Gluten free breakfast

5 days into the skiing holiday and although I had packed in my snowboard bag a half loaf of g-free bread and some cereal I was on the look out for something a little more substantial.

Of course everyone else is chowing down on croissants, bacon sandwiches and in some cases… bacon in croissants!!! So last night I popped to the supermarket for some spring onions and eggs. And this morning got up a bit earlier to make my bacon and m spring onion omelette with a sprinkling of cheese. It doesn’t look quite cordon bleu… but… it was wonderful. And what’s more, my mate had one too… followed by a round of toast! 

Set up for another day bombing around on the slopes, and looking out over the horizon it is misty and I think snow is on the cards in the next few days.

Arinsal is gluten free friendly !!!

Behold! We are out eating lunch at Arinsal polar bar… and look at the menu! Utterly brilliant! 

If you are coeliac, you can ski or snowboard to your hearts content… and then have a decent luncheon!

Holiday reading

Even when you are going on holiday to a ski resort, and you know you are going to be spending most of your time on the slopes I always think it is good to have a good read ready.

Mr T and I have come away with 2 of our best friends, who we actually met for the second time about 8 years ago. To cut a long story short we met the McGugans in Finland originally, didn’t swap contact details but got on really well. 3 years later we bumped into them again in a ski resort in Andorra! And the rest is history as they say. Anyway. I digress!

I have got my kindle loaded up with books..:. But then this little beauty caught my eye…

Ha ha! I didn’t buy it. BUT if I did want to read something a little tongue in cheek about going gluten free this is what I might read. In the meantime I will stick to my kindle and crack on with come of the gluten free treats I am sourcing on my Andorra ski trip! 

Prepping for a gluten free holiday

Hooray! the holidays are here – well my holidays are anyway! I carried lots of annual leave over from last year so conscious I need to get using them pretty soon. So we have got a fortnight off snowboarding. That’s right… A WHOLE FORTNIGHT in the mountains!

I’m excited.

I’m also making sure that I am well covered with gluten free treats to take with me to keep me on the straight and narrow. Keep me away from the muffins… the croissants and the beer at the end of the day. We decided to go self catering so it should be easy enough to control and for the next 2 days my to do list looks a little like this:-

• Check-in online and print boarding passes
• Print details for accommodation, insurance and airport parking
• Pack cases and all equipment
• Charge Kindle
• Handover at work (no one wants the stress of work on hols)
• Go to the shops and get what I can for Gluten free goodies!
• Take dogs to kennels

And the other thing to note is – we are on a budget. We do not have hundreds of euros per day allocated for spending money… so any nuggets of info will have a pretty tight bank account in mind!

 

 

Delicious gluten free treats

It’s a freezing Friday evening up in Aberdeen tonight. Work is over for another week, there is a light covering of snow outside and I’ve got a fresh set of PJ’s on. Time to snuggle down under a blanket with the dogs and a hot water bottle, get caught up on the soaps and relax!

But it does make me feel like it’s also time for a spot of comfort eating. The kettles on, and I’m on the hunt for some tasty treats.

Bingo!

Check out these beautiful coffee and walnut slices from sainsburys. 4 in a box and at only 138 calories each… I don’t think I’m going to feel too bad if I have 2!!!

It’s been a while crocodile!

Wow! It has been quite a few years since I wrote anything about gluten free living! I think I lost my thread a little. Work. Life. Lots of excuses.

But you will all be super pleased to know I haven’t been completely naughty an di have managed to stay gluten free… mostly!

And since then my brother O has also discover he is Coeliac too. with far worse symptoms than I get bless him but it appears to have started in his mid 20’s. The interesting thing is that O is a twin… and his twin brother E does not appear to have any problems with wheat whatsoever.

Anyhoo – after a brief (3 year brief) period of respite I am going to have another bash at documenting my gluten free living! And O’s mishaps aswell.

Free Samples = Happy Monday!

Compromising on wheat should not mean compromising on flavour.

It can be time consuming and expensive to find the right gluten free products to suit your diet. Some products are available on an annual pre paid prescription, and this is a good idea if there are more than one coeliacs in your household.

Did you know that some companies offer free samples, delivered to your door which allows you to try before you buy.

I have just had one such package delivered straight from Juvela.

 

Enclosed are the following items:-

• 2 x Pizza bases
• 1 x box of crackers
• 1 x box of fibre flak cereal
• 1 x box of fusilli pasta
• 1 x packet of white mix (ideal for cakes/ pastry/ bread)
• 6 x white rolls
• 1 x loaf of bread
• 1 x recipe book

Most definitely worth filling in your details on the website. This way you can try a good cross section of their products without costing you a penny.

I have tried the white bread. And honestly, yes the slices are small BUT toasted with jam and butter… there is nothing to stop you from eating the entire loaf! Perfect!

 

A Few Good Facts

• Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people
• It is often mistaken for IBS, and remains untreated.
• The average length of time it takes someone to be diagnosed with Coeliac disease is 13 YEARS!!!!
• People with Coeliac disease cannot join the armed forces
• Gluten is found in Wheat, Barley and Rye
• Meat from cereal fed animals IS gluten free and so safe to eat
• Coeliac can run in families

Winter is coming… exciting recipes COMING SOON!!!

Gluten Free Holiday!

Hola!

After a good 2 weeks off on holiday I am back in the (not so sunny) UK, and already back in the swing of things. A fortnight in Mexico is just what the Doctor ordered. Beautiful blue skies. Warm tropical sea. Cocktails at the bar. And more All inclusive food than you can shake a stick at!

Holidays are all about letting your hair down and letting your waistline go, but it is still super important that whilst you are enjoying yourself… you remember to make the right meal choices so you can enjoy the holiday from your sun lounger – not from your air conditioned bedroom!!!

Breakfast

This is probably the easiest meal of the day to get right.

Avoid

• Cakes
• Sticky buns
• Cereals
• Sausage
• Pancakes
• Porridge (you cannot guarantee it is only oats)
• Barley juice drinks

Stick to

• Fruit
• Yoghurt
• Eggs
• Omelet
• Bacon

Lunch

Avoid

• Bread
• Wraps
• Sausage
• Breaded chicken and meats
• Burgers
• Battered fish
• Cooking sauces

Stick to

• Salad
• Potatoes
• Meats (no sauce or batter)
• Vegetables

A la Carte

Be sensible when you look at the menu here. You are abroad. Not everywhere is geared up to food allergies, I mean, lets face it, the UK is only just getting its head around food intolerance so we need to be a little bit patient.

• Ask for your main meal to come without sauce or gravy
• Dont get tempted by bread rolls
• Check to see how they thicken soup
• Choose the meal on the menu which is least likely to have wheat in its cooking process.

You can work up a real appetite on holiday, but if you follow these basic rules as a minimum – you can pretty much guarantee that the only thing that can interrupt you will be the weather, mosquitoes and too much tequila!

 

Morning Coffee

Morning Everyone,

If you are anything like me – you need a shot of caffeine in the morning to help get you going!

Have you tried the Nescafe Cafe Menu selection of Cappuccino, Mocha and Latte drinks? Quick to make, no Lumps…. and best of all Gluten Free.

Worried about the calories? Never Fear… For a Cappuccino you are looking at 70Kcal, and a Latte 96Kcal! They do a lower fat version too = Happy days.

Perfect for a kick start on a Thursday!!!!