My name is Teresa. My husband, Phillip, and I live in Kovar, TX, an unincorporated farming community in Bastrop County. We have three children, and two through marriage (our daughter–in-law and our son-in-law), and five most handsome, intelligent grandsons.

I’ve been in the baking from scratch since I was a young girl; my parents gave me free rein in the kitchen. My mother, who was not comfortable in the kitchen, always encouraged my interest in baking and bought whatever ingredients I asked for. My father, who was an amazing cook (though he didn’t bake), taught me the importance using only the most wholesome, quality ingredients so that every culinary creation would begin with the best foundation and the most chance for ultimate flavor and texture. Having learned to bake from scratch with all purpose flour and other gluten-containing ingredients, my diagnosis of celiac disease changed my entire baking life. Because cooking and baking are chemistry I had to relearn how to make all my family’s favorite dishes by figuring out how ingredients act with each other and how to make proper substitutions of ingredients and measures to create gluten-free bakes that taste delicious and have the same pleasing texture as gluten-containing bakes. After my diagnosis for celiac disease, we found that our daughter, one of our sons, and one of my sisters also have celiac disease, so following a strict gluten-free diet is a true family affair.

After when our first grandson was born in 2010, I quit job as lecturer in the writing program, where I taught freshman composition I and II, at the University of Texas at San Antonio to be available to help our children with our grandchildren. During this time I began to teach small group gluten-free cooking classes in our home and baking cakes by commission. My small group gluten-free cooking classes came to an end in 2020, when everything else also came to an end. Since that time Phillip and I have relocated from San Antonio to Kovar. We love the Kovar community, and we love the people and the beauty of Bastrop County. Bastrop County, however, has a paucity of gluten-free offerings for people who need, or want, to eat gluten-free. I’ve started my home-baking business, Full of Grace Gluten-Free Creations, to rectify that situation. I use only wholesome ingredients: full fat diary, free-range organic eggs, pure Belgian milk and dark chocolates, pure 34% cocoa butter Venezuelan white chocolate, the best quality Dutched cocoa, and pure extracts and oils for flavoring. My goal is to provide beautiful delicious gluten-free bakes to the people of Bastrop County who need to eat gluten-free!

About the name of my business: I have a special devotion to Our Lady, Mary mother of Jesus. Given my devotion to Our Lady, who just as she did with the steward a the wedding in Cana, directs us always to Jesus, Full of Grace seems a natural name for my business. Additionally, the reference to Our Lady in my business name points us to the scripture, which makes clear that rich, sweet foods are a blessing from God. In Nehemiah 8:10, after Ezra read God’s law to the people, who rejoiced upon hearing the law, he instructs them to “go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” We are told in Psalms 119: 103 that God’s words are sweeter than honey. Many more such verses appear in the Bible, which make clear that we are to rejoice in the good foods that God provides for us. I hope to bring joy through my creations to the people for whom I prepare gluten-free desserts made with wholesome ingredients as I always ask God’s hand be in all that I do.