For thirty-seven years, our family has made an annual pilgrimage to Northern Michigan for our summer vacation. Our time “up north” always includes at least one day in Traverse City. We wander through favorite shops, revisit familiar flavors, and inevitably carry home more jars and cherry treats than we planned.

At Hat Creek, I don’t feel like the gluten-free diner who must order a dry salad and watch everyone else eat the good stuff. There are gluten-free choices, among them chicken, fries, tater tots, salads, and bowls.

Are you looking to improve your gluten-free baking skills? As an avid baker who had her life turned upside down when she needed to go gluten free, here are the tools that I’ve found indispensable.