The Good, The "Getting Better" and The Ugly!

This week the bank balance (and the waistline!) have taken a battering as I have taken my Coeliac self out to eat a few too many times! It's amazing how service can vary just in the space of a week! I have experienced such a range of GF service in the last few days that I thought I would dedicate this weeks blog to it! So here goes......Let's start with the positive!

The Good

I used to go to La Tasca a quite a lot in my pre Coeliac days and I have been meaning to return for some time, especially since it got the thumbs up from Coeliac UK! Dale and I went for pre theatre tapas in Covent Garden last weekend. Despite eating early it was packed! Always a good sign I reckon! All the menus are the same with the GF options clearly labelled!! No secrets here! Brownie point number one scored already! Also, there are lots of GF options so you aren't stuck with one or two basic dishes. Brownie point number two! It was great to see the Warbrtons Newburn Bakehouse wraps being used with the oil and balsamic.....brownie point number three....ok I think you get the hang of this now!!

My only slight quibble is that I would have been happy to pay a bit more to have more bread as I didn't feel the wrap to olive oil ratio was as satisfying as it could be!

So here is our GF tapas banquet for two...

Manchego cheese, pork belly, lemon chicken, ribs, chorizo and black pudding, goats cheese salad!!! (Chicken wings followed later!!!!). It was every bit at delicious as it looks! I was absolutely stuffed and determind not to have pudding........well, that was until I saw the menu! I was so taken aback by the GF choices on the dessert menu that it would have been rude to say no! As any Coeliac will tell you, dessert choices are usually limited or non existent! Fruit salad, maybe sorbet, brownie if you're really lucky! Well my sweet tooth and my eyes (that are clearly bigger than my belly!!) thought it was their lucky day! I ordered the lemon and lime crumble (surely part of my five a day yeah?!)

Every bit as fab as it looks!! Well done La Tasca, an amazing GF dinner with great choices! GF food options that are clearly labelled and tasted fantastic! 

The "Getting There"

Yesterday, I dragged Dale round Lakeside Shopping Centre. The promise of lunch at Gourmet Burger Kitchen was the carrot he needed in order for him to take part in some Christmas shopping! I had heard a rumor that GBK had launched a new GF menu so I was keen to have a look!

The waiter happily produced the GF menu for me and went on to inform me that the chips were cooked in the same oil as the onion rings so it would depend "how allergic" I was. I appreciated the "heads up" and it does state this on the bottom of the menu too. The new menu looks great, there's a choice of beef burger, chicken and veggie options plus a new GF bun! I opted for the chicken with Camembert and cranberry

Yey! It looks like a normal burger doesn't it?! It tasted great too! The GF bun is pretty good, it did fall apart as I was eating but that's often a hazard of GF bread. I did give up and eat it with a knife and fork at one point much to Dale's disgust (it was nice to have the opportunity to embarrass him for a change!). I did have to double check they weren't GF oats on top as I can't yet tolerate them either. The waiter was happy to go and find out for me and all was well!

So why was GBK awared my "Getting There" status? Firstly, the GF menu states milkshakes can have malt added to them for an addidtional cost......oops malt is not GF!! Very misleading, especially for someone new to the GF diet who may not think to question the menu. Secondly, when Dale went to order my chicken burger he was asked if I would like it in bread crumbs. Dale said no because it was from the GF menu. The waiter argued that it was GF and the breadcrumbs would be fine! It was only when the waiter checked with his manager that he realised breadcrumbs would most certainly not be fine! Again, if you don't  have your wits about you, you could have been persuaded that it would have been ok! 

So GBK, I had a great lunch and loved the menu but maybe a few tweaks and some staff training wouldn't go amiss! (I have contacts GBK about this and they are looking into it).

The Ugly

A friend and I went out mid week, we decided to go to a local Ember Inns Pub called The Stag and Hounds. I've been keen to go back to The Stag since becoming GF as I used to frequent quite often in the past and wondered how they would cater for the GF diet. The answer.....BADLY, very badly!!!

I rang up the day before to ask what they would have to offer. The girl on the phone was very nice and said she would ask the chef for me. She came back on the line a few minutes later saying that as they were in the process of implementing their new menu, they had not yet received their dietary info so they didn't know what I would be able to have!!!!!!!!!!! I clarified this with the question, "Would you say it was best I didn't come then?", to which she replied "Yes, probably, unless you just want salad"!!!!!!!! Great customer service eh?! So, to conclude, the "chefs" at Ember Inns pubs clearly do not know what goes into their food! How hard would it have been to offer to grill me a piece of chicken or fish or whip up an omelette?! These "chefs" obviously only heat up pre packed, ready meals and are not prepared to deviate off the menu. Needless to say I won't be returning to one of these pubs!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Let's not end on a moan! Thankfully, after the disaster at the  Ember Inns my friend and I went to the pub over the road, The Beehive! What a difference a few metres makes!! I phoned in advance and they couldn't have been more helpful! I spoke to someone who was knowledgeable about their menu. He was able to make suggestions and offered to adapt existing things. His food is obviously locally sourced and cooked fresh as I was informed that he would be able to ask the butcher for GF burgers and sausages which he would be happy to cook for me! I settled for the pan fried cod (cooked in a separate pan to anything non GF)

A big THANK YOU to The Beehive in Edmonton for great customer service and lovely food! Needless to say, in the words of Arnie....I'll be back!!

Have a great week everyone! X

From Arepa to Arrrrriba!!

I have to make a confession..... Me......a born and bred Londoner......a confirmed shopaholic......has never been to Portobello Road Market!! My heart has always been with Camden market. Many a happy teenage weekend did I trudge round Camden with my Doc Martens and tie dye skirts but finally, at the age of 34, I thought it was time to rectify the situation! The reason for this change of heart?....Acklam Village Market! Tucked away in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of Portobello Road Market lies a collection of street food stalls going by the name of Acklam Village.

Wearing my GF hat I was on a mission! Nothing was obviously GF but undeterred I set about finding out what I could possibly have. Most stalls had a few items that could accommodate the GF diet and most stallholders knew what was and wasn't GF. However, as I had read so much about the Venuzuelan Arepas I felt I should head straight to Guasacaca.

 Arepas are breads made from cornflour which are cut open and stuffed with a choice of filling. The girl who served me was knowledgeable about what she was selling and explained that everything was GF. Sooooooo..... if everything was GF, it made sense to taste everything!! I had pork with black beans, plantain, cheddar cheese and guasacaca sauce!

Prime example of eyes bigger than belly!! Looked fab but how was I going to eat it?! Answer....messily!!  Big apologies to all who had to watch me tuck into my first Arepa, it really wasn't pretty but do you know what? I would do it all again, it was amazing! As I sat slurping my Arepa with guacamole dripping off the end of my chin and my foot tapping to the band who had just started playing, I was already planning my return trip to Acklam Village Market!

Portobello Road market I could take or leave really. Like I say, my heart lies with Camden! However, I did discover Portobello Wholefoods shop

This is a real little gem! Stuffed full of health food brands, I managed to find things in here I have only previously been able to order online. Nevermind all the trendy vintage tut in the market, it's worth an trip to Portobello just for Acklam and the wholefood shop (am I getting old?!).

Managed to stock up on King Soba buckwheat and sweet potato noodles in the above shop. These are by far the best GF noodles I have found. They taste great and don't go gloopy when you cook them!

You can see them in action here (please excuse husbands rather large foot encroaching on photo!!) served with Blue Dragon spring onion and oyster sauce sachet.

Thursday night was a vist to the local Mexican, Chimichanga's. Another chain that is happy to cater for the GF diet but sadly does not display the GF options on the menu. Why the secret eh?! I just don't get it!? If you cook good quality, safe and tasty GF food why don't you tell people about it!? Surely it would attract more people??? Anywaaaaay.... The lady who served me ( the manager I think), knew her menu well and advised me appropriately. With a little substitution of rice for veg I decided on the Toastadas with pulled pork

ARIBA ARRRRRIBA!!!! Looks fab doesn't it? It tasted fab too!! A real treat to have something like this as I always assume Mexican to be riddled with flour! (The Toastadas are made from corn). The manager was also happy to tell the kitchen staff that I was Coeliac and therefore minimise the cross contamination risk. Overall I was very impressed, any worries I had were soon put aside and I look forward to a return visit soon!

Finally, look what I found lurking among the magazines in Sainsburys...

I haven't made anything from it yet (ok, correction...Dale hasn't made anything from it yet!!) but there are some great looking recipes. I'll wave it under Dale's nose and see what happens...who knows, I might even give one of them ago myself?!! Definitely worth a look,plus I always like to encourage companies who are producing good quality GF publications. Go and have a look before it sells out!

Have a good week everyone! x

Sin gluten chica en Mallorca

Please forgive the very basic and poor attempt at my Spanish. It's a long time since I sat GCSE Spanish and unfortunately the syllabus didn't cover the ins and outs of explaining Coeliac disease and the Gluten Free diet! Nevertheless, that did not prevent my half hearted attempts this week as I hit Mallorca for the half term holiday. It's quite surprising how a desperate look in the eye, the frantic waving of hands and a questioning tone of "sin gluten?????!" can get the message across quite adequately. Thankfully, I had downloaded my trusty translated guide from the Coeliac UK website so I was definitely suitably prepared!

Thankfully, the Spanish are fairly well equipped at dealing with the GF diet so I had no need to worry! Unfortunately, where we were staying was quite small and did not have a large supermarket so I couldn't fully check out the GF ranges I had heard so much about. I did get quite excited when I spotted these in the Spa shop

But, I must confess, I didn't buy them as they don't look all that exciting do they?! €3.10 for glorified rich tea!! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the idea but no thanks!

There were items that were in with regular products that were clearly labelled which gave peace of mind eg

Labeled at the back....sorry!!

In a small box on the side, if you squint and tilt your head you might just see it!

Ok, I assumed Edam was GF but it's always nice to have it spelt out to you! GF....loud and proud!! I love it!

Admittedly, I was a little jealous as Dale tucked into his freshly scooped glutenous ice cream flavours in a mega wafer cone BUT the branded ice creams are really well labelled. Each shop has a menu board of ice creams and each shop I stopped at (ok, yes, I sampled a few!!) had clear GF labelling on the appropriate ice creams. Blogging failure on my part again as I forgot to take a photo.....I was too dazzled by the ice creams! A particular favourite was

and of course there was always the trusty Magnum!

We were originally booked in the Hotel Cala Bona. We purposefully chose this hotel at it specifically stated it catered for Coeliacs! To my disappointment we were moved at the last minute to the Levante just up the road!!

Now, at the risk of turning my blog into a trip advisor review I would just like to say a few words about each hotel with regards to GF eating, just incase anyone is looking to go to Mallorca in the near future!

We did not get to stay at the Hotel Cala Bona (www.calabonahotel.com) but we did go there for lunch on our first day before it closed for the season. I managed to make a 100% fool of myself by ordering completely the wrong thing but nevertheless the staff were friendly and helpful (and more than happy to change my order!) Despite the language barriers they were very clued up about Coeliac Disease and did not take any chances. They understood the importance of cross contamination and even said they have as separate kitchen! If you are looking for somewhere Coeliac friendly this could definitely be a winner!

However, the hotel Levante (www.levantehotels.com) does not state anywhere about catering for restricted diets BUT they couldn't have been more helpful. I felt confident they fully understood my requirements and they advised me appropriately. I ate well.....very well (what a shocker eh?!). Bacon, scrambled eggs, tomatoes and fruit selections were for breakfast. The Thomson reps even offered to buy me GF bread if I wanted! There was a huge selection for dinner but I mainly opted for the meats that were grilled on a griddle in front of you to order.

I got far too excited on the second night when they brought out some "Gluten Free" labels for the puddings. This meant I had a choice of healthy fruit selections or cream caramels, mousses etc too. I even noticed the ice cream pots and frozen yogurt was labelled with a cross grain sign.

I haven't been abroad and ever had so much choice. I was very impressed!

I did, of course, take my trusty snack supplies with me, not knowing what the food would be like. For lunches I relied on some rice cakes I'd taken with me with the above Edam cheese and yogurt drinks. I snacked on 9 bars (see previous blog posts), Metcalfe's popcorn (soooo moorish!!)  and some chocolate stashes I'd taken!

My only moan......airline food!!! What a load of rubbish!! I wasn't on the flight long enough for a meal but Thomson offer an extensive snack menu.....extensive if you can eat anything! They have a lovely clear "Gluten Free" label which they use on the menu but it's only used once!! ONCE!!! Tomato soup?!! I ask you!!!! I don't fancy tomato soup when my feet are on terra firma let alone 6 miles in the air!! Thank goodness for for the grab bag of Cadburys Buttons I had left over from my stash! ;0) Come on Thomson, surely a big company like you can do a bit better?!

Soooooo I'm back to being Gluten Free in London. Wish me luck as the new term starts, see you next week! X

Grazing!

People at work are always fascinated by my constant need to eat throughout the day! If my jaw is working (chewing or chatting...either is fine but NEVER both together !!) then I'm a happy bunny! I generally graze my way through the day and always have a stash of snacks in my desk drawer....some healthier than others but I do try! Therefore, I dedicate this weeks blog to grazing and snacking!

My eyes lit up when a friend at work presented me we these one morning

She obviously is an avid reader of my blog and knows the way to my heart! Bless her, it was actually her birthday and knowing I wouldn't be able to eat her birthday cake she didn't want me to miss out!!! She is now definitely a true Free From Friend! Sainsburys Free From choc chip muffins mmmmmm! They were great, really chocolatey! My only criticism is that they are a little crumbly which left me making a bit of a fool of myself in the staff room!

I finally got round to trying the Newburn Bakehouse white choc & raspberry muffin.

This has long been my favourite muffin flavour, so was keen to try this new GF version! I wasn't disappointed - nice, sweet and cakey but could have been more white chocolatey for me! Hey ho, most if you will know I have a terrible sweet tooth! Therefore, I declare the Newburn Bakehouse morning muffin (full of syrup and calories!) as my new fave GF muffin.....see previous blog posts for mention of this!

Now these have been a great discovery

These are sweet, seedy and filling. One of these bars definitely tides me over to lunch ( well...at least to the next snacking session!) I particularly enjoy the pumpkin flavour but they also do an original and flax seed version too. These aren't located in the Free From section in Sainsburys they are with the other cereal bars however they are separate in Tesco. I have also noticed that they are sold individually in Holland & Barrett, making them perfect (if a little over priced!) for a GF snack on the go.

Guess what Mum found in the pound shop?!

Yep, a GF product......in the pound shop......that almost NEVER happens! GF and only 80 calories per slice.....see I can do low cal sometimes!!! These are great and regularly in my desk drawer. Only problem is, I have to take them into work individually otherwise I'd eat them all! ;0) Metcalfe's are a good brand to look out for as they do flavoured popcorn too. Not sure if all the flavours are GF but some definitely are!

I also regularly snack on dried fruit at work. Now, I know this is a bit of a dodgy area as some dried fruit can be coated in flour. However, I have found most dried fruit in the main supermarkets is usually ok. Nevertheless I was pleased to see this brand in makro

Zeina - cheap and cheerful AND it actually states on the back "Suitable for Coeliacs". Haven't seen this make anywhere other than makro, I'd be interested to know if anyone spots them elsewhere!

I also find the left over fruit for the children's "snack time" comes in handy for grazing on but I'm guessing that won't make an exciting photo to show you....I'll leave it to your imaginations!

Well, let's have a big woooohooooo for half term. I'm heading off to (sunny...I hope) Mallorca for a bit of R & R! Let's see what "sin gluten" delights they have to offer. So with a case bulging with rice cakes, popcorn and chocolate I will say hasta la vista and next time I write I will be Gluten Free Girl in Mallorca! Yey! X

3 letters, 1 word....confusing!

I'd like to start this week by clarifying something from last week! The Free From couscous I mentioned from Asda is made from maize semolina NOT maize and semolina! Therefore, it is gluten free and safe to eat. The English language is an amazing thing (especially when in the hands of a vertiginous, coeliac school teacher!!), a little 3 letter word can change the whole meaning of a sentence and cause such confusion! That clever book "Eats Shoots and Leaves" springs to mind ( also good advice for a GF diet there too methinks?!) Anyway, Asda Free From couscous is legit AND if there are any Take That fans out there you may get my loose song link of the week with my blog title of...3 letters, one word...confusing!

Soooo on with the show.....

Always one for a meal out, I jumped at the chance of being treated to dinner at a local pub. The Salisbury Arms in Winchmore Hill, North London, used to be a favourite of ours in my pre GF days. I have eaten there only a handful of times recently as I find it tricky finding something I can order. Nevertheless, they have a good beer selection which makes it a winner for Dale so off we went to give it another go! The pros......the staff were great, the chef came out to speak to me, he knew what he was talking about and was knowledgeable about his dishes. The cons......still not a huge amount I could have, particularly as all their potatoes are reheated (for those of you who don't know, I also have an intolerance to reheated potatoes!!). So in the end we settled on a roast dinner with no gravy, potatoes or Yorkshire pudding which left.... Yes you guessed it......meat and veg!

Very nice meat and veg but still......meat and veg hmmmmm?! (Yes, the crackling was ok too, I double checked!). It left me with a question I often ponder (think...think..think....to quote Pooh bear!!!)....How difficult would it be to have at least one item on a menu that is GF? It doesn't even have to be a "special" item, it could be naturally GF so that everyone could enjoy it! Surely, it would open doors to a whole new client base?!

Anyway, on with a restaurant that does cater especially for GF......Pizza Express! I've harped on about their pizzas before but have never given any blog space to puddings!! "How could you have missed that?" I hear you shout, as pudding is my all time fave part of the meal. Up until recently the only GF pudding offered by Pizza Express was a mini chocolate brownie (that comes with a coffee). However, I was was pleased to see more GF options this time. I could have gone for sorbet (mini again!!) but I opted for figs in mascarapone and spiced syrup with a cup of camomile tea.

Wow! What a delicious pudding, I will definitely be opting for this again. One question remains....why are they all mini?! I might be on a GF diet but I'm not watching my weight!!! How about a GF regular sized pudding next please Pizza Express?!

To continue the pudding theme (and the "not watching my weight theme!!!!), have a look at this....

This Sainsburys Taste the Difference Chocolate Soufflé goes to show that there are some tasty, calorific treats out there that are GF but not in the Free From section....they are actually out in the "regular section"!! Quite a few in this Taste the Difference range are GF so it's definitely worth checking out the labels if you've got time!

Saturday night was stir fry night....

The key ingredients (apart from chicken and veg) were Ilumi Sweet Chilli Sauce, Tamari Sauce (in the Free From section of the supermarkets, GF soy sauce equivalent) and Mama rice noodles (which state on the front of the packet that they are Gluten Free). The verdict.......a great stir fry! 

The flash made it look a funny colour, it wasn't really that orange, I promise and I didn't really eat ALL of that....I promise too!! The Ilumi sauce was tasty enough without being overpowering and there was a mild, warming, heat which was just enough without burning your insides! The Tamari sauce is always great. The noodles.....well, they were ok. I would have them again but they do tend to go a bit gloopy and sticky. I much prefer the King Soba GF buckwheat and sweet potato noodles but I find them much more difficult to get hold of.

Well, 4 more days of school until the glorious half term holiday! The end is in sight woohooooo, wish me luck!!! X

Last night I dreamt of some bagels!

So if you haven't got the loose play on song lyrics please start humming Madonna's La Isla Bonita while you read the rest of this! It's been going round my head allllllllllllll day! And, yes, I'm ashamed to admit that it is true....last night I dreamt of some bagels!!

After causing quite a stir in the Gluten Free world, Udi's arrived in the UK. Never being one to miss out on an exciting new GF product, I took myself off to Tesco hoping to find some Udi's bagels. I have seriously missed bagels since being GF and have been disappointed not to find a suitable substitute. Until......

So excited was I that Udi's bagel took over my dreams! (I can hear the shouts of "saddo" from here!!). So when I dragged myself out of bed this morning I quickly toasted my cinnamon and raisin bagel with eager anticipation.

Now, I'm not a huge cinnamon fan but the excitement of bagels for breakfast far outweighed this! The verdict.....fab!!! They toasted really well, the butter melted nicely into them, the cinnamon was not over powering and they had the consistency of a regular bagel! Mission accomplished!! I'm back in the bagel eating world, thank you Udi's! The only problem was I wanted another one! So the plan for tonight is to crack open the savoury ones and see how they are......watch this space!

Also, thrilled to see Asda's own Free From brand producing Gluten Free couscous. I don't often get to Asda but managed to send mum on a GF mission!

Prior to my GF diet I was quite big on couscous (and bagels don't forget!!) and I was intrigued to see what this alternative would taste like. It is made from maize semolina, fluffs up like regular couscous, looks like regular couscous and do you know what.....tastes pretty much like regular couscous too!!

I appreciate my dinner of turkey burger and couscous looks a little dry! Usually I would have couscous with something in a sauce, however, I was keen to try it on its own to get a true feel for the taste! I would definitely recommend!

Yesterday, Dale and I picked up some friends from Heathrow airport. Normally on these occasions I would usually pack myself a little GF picnic to take with me. However, this time I decided to take a leap of faith and see what Heathrow could offer me in terms of GF snacks / lunch. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised! Marks and Spencer had a few GF sandwiches and seemed fairly well stocked (ham poughmans and cheese and pickle) as well as a GF choc muffins. Costa Coffee also had a small outlet which I'm guessing had their usual GF selection (which is sadly not nut free so not good for me!) Nevertheless my eyes lit up at the sight of Carluccio's! I have long been a fan of their GF menu so this was a no brainer, our lunch destination had been sorted!

Despite being ridiculously busy we were quickly seated and our waiter was more than happy to provide the Gluten Free menu. We were served by several staff, all of which were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the GF choices. It was also really nice to see GF options on the specials menu.

I settled on the Luganica - pasta with a spicy Italian sausage sauce.

Great stuff! Can't fault it, tasty, filling, generous portion and a novelty not to have penne for a change! Well done Carluccio's!

Well, (still humming La Isla Bonita) I'm off for another bagel! Have a good week everyone! X

In at 10.....

This week I take on the role of " Bilious Blogger" as I write to you from the doom and gloom of my sick bed. As well as being blessed with Coeliac Disease I also have regular bouts of vertigo which can make life a little interesting at times! So, after a week of feeling like I'm riding on a boat I have seriously indulged in a whole array of comfort foods (you will notice the vertigo does not inhibit my appetite!!). Therefore, this week, I bring to you my top 10 Gluten Free comfort foods of the week...... (In no particular order)

In at 10...

DS custard creams, they taste just like the real thing. Cannot fault them and they come in little individual packs of two so having one is never an option! 

9.....

Sausage sandwich, it's gotta be done! Sainsburys Taste the Difference Pork and Herb sausages in a Newburn Bakehouse seeded role. I particularly like these rolls as they are not as stodgy as some and do not leave you as bloated as other GF breads can do.

8...7 and 6 all go to.....

....ilumi! Ok, so I know I have blogged about ilumi before and I can promise I am not working for them, nor do I have shares in the company but I cannot shout loud enough about their food. It ticks all the boxes....tasty...tick, filling....tick, tasty....tick, good quality...tick, easy to store...tick and did I mention tasty?! Ready after 2mims in the micro, definitely my kind of cooking, especially when I'm feeling grotty!

All teamed with good ol' Uncle Bens micro rice or Glutafin penne pasta.

5.....

The Twitter grapevine was rustling this week when news of The Wonka Bars hit the cyber world. Two out of the three in the range are gluten free! Hurrah! I bought both only to discover the millionaires shortbread bar contains hazelnuts, PAH!! Not great with a nut allergy so I'm sending that Mum and Dads way! My loss is their gain! BUT "Chocolate Nice Cream" WOW!!!! I fear this may be a dangerous discovery as I have just bought my second bar!! (Remember.....never add up the calories!!!!) Please note that this bar does state a "May contain nuts" label so it is not 100% nut free.

4....

Nice to have a savoury snack  for a change and for those of you who do count the calories you'll be pleased to know it doesn't make it onto the "naughty scale"!

3....

Always up for a bit of cake, it makes everything better doesn't it?! It's very healing! Newburn Bakehouse lemon and poppy seed muffin. Soft, squishy with oozy lemon inside mmmmmmm........ Word on the GF street is that they have just launched a raspberry and white choc flavour. I will, of course, be investigating this....all in the name of research!!

2.....

Despite feeling grim I did manage to drag my sorry self off the settee for an hour to meet my mum and friend at Prezzo. I have long been a GF Prezzo Pizza fan. I know there's more of a cross,contamination risk due the presence of regular flour in the kitchens but I have to say I have never had any problems with my local branch and they have also been great tasting.

Infact, I was half way through munching my Fiorentina when panic struck!! This was too good to be GF, it just wasn't as crispy as normal! Feeling the surge of panic rising I called the waitress over to double check it really was the GF version that I was tucking into!!! Thankfully, she reassured me that it was and was thrilled I couldn't tell the difference! Proof that GF pizza doesn't have to taste like cardboard! It certainly had me fooled!

1....

I made a mistake earlier....I said cake is very healing....not half as healing as CHOCOLATE cake!! I will end my comfort countdown with Dale's chocolate brownies. I have blogged about them before so will not continue to overinflate his ego but he has just successfully fed the masses at out church harvest lunch! They all ate GF brownies and not one of them knew!!! Wooooohooooo! #GFconverts

So, feeling a little alarmed at the amount of food I have consumed (as well as a little heavier?!) I will sign off hoping that this merry go round that I'm on will finally stop spinning but that the comfort food eating will never end! Xx