Having a GF Birthday!

The month of May marks my GF birthday..... 2 years GF and still standing woohooo! May also hosts Coeliac Awareness Week which fell between 12-18th this year. If this is news to you....where have you been?!? If you celebrated life in the GF lane at all this week...well done you, I salute you!! In the 2 years I have been GF I have been delighted to see the introducation of so many new GF brands, products and menu's in restaurants. It's exciting times in the GF world and who'll know where we will be in another 2 years! For all my lovely readers who are not GF or Coeliac savvy, I received this info from Udi's in the week. It helps to explain what I have been harping on about for the last couple of years lol! 

http://udisglutenfree.co.uk/2014/05/08/awareness-week-coeliac-facts/

Soooo on with the food.......

Mum and Dad came round for GF dinner on Friday. Dale decided to tackle to unthinkable....homemade GF pasta! Initially it all looked promising.....

...thanks to Doves Farm plain flour. However, all smugness disappeared when it came to putting it through the pasta machine!?! Oh dear, oh dear.....you definitely need to expect the unexpected when using GF substitutions....you would think we would know that by now! The pasta turned into crumble and Dale's temper was not much better! After much huffing and puffing we ditched the pasta machine and rolled it out with a rolling pin.....not ideal but it seemed to calm the situation!! Anyway, I think you'll agree that it all turned out well in the end (phew!!!)

Parma ham, ricotta, mozarella and parmesan ravioli. Any GF pasta making tips greatly appreciated for next time before Dale blows a gasket! 

I have blogged about The Jolly Farmers (http://www.mcmullens.co.uk/jollyfarmers) before. However, I had heard rumours of a GF menu.....soooo as it was Coeliac Awareness week it seemed the right thing to do lol!

Yep....GF menu! Yey!!

Quite a good choice of starters, snacks, mains and puddings. I opted for ham and eggs with spicy rice.

Yep, looks like a face doesn't it ha ha! Tasty ham and eggs, didn't really rate the rice..strange flavourand  dry but overall all quite impressed....until I ordered pudding! Honeycomb sundae ordered from GF menu and arrived with a wafer straw thingy! Now, I know it could have been a GF straw but the suspicious side for me felt the need to check. As I sneakily suspected, the waitress came back with an apology for the gluten filled wafer and a plate for me to put it on!!! Argh! After explaining it didn't work like that she happily exchanged my sundae and brought it back with apologies from the kitchen...

....problem solved fairly easily. However, the picky side of me can't help thinking that you just HAVE to have your wits about you! I think it's fab they have a GF menu, I really do think that it should be commended but (and it's a big BUT) please don't do the GF thing until you can do it properly and confidently. It kinda made me nervous, that's all!

Dale and I hit London last night and shock horror....I suggested a burger!!! This almost always never happens! I know Honest Burgers (http://www.honestburgers.co.uk) have been blogged about many times but now I'm jumping on the band wagon too! GF paradise.....GF burgers (check), GF buns (check), GF chips in GF friendly oil (check.....and cooked only once...Yey!!) and wait for it.......GF onion rings (CHECK!!) woop woop!! And YUM!

I actually committed the worst crime ever (in Dale's eyes) and ordered a veggie fritter (that's right, no meat?!! It was just cauliflower, sweetcorn, shallots and spices) It was delicious.....every last bit.....Honestly!! (Had to be done yeah?!)

Well belated Happy Coealiac Awareness Week one and all and Happy GF birthday to me! Don't forget to fill out Coeliac UK Supermarket survey if you haven't done so (https://www.coeliac.org.uk/get-involved/awareness-week-2014/). Have a lovely week everyone! Xx (@lizprice79)