By Eleanor Sevigny
Published in The Burg March 11, 2021
The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought the closure of several businesses, so it’s exciting to see a new business open!
Sprinkle & Spoon, a plant-based frozen treat business, opened February 13, 2021 in Galesburg. It is owned and operated by Lora Barajas and Gabriel Wynkoop with the support of their spouses, parents, and siblings.
“In January of 2016, I was diagnosed with a rare chronic allergic/immune condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), which causes swelling in the esophagus and difficulty swallowing. My doctor sent me for allergy testing, where I learned I’m allergic to milk, soy, rice, and rye. I immediately cut those allergens out of my diet and my symptoms disappeared.
I didn’t know what to eat. It seemed like I was allergic to everything. I couldn’t go out to eat with my family without great difficulty, and those experiences usually ended in hunger and tears. I felt lost, alone, abandoned, and broken. I avoided any potluck style gatherings. While everyone else was laughing over their mashed potatoes and sharing stories over their macaroni and cheese, I felt excluded with my almost empty plate, fielding questions about butter being dairy, and explaining that yes, even a little of my allergens does hurt. “Allergic” had become my new identity. I hated being seen as an annoyance, a nuisance, dramatic, and exaggerating. Mostly, I felt like people didn’t care about me enough to include me in their meals. I had to miss out or have something gross to replace it if I wanted to participate.
After a few years, I was much more experienced in how to make my own meals, what questions to ask at restaurants, and I ate plenty of dairy-free ice cream, mostly just tolerating it.
Several years prior to my diagnosis, I tasted the best ice cream of my life, lavender, freshly made and sold on a small dairy farm in Massachusetts. Ever since then, I’d been dreaming of eating some again knowing I never could. So, I set to work to try to come up with something safe for me that tasted good! Eventually, with the help and support from my family and friends, I came up with the recipe we currently use and love at Sprinkle & Spoon. I’ve eaten a lot of gross plant-based food in these past five years, so I understand what a huge claim it is to make to say that our recipe doesn’t taste plant-based, but here I am, boldly making that claim! It’s truly something you have to experience to believe.” Barajas passionately explained.
You can buy a plant-based treat from Sprinkle & Spoon Saturdays 1:00-3:00 pm through the parking lot off Cherry St. behind the Old Armory at 149 N Broad St. All of their treats are made in the new commissary kitchen there. You can reach Sprinkle & Spoon through their Facebook page: fb.me/sprinkleandspoon.
Frozen treat half pints are $5 and pints $9.50. Cloud cups are $3-3.50. Sprinkle & Spoon offers free delivery for orders that are $20 or more. You can have all other orders delivered for only $3.
“I’m proud of how much love and support I’ve seen in this community. Of course, as in any other community, things aren’t perfect. But if someone is trying to do something good, people here take action and show up. I’m grateful to be part of that in giving, and also in receiving the love from the community members as we are beginning and trying to get off the ground. Thank you to all of you!” Barajas passionately stated.