November 22nd was a long time ago. Really long. Back then, we were coordinating and dreaming up gluten-free Thanksgiving masterpieces. We were feasting on seasonal squashes and pears. And I kept promising you my bread that was braidable -- an almost impossible feat with gluten-free baking. 

And then it happened. Failure. Not once. Not twice. Not even three times. More times than I care to even count.

For weeks on end, everything I created was a failure. Not a little off, but something so off that it never made it to the table. More than once, my dear, sweet husband was seen emptying the contents of his mouth into a napkin. It even happened with brownies -- one of the easiest baking tasks!

And so I hid. Not so hard to do in this blogging world.

This was new territory for me.  Sure, things I had created have needed tweaking and minor changes until they were good enough to post. But nothing was so nasty that it wasn't even worth trying to figure out what went wrong. I needed to take some time to evaluate, assess, and figure out what was happening in my kitchen.

My first step was to go back to where I started. I went back to baking some of my old favorite successes. With that I realized that I was trying too hard. I was trying to eliminate starches, gums, and fats -- all while sticking to my gluten and sugar-free regimine. The chemical make up I was attempting to create just isn't realistic -- at least not if you want something tasty that holds together.

I went back to my research and realized that I was right in my initial stab -- not all starches are equal and some really aren't the enemy. My old favorite -- Arrowroot -- truly has some nutritional benefits. Arrowroot is the only starch with calcium ash, which helps balance the body. Furthermore, arrowroot is not a refined product. Unlike many other starches, it is simply the powdered and dried root. While I am not suggesting this starch is by any means health food -- though it is a good source of manganese and has a decent amount of fiber -- it is one of the healthier options.

With this new outlook, I was able to get back to the drawing board. And, yes, I was able to find success again. Gums still won't
appear in my cooking; I will still reduce fats as much as possible; and I will continue to love and adore Chia. And after many, many
versions and iterations, I have finally created that perfect, braidable, challah. My daughters -- and I -- are so happy to bring that tradition back!