About Me

Hello, nice to met you, I’m Clare the proud owner of ‘The Cauldron’ 😍

I’m Female as you can see, 50 ( how did that happen) and live on the cusp of the Yorkshire Dales in Yorkshire, England.

An Operating Department Theatre Sister by trade is my day job, baking is my relaxation and my therapy.

Here I am, you’re lucky, I usually look like a Slate Plate ( my Facebook and Insta Profile Picture).

I live with my Partner and Daughter my 17 year old Cocker Spaniel Bobbie, and my grand-cat Simba

‘ THE ME ‘BEHIND THE BAKING

Many moons ago , before it became a lifestyle choice for some, I was diagnosed with a Gluten Intolerance, a severe and debilitating Intolerance for me … one that manifests itself in seconds and lasts for days and requires a raft of medication to pass ( not the usual manifestation for Gluten Sensitivity thats for sure ) .

Its life and well you deal with it, but to seal the health cards 6 years ago I was diagnosed with Lupus and life had to change, infact a full lifestyle change in epic proportions.

I needed something to fill my time, I’ve always been a cook, but not much of a baker. But being Gluten Free, that made thing troublesome, unless it had vegetables in a cake, it just wasn’t cutting the muster.

I wanted that normal bake, you know the one that everyone eats, not the dry, nut filled, seed added offering that usually is on offer, or Brownie ( no I love a brownie but not every, treat )

So June 2017 I started to try !!!

By chance I stumbled on http://www.sallysbakingaddiction.com and her Facebook group.

Now Sally and her recipes and the vast majority of her followers are ‘regular recipes and bakers’ . Ermmmm could I do that could this whacky baker playing with the big kids😂😂

Well I gave myself the challenge, learn from and adapt regular recipes, from the same source – Sally

I devised my own flour blend, taught myself tricks and methods, learnt some baking science and stalked the regular bakers on the Facebook Group to learn as much as I could.

I am now proud to call these bakers my International friends and without them now I wouldn’t be writing this now. They are still a source for a lot of my inspiration and so valuable when I’m trying to compile ingredient lists that will cross international boundaries. I trust their recommendations on especially US products

They dubbed my kitchen The Cauldron and hence my name, and due to my daughters Lactose intolerance I was now baking Gluten Free and Dairy free I used the #everyoneshouldenjoycake – it stuck😍😍

I then realised the children that where missing out on so much, a few egg intolerance were cropping up, ooooo lets go maverick 😂 I can take out eggs !!!!!

After lots of experimenting, hours in the kitchen, baking anything and everything I could, using every ingredient I could sub in to regular recipes, I came up with a list of ‘ tweaks and suggestions’ for any regular recipe to make it work

Things move on I spread my wings, would it actually work not using Sally recipes, oh yes oh yes result !!!!!!

So then it started, A dedicated Facebook Page and Instagram account, not bad for a 48 year old

I then decided my hand at food photography, I keep it simple, my photography is about the bake so I’m not into big time props or lots of fuss, but I have been told my style is recognisable.

And I will Promise, minimal editing, its not my thing to over edit and false colour. What you see is what you get, bar a little lightening of the picture when the lights bad.

Now I’m on to a New Chapter here, doing what I always wanted to do, trying to help, spreading my knowledge and doing the next right thing. Knowledge is not power , sharing is.

I will be sharing here my unique recipes, many will be my own creations, if its a recipe ‘tweak ‘ then full credits will be given to the original source.

Overtime, my list of tweaks and flour blend will be available to see, but for now lets get you some good solid bakes under your belt

I’m here to help, to give you the confidence to know, that anything is possible ,and life is not food boring living with intolerance’s

Feel free to follow me on Insta and my Facebook Page, both which have links on the blog post. There will be other things on offer there unless its blog day and then well a bit of publicity for the post here is not a bad thing.

Thank You for taking the time to read me droning on 🙈

Clare 💜💜💜💜💜 ( my ‘trademark purple heart 😍)