Too many treats!

I'd like to begin by thanking all my friends and family for thinking of me at so many gatherings and buying something that I can eat. It's nice to be able to join the group in an activity we all love so much. Thankyou.
BUT
Stop giving me treats! Stop saying "I'm sorry you can't eat anything here so I bought you this as a treat" and holding up chocolate or cookies or a muffin or whatever it is you've found! There is only so much an overweight girl can take without resorting to cannibalism for the taste of something savoury.
I'm not saying I don't like D'Lush chocolate biscuits (awesome both in plain and mint flavours) or Silly Yaks gluten free muffins or Freedom Foods coconut cookies (very dry but watch out when dunking in a hot drink - odds are you'll end up with a cup of biscuit goo! These take up moisture VERY quickly). I like them quite a bit. But when watching everyone else eating finger sandwiches or the like and contemplating yet another handful of sugar to fill the gap this lunch was meant to fill, I start to get a little concerned about acting like a 3 year old who's drunk too much red cordial.

How bout a cheese platter? With maybe some dried fruits on one side and some rice crackers or corn thins? Some fig paste? Delightful. Life does not end with sandwiches. I promise.

I haven't blogged for nearly a month so here's what I've been thinking:
I'm happier giving up bread than making it myself. All these recipes said to recreate the fabulous bread sticks from the NY restaurant Risotterria contain many many ingrediants and seem to imply one should start with a clean kitchen. I don't have organic brown rice flour, tapioca starch or a clean kitchen. When I want bread I buy a loaf from the supermarket and enjoy it toasted with cheese and tomato, different to what I remember bread being like, but great in the way it absorbs the flavours. Or I'll mix up some pizza dough from a supermarket mix and have a scone like thing, or even pizza sometimes.

On a normal day? I'll eat corn thins over any GF bread. Today I had them spread with cream cheese and topped with some ham. Delicious. Who cares that almost all the guys in the office made some allusion to it being diet-like food? It tastes great to me. I'd eat more if I could! Right now! Last night I toasted some with slices of Roma tomato, mushroom and tasty cheese.

Treats are what you make them and currently my treats are:
T2 teas - I'm currently drinking Gorgeous Geisha which is a green tea with strawberry in it. Smells divine. Their Creme Brulee is a flavoured black tea which, with a little honey/sugar and soy/milk, really does hit that dessert spot.
Nachos:
Nachos Mexican Cantina has a few chains in Victoria. I've only been to the one in Oakleigh though their GLUTEN FREE ADVICE SHEET is in all their stores. Mexican food is usually pretty good for the GF but these guys are informed which is usually most of the pain of attempting to eat out. The main gluten culprits on their menu are the flour burittos (they have corn ones on request) and anything seafood. As I find the idea of seafood nachos abborent, this place is great. They have an EXTREMELY large margarita menu with some very odd combos that are great. Jelly Bean and Wicked Woman were the winners with my group the other night.

My treat this weekend is going to be some Dairy Bell icecream from their Malvern store. I emailed them for allergen information and they recommended any plain flavour, as in one without add ins. So caramel icecream here I come!
Hmmm or maybe some Trampoline ice cream. These guys do awesome flavours of icecream and sorbet and know their allergens. Usually they have dots on the flavour labels designating allergens. Sometimes they forget to put them on so double check!

My next GF treat hunt will be to Allen's Confectionary regarding Fantales. These chocolate coated caramels are very tasty and there is a big jar of them in the office and I don't know if I can eat them! Minties are a yes, but Fantales? I cannot find any info on the net. Stay tuned....

Nachos Mexican Cantina
T2
Trampoline Ice Cream
Dairy Bell Ice Cream

Patties Sausage Rolls

I had one of these for dinner last night. Straight out of the packet I decided I wanted to like them. Individually wrapped in plastic (convenient for those who need to fit just one in an esky) and having a pinched off edge of pastry rather than just being rolled in it, these sausage rolls talk the talk. They look like a gourmet frozen sausage roll.
Cooked well, though I didn't pay attention to the time (oops) so not sure if they needed the full 25 minutes from frozen the pack directed. I'm guessing slightly more but that's just a guess. No burning or crumbling of pastry, both good signs!
The taste I am sad to say was bland. The filling could use some oomph. Some more salt maybe (saying so may get me lynched) or some herbs or some onion would lift these out of bland. The pastry is slightly sweet which I have come to expect from gluten free pastry, from the rice flour I'm assuming, and is not too dry. Overall, with a good GF tomato or BBQ sauce, these are an excellent GF version of a classic.
6.5/10

Pizza and Tapas

Basque tapas bar is on Chapel St, Windsor, which is definately a street that knows it's trendy. The food is lovely, the wine and spanish cocktails awesome and in general, it's gluten free. While you may not be able to eat churros (Spanish donuts) but you CAN eat the chocolate sauce that comes with them. With a spoon. Decadently. Awesome.

A friend pointed me to her supermarket this weekend saying she'd seen all these frozen GF goodies. I was glad to find Patties pies and sausage rolls after I got a comment about them! I bought sausage rolls but have yet to try them. I also bought a Freedom Foods GF pizza, supreme flavour. Not awful is the final opinion, but too small for me. Maybe 6 inches in diamater, this pizza needs a side salad, which sucks when you're somewhere with only a frozen pizza to eat. But it was definately as good as a frozen pizza can be. But since I have now realised how easy and quick it is to whip up a pizza base I don't think I'll bother paying around $7 again for half a meal of adequate pizza when less than $5 will get me a mix for 2 pizza bases that will cook in about the same amount of time. Sure, I'll have to wash a bowl and cut up toppings, but I like personalised pizza.
4/10 with a bonus for convenience.

I avoided the $12 chicken nuggets though it was nice to know they exist. Same with the crumbed frozen fish. Nice to know if I crave it I can have it, if the day I crave it happens to be a payday.