A Moan Sandwich

Well, after 4 weeks of FODMAPping I am on the cusp of "reintroduction"! Tomorrow is D Day. How will I be celebrating you may ask?! With 125ml of milk, that's how!!! You may gather from my slightly over sarcastic, tongue in cheek mood that I'm not feeling this FODMAP fiasco. I hold my hands up.....sure, I've read good things of great people it has saved from the depths of almighty gut problems but for me.......not feeling it my friends, just not feeling it!

Sooooo enough moaning (how to lose all your trusty readers in one fail swoop lol!). Here are a few little glimmers of light that have stopped me from getting trapped under a pile of rice cakes!

I have been transported back in time 20...ahem....ahem.....ok, maybe 30ish years to kids parties galore! Rice crispie cakes were THE cake to be munching on and guess what.....they can be gf and FODMAP too! 

Yes, yes, I know many supermarket brands of cornflakes at GF too but these are such a big box and pretty good value for money I'm quite happy with them! Mixed with a pot of "whipped" marshmallow from the American section and a bit of butter...hey presto! I'm 6 years old again!

I have also been having A LOT of these for breakfast too with my fab-u-lous Lactofree milk (no sarcasm there, promise! It really is good!)

However, at loooong last I finally tracked down these little gems

Twitter has been buzzing with gluten free-ers raving about Nutribix (www.nutiribix.co.uk). If you haven't seen them, where have you been?! As is always the case with me, I finally found them in Tesco weeks after everyone else! They are a GF weetabix and are totally worth all the raving! The funniest thing is that I was never a weetabix fan! However, I'm so fed up of cornflakes everyday, these have truly been a blessing to my sad little FODMAP life! The best thing is, they actually fill you up too! I manage to make it to break time without chewing my fist! Mahooosive thumbs up from me.....now, fingers crossed more places will stock them so they aren't so tricky to find!!

Stumbled across this in Waitrose the other week

Not sure they fit into my new regime but Waitrose seemed to have a whole range of Freefrom mixes that I hadn't seen before. These worked out well and tasted good too. Still a fan of Isabel's but these are a good alternative if you happen to be in Waitrose!

Ok, I started with a moan so I'll finish with one too! Call it a little moan sandwich (gf of course!)......well, it's more of a sandwich this I can make with this...

Genius (www.geniusglutenfree.com) brown sandwich loaf is a disgrace! Us GF-ers are fed up of paying over the top prices for bread that doesn't last much longer than 24 hours. I know this is old news to most of my readers but when will it change?! Yes it's nice to have great tasting bread but why should quality be compromised? Nearly £3.00, bought Friday Eve and looks like this Sunday morning?! Thankfully, Sainsbury's were kind enough to refund me but it doesn't solve the problem does it?! Only bought it as it ticks my FODMAP box but won't be buying again. Very disappointing!

Well, the moan fest is over.....wish me luck with my "reintroduction programme" and think of me on Wednesday getting lairy with a whole pint of milk!!! Hopefully, it will have a positive effect on my mood and normal service will be resumed next fortnight! Have a good one! Xx (@lizprice79)

Looking Like A Rice Cake!

As my dietician waved me off 2 weeks ago, she said (with a glint in her eye), "You might end up eating a lot of rice cakes!" I am now 2 weeks into this Low FODMAPping lark and I can confirm......I have eaten a lot of rice cakes! So much so, I fear I may be starting to look a little white and crinkly round the edges!! Thank goodness for corn cakes....least I can mix it up a bit from time to time!

So, this blog post has my Low FODMAP life savers and little of the the plain old, regular gluten free, thrown in for good measure!

Big FODMAP hurrah to Arla (www.arlafoods.co.uk) and their Lactofree range for helping to keep me sane over the last fortnight. I have been drinking the milk, eating the yogurts and spreading the cream cheese (on.... you guessed it.....rice/corn cakes!)

I've been living in my own little GF bubble for the last 4 years, never having to give Lactose a thought! However, super impressed with the whole range. Turns out that removing the lactose doesn't change the taste at all! Although the yogurts are particularly sweet, the cheese spread and milk just taste.....normal!

Swedish Glace ice cream has definitely cheered me up amidst my FODMAP food grumps, especially when I realised I could put golden syrup on it, or even better Whipped!! (Marshmallow Spread). Sadly can't find website for either but both bought in Sainsburys.

Not the healthiest of diets but it would be a boring blog if I wrote about the honeydew melon, raisins, carrots, spinach, green beans and swede I have also been consuming in large quantities wouldn't it?!

I nearly fell over when I read in my FODMAP manual I was allowed a couple of these

Oh yes, it's true! Thank goodness because I was forgetting what chocolate tasted like!! These are seriously addictive, especially when you're missing chocolate! Need to keep them under lock and key so I can only indulge occasionally!

It seems my cheap Lidl jam was not FODMAP appropriate as it contains the wrong kind of sugar! However, the rather expensive Bonne Maman (www.bonnemaman.co.uk) (at approx quadruple the price), is FODMAP appropriate! Well, it jazzies up the breakfast round of rice cakes and it really does taste rather good!

I use it sparingly, so am hoping it lasts me for the remainder of my FODMAPping journey!

Anyway, enough of the FODMAP fun......I left you last time of the cusp of my birthday. I explained that I managed to acquire a GF birthday cake from Tesco but had not yet had chance to try it out!

I can confirm that this cake was really good! I mean REALLY good, couldn't tell the difference between this and regular cake! Sadly, everyone at church thought it was good too and there was no chance of seconds for the birthday girl ha ha! What a shame they are so difficult to get hold of as I am sure they would be really popular. I also bought one of their Free From Finest Chocolate Cake and sadly didn't get chance to try it. 

Nevertheless, I can confirm by the speed at which the cake went and the number of chocolately looking mouths, it was clearly a bit hit! Well done Tesco!

As you may know Dale took me to Paris for my birthday. I was thrilled when a friend bought me a pack of Genius (www.geniusglutenfree.com) pan au chocolat as a birthday treat! Where better to eat them than on the Eurostar to Paris!

Dale, a fully fledged gluten eater, was not overly impressed! Me, on the other hand, I was thrilled and took delight in any GF joy before starting the FODMAP fiasco 2 days later! Admittedly, we did not eat them hot, I heated them up the night before then wrapped in foil for the journey. I liked them and they certainly got me into the French spirit of the day oooo la la!

As we were only there for one day I packed a picnic, thought it would save time and frustrations! However, I left my sandwich at home (disaster!!). I did remember these though

Great little snack from Tesco, not FODMAP friendly but hopefully I will be able to enjoy them again someday. They also do packets of beetroot and carrot which look good too. Not cheap though, over £1 for a small bag. Handy for a trip out though!

Well, I shall bid you adieu for another fortnight, by which time I will have completed my low FODMAP month and will be ready to be weaned off the rice cakes!! Have a good one everyone! Xx (@lizprice79)

Life Unexpected

So, Sunday is my birthdaaaaaay! As I hit the big 3-6, I thought I had seen it all! Who'd have thought I'd be proved wrong by a supermarket .....and Tesco at that?! Dale works for Sainsbury's and I have spent the last few days fraternising with the enemy! Let me explain....

Some of you may have seen my Twitter feed over the last week trying to locate a Tesco (or Marks.... I'm not proud!) ready made, boxed birthday cake! Yes, I could make my own but I'm sure you, my fellow Free Fromers, will understand I realllllllllly wanted that shop bought, thick icing-y, buttercreamy moist cakey, ready made treat that I have not experienced for the past five years!

Sooooo to cut a long story short, the lovely Liam from Lea Valley Tesco jumped into my Twitter feed and suggested his equally lovely wages clerk (Miriam) would be happy to pick up said cake from another store and bring it to Lea Valley for collection....great service right?! (It gets better!). I rock up to Tesco to collect now famous cake and to meet the lovely Liam, only to find him striding towards me with my cake, in a party bag, with a bow and Tesco "have taken care of it for me"?!?! 

Genuinely lost for words and so thrilled! Never expected such a treat! Woohoooo for Tesco (sorry Dale!)  and I can't wait to sample (and review it!) on Sunday!

Anyway, on with the blog.....

Something else that fits into the "unexpected" category is decent sized GF bread.....decent sized GF bread that doesn't go into holes (and tastes good!) yep, you heard right! Well gone Genius (www.geniusglutenfree.com) for your great triple seeded sandwich bread and for giving me back the gift of proper toast!!

Unexpected treats can be discovered anywhere! Look what I found lurking in my cupboard

I bought these Foods of Athenry (www.foodsofathenry.ie) ages ago in my Freego (www.freego.com) order and they do as they say on the packet! Perfect little chocolately cookie shots for when you "have the need". Only trouble is, they really are little and very addictive! Consequently.....they don't last long!!

Hands up who likes Venice Bakery (www.shop.venicebakery.co.uk) pizza bases and flat breads?!

Hands up who's rubbish at wrapping stuff up in wraps...

...(it all feel apart!!).

Hands up who knew you can toast them and make tortilla chip thingies to dip...

...well, now you know! 

Not sure how may of my lovely readers are local but I nipped into Occo in Enfield Town last week. Been in once before ages ago but was so pleased I re visited. They offer GF and even advertise it (shocker!) but aside from that they are super clued up about cross contamination, with covered cakes, seperate toasters, grills etc! It was lovely to order the same food as my gluten eating friend 

and I even had a choice of cake for pudding! I went for the caramel and white choc cake which I believe was also dairy free!

I got a bit carried away and even took one of these home

Hadn't seen this brand before (www.heavenlycakes.co.uk) but I will be looking out for them again. This bar was divine and definitely appealed to my very sweet tooth!

Well, speaking of Life Unexpected I met with my dietician yesterday to discuss some "issues" I've been having! She suggested I try the dreaded Low FODMAP diet before re introducing foods again. So, my plan is to enjoy my birthday trip to Paris tomorrow, have my Pizza Express meal out on Sunday (along with my bday cake!!) and embark on this new project from Monday. I fear my blogs may be rice cake  related over the next few weeks but I will do my best to find as many suitable treats as I can! Any tips or advice will be REALLY appreciated! Thanks and have a great fortnight! xx (@lizpice79)

Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner!

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner, that I love London sooooooooo tra la la! Couldn't help a little opening sing song but I do really love London- the hustle and bustle, the busyness, the "no making eye contact on the tube / stand to the right on the escalator" un-written rules, the architecture, the theatre and.....oh.....the food!! Us Gluten Free-ers don't do too badly here in the big smoke. So, with summer hol time on my hands I've been out and about! Consider this weeks post a "travel slash food blog"!

Mum and I had the pleasure of going to Regents Park Open Air Theatre a couple of weeks ago. If you haven't been, you really should, it's lovely. I packed a mac and umbrella.....typically the sun shone and we got sun burnt! Oh well! We ate a picnic in the park before hand and I got to sample a Waitrose GF chicken salad sandwich

It was lovely to have a choice (chicken or cheese), however these do seem to be the bog standard GF sandwich choices wherever you go! Nevertheless, the bread was good and I loved the seeds on top. I also (finally) got round to trying The Coconut Collaborative yog (www.coconutco.co.uk)

I must confess I was a little reluctant after my Coyo disappointment but these were very different. Very creamy and I particularly like the layer of passion fruit at the bottom. I found the plain one a little sharp and would probably add a dash of honey to that one. I now regularly pick these up in Waitrose and Sainsbury's and have even got Mum hooked on them too!

I was thrilled to find the famous Bad Brownie (www.badbrownie.co.uk) peeps at Broadway Market! Obviously, I sampled their salted caramel GF brownie!

Oh my....these are good! I completely get what all the fuss is about. There are quite pricey at £3.50 a brownie but wow it was worth it! The GF version was kept well away from the regular ones and had a separate  cake cutter. Guess what....?! 3 days later I was shopping at Brent Cross.....guess who was there.....Bad Brownie.....arghhh!! I think I may be addicted....I must confess......I ate another!!!! Again, the GF brownies were sealed in a seperate box behind the counter! BUT my addiction gets worse because I also bought this...

....which I am currently slathering on anything that stays still long enough! Amazing on ice cream but even more amazing on a spoon straight from the jar......oooops! 

Ok, we all know how fab Leon is (www.leonrestaurants.co.uk) and I don't want to make their heads any bigger but they really are amazing! So much GF choice! I finally decided on a chicken and chorizo hot box mmmmmm

So, I mentioned Brent Cross, it'd be rude not to mention Lakeside right?! (My name is Elizabeth Price and I'm a shopaholic.....who is also a salted caramel fan!). I was excited to see that Gino D'acampo has a pasta bar which cooks GF pasta woohoooo! (www.mypastabar.co.uk). The GF sauces were a little limited but still, it was nice to have a pasta dish on the go.

Situated up in the food court, it made a nice change. The pasta held together well and the sauce was tasty. It was cooked to order in fresh water.

I was also pleased to see that Pret a Manger (www.pret.com) have finally got a GF sweet treat to sustain weary coeliac shoppers!

Added bonus...it had caramel on it!!

Dale took me on a mystery day out last week! We ended up walking over the O2! What a surprise! 

Can really recommend.....great views of lovely London from the top! Next we went for GF hot dogs at Top Dog (www.top-dog.com) woop!

We got a little confused by the wording on the website which is a bit mis leading. We have since spoken to them about it and they have reassured us they will be changing it. The website states all the hot dogs are GF, which we took to mean all the varieties on the menu would be ok. However, what they actually meant was that all the hot dog sausages were GF. Some toppings were ok but by the time we had discussed website wording I opted for a plain pork dog in a GF bun with sweet potato fries. It was delicious and the bun was great! I was stuffed! I look forward to returning when we have worked out what toppings I can have! I would like to say that the staff were really helpful and checked lots of things  for us, they were very keen to keep me safe...which is always a good thing in my book!!

I met my friend from work last week and we went to Bang Bang (www.bangbangcanteen.co.uk) on Warren Street. It's a Vietnamese restaurant which seems to be pretty allergy aware. We enquired about GF options as well as nut free options. We got an immediate response saying over 90% of the menu is GF and no peanuts are used on site. Result! We both ordered a brisket pho

and it was delicious! I made my debut into the chopstick eating world and all I can say is that it wasn't pretty! Thank goodness we are good friends! As I was wiping the soup from my chin and picking bits out of my hair, I was very glad I wasn't on a first date! (Too proud to ask for a fork?!)

Finally, I took the plunge and purchased one of these

I'm a big baby when it comes to drinking gross tasting things (especially if they are thick...bluergh??!). I have been experimenting lots but any tips for nice tasting, non thick smoothies (that don't involve ice cream, chocolate or salted caramel!!!) would be greatly appreciated!

Have a great fortnight everyone! Xx (@lizprice79)

Hurrah for Quinoa & Going Loca for Tapioca!

Quinoa....a gluten free-ers best friend! Buoyed up by my recent quinoa based products, I decided to go the whole hog and replace my rice with plain quinoa for dinner last week! Bluergh! It turns out that I'm not a fan of neat quinoa!!! However, here are some cleverly disguised quinoa products that I have been enjoying!

Dee's Quinoa Pot (www.deeswholefoods.co.uk)

Stocked up on Dee's at the Allergy Show and ironically you can now buy them from Holland and Barrett! Ho hum, least I'm well stocked now! Really liked this, love Moroccan flavours and this didn't fail. Quick blitz in the microwave (which you all know is my favourite type of cooking?!) and it was a great, speedy, meal on the go!

During my last "Cheeky Nando's", I noticed they are now doing a quinoa salad which gets the GF seal of approval! Tasty and filling! A nice change from the usual Nando's offerings!

Continuing with my love of "ping ping", micro meals! I am a great Kirsty's fan! (Www.kirstys.co.uk). I bought this in Sainsbury's as I am trying not to eat so much rice. I hadn't realised that this also has rice in it but at least it's mixed in with the quinoa. Nice, quick and tasty ready meal which doesn't bloat as much as some other carb heavy dishes.

I really like these Qunioa bars found in Holland and Barrett but I have 2 problems with them. They are (in my opinion!!) hugely over priced at about £1.49 per bar!! My second issue is that it seems you can only buy them on Hollamd and Barrett. When I looked online they had awful reviews and lots of places had stopped stocking them! What do I know eh?! I really enjoyed them and they are perfect for putting in your bag for days out etc! 

Eat Real (www.eatreal.co.uk) Quinoa Chips are great, particualry as I don't eat much potato, so crisps are a thing of the past for me! I picked these up in the pound shop but I have seen them in quite a few health food stores. They have a crisp like texture and the flavour is amazing (just don't go on a hot date straight after, the garlic is quite overpowering!! )

And finally......I have saved the best for last! Come, if you will, on a journey away from quinoa towards the Coeliacs next best friend....tapioca! 

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to finally sample the culinary delights from Feed Me Primal (www.feedmeprimal.co.uk) at the Schoolyard Market (Broadway Market). I had read many a tweet raving about the gluten free joys that Feed Me Primal have to offer! Let's just say I wasn't disappointed!!

Watching the tapioca flour being sieved onto the griddle and then magically turning into a wrap is quite amazing! I opted for the spinach, tomato and feta filling and it was delicious! So glad to have finally sampled something from Feed Me Primal and I'm sure it won't be my last visit! 

Well, that's all from me! Have a great fortnight! Xx @lizprice79

AI Survival Tips!

Dale and I have just returned from two weeks All Inclusive at the RIU Paraiso in Lanzarote....."All Inclusive?!" I hear you gasp! Yep, you heard right.....I took my GF life in my hands and stepped once more into the lovely hands of the kind and helpful RIU chain! (http://www.riu.com/en/Paises/spain/lanzarote/clubhotel-riu-paraiso-lanzarote-resort/)

The only All Inclusive holidays we have been on have been to RIU hotels but I am sure there are many other allergy aware chains out there. I have only been glutened once out of 3 visits and that was because I didn't follow my golden rules. So, here they are , the Liz Price survival guide / top tips for a happy AI (All Inclusive) hol!

1. Take snacks.....I took chocolate, rice cakes and raisins! (An odd mix, I'll give you that but only the chocolate was necessary!!)

2. Talk to the restaurant manager ASAP and then approach each sitting with a "don't you know who I am approach!?" 

3. Get to each meal for opening time. This way you may look a keen bean or a greedy pig BUT you will get first pickings before the buffet monsters contaminate everything!

4. Go for plain meats, fish, veg and salads.....avoid sauces like the plague and if food is cooked infront of you all the better!

5. Ask if there are allergy options.....I nearly fell down in shock when I was told that GF bread, pasta, pizza and separately cooked chips could all be available on request! 

6. Bagsie your lounger and chill....!

Meanwhile back in the land of normality, I may have left behind sun, sea, amd laziness behind but I return to...

- Sundried tomato bread from Romeo's GF bakery (www.romeosglutenfreebakery.co.uk) 

which I craftily froze after the Allergy Show! Toasted really well for post hol brekkie!

- Fab Streetfood from places like Boss Hoss (www.bosshossstreetfood.com) and their amazing GF Johnny Cakes found at Spitalfields Market and The School Yard at Broadway Market!

(Chicken, beef and veggie options!)

- And good old micro meals for when Dale is working late and heaven forbid I have to get a pan out of the cupboard!! However, I do spiralize so that must make me nearly a Masterchef contestant right?! Enter Ilumi (www.ilumiworld.com).

 Fan forever, blogged about lots but worth a mention as they have permanent shelf space in our kitchen! I was also excited to hear, at the Alłergy Show, of some of the new products they have lined up for later in the year.... (Pot noodle styley things whoop!!)

All of these help to restore the post holiday blues....oh and these....these have helped too...

Happy fortnight everyone! Xx @lizprice79

Carbtastic!

I write to you today with a bulging stomach and a happy heart! I have just returned from the most wonderful afternoon tea at Sugarloaf on Potters Bar High Street. Celebrating a good friends retirement, I was a little nervous when I had heard they could "do gluten free" for me. You've all been there right?! Promises of amazing things, to be met with a rice cake and a fruit salad!! But my goodness, Sugarloaf really could "DO gluten free"! Everything everyone else ate.....I ate too, just a GF version! I didn't feel left out at all, if anything I feel slightly sick from the over indulgence but boy was it worth it! Have a look!

Apparently, all of this loveliness can be arranged if you just give them a little notice! If you're local you should go! If you're not....it's worth travelling for!

For someone that doesn't eat a lot of carbs, I've certainly packed them away this week! Ironically, as I made my annual pilgrimage to The Allergy and Freefrom Show (www.allergyshow.co.uk), I returned with carbs a plenty!! (Oh and a lot of sausages- vegan and meat....always good to stock up right?!). It's my aim to blog as I eat and even I haven't managed to wade my way through my whole stash yet but here goes with my sampling so far....

No.G (www.toogoodtobeglutenfree.com) I salute you! I finally managed to buy a quiche Lorraine and wait for it .....a sausage roll! Seriously exciting stuff!

My first quiche and sausage roll that actually taste like their regular partners! I fear this could be a dangerous discovery! Half of me weeps that my local Sainsburys doesn't stock them but the other half is celebrating for the sake of my waistline! These are amazing and definitely worth breaking the no carbs rule for......occasionally!!

I also bought this lovely looking sun dried tomato loaf from Romeo's GF Bakery (www.romeosglutenfreebakery.co.uk)

I must confess that I haven't tried it yet. I sliced it and put it straight in the freezer! If I recall, it was about £3 for this small loaf so I didn't want to run the risk of it going all "gf bread" on me, if you know what I mean?! I have tried their garlic loaf before and if it's half as good as that it'll be worth the wait!

Straying away from the Allergy Show for a bit I picked up these little beauties the other week. 

Marks and Spencer are really pulling out all the stops at the moment! These pies have already done the rounds on Twitter so I won't harp on about them but to sum up....they're good, really good, ok?! They should carry the same warning as the No.G pastries.....seriously addictive, to be enjoyed occasionally (with a splash of Tesco Freefrom brown sauce, obviously!).

Finally, I was sent a flour mix from the lovely people at Udi's (www.udisglutenfree.co.uk). I thought I would use it to make my own scones! Please compare my efforts with the earlier picture from Sugarloaf

Yep, I ended up with flat, pastry, biscuity things! Oops! Only I could mess up a flour mix! Thanks Udi's it was very much appreciated and I'm sure they would have been successful for most people but it's clearly not fool proof!

Well I'm blogging slightly early as I'm off on my hols tomorrow. Thankfully we managed to get our Tunisian holiday changed and we are now off to Lanzarote for some R&R! Have a great two weeks everyone! Xx (@lizprice79)