It's confusing, isn't it?!

Wow, another week goes by and I've been blogging for nearly a whole month! To be honest, I'm loving it and I'm thrilled with how many people have had a look at my ramblings, some have even been kind enough to share / re tweet! Thanks everyone!!

This week saw the launch of "Gluten Free Baking and Living" e magazine. If you haven't had a look yet it's definitely worth a peek. £2.50 gets you the full first edition with recipes  and some interesting articles about coeliac disease and leaky gut syndrome. I always appreciate anyone raising awareness so go on....have a look...

http://glutenfreebaking.realviewdigital.com/?xml=GFBL&iid=81396#folio=1

.....if my link doesn't work you can google it and it should appear!

So, on with the food...

Dale and I had a friend round on Thursday and she is definitely becoming a dab hand at dining in a gluten free styleeee. Nevertheless, I don't think she was expecting the full on cooking demonstration Dale brought to the table! He proudly presented "How to make a GF cake in a cup" as if he were the new Jamie Oliver!

Bless him! you've got to admire his passion for the cause! He'll be taking on school dinners next! If you're interested in the recipe it's not that mind blowing! You blitz 1 egg, 2 and half tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp GF self raising flour, 1 tbsp of cocoa and 2 tbsp melted butter in the microwave for 4 mins.....et voila!

Friday night was Taco Night courtesy of Discovery World whose taco shells and salsa are all gluten free.  Perhaps not the healthiest option but quick, easy, tasty and hey, it was Friday night!! ( please note these were not the only two I consumed! They just looked prettier for the pic this way!)

Saturday....shopping day!! I took my life in my hands and headed to Brent Cross shopping centre with Dale in tow! I had thought the promise of a burger at the end of the trip Dale would be enough to keep his spirits high, however, the moans of "I'm bored" 10 mins after our arrival made me quickly regret my decision.

Finally, with a slightly down trodden Dale kicking his heels, we made it to Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Now, I don't want what I'm about to say to reflect too badly on the staff at GBK. They were all so lovely and desperately wanted to help however, I do feel GBK could make great steps in training their Brent Cross staff on their allergy advice.

After quickly explaining that I would need to see some allergy info I was presented with the following booklet

Arghhhh! More charts and symbols! While I was desperately trying to cross reference the coeliac info with the menu info, my very friendly waitress made her first blunder. Referring to my strict GF coeliac diet she asked "Just how severe is it?" After explaining that it was "very severe" (!!!!!!!!) she then tried to make sense of the GBK allergy booklet she had given me. Here comes blunder number two.... "It's a bit confusing isn't it?!" Arghhhhhhh!!!!!! YES IT IS!!!!!!!! If the staff can't work it out how am I expected to make any sense of it?! Unfortunately, the booklet gives conflicting information and I was starting to feel quite nervous. 

After much discussion, I finally decided on a Persian Lamb Burger that comes with minted feta, rocket and a harissa mayo. Fab, decision made! Or so I thought..... 10 mins later another waitress appears. The Lamb burger is not GF according to their "other allergy" info! Help!! So glad they spoke up, would much rather they said something than kept quiet! 

Anyway, it turns out GBK will be getting new, clearer allergy info in the near future.....Hallelujah! For the moment the Persian Lamb burger (bunless) with accompiaments is GF!

And it was also very tasty!! GBK......lovely staff, great food but clearer allergy advice needed! Also, had to pay 50p extra to replace bun with mini corn?! A tad unfair methinks!

Well, I left last week saying I was planning to email the FSA regarding the changes to allergy info listed on food. As yet, I have had no reply and I am also waiting for a reply from my MP. I'll keep you posted. For details on the changes to food labelling can I suggest you read the following blog 

http://yesnobananas.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/is-no-reason-good-reason-more-on-allergy-labelling/#comment-786

Very informative and well worth a look!

Have a great week everyone! Happy GF eating! X

It's not Asda's it's mine!

Well, this week got off to a good start when a friend at work presented me with some Free From treats on Monday morning! Needless to say, they didn't last very long but I managed to take a pic before sampling!

Since becoming Gluten Free last year I have long since craved the King of all Chocolates....Terry's Chocolate Orange!! While some, more normal, GF people pine for crusty bread, pasta bakes, cheese on toast and jam doughnuts, I have spent my time missing the satisfying cracking open of Terry's confectionary delight! Christmas just wasn't the same!!! Unbeknown to my work friend I devoured the choc orange flavoured bar with glee! The verdict?? Ok, "Free From" choc never seems to be quite the same but do you know what, it certainly helped to fill the vacuum left by Terry's gluten contaminated choc orange. However, "It's not Asda's, it's mine!", just doesn't have the same ring to it does it?!

Monday, was certainly a good day as Dale suggested an impromptu trip to Pizza Express. Never one to turn down a pizza (especially when I'm not paying!!) I bit his arm off (note to self...was it gluten free??). Now, I am aware that there has been some controversy over Pizza Express' offers and whether they include the GF pizzas or not. Bearing this in mind, I thought it best to check before ordering but there was no problem at all. 

Gluten Free La Reine no olives! Anyone who has read my past blog posts will know that I have mixed feelings regarding Pizza Express Gluten Free pizzas. They seem to be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes they are jaw breakingly tough but sometimes they are not a bad substitute for the real thing. Thankfully, this one fell into the latter category! However, I will still be asking for a pizza cutter next time just to give my poor arm a rest!

Wednesday was a dinner out with a friend. It's always so tempting to stick to the "safe" chains that you know provide GF menus. Nevertheless, in my experience, it is worth chatting to local independent restaurants about what they can do for you. You can usually get a feel about whether they know what they are talking about! So, we paid a call to The Blue Olive in Cockfosters, North London. The Blue Olive is a Greek restaurant, so I felt sure there would be a meat/rice combo suitable for the GF diet. The staff were great and made sure my halloumi starter was grilled on a separate part of the grill to the pitta. I was so thrilled, I ate it before taking my pic! However, I did remember half way through my pork kebab, rice and salad (no dressing). 

MUST get better at remembering to take pics before I start eating #tooexcitedtogetstarted

Saturday and a shopping spree was in the offing! After a week at school, retail therapy was just what was needed! My friend and I headed to Bicester Outlet Village, just outside Oxford. On my last visit I noticed a pancake stand advertising GF pancakes and was keen to give it a go. However, the mile long queue combined with the drizzly weather even managed to put me and my sweet tooth off sampling the crepes. Maybe another day!

 With a slightly heavy heart I headed to Pret a Manger. I strode up to the man behind the counter and asked if he could advise me on what GF food they offered. He confidently produced a large A4 book (which, for ease, I shall refer to as the Allergy Bible!), from behind the counter. As he flipped it open to a page containing various charts, he looked at me with a withering look and said those fateful words , "I don't think there's much though!" Great!! I then asked if I could take the Allergy Bible with me, over to the chilled cabinets, to cross reference what I could / couldn't have. This was met with a look of shock, similar to what you would expect if he had caught me filling my pockets with the flapjacks from the counter! By this point a collegue had come over for back up! I asked the same question - Could I take the Allergy Bible over to the shelf to see what I could eat????? After much nervous laughter, it was decided that it would probably be best if I was escorted around the food cabinets by a member of staff who could closely guard the Allergy Bible and therefore stop me doing a runner with it! After a frustrating and incredibly annoying process, I finally decided on a Mexican Chilli Soup.

(Another half eaten photo.....I was really hungry by this point though!!)

To be perfectly honest the soup was ok but I'd really gone off the idea by the time I got to eat it! Not impressed with my Pret a Manger experience! I think they seriously need to up their game especially bearing in mind the steps their rivals (such as Costa and Starbucks) are making in their gluten free labelling. They really wouldn't have to be so precious about their Allergy Bible if they could be bothered to simply put a GF label on their products to show what's in them!

Speaking of labelling, I'm off to email to FSA about the changes to food labelling next year. The removal of allergen boxes on labels and  no longer using the term "contains gluten" are just some of the worrying changes that seem to be in the pipeline. I'm not an expert on what's happening but if we all express our concerns maybe someone will listen?! In the words of Tesco... "Every Little Helps"!

A few nights in!

Wow, first full week back at school and I feel a shadow of my former self! Those four year olds certainly know how to run me ragged and as a result, most evenings this week have been spent in front of the TV eating comfort food!!! Nevertheless, I am happy to share this weeks gluten free TV dinners and packed lunches in the house of Price!

Before I get going let me take a moment to celebrate / apologise for the enthusiastic efforts of husband Dale this week who added a new string to his bow and decided to become my PA! Those of you bombarded with tweets containing links to my blog on Monday will know what I mean!!!! Thanks so much for the re tweets everyone and HURRAH for Dale for championing the Gluten Free cause when he can eat as many gluten filled foods as he likes! 

Soooooo let's get onto the food!!

In my opinion comfort food doesn't get much better than Toad in the Hole and Fish and Chips!

                          

                                      

Last week saw me raving about the Glutafin mixes. Well, the mix was successfully used for Toad in the Hole in a pan! You flip it upside down onto a plate to serve and it looks much more Normal! Tastes great, crunchy on top, softer inside and fab with Sainsburys Taste The Difference Pork and Apple Sausages and Bisto Best (glass jar) gravy! Mmmmmm! My all time fave!

Dale has been spending some time perfecting GF battered fish! Obviously I'm always happy to sample his offerings....it's a tough job but someone's gotta do it!! This weeks was a winner, best yet! Crispy, tasty batter and the secret...? Well, it seems the secret is Celia GF beer (www.celialager.co.uk). As a confirmed tea totaller the whole GF alcohol thing has totally passed me by. However, now I know it assists the perfect cod and chips suddenly I'm interested (and maybe a little drunk?!)

Disaster struck on Tuesday when Dale had to work the night shift! Faced with the choice of actually having to cook something myself or raiding the ready meals, I'm guessing you can work out what I chose! Yes, I went back to my trusty "ping ping micro meals", however, this time was a little different. I have recently discovered Ilumi (ilumiworld.com).  What a find and absolute heaven for a micro queen like me! Their allergen promise is " always nut, gluten and milk free"(dale mutters under his breath " and taste!?!" He couldn't be more wrong!). Ilumi offer ready meals in pouches. They smell great while they are cooking and taste even better. Ingredients are clearly labelled on the front of the packaging, there are no secrets here. Great tasting, healthy, homemade food. They can be ordered online and have definitely become a cupboard staple. 

                               

Thai Red Chicken Curry served with Tilda micro rice. Who needs a takeaway! Check out their website, they often have great special offers and testimonies from people who have enjoyed and don't even have food allergies! 

Back to school seemed like a good time to try out some of Warburtons Newburn Bakehouse products. I'm always on the lookout for different breakfast ideas as well as inspiration for my packed lunch! Since discovering I was Coeliac last year I have tended to shy away from bread, as most substitutes just didn't seem right. Genius make a great white loaf but I'm yet to try their other products. So, following my comfort eating theme this week I've delved into the world of Newburn Bakehouse items and I've been pleasantly surprised!

Seeded loaf for breakfast. Toasts really well, filling without being too much. Tastes like real bread!!! Woohooooo! Definitely favourite of the week!

Spiced fruit loaf for breakfast also! Tasty, quite light, not as filling as seeded loaf. Also, please notice Perkier Red Berry Flakes with a few added blueberries! Great new breakfast cereal from Perkier (perkier.co.uk) and will definitely buy again (great cos there are no oats).

 Seeded wrap for lunch (before rolling because it looked prettier that way!) I LOVE these wraps! Such a great thing to take to work. Suitably filling without feeling ill. The white wraps are great too but I'm particularly loving seeds at the mo!

Well, it would have been rude not to mention a cake or two this week! Following my Warburtons theme I felt it important to try out their muffin range. Ok, now I've read a few reviews along the way about these cakes. Yes, I understand they have sugar in them and I know the calorie count could be lower BUT I live by a very important rule regarding all things calorie related "Never..... (and I mean NEVER!) add it up!!!" (That can also be applied to my spending on my shopping sprees!!!). Cakes have calories, I like cakes, so why spoil it by looking at how many there are! Loved the blueberry and cranberry muffins and loved, loved LOVED the syrupy morning muffins! Go on....treat yourself and DONT ADD IT UP!! Lol!

Well, I'm hoping to turn off the TV next week, drag myself off the sofa and head out into the world to see what new Gluten Free delights I can find for next week!

Thanks again for your support! I'm loving the tweets and messages, I really appreciate it!! See you next week xx

These aren't gluten free are they?!?!

So, a new week begins and if I may, I would like to start today's blog with a slightly slushy moment (which anyone who knows me will tell you is very unlike me!). I have been genuinely overwhelmed by how many people have viewed my blog, followed me on Twitter and commented to me about what I have written! Thank you soooooo much and please, please, please keep reading!! I have loved hearing from you all!

Right, enough of that, lets get down to business.....

My week began with a celebration of my last days of freedom before the new term began! Like every good shopaholic I headed to to the Mecca of the shopping world - Westfield Stratford. Not being my first trip to this shoppers paradise, I already have a small bank of faithful gluten free friendly establishments to visit. Those of you who know Westfield will be aware that there are all the usual chains that you would expect to find. You can sample Pizza Express, Nandos, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, McDonalds (without the bun obviously!!) etc etc. However, I decided to opt for something new.

Ok, now I know that Tortilla is a chain but it was a new one on me! My eyes lit up as I noticed that "Coeliac" was actually mentioned on the menu! Hallelujah, a result!! Deciding on the "Naked Burrito" my non GF friend and I soon realised we were in the Mexican version of Subway! We quickly moved along a conveyor belt of staff asking us endless questions. Decisions such as flavour of rice, type of bean, which meat, cheese or sour cream etc all had to be made in the blink of an eye! Feeling slightly stressed, I realised I had a bowl full of rather nice looking food! In fact it was so nice, I rather embarrassingly forgot to take a photo before devouring the lot! Oops! So, you are just going to have to believe me when I say it was tasty, filling and great value, about a fiver for a medium sized bowl. Definitely worth the 20 questions in the queue..... However, I will be more clued up next time!

Just a quick mention here for Tossed, great salad place each salad mixed in its own bowl so no cross contamination worries! Definitely worth a look if Mexican isn't up your street!

Well, the Great British Bake Off has nothing on our house this week! The Star Baker Award definitely has to go Dale (hubby extraordinaire) who has single handedly catered for my work place birthday treats as well as a little GF dinner party!

I feel this is a good moment for a little background info! Dale is 100% the chef in our relationship. He cooks, he bakes (he wears his pants on the outside of his trousers....ok not really, but I'm sure after reading this he will feel a little superhero-ish!) and has wholeheartedly embraced the GF challenge when my diet changed last year.  I, on the other hand, am definitely learning. I enjoy eating far, far more than cooking which is probably why our relationship works so well! After many years of "ping ping" micro meals I have recently made tentative steps into kitchen. My baking is definitely improving mainly, I think due to the I motivation of having a cake at the end of it!!

So, the challenge this week was to whip up some GF delights for the non GF people at work. Would they like them? Would they notice the difference?! Well........

30 cupcakes (decoarted by me...yes, I can do something!!) and a similar amount of Brownies made their way into our staffroom. Judging by the ooohs and ahhs they went down well and brightened up what was a very rainy playtime. Dale received a rapturous response and I was only glad he wasn't there to hear it himself otherwise his head may not have fit through the door! My favourite comment....."These aren't gluten free are they?! - Yey!! Success!!!! A little step in the right direction to show that GF food does not have to be tasteless! We can eat normally woohooo!

Another interesting response was the question enquiring why don't start selling our cakes? Interesting because this is something we have investigated. I sent off for all the Environmental Health info, freaked out when I saw it all and never looked at it again!! If anyone has sold baked goods or knows someone who has I would really appreciate any help or advice you have! Is it worth the hassle?!

So, Saturday saw our friends come round for dinner. They are getting quite used to dining " a la GF" and are not easily phased by Dales range of GF dishes. Steak and triple cooked chips (once cooked for me as I have "potato issues".....any other coeliacs struggle with potatoes?!) preceded GF profitteroles. Mmmmmm!

Glutafin flour mix + Glutafin profitterole recipe on their website = 4 very happy diners (only one of which is actually GF!) Fab! I would like to recommend the Glutafin website. If you haven't already registered, I'd do it now! Lots of recipes, some better than others to be fair. The biscuits work particularly well, toad in the hole is pretty good, bread usually nice but we have struggled to get a good cake out of them. Worth a look though, especially if you get food on prescription as the flour mixes are very versatile.

One of the lovely things I have discovered about blogging is the support from fellow bloggers and the Gluten Free Community. I love to shout about great GF food and particularly enjoy sharing local little gems, businesses that fly the flag without much recognition. This week, I would like to mention The Beautiful Burger Company. Please look them up on Facebook, I know Sharon who runs the company would love to hear from you. The Beautiful Burger Company runs from a burger van in and around the Enfield, North London area. All the burgers are GF, GF buns are available and Sharon is more than happy to discuss your dietary needs. Once she learned of the strict rules of a Coeliac she was more than happy to clean her pans / grills before cooking my food. Lovely, homemade burgers and a great  little local business. 

Well, I think that's me done for this week! Let's see what next week brings. I look forward to sharing the highs and lows of the GF world with you all next week!

Thanks again for all your support and a final thank you to Hotel Chocolat whose GF chocolate batons have kept me going while writing this!! See you next week! xx

Birthday day out!

Ok, after the success of yesterday(I actually managed to post my first blog!), today is the day where I have a proper go and try and write something meaningful!

First a bit of background...
I have been Coeliac and therefore gluten free, for just over a year. As many of you out there will know, there have been many ups and downs but my husband (Dale) and I have always enjoyed eating out and we will continue to do so regardless of my restricted diet ( and our expanding waistlines!)

So, yesterday saw my husband take me out for an early birthday trip into London. The purpose of the visit was to go up The Shard and take in the view, which incidentally I can thoroughly recommend. However, as always, the day involved lots of eating!

We began our feasting at Borough Market. A wander through the tempting sights and smells of Londons food market can either make a Coeliac cry with envy or rejoice with happiness. It all depends on whether you know which stalls to head to & which to aviod. While Dale tucked into a huge, crispy, battered, gluten filled fish and chips, I headed off to find some tempting gluten free delights only feeling a little jealous! However, all was not lost and my spirits were soon lifted! Total Organics Salad Bar offered a range of pick and mix salads all of which were gluten free and a bargain! Fill the box for £4.50!

Ok, please ignore the slightly scary photo of me and focus your attention to the tasty box of sweet potato and pepper/onion/courgette mix! Fab choice of salads at Total Organics and definitely worth a visit. Tasty, healthy and very filling. Please be aware that not all salads are always gluten free but the staff are knowledgeable about their food as it is all freshly made. They are always happy to advise!

As many of you will know, no meal is complete without pudding! I live by the motto "Cake is for life, not just for birthdays"!! So, my next stop was an obvious choice....

The Free From Bakehouse is a well know gluten free favourite. They always provide tempting sweet treats as well as a few savoury. On previous visits I have indulged in red velvet cupcakes, shortbread, fig orange and cardamom cake but today the chocolate brownie with white choc and raspberry chunks was a winner!

Great cake and at the price of £2.50 some might say a little pricey. However, when you compare to the prices of Starbucks over the road, I know where I would rather my money went! More than happy to support The Free From Bakehouse in their mission to supply tasty Free From Cake.

As our day chugged along nicely we found ourselves at the Tate Britain. I just wanted to take a moment to say how impressed I was to see 3 gluten free cake options in their coffee shop. Sadly, I did not sample as I knew dinner was looming but it's always good to know there is a choice!

So, evening arrived and here is the real jewel in the crown! After reading about Cotto restaurant online, I knew it was where I wanted to celebrate my birthday. This restaurant is truly a Coeliacs dream! Run by a Coeliac Italian, pretty much the whole menu is either gluten free or has a gluten free version! How exciting to be faced with a whole menu, I didn't know where to start!

Have a look

 www.italiancotto.co.uk 

Not only is there a huge amount of choice, there is no secret. They offer gluten free food and they shout it from the rooftops! Hurrah! At last, a restaurant proud to be gluten free! Dale enjoyed ordering from the regular menu and I certainly enjoyed ordering from the GF one! I revelled in the opportunity of being able to have a GF roll with my dinner. Admittedly, you have to pay a little more for the GF versions but goodness me, it's worth it! I was reluctant to order pizza after jaw breaking experiences in Pizza Express but when the owner explained he bakes his own bread and pizza bases I was sold! 

Here is the GF Salami pizza. Crispy edge, soft and tasty middle.....no jaw breaking here! The staff were friendly and helpful and I spoke to the owner at great length about being a Coeliac. Another brownie point was earned when he explained he has 2 kitchens, one for cooking the regular menu and one for cooking the gluten free menu! No chance of cross contamination here. I cannot wait to go back! Cotto have certainly gained a new regular in me and I cannot encourage you enough to pay a visit. If not just for the delicious food then please go to support a restaurant that is doing great work in the world of GF! In fact.....stop reading this now.....look up the website.......and...get....booking!! (Not this week though, they are closed for hols lol)

Well.... This marks the end of my first official blog! Really hope I manage to post it in one piece....I'm definitely learning as I go along! As patient as Dale is at the mo with my endless questions I fear the novelty of him being a tech-y whizz may soon run out so here's hoping I get into the swing of it soon!

Thank you so much for reading, your support really does mean a lot! Please look me up next week when I hope to have another contribution that should see me taking gluten free bday cake into work, having a gf dinner party and generally just trying to survive the first week back at school! Wish me luck...!!! x