Traveling

Having just returned from a 3 night holiday to Torquay it has brought home to me how difficult it can be traveling with Gluten Sensitivity.  

Should I make sandwiches with GF bread? This can be a nightmare as the bread can be rather hard and cardboard like.  So I need to find alternatives.  

• A salad box, shop bought or home made is ideal along with a gluten free nut snack and fruit. 
• A baked potato with filling bought on the motorway, but this can be rather expensive
• A baked potato with filling done at home with fruit and a nut snack should be able to prepare and should be filling.

 Next month I am traveling to Benidorm for a week and although I have organised a Gluten Free Diet at the hotel I will need to sort out a gluten free breakfast.  As I am lactose intolerant as well I can't have cerial, so will need to look for an alternative.

Do you have a food intolerance and how do you manage it when traveling?

Spring Veggies

I have spent this morning pottering in my garden and have finally planted my onion and garlic setts in the rockery.  It is a very underused rockery and as it has been built quite high, it's ideal for me so I don't have to bend too low to work on it.  I hope I manage to grow the onions and garlic this season as I have had very little in the way of luck with them.  I usually end up with very tiny produce so fingers crossed for me and watch this space

 I have also planted them in my borders in the back garden, which again I don't make good use of.

I planted pea seeds as few weeks ago and now decided that they were big enough to plant out in their prepared tub with some well rotted compost from my own compost bin.  I had a very small crop last year so this time I am going to plant some more seeds in a few weeks

My early potatoes are doing really well.  I have two bags growing them and they are ready to be earthed up once again.  I am looking forward to a good crop but I expect that they will be quite small.

I aim to start my green, french, wax & runner beans in May and I am going to have a go at growing pati pan squash, something I have never grown before.

Lovely Mother's Day

I had a lovely Mother's Day today and received lovely presents and cards from my husband and three sons.

My hubby bought me large box of choccies and the lovliest card and I realised that I am so blessed with a wonderful man who has looked after me throughout the years.

I am also very blessed with my children and grandchildren.  I have 3 sons, one of whom lives on the other side of the world, and all three bought me lovely presents, orchids from one son, flowers from the son in Bermuda and 2 books on jewellery making from my middle son.

I spent the day with my son and grandchildren, who took me out to lunch, and what a frantic day that was, trying to entertain 2 little ones who were tired and hungry.   However, I enjoyed every moment with them.  Children grow so fast.

I hope all mums had a lovely Mother's Day x

Gluten Free Baking

Gluten Free Treats

I have several cake recipes which are made with standard self raising flour and I have been able to adjust them to suit my gluten free needs.  However, today I thought I'd try something different so I gave these peanut butter cookies a go.

They look delicious and I can't wait to try them.

 Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Serves: 15

·         500g peanut butter

·         300g caster sugar

·         4 eggs, beaten

·         300g chocolate chips (optional)

·         180g chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 12 mins | Extra time: 8 mins

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with parchment.

2. Combine peanut butter, eggs and sugar and mix until smooth. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Spoon mixture by tablespoons onto tray.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 to 10 minutes before removing.

I reduced the amount down as they are treats and I don't want to be eating them for weeks, plus I wasn't sure if they would freeze.

I was also in the same situation with scones, one of my many vices, especially with cream.  I can no longer eat cream as I am lactose intolerance but I can have jam.  

Again I looked for a scone recipe and found this one on the Coeliac UK website.

I can't wait to try these either

Gluten Free Scones

Each scone 210 calories/880 kJ, 1g fibre

Makes 8

225 g (8 oz) self raising gluten free flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

60 g (2 oz) margarine

60 g (2 oz) granulated sugar

60 g (2 oz) mixed dried fruit (optional)

Approximately 140 mls (5 fl oz) milk

Heat the oven to 200^o C/400^o F/gas 6

Grease a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. 

Add the margarine cut into pieces and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar and fruit if used and mix to a soft dough with the milk.

Roll out on a board dusted with gluten free flour to about  1 cm /½ inch thick and cut into rounds with a plain cutter.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until well risen and browned. 

Cool on a wire tray.

Gluten Free Living

Since July last year my health has taken a turn for the worst, so much so, that I have had to make a few dietry and lifestyle changes.

I have had serious stomach problems, aching muscles and joints and debilitating tiredness and weakness.  I have undergone many tests and yet no one can diagnose what has been causing my symptoms.

To make me feel better I have started a Gluten Free Diet, removing all bread, pasta and pastry items from my diet and replacing them with items made from gluten free flour.

Because the cost of gluten free items are so expensive I intend to make my own and this part of my blog will a record of my gluten free effort.

Learned Something New Today

Having now to eat a gluten free diet I am disgusted at the cost of GF products.  I can no longer eat bread (my downfall and a product I have always loved), pasta and flour based products.  Unfortunately lots of ingredients have gluten hidden in them so they can be dangerous to a gluten sufferer.

I have looked everywhere for decent foods that I can eat, at a reasonable prices, which is difficult when a small loaf costs £3 and tastes like cardboard.  I need to replace bread and pasta due to the calcium intake.  Lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis which I really don't need on top of my other problems.

However, today I found out that Iceland sell ready meals which are gluten free and although ready meals are not the best, they are filling and wholesome and cost only £1 each.

Singing Grand Daughter

My eldest Grand Daughter, Megan, loves to sing and she has a lovely voice.

She recorded this and I'd like to share it with you

www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=186216511493385

Just copy and paste into your search engine. Megan attends a local high school and she is going to join the school choir today and I hopes she gets in. Her voice is ready for honing and she needs some tutoring to enable her to learn how to use her voice and breath to get the best out of her voice.

I hope you enjoy this x

LOW FAT GLUTEN FREE FRUIT & NUT CAKE

Although this fruit & nut cake is gluten free, it tastes great and my family love it. Gluten free cakes and bread can be very dry but I think I have addressed this problem. The cake is moist.

The only fat is in the egg and the milk - I use lactose free as I have an intolerance to milk but once again any milk can be used. Enjoy!!!!

2lb loaf tin

Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6

INGREDIENTS

12oz fruit - I used sultanas

2oz walnut pieces

7oz gluten free self raising flour - any self raising will do

2tsp gluten free baking powder

7oz boiling tea

9tsp canderell or other sugar substitute

1 egg

2oz milk

METHOD

Add the sultanas and canderell to the boiling tea a set on one side for a moment

Sieve together the flour & baking powder and place in a bowl

Add the sultanas and canderell mix to the flour as well as the egg. Mix well and then add the wallnuts and milk. Pour into the loaf tin.

Cook for 45 - 50 mins until nicely brown and a skewer comes out clean. Place the cake on a cooling rack and cut yourself a lovely slice...while you can.