my own recipes. I’ve had a dream of writing and publishing a book since I was about 12 years old. But a cookbook? That never really crossed my mind. Until it did.
I got several recipes under my belt. And then life got busy. And I let other things take over, because it’s all fine and good that our family enjoys these recipes, but to share them with other people? What if they don’t like them? What if they don’t turn out? And then I have to figure out how to format a book on my own? I am not that tech smart. The insecurities and the fear of failure were weighing me down.
But another line from Money-Making Mom kept coming back to me. “Whatever you have to do, show up and give it your all. The rest will follow.”
Crystal talks about punching fear in the face, and doing things even though you’re scared. So I did. I started an email list. I gathered a group of recipe testers. I shared my recipes. And I was petrified.
The feedback wasn’t all positive. But it was helpful. I reworked a few things, and I did it. Now I have a published cookbook!!
(You can download the book for FREE through September 16, 2016!)
“I am enough. I was created for a purpose.” God sometimes uses us in ways we don’t expect. For me, that turned out to be showing others how to make gluten free baked goods with simple ingredients and on a budget.
Whether you have your purpose figured out, or you have no idea where to start, I want to encourage you to keep trying. Keep experimenting with things that are unique to you and your family. You might be surprised by what happens as a result!
Katy is the wife of a pastor and a mom of four children. She writes about food, homeschool, parenting, and home management at Finding Home Blog, and her new book, Oat Flour Muffins: Gluten Free Baking The Simple Way, is available on Amazon.
Jamie Rohrbaugh says
Congratulations on your cookbook, and on chasing your dream! What a wonderful story. 🙂
Sophie Piper says
Just made a batch of her basic muffins and added in orange zest and craisins ( well Aldie’s version) and they are amazing! It’s a very well written cookbook. Well done!
Meg says
Yay! Thanks for sharing! -Meg, MSM Team
joyce says
thank you katy- your story blessed me and challenged me today.
Micah @ MicahKlug.com says
Thank you for sharing your story! It’s amazing how God uses us when we allow Him and His will to take over. You gave God your time to experiment with recipes, try new things, and write the cookbook. Now He’s using you to help bless so many others. I know being on a gluten diet can be challenging when making food. Thank you for creating and compiling recipes so others can have an easier time.
Cara Brewer says
I have been reading your article and it’s always been wonderful to hear from you. I particularly loved the line, “I am enough. I was created for a purpose.” It’s so true. Moms, especially working moms, have to face several challenges in their work schedule and home live as well. And, keeping heads up with such positive thoughts will help them overcome those challenges easily.
Dianne P says
And once again, God’s perfect timing comes through. My 21 year old daughter has gluten intolerance, newly diagnosed, and her new boyfriend cannot eat any yeast products. Any then you blog about your new muffin recipe book, and I am elated! Thank you for facing your fears and helping my family! God bless you and your family!
Sherri says
Ditto from me! I’ve recently needed to venture into the gluten-free world, but the price of the flours (and the size of the bags) is daunting. Your recipes look doable and affordable. In fact, I tried the banana muffins this evening, and they taste fabulous…and that’s after forgetting to add the additional 1/2 cup of oats.
Laura says
That’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing your very encouraging story.
Uma @ Centsible Indian says
So wonderful to hear that. I love this line “Whatever you have to do, show up and give it your all. The rest will follow”. It’s SO TRUE.
Good luck with the cook book!
Davonne @ The Tidy Mom says
Love this! My daughter & I both need to eat gluten free and my other daughter loves trying new recipes so I downloaded the book. Congratulations on working hard and publishing it!
Rosanna says
Thank you for this post! I have also read Crystal’s book and I find your story so inspiring. I struggle with kicking fear in the face as well. This is another inspirational story to remind me to keep going.
Becky says
Thank you so much for this book! My husband is GF and these recipes will be awesome for him.
Harmony@CreatingMyKaleidoscope says
Thank you for this encouraging story. I am struggling again today. My career is draining me, but breadwinner responsibilities prevent me from making big change right now. We have a lot of debt we’re trying to pay off, for one.
But this encourages me to keep trying new things when not in the office . . . with the hope that my true purpose will reveal itself to me someday.