Beehive Ovens, LLC is a home bakery operating under Wisconsin's Cottage Law specializing in delicious baked goods for those with food sensitivities. Two years later, after a significant decline in my physical, emotional and mental health, a Hashimoto's diagnosis was added. Still struggling to feel "normal", additional testing was done and then I got the big news. Celiac Disease. After that lovely
diagnosis, I experienced saudade for the first time. For many of us foodies, we associate specific events, places, and people with certain foods. Realizing I may not get to enjoy those complete experiences again was down right depressing. As a born and raised Wisconsin girl, the thought of going to State Fair and NOT getting a cream puff was just inconceivable. So then what? Rather than accept my new "normal", I set out to recreate my favorite foods so I could enjoy them once again. After much trial and error, I am happy to say I have mastered many of my favorites. Wanting to share them with others who may be missing out, I received my Food Manager Safety Certification and opened up Beehive Ovens. Currently I am operating under the Cottage Law, but someday I hope to build a commercial kitchen on our property so that I can share even more types of food that will take you back down memory lane. Hello- anyone else miss a traditional beer battered fish fry, German potato salad and rye bread?! Why "gluten-friendly" and not "gluten-free"? I do not take the term gluten-free lightly. Being a sensitive celiac myself, I value the importance of transparency and honesty in labeling. I strictly bake gluten free in my kitchen and am an avid label reader. (Is that technically a hobby?!) While all my baking space and all cooking equipment is dedicated, I do bake in a home kitchen and until my ENTIRE house is 100% gluten-free, Beehive Ovens will remain "gluten-friendly". I know the pain of being glutened and how it feels to miss out on time with family and friends as a result. I want everyone with both food allergies and sensitivities to be able to make an educated decision on what they choose to eat. Where did the name Beehive Ovens come from? The historic home in which we live has a giant brick beehive oven in the basement. I often think about how many meals were prepared there, the conversations had over those meals, and the joy the oven brought to so many. It only seemed appropriate to give it the credit it deserves.
*Saudade [ soh-dah-duh ]a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for something or someone that one cares for and/or loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never be had again.