Out and About

Dale and I seem to have been out and about rather a lot during the past fortnight! Dales passion for microbreweries (yawn!!) has led to all sorts of trips to parts of London I didn't even know existed! It comes to something when a boy from the  Welsh Valleys knows more about "The big smoke" than me (a born and bred Londoner!!)! Anyway, yesterday saw us being able to combine my love of GF food and Dales boozy interest as we took a trip to the Foodies Festival at The Old Truman Brewary, just behind Spitalfields market. 

I was interested to know what GF selection would be on offer....the answer.....not that much!! There were a few items that just happened to be GF but no representation of a "GF only" company at all which I thought was quite surprising! Nevertheless, I picked up these

which are dangerously addictive! Great, bold flavours but....beware.....some flavours have a "produced in a factory that handles..." warning, so just double check before purchasing! (www.manomasa.co.uk)

These lovely little fudge bars were a no brainer for my sweet tooth

the only trouble was I couldn't decide which flavours to buy! I've only cracked open the strawberry and balsamic so far but...let's just say....I don't think they will be hanging around for long! Delicious!! (www.thewonkykitchen.com)

Frustratingly, I also paid £2 for one brownie which was ok but nothing to rave about! I won't name and shame the company as that's a bit mean but I know Dale makes a mean GF brownie and I'm yet to buy one that beats it! Just wish we had the confidence to set up and sell them.....would be great to see if we could! Any advice from anyone doing it would be appreciated!!

Outside of The Old Truman Brewary is a food market. My little GF heart skipped a beat when I noticed an Arepa stall! (@Arepazobros)

All Arepas are labelled as GF and this was just as good as my previous Arepa experience!

Corn bread, chicken, beans, guacamole, cheese and plantain! Wow! Dale and I ate our dinner before we realised it was only 4.30!! Oops! 

I always enjoy a trip to Broadway Market (www.broadwaymarket.co.uk) at London Fields and there's usually something new and GF to try! Last weekend I had a lovely warming veggie curry from (www.gujaratirasoi.com)

I thought Dale was just taking the photo of the food lol! I'd have smiled more if I'd have known!!! Anyway, dodgy pic aside, the curry was fab, just the thing for these chilly Autumnal days!

Speaking of chilly days I've been seriously craving some hot choc! I'm currently having a battle with Starbucks as I am trying to find out if their hot choc is GF! An easy enough question you would think.....wrong!! They have now informed me about their lattes, ALL their food but still not their hot choc arghhhh! Thank goodness for

Montezuma's have a shop at Spitalfields Market! (www.montezumas.co.uk) Not everything is GF but check the labels and you'll be pleasantly surprised! This mint hot choc is like drinking an After Eight! Mmmmmmmm! 

Now, has anyone eaten in Prezzo (www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk) recently? GF plus point....there are GF options on the Christmas menu woohoooo! They offer a 2 and 3 course festive menu special HOWEVER GF peeps can only have 2 courses cos there's no GF pudding!!! I know!!! How can that be??! Pudding is the best bit right?! Anyway, after getting over the pudding strops I ordered a Bianca pizza that had goats cheese, beetroot, butternut squash etc on it

BUT I could not get my knife through the base! I've had Prezzo pizza many times so just wondered if they had changed their base? I seriously couldn't do a thing with it! Thank goodness I was with a good friend who was suitably entertained by the mess I was making! Please take note.....this is NOT first date food!! 

Well, as always, I wish you all a lovely fortnight! Xx (@lizprice79)

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude.....to gain pleasure from someone elses mis fortune! Last week my scadenfredeous (ok, I made that one up!!) experience came in the shape of two Udi's (www.udisglutenfree.co.uk) sliced white loaves! Yep, that's right, I'm easily pleased! The unfortunate thing.....my friend from work had purchased said loaves for her "egg free" son only to get get home to find a sticker stating the bread was no longer egg free! Annoying for her but fortunate for me coz they came my way!

I gave the loave some vigorous testing! Toast.....

Ham sarnie for lunch......

.....and I'm pleased to report I'm seriously impressed! Can't believe I haven't tried this before, especially as I'm fan of their bagels! Most impressive thing was that it lasted really well, I didn't freeze it for a few days and it was still as good as new! White bread is not the healthiest of choices, I know,  but for those occasional situations where only white bread will do....this is your guy!

I'm such a sucker for a special offer, in fact I am am advertisers dream! So, I was well and truly sucked in to entering a competition to win a Freego (www.freego.com) hamper. After entering the competition I got sent a voucher for money off my first Freego order, sooo...can you see where this is going?! 

Here's my order...!!

For those of you who don't know Freego is a cool little company who deliver a range of Freefrom products direct to your door. The phrase "kid in a sweet shop" comes to mind and I quicky cranked up a large bill! Well done to the Freego advertising department lol! Super impressed with the products on offer, the delivery time and the packaging. Lots of things that I hadn't seen before! Haven't tried everything yet but here's the low down so far.....

My faves by far have to be these

Yep, I know they're meant for kids but they are great! (www.smooze.co.uk) I'm particularly loving the "simply coconut" flavour, they are so sweet and creamy it's hard to believe there's no nasties in them! Really hit the spot after dinner when you want something sweet but you know another choc ice isn't a good idea!

We needed new pasta so I ordered a couple of brands. Have only tried this one (www.dialcos.it) so far but it's nice, made with corn flour and rice flour and.... it kinda tastes like pasta so I guess that's good!? Little tip .....Cook for longer than than the 8-9 mins stated....there's "Al dente" and there's "not cooked", so I'd give it a bit longer!

We all know I'm a rice cake fan and if they can come chocolate coated all the better!

These were good, probably not my fave choc rice cakes as the milk chocolate still tasted quite bitter to me (that's probably due to it being a good quality chocolate for a more refined chocolate eating palate than my own!!). Neverthess, not unpleasant and if you like fancy chocolate these could be for you. (www.elementsnacks.com)

Next was a little gamble

Ooooo I really didn't like these! (www.itsu.com) I couldn't even convince Dale to eat them! However, in their defence, we are not fishy / sushi kinda people. These definitely had a salty, seaside taste to them and did absolutely nothing for me! But if fish, sushi or any other acqatic animal floats your boat then these could be for you!

Most exciting purchase has to go to these (www.piacerimediterranei.it)

I haven't tried them yet but they have made my mum a very happy lady! Christmas 2014 will see the traditional family trifle being made with GF lady fingers! Oh yes, spongeless trifle has had its day!!! Watch out for early 2015 blog post with a full review!!!

As much as I would like to end with that nail biting cliff hanger, I do just want to share one last thing with you. Not ordered from Freego (more Freego items in future blog posts- I can only eat so quickly!!) but bought from the fabulous Cookies and Scream in Camden! (www.cookiesandscream.com) Yes, I've blogged about them before but come on, they're worth shouting (or screaming?!) about!! Dale brought me 2 treats home from his trip to Camden

This may well have an official name but apparently it's a brownie with a cookie in the middle! Oh yes, it really exists, a brookie or a crownie or whatever it is.......I don't need to say anymore than....wow! I'm sure you can guess how amazing it was! As for the second treat it didn't last long enough to have its picture taken but if I tell you it was the biggest, chocolatyist, most gooey cookie you've seen you'll understand why I didn't hang around to take the pic! Cookies and Scream I love you! 

Have a fab fortnight everyone! Xx (@lizprice79)

Tinned Carrots and Cheese Slices

Tinned carrots and cheese slices......pretty much sums up my diet over the last week! We have been in  Mallorca for Half Term and my diet probably reflects the quality of the hotel rather than the culinary Mallorcan delights that are on offer! Please, if you are heading off to sunnier climes for the winter please don't let me put you off...in fact read my last blog post on Mallorca, it'll be far more helpful! This year we were lazy.....we did nothing.....went no where.....just lounged and read! So, read on for a survival guide to lazy eating while on holiday.....

Firstly, as all good Coeliacs do, I travelled with a stash.... a stash as big my small baggage allowance allowed! My stash of goodies (necessities) included

9 bars (9bar.com)

Aero and Fudge Bars

Kallo Corn Cakes ( Yep, I went "all out" and ditched my usual rice cakes!) (www.kallo.com)

And finally Lovemore Jammy Wheels (www.lovemorefoods.com)

My stash served me well...I rationed out the choc and made the biscuits last alllllll week.......impressive I know!! These biscuits btw are fab, just like the real McCoy, the only prob is that they are so small....even more impressive that I made that last the week eh?! These little gems were found in Waitrose amd I'd definitely recommend!

So, we were half board in the Son Baulo hotel in Ca'n Picafort. Breakfast was pretty easy....eggs, bacon....tomatoes all ok!

Lunch.....that's where the corn cakes (and cheese slices!!) came in! I bought the little Spa shop out of cheese slices lol! Cheap and easy lunch...not fancy I admit but in a small town where most things were shut "for the season" or the remaining places served up any number of pre photographed burgers, pizza, pasta  amd paninni's etc I stuck with my corn cakes!

Dinner, now that was interesting! Had a rather hair raising experience on the first night when the "what I thought was tortilla" turned out to be quiche!!  Disaster! Despite checking with the chef if the "tortilla" was "sin gluten" I still ate 2 bites before I realised it was most definitely not sin gluten!!! After raised voices and unhappiness between an angry Welshman (Dale) and an equally angry Spanish waiter, we finally made ourselves understood and calm resumed! Thankfully my stomach also remained calm!! From there on in I was guided around by aforementioned waiter with an allergy ringbinder! It seems they were pretty on the ball after all....it just depended who you asked?!?! Hmmmmm.......anyway, gf dinner usually consisted of grilled meat and tinned carrots?! I think my tan could be more to do with my diet than the sun! Not amazing cuisine but still, at least it was safe!

Picked up a couple of random gf items on a shelf in a little supermarket.....all in amongst regular stuff so you really do have to look for it in the smaller stores!

These took the place of the corn cakes once they had run out! Very similar texture to those old Salt and Vinegar Chipsticks....do you remember them? These were an ok substitute but they stuck to your lip as you ate them in a rather unflattering manner!

These weren't great to be honest! Thought I was on familiar ground with chocolate covered rice cakes but these were very salty rice cakes with very bitter dark choc! Not a combination I'm keen to repeat!

Nevertheless, most branded ice creams are well labelled....YEY! Also, strangely enough, crisps are really well labelled too......not much help for me with my "potato weiredness" but thought I would share!

Anyway, I may not have had the best diet over the last week but I had a lovely hol, oh go on then, I'll throw in a holiday pic...

Weather was fab, beach was lovely, books were great and batteries are definitely recharged!

Nevertheless, I was quick to hit Costa in the arrivals area of Gatwick to buy one of these for the journey home

Not sure if I was just thrilled to have something other than cheese and tinned veg but this was delicious! Great basil flavour coming through and the wrap holds together really well! It's very similar to a Newburn Bakehouse wrap....does anyone know if it is?

Well, I have a few hours of freedom left before the new term begins and I'm off to make the most of them! Have a great fortnight! X (@lizprice79)

Pity Presents

One of the perks of being a Coeliac (let's face it, there aren't many!) is the amount of foodie presents I have received from family and friends! Maybe I'm blessed with particularly generous and sympathetic friends but as I've said before.....presents are always good and edible presents are even better!! (Particularly if they are actually GF!) Or, maybe it's the sorrowful puppy dog eyes I give them when they are tucking into communal birthday cake / doughnuts / pizza etc etc! Or maybe it's because I look like I'm wasting away and need a little fattening up?! (Clearly not true...You've seen how many blog posts are dedicated to cake right?! ) Nevertheless my friends / family are fab and I'm forever finding little GF treats left for me to find! This week was no exception..... Here is example 1....

Here we have an Udi's (http://udisglutenfree.co.uk) chocolate muffin! Now, I was familiar with the Udi's two pack (1 toffee, 1 choc chip) but I had not seen these before. Still in a 2 pack but both the same and both delicious! Delivered by a friend at work who was having a birthday and didn't want me to be left out! Yep....she's a keeper! The muffin was great, chocolatey enough without being too rich and held together really well. Good job it was a 2 pack cos I needed the other to get me through Parents Eve!!

Example number 2....

Regular readers will know I'm partial to a packet of popcorn so this was definitely the way to my heart.....left on my desk by same friend!! Told you she was a keeper ha ha! Metcalfe's (www.metcalfesskinny.com) do some great flavours and at the moment donations are being made to charity.......that's me doing my bit for charideeee......easier than running a marathon eh?! 

I came home to find a packet of Newburn Bakehouse (www.newburnbakehouse.com) white soft rolls waiting for me the other day! Daly had made burgers and took pity of my "non bun situation" so treated me!! (I clearly give off the pity vibe.....it seems to be working for me so hey, why not?!). Anyway, the aforementioned rolls come in a 4 pack and were great for my packed lunch the next day

I was actually quite impressed! I've had mixed feelings with Newburn Bakehouse items....loaves of bread not so good (don't last, fall apart, can be holey), muffins great but think they may have stopped some of them now (is that right??), love the wraps (plain and seeded but a little expensive) but these rolls were good! They didn't fall apart, tasted pretty much like white bread and weren't too stodgy! All good!

Finally a little treat I purchased for myself....

Crunch by name and cruch by nature (www.angelocglutenfree.co.uk) Super snappy and tasty too! Strangely tasted more like cherry to me which was a bit of a shame coz I don't like cherry! Nevertheless, I like the texture so much I'd definitely be up for trying some of the other flavours (a little "heads up" for anyone who next takes pity on me lol!)

Well, I shall wish you a "foodie gift filled" fortnight! I am heading off to Mallorca for Half Term and will look forward to telling you all about it when I get back! (@lizprice79) xx

Serendipity

So, apart from being the title of one of my all time favourite films (have you seen it?! If not, why not?? Go and get a copy now.....go on...my blog is ok but you'll enjoy the film sooooo much more!!) Serendipity is also the theme of this weeks blog post! According to Wikipedia Serendipity is "a fortunate happenstance" or "a pleasant surprise". I had my serendipitous experience last Saturday and of course it involved GF food!

Having walked the length and breadth of Walthamstow market without a sniff of a GF treat, to say I was a little downhearted (and hungry!!) is an understatement! When Dale suggested a trip to London fields, I nearly bit his hand off, as London Fields Broadway Market means one thing......Floris Food! I've blogged about Floris before but really and truly I cannot reccommend them enough. This week I tried my first ever arancini (rice ball)

My mood was instantly lifted......tasty chunks of chorizo nestled in breaded rice. Delicious and filling....stick that in your pipe Walthamstow! I was also lucky enough to sample a little caramelly choux bun 

and I won't confess to the other treats I bought!!!!

 Not stopping there, Dale and I stocked up on popcorn at Drum and Kernel http://www.drumandkernelpopcorn.co.uk

You'd think popcorn was popcorn right?! Wrong!!!! This is really something else....a mixture of sweet and salty, using "mushroom corn"(?!?!?) which makes larger pieces of popcorn......oh yes, we chatted to the person on the stall.....we truly are popcorn experts now! Mental note......the large pack goes a looooong way......eyes bigger than belly syndrome strikes again!!

BUT my true serendipitous experience was still to happen (I know, it can't get better than rice balls, buns and popcorn but it does!!).....

Dale and I popped into a little plain looking mini market kinda place to pick up a drink. This place was a cross between The Tardis and Aladdin's cave because it was rammed with stuff from floor to ceiling! It contained all the usual bits and bobs you'd expect to find in this kind of shop plus......wait for it.....wait for it.....A GLUTEN FREE SECTION!!!! There you have it......Serendipity!! Not only was there a whole section, they also had the Easy Bean crackers (http://www.easybean.co.uk/index.html) I had been wanting to try....can you have double serendipity?!

These crackers are great and I can so see why they proudly display their "great taste award" logo! Plus points....really tasty, surprisingly hearty and hold together really well which is unusual for a GF cracker! Negative points...only 5 in a pack which is clearly not enough (right?!) amd where on earth can I buy them now??? Will need to do a bit of research methinks!

For those who follow me on Twitter you may have already seen my proud stash of goodies from Marks and Spencer yesterday

Oh yes, I was proud of myself! The baguette was for my church lunch today. Not wanting to take my chances at the gluten riddled buffet, I decided to pack my own picnic (which did not include all of the above....I'm gutsy but not that gutsy!!) It pains me to say it but I wasn't overly thrilled! I really do heart M&S but I had high hopes for the baguette and it really wasn't that special.....first bite into my sandwich and the whole thing fell apart......just like a lot of other GF breads! However, the Victoria Sandwich is special, really special! Wow! I shared it around with others and no one knew it was GF, that's always a good test I reckon!

Finally, let's end with some chcolate!! I made pudding yesterday (Yep, you heard right, me...not Dale!!) Thanks to Nigella (http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/instant-chocolate-mousse-4) I whipped up this GF choc mousse which wasn't too bad you know!

Sooooo rich, incredibly thick and very dark chocolately (more of a milk choc fan myself!) but they went down well so guess that's good!

Wishing you all a fortnight of fortunate happenstances! (@lizprice79) xx

Kapow!

KAPOW! KABOOM! KABANG!!! I have finally got round to trying my pot of Kabuto Noodles! (http://www.kabutonoodles.com). The trouble with those store cupboard favourites is that they sit in the cupboard and you forget about them...especially those ones with the really long shelf life! So, when I finally remembered they were lurking in the depths of my cupboard,I had that kettle boiling quicker than you could say samurai warrior! For those of you not in the know, here's a pic...

To put it bluntly, Kabuto noodles are a better tasting, better quality pot noodle! I was thrilled to see that they are now stocked in Sainsburys! They are handy to have for a quick lunch and easy to take to work etc as all you need is boiling water....even I can cook them!! Just beware as the GF pots look very similar to the regular ones so make sure you pick the right pot! 

A few weeks a go I mentioned the Tesco Lifestyle Food Fair. Sadly, it is now over amd while it was a good idea at the time it has raised a major problem for all Free From peeps......we had new, exciting products dangled under our noses and then they were harshly ripped away from us! Take my Udi's choccy biccies for example-

For those of you who never thought you could have an Oreo again.... wrong! In my opinion they are just as good and scarily easy to demolish a whole packet without noticing (not that I would know about things like that?!) BUT don't get too excited cos they are virtually impossible to track down now the Food Fair has finished! It forces me to contemplate the age old question.....Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?! Come on Tesco, you can't dangle the choccy biccie shaped carrot under our GF noses and then take it away, that's just cruel! We want to see some of the Lifestyle Food Fair Products stocked regularly in your stores....please.....pretty please with an Udi's on top!?

Well done Nestle! Well done for doing what other big brands could have easily done...but haven't!

Cornflakes are naturally gluten free right? They only (usually) become contaminated by manufacturing methods! Therefore, to me the normal GF public, it makes sense to change your manufacturing methods, slap "GF" on the box and bobs your uncle you've got a unique selling point! Well done Nestle, it worked....we, the GF people are happy and the best thing.......it's a big box! Much bigger than other GF cereals so better value for money! We salute you!

If you can cast your minds back to July when the weather was warmer and the long Summer lay before us.....I and many, many others schlepped to The Allergy and Free From Show at Olympia! Yes, I am still wading my way through my hoard! This week I cracked open my Amisa crackers (http://www.amisa.co.uk)

They made a nice change from my usual rice cake repertoire! They have quite a kick to them after you've eating a few (maybe the key is not to eat too many?!) but that's not a negative! Crackers tend to be quite bland, so it was good to have something with a bit of flavour! I also finally persuaded Dale to have a meat free dinner and use the Amisa Falafel Mix

These are fab! I was really impressed. Easy to make (ok, really easy for me cos I didn't make them but you know what I mean?!) and really tasty. Granted, they are probably bigger than they should be cos we didn't get 16 out of the mix but it is quality not quantity right? Again, a bit of a kick but not too much! So glad I have another box in the cupboard (yep, my cupboard is like the the wardrobe in Narnia!) and I can't wait to try the veggie burger mix that's in there too! 

So, that's me done for a fortnight! Have a great couple of weeks and see you in October!! X (@lizprice79)

It's my Birthday & I'll GF if I want to!

So, yesterday was my birthday! I have now passed the hump of the 30's and have begun hurtling towards fabulous forty! On this weekend last year, I decided to finally enter into the cyber century.....I began learning now to use my Twitter account and dipped my Gluten Free toe into the world of blogging! I posted my first "Gluten Free Girl in London" post with the intention of keeping a weekly food diary of the highs (and lows!) of Gluten Free eating. I was determined to post weekly (just to see of I could do it!) and apart from a week in July,when I was in New York, I have just about managed to pull it off! So, if you have read all, some or just one of my previous posts...THANK YOU! If you have tweeted me, re tweeted me or written comments.....THANK YOU again! I have soooooo loved the feedback, "chatting" to new people and learning about your GF experiences too......THANK YOU, I really appreciate it! Well, enough of the emotional ramblings and on with this weeks post.....

Birthday celebrations mean one thing right?! If your answer is "cake", then we are friends for life.....me and you are on the same GF wavelength! I've eaten lots of cake!!! I finally, finally, finally got to go to Vozar's in Brixton Village Market ( http://vozars.co.uk) for my birthday lunch!

I've always been one of those people who are a little behind the latest craze, dunno why, just one of those things I guess. In a similar way I have heard rumblings on Twitter about the fabulousness of Vozars! I've read many a Tweet from fellow GF's about great lunches, cakes, beers all from this entirely GF haven! So, at last....behind everyone else......I made it!! And guess what? It was worth the wait!

Here is my chicken strip burger with guacamole in a brioche bun.....do I need to say anymore?! Wow! All GF, bursting with flavour, piping hot, great hand cut chips (didn't make it to picture I'm afraid!) all served by really friendly staff! Did I have cake? What do you think?!

It was a difficult decision and one that required a little thinking time. Did I want to splash my calories on chocolate cake, brownie, Victoria sponge or any other of the amazing cakes on offer.....finally decided on white choc and coconut and wasn't disappointed! Did I feel sick afterwards? Yep! But nothing to do with the lovely food just my age old condition called "eyes bigger than belly"! This was absolutely worth the trip to the end of the Victoria line and we will be aiming to go back (hopefully for dinner) very soon!

As we were in Brixton it would have been rude not to have investigated the market further. I was glad I did because nestled in amongst vintage clothes and CD stalls was "Scoff" (www.scoffsweets.co.uk). I happily sampled the white choc and raspberry fudge and quickly purchased a little birthday treat!

Sadly, by the time I had carried it round in my sweaty bag for the rest of the day it had turned into one massive chuck of fudge.....I'm not complaining though! It's still delicious and I fear it won't be lasting much longer.....well, I don't want it to melt anymore do it?!

Speaking of little birthday treats....I picked up my new car yesterday! Not normally something I would share with you on my foodie blog but I had to laugh when I saw the reg....I promise it was not planned but this car must have been made for me!!!!

Anywaaaaaay......

Continuing with the market theme, I wonderd if any of you had tried these from Borough Market?

Court Lodge (http://www.courtlodgeorganics.co.uk) drinking yogurt. I was having a serious milkshake craving and can never remember off hand which frappe/ smoothie/ shakes I can have from which chain store, so was pleased to stumble across this! Not quite a milkshake but certainly on the right track. It was cold, smooth, fruity and creamy....I was happy! I just need to stock up next time I'm in Borough!

Well, I'm off for a bit of birthday cake! It's ok to continue eating specified birthday cake throughout the whole of the birthday weekend isn't it?! You won't read me next week as I'm planning on going fortnightly from now on....who knows it may encourage me to eat less cake?! (who am I kidding!!) Have a good couple of weeks everyone and thanks again for the support! (@lizprice79) xx