Lifestyle Healthcare Ltd for Gluten Free

Lifestyle Heathcare is a mail order company who do great items which can be frozen.
You must order in multiples of 6 (these can be of different items).
I've had many of their products from sausage rolls and savoury pies to cakes and biscuits.
Yummy!

http://gfdiet.com/home.php?cat=

The Golden Fleece, Braughing, Hertfordshire for Gluten Free

A great pub / restaurant in Hertfordshire, who serve really tasty gluten free meals AND puddings!


http://www.goldenfleecebraughing.co.uk/index.html

The Admiral Wells, Cambridgeshire for Gluten Free

I recently dined at The Admiral Wells near Peterborough and was delighted at the menu choice available to Coeliacs. Certainly worth a visit if you are in the area.

Apparently the chef is coeliac and so about 80% of the menu can be adapted to suit a gluten free diet.

The staff were very helpful and checked with the chef for any addition questions I had.

I started with Fish and Chips. Served with Heinz tomato ketchup (which at the time of writing this, is GF).

They use Doves Farm GF flour and soda water for the batter and that is cooked separately to the normal food, as are the chips.

Reasonably priced - about £9 and VERY filling!

Despite being full, I could not resist a gluten free pudding. I was spoilt for choice but settled on a chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce, which I had with cream.

About £4.50....here it is half eaten!

http://www.admiralwells.co.uk/

Gluten Free Blueberry & Vanilla Muffins

Makes 12 standard muffins

Ingredients:

350g GF Flour (I used Juvela White mix for these)

2 tsp GF baking powder

115g caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

300ml milk

120g butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

170g Blueberries

Method:

• Pre heat the oven to 200c / 400f / Gas 6.
• Line the cups of a muffin tin with paper cases
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl
• Stir in the sugar
• In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter/marg and vanilla
• Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients
• Gently stir in the blueberries
• Spoon the batter into the prepared paper cases
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the muffins are well risen and lightly browned
• Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool

Gluten Free in Tuscany, Italy

On a recent trip to Tuscany (Pisa, Lucca and Florence) I was excited at the prospect of being able to enjoy Pizza AND Pasta in ITALY!

I (as usual for my foreign travels) went armed with GF emergency supplies - crackers, St Dalfour bean salad and cake bars.
My can of St Dalfour bean salad wasn't needed whilst in Italy and so travelling home with it, it got some weird looks, taken away and almost confiscated at airport security coming home. I enjoyed this whilst in the airport in Pisa waiting to fly back!

I even managed to speak to Ryanair ahead of my outbound journey, who authorised the additional bag containing my medical supplies, with a letter to present at the airports. I also took a letter from my GP that states I can only eat GF foods.

"Senze Glutine" is the phrase to learn. If you know no other Italian, this will save your life!

I booked my stay in a rustic B&B in Bagni Di Lucca, at the Park Hotel Regina.
When I made my booking, I requested "1x senza glutine" and was thrilled when, at breakfast time, there was a separate marked basket containing a range of GF foods: crackers, muesli (oat free too), cakes, biscuits. With the good Italian coffee, bottled water and fresh fruit, I certainly didn't go hungry.

I found the Italian Coeliac society very helpful and their website is amazing.
http://www.celiachia.it/home/HomePage.aspx
Click on the orange tab (third along) "Dieta Senza Glutine"
Click on the fourth along title "Alimentazione Fuori Casa"
Then down the left hand menu, select your chosen establishment; restaurant / B&B / Gelaterie (ice cream) etc.
Scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will see two drop down boxes
Select your region in the first tab (eg: Toscana) and your town / area in the second tab (eg: Lucca)
You will then be presented with a list of APPROVED and tested GF places.

My first meal after landing was in Lucca at Buca Di S.Antonio.
Here, after meeting my Italian friend, we both enjoyed GF pasta. Hers with tomato sauce, mine with courgette and butter. Yummy!

That same night, further along in Bagni Di Lucca, I enjoyed a GF Pizza! This was at a La Lira which was a restauranty type pub. Cheaply priced and filling but not a gourmet experience!

The following day on a trip to Florence, I stopped off at a supermarket en route and picked up some cheese and Italian cured ham which I enjoyed with my DS mini crackers for a lunch time picnic in the car park in Florence before venturing into town!

Once in town and sandwiched between the main touristy sites, I hunted down a GF gelato shop, called Grom, down a cute little street - it was very busy - obviously the place to find good gelato!

Another evening, I enjoyed a GF meal at the sister hotel, Corona Hotel, on the riverside in Bagni di Lucca. Whilst they are not on the celiachia website, they were able to cater for me and advised what was suitable and what I should avoid. Bit pricey but great food and great location. Extremely helpful and friendly staff too.

Overall, a fantastic holiday and GF experience and I'm looking forward to more trips, planned and coordinated around my findings on http://www.celiachia.it/home/HomePage.aspx !

Pom-Bear Gluten Free Crisps

One of the few GF crisps around and SO pleased to see their new flavours: Prawn Cocktail and Smoky Bacon!

Just enjoyed my first packet of Prawn Cocktail flavour - they were yummy and such a nice change from my normal flavours.

All they need now is Pickled Onion flavour!

http://pom-bear.co.uk/snacks/

Costa Coffee Gluten Free Cakes

Whilst in Costa Coffee this weekend, I found a new addition to the GF range....Bakewell Tarts.

They now stock Choc Brownie, Fruit Cake and mini Bakewell Tarts.

At £1.55 for two mini Bakewells, I thought they were reasonably priced and tasty too.

They went particularly well with my cappuccino (with no chocolate on top)!

Gluten Free Carrot & Ginger Soup, with Butterbeans

A quick and tasty soup, ideal for lunches.

Serves about 4-6

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes

3 large carrots

2 medium onions

2 inch chunk of fresh ginger

2 tsp Tomato puree

1ltr vegetable stock / GF stock cubes & boiling water

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Salt & Pepper

1 can of butter beans

Additional boiling water

Method:

• Chop the potatoes, carrots and onions and place into a large saucepan
• Grate or finely chop the ginger and add to the pan
• Add the vegetable stock
• Add the mixed herbs and bring to the boil
• Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Allow to cool slightly and then blend with a hand blender or carefully pour into a jug blender
• (if you like a few vegetable chunks in your soup, then don't blend it all!)
• Return to a low heat and add the butter beans
• Heat for about 3-5 minutes, until the butter beans are warmed through
• Add more seasoning to taste if required
• If you find the soup too thick for your liking, add some more boiling water until you reach your preferred consistency
• Serve into bowls and enjoy!