I’m excited about 2010. It’s going to be a good year. How could it not? I mean, just look at that number—round, even, balanced. It looks like a good place to start.

This is a particularly good thing since I think 2009 wasn’t the exactly easiest year for a lot of people. I know it wasn’t always for me. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good year and that a lot of good things didn’t come out of it, it was just a lot of work to get through it all. It was a year of transitions. I foresee 2010 being a year of happenings.

Of course I may be a little biased. I am getting married this year afterall. Clearly a major happening. (Okay, I promise not to bring up the wedding every single day for the next ten months.)

There is also going to be a lot happening on this blog. As you may know, I’m leaving my job (my last day is Friday!) to spend more time here. I want to make this space bigger yet more focused. I’ve been speaking to a lot of wonderful g-freers lately and the input has been very valuable. These conversations have reminded me that this isn’t an easy or obvious lifestyle for everyone. I tend to forget that I was an avid cook and a burgeoning foodie before I had to give up something that is practically a staple in most western diets. For people who don’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I can see how it could be difficult to figure out where to start. The improvements to the site will strive to offer more comprehensive resources for those who are newly gluten-free, provide inspiration for GF veterans, and tempt even the gluten-tolerant into expanding their pantries and palates.

And while it is all gluten-free, at the heart of this blog is a deep love of food. My personal opinion is that it’s difficult to talk about food without, occasionally, really talking about food. So, while it will not be the main focus of the site, I will be discussing certain food-related issues from time to time. I’ve touched on these things briefly in the past and will be sharing my thoughts on what I’ve read, seen, or observed in the future. I think the question of where our food comes from, what we’re eating and why, is a natural offshoot of the gluten-free issue. When a person must give up gluten it becomes essential to study ingredient lists, recognize what all those unpronounceables are, and know where and how your food was processed so you can avoid becoming sick. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that everyone should be asking these sorts of questions about ALL of our food, not just because of allergy or intolerance concerns, but for a whole host of reasons from government policy and economics to our health as individuals and the health of the planet.

In 2010 I will also be writing many new recipes. This is the part I am most excited about! I have a backlog of ideas that simply need to be made and tested, and I’m happy I’ll finally be able to do that and share them here.

On a personal note, I am resolving to eat a mostly plant-based diet in the coming year, which means I will be playing around with more vegetarian and vegan options. In poking around the veg sections of the supermarket, I’ve noticed that lot of meat substitutes on the market are made from wheat gluten. I imagine this can be frustrating and add a whole new level of difficulty for those eating meatless in addition to being g-free. It can’t be denied that we would all do well to eat fewer animal-based products. I hope to create more GF plant-based dishes that everyone will enjoy, whether you’re looking to reduce your meat intake or not. Also, I will be testing out vegan variations on as many of my baked goods as possible, so look out for adaptation instructions!

Along with these ideas are going to come some changes in the format of the site. I’m still working out exactly what this means. Hopefully this will be largely positive and will go smoothly, but I’m not ruling out the possibility of growing pains. So please bear with me. I’ll make sure to bake lots of tasty things to take your mind off it.

This is definitely going to be a process. I have a lot of plans, which means a lot of work ahead. And I know I’m not going to be able to please everyone, but your input is important. Please always feel free to e-mail me or let me know if there’s something you want to see here. I won’t promise that I can do it all but I will do what I can, and hopefully this can become a trusted resource for good, gluten-free food.

I hope you’ve had a healthy and happy start to 2010. Here’s to a year of happenings!