I miss you cupcake

Back again

2009-06-05T15:58:00.001+10:00

BirthdayBox1
Originally uploaded by moonshae

It's been awhile! I've been busy with my birthday, applying for a new job, school and just... stuff!

I've gone back to Calorie King (again) and started c25k (again). I'm better with the c25k than I am with my calorie intake. I'm up to week 3 day 3 and I'm thinking of entering Run Melbourne at the end of the month and/or the Melbourne Marathon. Not sure about the Run Melbourne. It's so soon and it's 5km. I know that I could walk it if I wanted, but I'm a big fat wimp who currently does a route that's more like 2.5km. Also I'd be going on my own and I'm a big fat wimp.

I got the new job though. I start on Tuesday with the halls of residence at the campus where my Boy and the majority of my friends work. It's going to be nice. I'm not sure if I trust carpooling to get me there on time, but I think I'll try it for the first week and talk to new boss about it. They should be for it, surely, as it's saving them a car space and the environment and all that. If I end up being late with carpooling, I might take the bus in early and run there (if there are lockers so I can shower).

But soon I shall be full time again! Money!! But also, I'm going to be so busy! School on Monday nights and Saturdays plus work Mon-Fri 9-5. *gulp* Sunday will be my only free day. *double gulp* I'm hoping the Boy will step up to the plate a bit more in terms of doing housework, especially the washing. I'm not expecting miracles though and to make sure I have clothes beyond my PJs (which I had to spend the day in the other week) I'm going to splurge per-first pay cheque. Bad, but I think worth it in the initial readjustment phase, particularly since I'm already mostly out of underwear *head desk*
Mostly I'm worried about my school work. The other girls seem to be managing okay while working full time, so I'm sure I can do it but *gulp* I spent 6 hours lining up pleats on the weekend.

Quick review: HERBS Pizza, Koornang Rd, Carnegie.
This place was chosen as we wanted "basic" or "traditional" pizzas (in our opinion anyway) and they're walking distance. We got a BBQ chicken (which wasn't on the menu, they added BBQ sauce for us), a garlic and a margherita (with added bacon, don't ask me, that's what the boys wanted).
Conclusion? Too much sauce. Especially on the BBQ chicken where they seemed to have made their normal pizza then slopped on the bbq sauce. Tasty, but messy. The margherita was better, but still very "wet". The garlic pizza, by contrast was quite good. The Boys found it a little dry, but I liked it that way. Finding one the comes without cheese is also good.
Result: 7/10. Perfectly adequate, but meh.

My rock cakes

2009-05-20T12:49:00.001+10:00

My rock cakes
Originally uploaded by moonshae

It was my birthday on Friday. I am now a venerable 28 years old. And I'm now eating gluten again for awhile. I've been having little bits in things like marinated tofu for about a fortnight and in honor of birthday I ate much Chinese food. And cake. And toast. And besides my sinuses flaring up (which they do without gluten too) I feel fine.

I went to visit a friend who's working in Albury on Saturday and she is obviously psychic because she bought me a cookbook that most people wouldn't buy the gluten intolerant - The Women's Weekly Classic Cake cook book. The blurry phone picture above is the result of my first try - rock cakes. I remember not liking them as a kid but these were great. Easy and only used stuff we already had except SR flour, which I (obviously) got special. While these were in the oven I also made a basic tea cake, though in a loaf tin as I have little baking gear anymore. It didn't really rise as much as I'd have liked, but as I didn't use an electric beater to cream the butter/sugar/egg combo I probably just didn't aerate it enough. I didn't try it - saving it for tonight.

I'm going to try and be good this gluten round. Every other time I've basically gone psycho and binged on anything gluten containing, the breadier the better. This time I'm trying trying trying to be better. I can't really afford to eat out, so unless I'm at a restaurant which someone else is paying for, I'm not allowed to buy gluten products just because (bread is the exception as it's for the household not just because I can have it). Pasta I think I'll keep gluten free at the moment. My cereal box is still pretty full and I have most of a rice porridge left as well. But once I'm out of muesli I'm going to try some wheat free stuff. Basically if I want it I have to make it. Pastry making will probably come up pretty soon because of that.
My goal is one bit of gluten per day which I completely failed at so far but now birthday celebrations are over I'm trying harder with less temptations around. I had a rock cake for breakfast as I was running late but lunch is entirely GF and dinner is tacos which is naturally GF. I was going to try some tea cake but maybe I'll just steal a bit of The Boy's instead just to see how it turned out.

Other than that I haven't really done much lately. I had one of those lingering cold/flu things for about a week seriously and then another week just sniffling. Led to many early nights and much slothing. School is moving along abruptly suddenly after many stops and starts. Couture finally has something of a rhythm which is good. I'm feeling happier about my design and I have had my fabric professionally pleated. I haven't looked at it because it's in a big roll of paper. I'm waiting for school on Saturday to look. I just hope that there's enough! Millinery has moved on to straw hats from fur felts. I finished my felt and while I like it, the odds of me wearing it around are pretty slim. Not only because it's basically a top hat but also because it would retail at ~$300. 22 hours of labour in that hat plus ~$100 in materials. Photos to come once it's been marked.

Tonight I'm going to be sewing tissue covers for my last Craftster swap for awhile - broke me does not get to send things all over the world for kicks. Plus, I've got enough other things to make and a newly recovered World of Warcraft habit to fill. I really want to finish a jumper to wear THIS winter but *shrug* I guess time (and RSI) will tell.

A picture of me

2009-04-24T11:45:00.001+10:00

crochetedAppleCosy
Originally uploaded by moonshae

I was looking at the photos of a party my friends had on the weekend. There were a couple of me (in my new op shop skirt of niceness) and I couldn't look at them. I looked so FAT. Which made me think about food. But what happened next really forced me into action... a friend emailed the one picture I particularly hated and the subject line? "I just found a gorgeous photo of you!"
Oh
My
God.
Action? Fire lit under my large butt? oh my god yes!
I'm back on calorieking and tracking my calories each day. Next week's goal is to put in the recipes that I make alot (like sticky rice) and have accurate numbers for those as I'm sure I'm underestimating them. This week I was mostly concentrating on putting everything on there again and trying to stay below my calorie limit. Which I did, with help from my half hour walk to work and then back again three days a week.

I'm also joining my housemate and his friends on their Sunday morning training regime. The guy who leads it isn't a personal trainer, but is very fit and does much gym. He is helped by a girl who does a personal training session at least twice a week, so we're not doing anything horrifically bad for us. I went last Sunday and my muscles stopped hurting on Wednesday. Bleh! But good bleh I think. Well, I felt all nice and endorphiny after finished at least.
This Sunday will be the test though - cold and hailing the weather report says. And we train on the beach! Yay! I'm hoping we change at least to a part to do it. I don't want to cancel it, I don't want to lose momentum so early into starting, but the beach will be cold and just BAD!

Looking at my food on CK (calorieking) it looks quite strange because I put everything in my bento as lunch when technically I suppose half of it is snacks. Or I'm eating lunch from my 11am miso to my 3pm babybel cheese. But while the bento food looks a little odd, it's usually around 600 calories which is pretty darned good! It's when I get home after work that I run into trouble. I get home at 4, the time I used to get home from school and have a snack. Sure, I just walked for half an hour, I might be a little hungry. But if I snack then, then eat dinner and THEN odds are I'll have a little something after dinner too.
My new plan is to try and drink tea between home and dinner. Preferably herbal, but I'll settle for my usual white tea (it's not THAT many calories and milk is good, calcium and protein and all that) if necessary.
I also need to think about dinner a little more. Last night Boy and I were feeling lazy so we had pasta with pesto and mushrooms. I didn't weigh the pasta out, but I did divide it into three bowls and a container for later so I wouldn't just serve it all up. Perhaps I should have because I was HUNGRY all night despite dessert and even a coffee. Bleh! So lazy dinners definately need some work.

Pictured is an apple cosy I made for a swap on Craftster. I have three active swaps at the moment - I just sent for the Detective swap, am part way through making things for the Fill a Purse swap and am waiting for my partner in the tea/coffee swap. I've never done more than one at a time before. I'm enjoying them. They're helping me fill the free time I have. I really thought that this years couture class would be more full on from the get go, but not yet! We have ANOTHER day off tomorrow because of Anzac Day, so we've only had two classes so far. Which leaves me with two days a week of not much to do really. Hence, swap crafting and dice bags agogo.

I also applied for a couple of new jobs due to me feeling horribly poor. One is full time and I have an interview on Monday. It will be more money than I have ever earned. Ever. Which means I could pay back my savings all the money I've taken out due to moving and other stuff this year so far. I could save for a holiday somewhere overseas and awesome. I could buy CLOTHES as I have none really that fit properly. But what if school suddenly gets busy? What if what if? I think I want it, though I'm going to have to get uber organised if I get it. And The Boy is going to have to start doing some more housework a bit more regularly.

I'm feeling better mentally this week as well. Last night I even went out to a "craft night" which is mostly a hang around and chat night but you can bring knitting or whatever and not feel out of place. It was good. I got to hang with PEOPLE and got to see baby H who is in the "ooo moving colours and strange faces" big eyed stage. Very adorable. Even though I ended up ripping out all of my knitting because of losing count and grrr, it was nice to get out of the house. I spend so much time watching shows I don't like because I'm crafting and like to have something on while the boys are playing World of Warcraft. I was feeling a little crappy about it. But now I'm actively trying to get out and see people. Go me!

This weekend is therefore going to be a reward weekend, despite being very broke due to a HR pay issue (grr). I'm going to buy a new outfit for my interview (yay credit card!) and The Boy is taking me to the movies. The Dice guys are coming to pick up their order, payment to follow sometime next week hopefully. Exercise session on Sunday. But tonight? Tonight is Dr Who night!

Back on the wagon

2009-04-22T10:35:00.002+10:00

I've been trying to lose weight for as long as I can remember. I'm going to make another effort at not eating way too much of the badder things like processed foods and eat more veges. So hopefully this will decrease the size of my butt and make my bentos a little more exciting.

Today I logged back on to calorieking.com.au and started tracking my food again. Which is a good thing to combine with my visual lunch tracking on flickr. My flickr photos are showing a definite decrease in veges and variety and an increase in dried fruit and snackysnacks. Bad me!

If you want to help the world through your lunch have a look at this link -> http://www.missionvegan.com/happy-april-giveaway-time/ You might even win a prize! Which is great because a large chunk of why I started bento was to reduce waste in the kitchen.

Am I 80?

2009-04-17T12:21:00.001+10:00

Basicpurple beginning
Originally uploaded by moonshae

I've been spending my nights very predictably since The Boy and I moved in with Housemate. The boys go and do some sort of WOW raid in the study and I sit on the couch and knit. The last couple of nights I've mixed it up and cut things out to sew - dice bags for an order, hand bags for a Craftster swap. But still, 9/10 evenings are spent with me sitting on the couch watching such high television quality as Bondi Vet, and even at times Neighbours, mostly because I can't be bothered changing the channel between The Simpsons at 6 and NCIS at 8:30.

While I do feel a little boring and am REALLY going to try and DO stuff (or at least watch better shows) I'm feeling quite accomplished! I am making myself a cardigan! I take a bit of string and two pointy sticks and CREATE! The photo is when I just started, I've finished that back section now, and the left front. I'm 3 inches into the right front now. Just that and the sleeves to go! Yay! The pattern is Basic Black which I found on Ravelry and I'm working on it with The Visual Guide to Knitting which is great because it's full of pictures. Sure, many websites can show me how to knit particular stitches, but my internet doesn't reach the couch.

I'm really getting into the 'making from scratch' ideal. My lunch today contains one processed thing, which is the miso for my soup and the chicken marinade. I'm already feeling SO much better after my gluten binge. I'm so much more with the moment!! And being with the moment I can go to a party tonight instead of saying I'm too tired. A party with friends who have bought me snacks so I can join in. One of those snacks? Popcorn. Simple, everyone can have it. My mother is good at making me food when I'm at a family thing, I ate well at Easter lunch. But there was a separate lasagna for me (an entire one, many leftovers!) and it made me feel a little weird. I can eat SO much food but I still get corralled off to one side. No one would even try my lasagna, I'm not sure if it was because it was "mine" or because it was gluten free. Or maybe they were full. Who knows? Yes, many gluten free packaged foods are bad. Dry, crumbly and utterly awful. You know what's good? The nibbles I brought as my part of the lunch. I could eat every bite of the rice crackers with double brie, the dried fruit, the basil pesto chunky dip and the pears wrapped in prosciutto.
If anyone is reading this that ISN'T gluten intolerant and has a friend/family member/work colleague that is, try to include them! Food is such a social activity and while it's nice that you thought of them and bought a packet of cookies or whatever, why not serve sushi instead of sandwiches at that work lunch? Or go to Crust or Pizza Capers for pizza as they can have a gluten free pizza and be part of the group.

In my first review for a long time let me happily say I've found a new place that will deliver me pizza that isn't Crust, whom I haven't gone back to (they may have gluten free bases, but their toppings are labeled ambiguously, or were at the time). PIZZA CAPERS are a Queensland chain that have recently expanded to Victoria and there's one in Malvern somewhere (near Central Park I think). I have no idea where, I just know that a kind friend got their menu in the mail and thought I'd like it. Oh yeah. The bases remind me of the GF burgers at Grill'd, sort of corn like in flavour, which is different than what you'd remember pizza tasting like, but still good. They aren't a crisp pizza though, which makes me sad, but that's the only real flaw that I can see. I particularly like the antipasto pizza.

And finally, the easiest food wanky recipe ever - Pear with Prosciutto:
Slice up pear into thinnish slices, wrap with some prosciutto. Repeat until you're out of ingredients or the plate is full. Eat! I used Buerre Bosch pears at Easter lunch and they were very tasty.

Experiment failed

2009-04-15T11:53:00.001+10:00

040409LBento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

I've been quiet lately because I was doing some gluten eating. And it seemed to be going fine! Every so often I would feel the familiar brain woolliness but rarely enough that speculation began about me being sensitive to something else. MSG maybe, or that calcium propinate stuff found in bread. But then BAMN. It hit me. So now I'm in gluten hangover mode. It's not tooo bad, but bad enough that I actually do feel hungover and all I want to do is drink tea and eat fattening things on the couch. Which is different to my usual desires I swear (well, sometimes it is).
So I'm back in the non-gluten diet thing and I'm not overly upset by it. Sure, it was great to eat chinese dumplings and have a pie, but it feels like I had a nice holiday, but am now back home.

The picture for this post was taken last weekend. I put it in because the black bag in it, my bento handbag is no more. Because I SOLD IT! I spent much of my weekend hanging out at Conquest (a roleplaying convention held at Melbourne High) and I sold many dice bags to gamers and the dice company there (Dice by NASM). But I also sold my handbag, the one I was actually using, not once, but TWICE! I have never sold my stuff before and it is such a confidence boost. Maybe a career in making things is a possibility after all. Though not in dice bags, those things are BORING to make en masse.
So I have profit! I think, I didn't really cost things particularly well, especially my time spent making them, but I think I made profit. And I might splurge on a new bento box, just in time for my birthday next month.

It did give me a very busy easter "break" though which has left my pantry a little bare. My bento lunch today was some rice (a mix of brown and white) from the freezer, a 1-egg tamagoyaki (slightly failed, due to a smaller egg I think), some carrot sticks for lunch break eating. For snacks I have some craisins and dried apricots, some nut/seed mix and a mini jelly pudding, a babybel swiss cheese and, my current favourite 11am snack - a miso soup "ball".
The miso ball idea is something from my fav bento site, justbento, and all it is is a teaspoon or so of miso paste along with whatever you like in your miso soup in a little package. I used a silicon muffin cup as it was secure in my box. If it was in a bigger box (or loose I suppose) I'd wrap it into a ball in some glad wrap. I have tofu and spring onion with mine. Yum! A nice, cheap, EASY protein hit that kills off those morning munchies as well as being nice and warming on this windy day. I'm going to try and get a little more adventurous with my miso snack as it'd be a great way to sneak a few more veges into my day and shore up my immune system.

See my hat!

2009-03-26T15:05:00.001+11:00

Felt hat assignment
Originally uploaded by moonshae

The picture is me making my first felt hat in my millinery class. I was kind of nervous about the class, as it was expensive and to justify it to myself I had to pare down my couture sewing class to part time. Which starts on Saturday so *fingers crossed*
But HATS! I don't care if I never wear this hat (it's also in a mousey colour I've never ever worn because the supplier was waiting on a shipment but I had to get started) because it was FUN! I can block felt good! Whee! Am I too old to be jazzed about getting compliments from teachers? Apparently not!

This past week has had me stressing out about money. Suddenly my credit card is higher than I like, my hat supplies cost me more than I thought they would, The Boy booked as in to see Tim Minchin at the Comedy Festival without asking (though he said he'd pay - which makes me feel pretty crap, but well, I _do_ want to go) and on and on. The bond cheque from the old place went directly onto my credit card which meant new winter clothes (and boots) have to wait. And on and on. So I sat down and played with the budget. And according to it I'm okay. Not great, but fine. I just need to accept that I'm a student again and that means that yes, at the end of the pay cycle I might be down to my last $20.
But despite it being payday and therefore a time to stress less, I've been poking at the internet about being frugal, which I have done in the past and discovered the same things I usually do - I'm already pretty frugal (mostly) and being frugal in America is really different to frugality in Australia in certain respects, especially in the most popular tip - cancel cable tv. Almost all website suggest giving up cable tv to save money. Easy done as I've never had it. The Boy's parents have it as His dad got it free as he installs it. So if I really want to watch 4 hours of cooking shows I can when I go there (and I did that over Christmas. Yay for The River Cottage!)

Most of the other suggestions I was looking at were food related. Eating gluten free can be expensive and, well, I have expensive tastes at times (mmm duck). But since I started thinking more properly with The Boy over the whole gluten free thing I think we've actually started spending less on food in general. Lately our grocery bill has gotten higher (eep) BUT we are feeding The Housemate as well now AND we're not eating out nearly as much (due to people moving away).

Things I think are the big money savers on our food bill:
-Rice - Thanks to bentos and The Boy's love of making curry rice has become our starch of choice and that's pretty cheap. And freezes! which I never realized before (http://lunchinabox.net/2008/06/20/inarizushi-with-toppings/) which is a big help when making lunches quickly.
-Carrots - I've been having carrots almost every day lately in some form or another. Carrot sticks are a good snack, with or without a dip. Stir fry quickly in some tamari, chilli flakes and sesame oil to get kinpira (Just Bento). Tomorrow I'm going to try carrot rice which was on justbento.com a little while back because I have a cold and the vitamins the better IMO.
-Eggs - I used to think I didn't like eggs. They ruined my bacon and toast when I was a kid. I'm an adult now and have rediscovered them. While I avoid buying bread now as GF bread is never the same, full of calories and damn expensive, I'm still trying to eat eggs. They're cheap protein, keep well and are very handy to have in the kitchen. My first bentos often had hardboiled eggs in them. Then I went to tamagoyaki, japanese omelette. Lately I've been eating the quiche mum made for my aunt's birthday party.
-Spices - sesame oil, tamari, chilli, garlic and sesame seeds. These things are staples frequently used nowadays. I never used to be much of a spice girl, I think because I usually baked cakes etc when I was a kid, not "real" cooking. Sick of carrot sticks? Carrot kinpira instead.

Most websites told me that going grocery shopping without a list is a recipe to waste money. You should shop with a list and never deviate from it. Sure, I shop with a list, but not deviate from it? The Boy would fall over. He hates the meal planning mentality frugal websites advocate. It's too locked in for him. Instead we work out how many nights we'll be at home, if there's a night when only one of us is home the one at home eats leftovers (as does Housemate as we do the cooking). Then we consider what meals to make. Sure, this sometimes leaves us with some strange assortments of ingredients and leftovers to work with, but that can lead to taste sensations. White corn tortillas (Diego brand are the only GF tortillas I've been able to find) but nothing to fill them with? What about leftover potato and chickpea curry? OMG were those good!

Does all this rambling end with a point? I guess it's don't be locked in to a "poor," "frugal" or even "gluten free" mentality. Instead, be creative, get out there and experiment with what you have! No chilli? try that strange chilli/capsicum relish someone gave you for Christmas. Google "substitute IngrediantA" for suggestions on what to use instead. Dig in the back of your cupboards for inspiration.

In further food experimenting news, I attempted steamed pork buns. It was a mixed success. I used my staple "bread" mix, Safeway's Freefrom pizza mix. The filling? Pork mince cooked in the last of the strange tamari hoisin sauce I had (which The Boy dislikes so it won't be back).
The steaming didn't really give me a cooked result, still sort of doughy and I couldn't be bothered steaming them more. They'd had 30minutes, I was over it considering I could only cook 4 at a time. So I got out the muffin tin and baked them instead. The steamed then baked ones were a little gluggy tasting. The just baked ones were quite nice. A meat scone kind of taste (not surprisingly). The Boy was underwhelmed. The Housemate consumed with gusto.

Back again

2009-03-17T11:01:00.001+11:00

Right Irish Hiking Mitt
Originally uploaded by moonshae

I have rediscovered knitting. It's very exciting as crocheting really aggravates my RSI. Which means less to do with my hands while watching TV, roleplaying and other activities that lend themselves to munching. Hopefully this helps in getting me smaller!

I've been eating badly lately. Not back on the gluten but just at random times which mean getting really famished and eating toast. Or popcorn for lunch (like yesterday). Eating chocolate cake in bed (last night). So today is a new day (again). I had to go to the dentist (an hour away) at 8am this morning so I packed myself a mini bento to take and eat afterwards. I'm actually eating it now and I'm back at home, but it felt good to be organised. I only took the bottom tier of my bento set, 350ml, which is usually a good representation of the number of calories in the box. I had more sticky rice (really need to get over that!), swiss Baby bel (see previous), mochi (as before) and grapes (again). So nothing very spectacular. But tasty!
I have to go back next week and actually have stuff done and he needs to inject me with stuff, so I might try rice porridge or something then. Nice and bland, mushy and maybe not bad cold.

In crafty related news, I started millinery last night! Yay! Our first hat is a shaped felt and I think I want a noir style reporter hat like Gwyneth Paltrow in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (dull film but great outifts).

Hoping to get back to a routine soon. Changing from working three days (Tues, Thurs, Fri) and school the other two days to school Monday night, working Wed-Fri and then school all Saturday. Two whole days of sleep in during the week! So yes, routine is still being beaten into shape.

Cold!

2009-03-05T12:14:00.001+11:00

260209Lbento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

I love winter! I don't remember what clothes I wore last year because I seem to have 1000 tshirts and one cardigan. Very strange. I can't wait til it's even colder and I can dig out my crochet gloves and hat and scarf. I lurve rugging up!

The picture is a little old, from the 26th of Feb, and is the last lunch I've been really happy with photographically. All that nice colour! And that tasty tasty sticky rice I mentioned last time. It DOES freeze well so I really recommend it. I have the last of it today and I'm really feeling the need for the sticky rice comfort food-ness.

I tried out the Lentil Snacks from justbento.com on the weekend and the Boy and I give them a big thumbs down. I'm thinking I did something wrong because everyone on the justbento forum seems to be fans. I found them dry and icky tasting and yesterday just threw them out after one nibble. I was going to suffer through eating the 10 or so in the freezer but now I'm thinking I'll just toss them all. Why suffer through lunch when it's the best bit of my working day? Plus, they used ingredients I already had so were technically free in those terms. It's not like I went out and bought anything specifically for them.

I've been very dull on the eating front this last fortnight except for sticky rice and cupcakes (Basco vanilla cupcakes - gluten free and FANTASTIC! Also freezable! I made a bunch into mini cupcakes YUM). I've been unpacking - still, after finding the boys to be not so great at doing it NOW. Why put it off? Finally got to IKEA and bought something to put my clothes into so that's something. It's mostly done now, hooray!
Also had my last week of classes at the School of Fashion. I definitely passed Pattern Making, with about an 80% I think. Garment Construction I'm pretty certain I passed but am waiting on my last mark. But I'm pretty confident it's at least a pass as my jacket looked completely rocking... many pictures to come once it's back because I am SO proud of it!

In eating out news, if you haven't been to Grill'd, you should TOTALLY go. Not only do they do GREAT chips (completely GF) they also do great burgers! AND now you can have a bun too! Sure, they do a great enough burger that I was never unhappy tucking into what was essentially a salad with a burger on top, but nothing beats picking up a burger in your hands and taking a massive bite, frantically trying to not drip on anything you like and not lose your fillings. I'm not sure what the buns are made of (group speculations believes them to be corn based) but they are very tasty. If you are more sensitive than me, ask then to put the bun on a plate while it's being toasted as they use the one toaster for all breads. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up for the food and the service at Grill'd in Glenferrie Rd Malvern, Chapel St Windsor and QV in the city.

Still alive!

2009-02-25T18:21:00.003+11:00

I'm still alive, just haven't been up to much that's exciting except unpacking and stuff like that. I did do a asian grocery shop and found..... GF peking duck breast!! *happy dance*
I also made this http://www.grouprecipes.com/55939/savoury-sweet-glutinous-sticky-rice.html, some sticky rice to great success. I have really missed yum cha and this stuff is VERY similar to the stuff normally found wrapped in bamboo leaves. I changed the recipe by not having chinese sausage (wheat gluten curses) and adding some chinese five spice powder (read the label! Two out of three brands had flour in) and YUM! I've got some in the freezer so hopefully it wins the "can it be frozen and then shoved in the bento for lunch" challenge.

Also, in a blatant attempt to promote her site, Not Exactly Bento is having a competion - http://notexactlybento.com/?p=1289. And I'm mentioning it in a blatant attempt to win a bento box because I want a new one. The site is also worth a look if you don't feel hungry and want to get hungry really quick! The mardi gras cake on the competition page? *drool*

Moving Day Eve

2009-02-13T10:49:00.001+11:00

130209LBento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

Tomorrow is moving day, which means my bento is kind of sad compared to many in the bento challenge group. Leftover thai red curry and coconut rice (which I love so much I can't be sad it's in my lunch today) along with grapes, cheese and mochi.

When I first got this box that started my bento obsession, I thought that I'd have a much easier time filling the layer with compartments. Not so! While it does limit my snack food love, I find it very hard to eat those snacks because the whole box has to be pulled out to get to them. AND when they're out I have three sections worth of food just sitting there, waiting to be munched. 9 times out of 10 I eat the lot in under 30 minutes for lunch. Which probably isn't so good.

With the bento I make for The Boy, I just use one of my square lock'n'locks, the 800ml I think (about the size of two sandwiches on top of each other). His bento always looks better than mine. Sure everything is lunch, but he works from home at his desk so I think he just leaves it open and munches for an hour or so. I feel weird doing that at work because noone else does. Plus, he can go get a snack from the fridge really easily.

Result of all this thinking? I might get another bento box but I'm TRYING to hold out long enough so I can say it's a birthday present to myself. May is a long time away!
I think I want one like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-Thermal-Bento-Lunch-box-Usagi-Red-Thermal-9_W0QQitemZ130286992854QQihZ003QQcategoryZ4003QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 as it's thermal, so I can have hot lunch outside when it's cold. Plus, it has two little containers, so I could take one out for a snack at my desk without feeling like a little piggy. And of course with that bento, the shipping is HUGE so I may as well grab a few other things. Like boiled egg molds since The Boy insists that a bento isn't the same without them. I can take them or leave them. But in a shape they are adorable so I might be more willing to make them _all_ the time. And some food picks to make teeny little kebabs or something with.

I'm really glad I discovered bento. To a scary degree. I'm not embarrassed when I was caught on flickr looking at the bento challenge photo pool by (soon to be) Housemate. I was proud! I love going out with my lunch and having tasty food to picnic with. I enjoy making them and attempting to make them look good. I'm even liking all the vegetables and fruit (yes, I'm 5 and don't eat my veges often) and I'm sure I'll really like the smaller butt that comes with eating them too. I'm glad that The Boy has taken them to his heart too - though possibly that's to placate me. Whatever. He needs to eat better and lose some pudge.
But bottom line there are two things why I heart bento the most:
(1) I'm enjoying food again, the making it, the eating it, the buying it without being a complete sook about not being able to eat gluten.
(2) Saving money is good and the reason I'm saving is environmental! No more throwing out those sad looking veges for the most part.

I am proud of my bento habit. I even make bento when the majority of my house is encased in cardboard, in the middle of a raid (10 man Naxx). Bento!

Using up all of my rice

2009-02-12T11:02:00.001+11:00

110209Lbento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

I'm moving house in two days and am slowly trying to use up things. Like the last couple of cups of rice in the containers. In the photo you see my first ever fried rice. Conclusion? It's fine. Just some random veges, some bacon, tamari and some garlic. I ate it for lunch and while not disgusted by it, I'm not enthused. I am not a fried rice fan. Though it was really quick and used up stuff.

But my other creation with rice was pretty great, though needs tweaking. I wanted coconut rice, but I'd already made the rice and I'd already eaten dinner. So rice pudding. I googled rice pudding with cooked rice and made a thing inspired by the top two results.

Cooked rice (I used a combo of white and brown), about 1-1.5 cups
Milk - less than a cup
Coconut milk - 165ml (a little tin)
sugar - about 1/3 of a cup (a bit much for me)
Cinnamon
Dried cranberries

First thing ingrediants were put in a pot on a highish temperature until boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Add cinnamon (I would have added nutmeg and a few things if I'd had them) and cranberries. Simmer til thick.

Next time I think I'll either add more milk (I used about a third what most of the recipes did) and possibly add some cream. I had this for breakfast and found it a bit sweet. The Boy had half and found it great, which is weird since he's usually not a sweet fan. It needs more creaminess in my opinion, and maybe instead of sugar while cooking it needs a drizzle of honey or maple syrup when serving instead. But still pretty good!

In the bottom left of the lunch above is some tandoori marinated tofu I found in the supermarket. Yum! I'm not sure if it tasted tandoori but it was still darned tasty. I just plonked it in my frypan until browned and chopped it up. It was very tasty cold in my bento and nice but weird for dinner with hot chips (cleaning out the freezer, I swear!).

Combining my current obsessions

2009-02-05T10:34:00.001+11:00

InsideBentoBag
Originally uploaded by moonshae

While I love making and eating my bento lunch, I didn't want to feel like a 5 year old walking to the park to eat it everyday. Yes, my bento box has a bag with a handle, but why not paint an L for loser on my head and be done with it? So I made myself a new handbag! Yay! It was soooo quick. The longest part was all the paper cutting making the right size pattern that would fit the essentials - bento, book, wallet, keys, other keys, etc. And now I have a very usable prototype. The pocket on the outside needs work, and I want some sort of top closure, but I'm loving the soft cord fabric.

And since I had a COMMENT! on this blog, which means someone is reading it (which I never realised *wave*) I thought I'd talk about my latest experiment in cooking GF.
Last night I had the cooking urge. I cooked for nearly 2 hours from the moment I came home. Crazy, yes? But it was pretty tasty. Still a work in progress though. I made faux onion bhaji and fried tofu....
All I did was mince a couple of serving spoons of chickpea flour (also known as besam or gram flour) with some salt, pepper and a pinch of cumin with enough water to make a paint like consistency. Mixed in a diced onion and dropped spoons of it into about an inch of oil I'd heated in my wok*.
Result? Tasty if you like raw onion. Which the Boy, the Housemate and I do, luckily. We also thought more flavour would be good so maybe next time I'll fry up the onions in some indian style spices beforehand.

The tofu I just dipped into some chickpea flour and fried in the same oil. I liked it! Needs a dipping sauce of some sort, maybe sweet chilli, but definately not bad at all if I do say so myself.

I have some of each today in my lunchbox so here's hoping it works okay for lunch or I'm spending my last $5 on sushi for lunch.

In GF food news, I am LOVING the Food For Health Gluten Free muesli (http://www.foodforhealth.com.au/). I've had it for two weeks practically every day and I'm not sick of it yet. Lots of seeds though, so you might have to spare some extra attention on your teeth brushing each morning, but well worth it for a GF muesli that's not cardboard (Freedom Foods) or so solid you nearly break a tooth (Whisk and Pin - watch out for those smoked almonds!). I found it at my local Woolworths for about $8.

Combining my current obsessions

2009-02-05T10:16:00.001+11:00

InsideBentoBag
Originally uploaded by moonshae

020209RBento

2009-02-03T11:43:00.001+11:00

020209RBento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

This week is the week I started making not just bentos for me, but for The Boy as well! I'm quite excited by this. I love bento-ing and now I have infected him as well!! Plus (don't tell) he could probably stand to lose a few kilos.
As he works mostly from home I'm going to focus on the days he goes to uni but am going to try for every day as he has the bad habit of just grabbing whatever (generally dim sims and microwaving them) for lunch because he can't think of what to have. If he has a lunchbox full of things he has no excuse!

The picture is his first ever bento (made by me at least). Packed with stuff though he said he got rather hungry in the afternoon so he requested more protein to fill him up more. Requests already! AND he completely loved the carrot kinpari from justbento.com which is good because we have a LOT of carrots and there's only so many carrot sticks a girl can eat!!

This weeks challenge from justbento.com was to make a bento for someone else, done! already! But I'm going to continue last week's challenge of pinching those pennies as I just paid bond on my new house (yay moving over the next month!). So I am completely broke until next week. But happily I went shopping on Sunday for the essentials and managed to only spend half of what we normally do!! We will need to grab some more veges at some point due to the supermarket having awful specimens but that'll be pretty cheap. While I won't be able to guarantee new exciting bento for the next little while, as I try to use up all our food before we move (and can't buy much more *g*) I now know that he likes everything pictured above.

The challenge for myself last week was to make a "pretty" bento and I don't think I really made that challenge until today's bento (see flickr stream). It just looks really good to me. The beautiful emerald of the broccoli for one! Never thought I'd say that!
This weeks challenge is to limit the meat in my bentos. I've been going off meat lately for the most part. I ate kangaroo mince happily last night but the mini hamburgers aren't appealing. Ham is okay though, enough that I have some today because I needed a space filler. Crazy, eh? So expect many eggs in my bentos this week! I'm aiming for a tamagoyaki for Thursday because I start later then and don't think it would be good made the night before. But that experiment shall occur soon to if Thursday is successful.

In non-bento news, I am officially enrolled in my Millinery course AND my Couture course for this year. I start in March and *happy dance* it's going to be awesome. I'm glad I have a couple of weeks to get all my supplies! Penny pinching bentos are going to continue for quite awhile I think!
Also, I have a Level 80 Shadow Priest now. I am a nerd!

Ooops.

2009-01-27T10:28:00.002+11:00

So this weekend I helped run a convention. There were long hours and much lifting, running around and generally being busy. Which was unexpected as I wasn't supposed to be in charge... but ended up being very much in charge. The girl (BF's sister) was supposed to manage the food but the moment I arrived she deferred to me in everything and didn't do anything practical except serve people unless I told her specifically to do something (like empty the bins). It was very tiring.

I had planned to be very good and had packed myself two lunches and a very big dinner to bulk out a few snack items. Unfortunately all that got thrown out at the end of the convention as I'd spent the weekend eating not much and what I did eat was gluten filled and bad for me. So my goal of eating much bento failed, but I did organise some at least. So a step in the right direction I suppose.

Today's bento is not really a bento. It's leftovers put in a container with some frozen rice. But I'm very tired and I'm impressed that I remembered to grab anything at all.

This week's goal is to get back into my routine, start getting to the gym more often and rest up because 18 hour days make me tired and there's a big heat wave in Melbourne. Bleh!

Too hot to live

2009-01-20T11:34:00.001+11:00

190109bento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

It's summer. As in, actually hot, sunny and pretty. It's going to be 37C today. Yesterday was about that too. Hot weather doesn't agree with me this year. Generally I suck it up okay, just keep plodding onward daydreaming of gray autumn days but this year no such luck. Bad dreams, broken sleep patterns and today my stomach hates me too. This I blame on summer as well. It feels related to the heat somehow. Insane, but that's what I'm feeling.

This week is the week before Arc (Arcanacon). This is my last year as a helper/organiser and I'm glad that I'm more of an advisor and helper than organiser. Last year I took a week off work and spent the four days of the convention working 18 hour days and eating not much beyond plain potato chips.
This year? I'm bento-ing! Which is kind of scary since it means I'll be bentoing 8 lunches and 4 dinners in a row. I have to make it to next Monday without buying a full meal because I'm challenging myself dammit! Also, I'm broke, but the con would feed me if I wanted. But fragile tummy says grr at gluten and my giant butt says eat more chocolate. But my bento box is lovely and full of mostly healthy things. Hurrah!

I spent the last couple of days doing preparations for the busy time ahead. Not only is all my washing done but I went WAY over my grocery budget knowing that I won't be eating out at all as well as need to eat for two weeks off one shop instead of two. My bentos won't be particularly varied, but they'll be tasty.
Bento-able items that are frozen/prepacked/easy include:
::coconut crackers (GF! made with taro and coconut)

::mochi (red bean and chestnut flavours)

::wasabi peas and roasted broad beans (I've even split them into ziplock bags so I don't eat them all at once)

::rice (frozen in packs as per Lunch in a Box instructions

::chicken hot pot (still haven't made more, this recipe must feed 6 or more, so I froze portions in my new silicon cups and then moved them to a tupperware. I have some today, we'll see how defrosting in my bento box goes)

::mini burgers (Safeway now stock gluten free hamburgers! There's a flavoured one with some zing to it but all they had on the weekend was plain, but they're pretty good. I quartered each and reshaped them into burgers, cooked and then froze them in foil. The Boy intends to steal some while I'm so busy.)

::many grapes and some cherries

::carrot sticks. Boring but necessary for those vegetable needs! I chopped a tonne so I can grab and go. Hopefully this will prevent "I don't have time to eat my vegetables!"

::Dip! Hummus with cashews which sounds interesting. Hopefully it will liven up my carrot sticks and whatever other veges I can find in the crisper.

::Laughing cow cheese wedges and Baby bels. Baby bel swiss cheese in yellow wax! tasty though i think I'll miss the red wax. Red is more fun to play with somehow (yes I am crazy).

::Lasagne. I froze 2 serves of lasagne the other day. Homemade with San Remo pasta sheets, lots of shredded zucchini and spinach. I really recommend the Sam Remo GF pasta range actually, they do need to be stirred while cooking to prevent a big clump (oil in the cooking water doesn't seem to help too much, but a stir or two in the first couple of minutes of cooking does the trick). Best of all, the lasagne sheets are a "normal" size, unlike the only other ones I've seen around by Ogran, which are mini sized and annoying.

So I won't starve. I might be a little bored by Tuesday but hopefully all that snack variety will keep things interesting.

150109bento

2009-01-16T11:11:00.001+11:00

150109bento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

Today is the end of my first week of the bento challenge and I think I did pretty well. My bento's weren't pretty in the way they can be traditionally, I have no desire to cutes-ify my lunch. And they were also a little repetitive. When I was eating them I didn't notice, but when I look back on my photos for the week (also getting used to doing that and not feeling like a freak who takes photos of her pre-packed lunch) I think it was a little.
Pictured is yesterdays lunch, which was very tasty. Tasty enough to share even if it was entirely leftovers.
In the divided tier there is the previous days snacks that I didn't want at school as it was uber hot and I was very busy. A slight alteration was the addition of a Laughing Cow cheese which made the mochi move to the other container. Nothing horribly interesting there.
On the bottom tier is dinner leftovers (eaten cold) with some rice, some green beans, mochi and Chicken & Chorizo hotpot the Boy made. OMG is that stuff good!
Recipe can be found at http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/Chicken-and-chorizo-hot-pot
Tonight I'm going to freeze some and see how that works.

Bento Challenge

2009-01-13T13:22:00.002+11:00

120109bento
Originally uploaded by moonshae

Hello once more, oh blog. I still eat gluten free but have been mostly very boring in the last year or so since I got lazy and stopped posting. I have been inspired lately however by a Bento Challenge from maki of Just Bento so once again I am getting on the blogging wagon to track my progress as well as record any gluten free bento experiments.

My goal/NY resolution for 2009 was to take more care of me. Which sounds simple enough but not the way I intend it. Taking care of me means getting out and seeing people again, keeping my house cleaner (not "cleanclean" but a nice environment to be in), get regular haircuts for once, attempt clothes beyond the jeans/tshirt for school and black pants/shirt for work, lose some weight, eat healthier, exercise, lose my fat wobbly (and hated) upper arms and above all stress less.

Last year was the year of my finally getting some mental health advice and seeing someone regularly for no other reason than I get very worked up over very insignificant things. I don't see them anymore and haven't in months but lately I've found I need to start working on being happy and more carefree again because I'm noticing a downward spiral which is NOT GOOD.

So before Christmas the hair was cut from the long grown out previous cut (a year grown out) and suddenly everyone was saying how good I looked. I've made another appointment and everything.
I made myself some skirts to wear with tshirts to ease into the less jeans idea and some new pink slip on runner style shoes (I walk a LOT, to and from work etc) to wear with them so I can't say "oh but I'd have to wear heels and I'm walking so I can't wear a skirt!" I'm even wearing on today!
I joined the gym at work (hurrah for salary sacrificing!) and am planning to go before work the three days a week I work (Tues/Thurs/Fri). This may change once the university semester starts and the aerobics roster gets changed. I like aerobics and am hoping there are some I'll be able to get to - dance! Please! *fingers crossed*
I got a 2009 diary and am determined to fill it with some social events. I have a party on Friday and a yum cha party on Saturday (both birthdays). Please ignore the fact that yum cha mostly contains gluten. I'm being bad, so there! (Plus, lately I've discovered I can have SOME gluten without getting sick at all. I'm not coeliac after all, just intolerant so this makes sense. I say it does.)
The bento challenge started yesterday but I got in early and had one every day last week as well as stocking my freezer up with some gluten free baked goods as an experiment ->

Mini muffin trays are awesome. I bought one just for the challenge and recommend it to all bakers out there. I like baking and baked goods but if you're the only gluten intolerant person in the house, odds are you'll end up with most of a cake to yourself. Not good for the butt! My first baked experiments were:
Woolworth's brand orange and poppyseed cake mix and Woolworth's brand pizza base mix

The cake I just made as directed and put it into the muffin tray (well greased). Meh. Tasty enough but next time I'll be adding something to give them some more flavour... maybe orange juice instead of some of the water, or some orange rind? They lack oomph but are definately tasty. I also didn't ice them so maybe that would help? Not sure how that would work for freezing though and I'm going to try and avoid extra calories from tasty icing. Be very careful when cooking though... I ended up with burnt bottoms on all of them so watch them like a hawk and don't believe the back of the packet unless you REALLY know your oven.

The pizza mix I've used several times before and liked it. I have often gotten the excess dough and baked it into a "roll" which I always thought was more like a scone. So that's what I did - I made 'scones.' I made these as directed and added half a chopped onion and a handful or so of grated cheese. Oh. My. God! These things are tasty! The onion flavour is not too strong and gives this bite sized scone a nice addition of flavour as I didn't want to add butter or anything. The cheese mostly isn't noticeable but it was probably good to add for extra binding power.

Day 1 Bento 12/01/09

Back Again!

2007-11-29T12:23:00.000+11:00

Sorry for the delay, anyone who actually reads this thing. I've been feeling very grey and flat lately and finding motivation for anything has been hard. I'm having many work issues and have decided to leave my job. In April. So many months away but that's when my contract ends.

Plus, during that time I have a convention to feed! I help organise Arcanacon - one of the largest gaming conventions in the southern hemisphere. I organise the canteen. So many details to sort out! Madness! And last year was my first time doing it and I made gluten free options available to for the first time at the con. I was upset to read a feedback form that wanted more gluten free options. Why weren't they happy with ANYTHING? Convention food leans heavily towards bread and meat - traditional gamer food. I had a seperate part of the kitchen for gluten free stuff even! Plus, I had thought it was only me and the one other person who'd asked about GF food. No. The Complainer hadn't even requested gluten free. Grrr.
Okay, rant over.
It's hard work cooking for about 300 for three days. It's fun though.

During my unwell grey time I've fallen back on old staples - sushi, corn thins, pesto. Simple food not worth going over again today. Simple is good. I've said that.

Today I mention bread. Bread is good. I miss bread. I miss making my own bread. I miss eating only toast for days with my equally toast obsessed housemate. My toaster now lives in a cupboard, not used enough to actually deserve a place on the bench. This may change!
Vitality bread! Fan-freaking-tastic! I bought two loaves the first time - herb and garlic, and seed. The herb and garlic we could smell while standing in the aisle of the shop. When buying it the owner sniffed and told us it was fantastic.
Both were over $5 which is pretty much standard for gluten free bread.
I confess to not trying either loaf untoasted. I like bread better toasted. But toasted? yumyumyum.
The herb and garlic smeared with butter as a side to a garlicy pesto pasta? Heavenly.
The cape seed bread toasted with butter and Freedom Foods vege spread (a gluten free vegemite! yay!) and a cup of tea.... yum!
In fact, these were so good I didn't get to eat most of them. My Boy kept eating them for lunch. I think I got 2 serves of each loaf, if that. And HE is also a bread afficionado that doesn't have to bother with gluten free regimes.

Yesterday I went and bought more. Another seed loaf and there was much debate between the fruit loaf and the olive loaf. Savoury won. Mmmm olive bread. I have high expectations so I hope it can live up to them.

u8 bakery can do no wrong. It has brought us the orgasmic melting moment and the wonderful gingerbread man. Their farmyard friends are equally good. Much pondering with my non-gluten-food tasters led us to conclude they're mostly like a brown sugar shortbread type thing. However - we could not identify the animal. There is only one shape and it's either a horse or maybe a coyote. We cannot tell. But we ate them anyway. Munch munch... nothing but crumbs.

Bionade. Sounds like some form of nuclear waste or perhaps a new drug but is actually an organic soft drink. With proper bottle tops and everything (trying to make the lids screw off will end in pain, bottle openers only please). The herb flavour is my favourite so far, reminiscent of cider in taste. The ginger and orange flavour was a light ginger ale with the orange dampening the usual ginger punch of such drinks. The elderberry flavour was a coloured version of the herb to my taste buds.
Definately worth a look for those with stomachs that are not liking alcohol. They definately feel like they should be alcoholic and in their glass bottles with proper tops you'll feel like one of the crowd.
They are a little dear - $3.50 a bottle, but as an alcohol substitute that isn't too awful.
And do not be concerned with the barley malt in the ingrediants list! I confirmed it with the gluten free store owner and the fine print on the bottle - it's been so processed it is gluten free.

Todays lunch is brough to us by my local Safeway supermarket but I have seen them in other supermarkets too - a Tilda Rizzazz steamed basmati rice, sundried tomato flavour. Rice, sun dried tomatoes, pesto.... heat and eat. Yum. It's probably meant to be a side dish but hungry office workers cannot be too picky.

2007-11-17T08:38:00.000+11:00

It's been a little while of me eating the same old things again and again. I admit to eating a packet or more of corn thins a week. Every workday lunch is the same - corn thins, laughing cow cheese, salad and ham or tuna. Yum. If you haven't tried corn thins yet, try! Cheaper than gluten free bread and lower in calories, they rock. Grilled tomato and cheese on corn thin for breakfast is my days plan!

U8 bakeries can do no wrong it seems. Another gingerbread bit the crumb this week and it was as good as the last. Yesterday I finally managed to be different and got a melting moment. Oh. My. God! I am glad that there was only one otherwise I'd be holed up with the packet muttering 'my precious' they are that good. The icing all flaked off on the ride home but that just meant i could 'drink' icing out of the packet. Damn good icing too.
10/10!!

Chocobars I may have mentioned before. These are basically one big Kit Kat finger. They're often on sale for $1 and on the counter at Sunnybrook so they often accidentally fall in my box.
8/10

No idea what my next item is called... It's a lollipop shaped like a chupachup but it's made of manuka honey with a dollop of cherry flavouring. Yum! Honey freaks like me should line up. I bought about 10 yesterday and they are looking forward to our weekend away next week.

Mesa Flakes. Like corn flakes but with added other grains these things are FAB. A bit thicker than the average gluten cornflake and more healthy and filling feeling. I bought 2 boxes!
9/10

Gluten Free Gourmet Hedgehog slice. Yet another sweet thing but this one deserves a mention. This is in no way like the hedgehog that I remember. It had a top layer of icing that was more chocolate ganache in texture (or maybe it melted, it was hot yesterday). The base is more like fudge than a slice. Disgustingly rich and moreish, I kept going back for just one more sliver. I couldn't help it! While I want to take marks off for being unslicelike and therefore false advertising I can't. I just want more. Definately something to share amongst many friends.
8/10

I finally went back to Crust this week. They have REALLY upped their game. The staff now warn about traces of gluten in things like the ham (though, really, if you need to worry about that you shouldn't order from a place that does normal pizza too) and in the BBQ sauce. Yay! Their bases are now made of mostly rice flour (I think) rather than bean flour which is only a good thing in terms of taste and structure.
I was a bit disapointed to find my BBQ chicken pizza to have no sauce or possibly a bbq sauce that was so mild as to barely exist. I plan on adding some GF bbq sauce to the leftovers and see how it goes. Well I should think.
I ranted about Crust before but they have definately gotten good! I can now say "Pizza ahoy!" for all you gluten free people in Melbourne and wherever else Crust deliver. Next time I plan to get all gluten free pizzas and see if anyone notices. I have a feeling that they won't.

Chocolate biscuits and risotto

2007-10-30T12:00:00.000+11:00

Two new products, one of which I'm eating now!

First off, my nice and warm Field Mushroom Risotto by Simple Healtheries. I like Healtheries. They do great rice wheels. I haven't really hated any product of theirs. I grabbed this rather dear (~$8) instant meal on a whim the other week simply so I'd have an emergency food in the cupboard.
Result? Not too bad. There's a bit of that instant food aftertaste, possibly from the large amount of salt in it. The mushrooms and vegetable stock make a definate statement as well though that makes my stomach grin. There are a few options for cooking it and I chose microwaving, though learn from my mistake and don't cover it with gladwrap - it melts. Luckily my lunch seemed to be unscathed (I hope!). This is not something I'd eat regularly but would have in the cupboard regularly just in case and not grudginly accept but readily eat.
8/10 +1 for being the only healthy and filling instant meal I've found so far

LEDA Choculence biscuits
These were eaten with friends last night, none of whom are GF. These little biccies were instantly renamed Faux-Tams and munched on. Meltier than tim-tams, I'd recommend keeping them cool to prevent messy fingers, especially in kids. Not exactly like tim tams, being dairy free they are not as chocolatey. The inner cream bit is more creamy than chocolate. The biscuit is a bit crisper and sweeter in that rice floury way. Not bad. Not my cup of tea, but neither were timtams really.
7.5/10

And if you haven't tried LEDA bars yet I suggest you hunt them up! These were my stable handbag emergency meal when I was doing a severely restricted diet with the natropath. Kind of cakey in texture and more filling than the average muesli bar, these things definately come through in a hungry pinch.
8/10

www.ledanutrition.com
http://www.healtheries.co.nz/

Good intentions and all of that

2007-10-22T09:46:00.000+10:00

I never made it to the Gluten Free Food Expo, which is sad. I justified it at the time by saying that it would add hours to my day and most of them would be sleeping hours that I sorely needed this weekend. So I stayed curled up in bed. I only feel bad because I missed samples. It's expensive buying a whole packet of something only to find out you hate it!

On Sunday I went to mother's house for lunch. She had bought a new gluten free book and was making things out of it and was so proud of herself for making it all. We had beef and red wine casserole with green beans and creamy mashed potato. Everyone else had some AWESOME looking pane di casa to mop up the tasty juices. I didn't *sob*
Then there was dark moist flourless chocolate cake with double cream, strawberries and some champagne strawberry sauce. Twitchingly delicious.

On the way home I started to feel the sings. My brain started to go foggy, my vision backed up a few metres (making it hard to read road signs let me tell you!), flatulence, pressure in my ears and head. I'd been glutened. And I couldn't tell mother! She tried so hard! I guess I'll talk to her about it later but not now - not when she's so proud of it all.

Possibilities:
Stock in the stew or potatoes, something in the potatoes as they were creamy with other stuff besides potato, the icing sugar dusted on the cake (though it was checked), crumbs from the bread got onto/into something.
It can't have been much because after a lie down on the couch, a cup of tea and some mental focus I managed to break through the brain fog. My stomach is feeling a little fragile, but nothing major. It's sad what you become used to.
And maybe I am just sick. Maybe it's the flu or something. That's the trouble with gluten! Gluten poisoning or flu or stomach bug?
Definately have to borrow the book though. The food was very tasty and seemed easy to do for guests which is always a plus. Stay tuned for that...

This week I'm paring down the food. Back to basics for my stomach, my weight and my wallet. No going out for food. More fresh foods. Nothing too unfamiliar. But this morning as I settle down at the table for breakfast with my favourite Basco cereal (the apricot one) and my black tea with milk (Soy Milky Lite. gluten free right on the label) I don't feel so bad about that.

Gluten free treats

2007-10-15T08:15:00.000+10:00

On the weekend I took a trip to the Sunnybrook Healthfood Store in Ormond. I've written about the place before and how great it is to be in a supermarket of gluten free food. I haven't been in a long time because I've been sampling the gluten free options in my local Safeway and Coles.

Patties gluten free pies:
These pies remind me of Victorian England (bear with me). In those days they would make pies out of whatever they had and often would eat less than great meat because it was all they could afford. These pies are not good. Save yourself the money and pain and keep walking. The pastry looks and acts normally. But whatever flavour it may have is masked completely by the grey sludge held within it. Finely ground meat (so finely it is hard to call it meat anymore, more like molecules) flavoured by grey gravy, it reminds me of dog food. While I appreciate the attempt by Patties, perhaps it would have been nicer of them to employ some sort of taster before marketing these. I feel sorry for all you gluten free people who are going to presented with one of these by well meaning friends/family who are so proud that they found something you can eat.
1/10 (marks only given because sometimes you're desperate and they are in many supermarkets)

U8 GingerBread men
10/10!!! These are completely great. Perhaps slightly crisper than I remember mother's gingerbread men, which would be the rice flour I'm thinking, these have every other characteristic of "normal" gingerbread men. U8 make a lot of biscuits and baked goods, which unfortunately cannot be ordered in large masses directly from them (I checked) but they are definately worth looking up! I definately will be eating my way through their selections.

Gluten Free Gourmet lemon/lime custard muffin
Everytime I go to Sunnybrook I get one of these because I'm always starving when I go there. Cakier than a "normal" muffin, these are moreishly good. The tiny dab of custard in the middle helps prevent the dryness that many GF baked goods are plagued by. I don't recommend eating on the go or in the car as crumbs fly when eating these. They're not particularly crumbly but I always have to think about vacuuming my car after I eat one.
8/10

Britt's Bakery Chocolate cupcake/muffin
My Boy tried this one, I only had 2 small samples - one with icing and one without. First off, it looks great. It comes in a little individual plastic cup thing like a chocolate pudding (which is what I thought it was at first) and the icing sticks enticingly to the lid. Nicely dense, with icing this is great. But on it's own, this muffin/cupcake is dry and somehow bland, like a donut after you've eaten the super-sweet icing off of it. A for effort, but needs work.
5/10

Brookfarm Macadamin Gluten Free Muesli
I've had this kicking around my desk drawer at work for awhile. This muesli is the only GF cereal I've found that comes in single serving packs that are great for throwing in a desk drawer for emergencies, or handbag, or overnight bag, whatever. About 2 months after I bought it I finally just sampled it. First bite and I was sad. It was not sweet. Well, duh, it's muesli. By the end of the bowl I was scraping it with the spoon and pouting that I was done. This stuff feels nutritious and my currently tender tummy is loving it. Full of nuts and buckwheat and good things this stuff is in no making me feel deprived. Next time I may add a handful of dried fruit or fresh perhaps, but straight out of the packet with some milk I pinched from work? Wholesomely tasty. Well worth grabbing.
9/10

Expect a large number of reviews soon as this weekend is the Gluten Free Food show in Melbourne! I'm hungry just thinking about it. Hopefully I'll be able to beg/borrow/steal some sort of camera by then to show you what it's like.

Listen to your gut

2007-10-04T07:34:00.000+10:00

Instinct doesn't get a lot of credit, generally. There's always a reason why some guy isn't as bad as you think, or that person didn't really mean that. Logic always has an answer, an explanation. I should know, my Boy is doing a PhD in Logic! But logic doesn't explain everything and it's time more people listened to their gut.

In the case of us GF folks, I mean it literally! So many random comments I've read on the internet say that we're faking it, that we won't die so what's the harm in a little bit? Calling us cruel if we don't let our kids eat what the other kids are eating? Scorning us for taking on what has become the newest version of the carb-free-diet. Well, you know what? Screw them! They don't have to live with a stomach that is vocal and unhappy for about a week, or the smell of the most appaling flatulence known to man (TMI but it's the truth), or a red blotchy face, or the mood swings or the or the or the.... there are a thousand variations. My doctor told me that 12 hours of sleep daily was obviously normal for me. My boyfriend thought I wasn't allergic as all that until I did the two month gluten testing. Now? He's more militant about me eating gluten than I am!
And I'm not even coeliac! I'm just 'intolerant.' My childhood doctor gave me the most sensible advice I've gotten about the whole issue once I'd finally travelled home to get a second medical opinion - "If it makes you feel bad, just don't eat it. The blood test either way won't tell you to do anything differently."

Living in Melbourne is great. Gluten free is slowly appearing everywhere. Safeway supermarkets have their own line of allergen free foods at vaguely reasonable prices that aren't bad. Hoyts cinemas advertise gluten free snacks. Many restaurants have allergen information close to hand.
Sure, being gluten free can be depressing when all your friends are eating at the pub and your only choice is a plain steak (not even with salad as it's already dressed) or a packet of plain potato chips. But you can also see it as an oppurtunity and the perfect excuse to get takeaway sushi and eat it in the pub with everyone else. Because special sometimes means better food (thank god!).
Melbourne is known for it's restaurants and while I've been making an effort to not eat out lately, they are fantastic and I highly recommend many of them (like Spiga Bar!). Which is strange, because I read so many blog articles about how sad people are that they can't go out. Maybe things are different in America, but in Melbourne I'm finding it different. Sure, I've had restaurants tell me I can have a glass of water but that place closed down a month later. Why? Well, they laughed at a customer with allergies and obviously didn't care about their food! I go to many places to eat and don't mention my allergy. Possibly stupid of me but when going to a traditional Thai or Indian place one assumes that most of the food won't contain gluten. If it does, it's not all that authentic is it? I'm lucky enough to feel well enough now that I'm willing to be the guinea pig without "making a fuss." But these places, when I've "made a fuss" have mostly just smiled and pointed to the two things on the menu (not counting the breads) that I can't eat and suggesting I call ahead next time and they'll make the naan bread with chickpea flour for me especially.

My point after this long rambling post? Trust your instincts! Love your food and seek restaurants that love it too! Sure eat at home if you want but don't get scared by the wide world! People are often nicer than we give them credit for if we let them be....

In other news:
Don't walk past that little Asian grocery! Sure, you won't be able to get those frozen dumplings or steamed buns like you used to, but the other day I found something better - cheap rice pasta! It's only made of rice which is different to gluten pasta but still tasty and..... cheap! It was $1 a pack! The macaroni was uber fantastic in a spanish style soup (though it did soak up more liquid than a normal pasta) and the spaghetti was tasty with a simple pesto last night. No idea what it's called. Something in Asian. But gluten free is right there on the pack. I bought them at Asian Way, on the corner of Bourke and Waverley Rds, Malvern.

Basco cereal - tasty! 5 stars for their Apricot breakfast cereal. Full of dried fruit and puffed grains this is not too dear and everyday feeling while not being Gorilla Munch! It feels adult and healthy and is definately tasty. Though for some reason it's not on their website? Strange but I bought it twice now so it really does exist, at least in my local Safeway.

Too many treats!

2007-09-27T13:15:00.000+10:00

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

2007-09-05T13:13:00.000+10:00

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

2007-09-03T12:12:00.000+10:00

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.

Week day lunches

2007-08-24T13:15:00.000+10:00

It's been awhile since I've written anything, but there hasn't been much to blog. Bonsoy is no longer gluten free which I didn't notice for a month. Not good. The coffee lady at my local cafe had a long discussion with me about when we think they changed the recipe because she's noticed the milk acting differently in some technical coffee making way. I love my local cafe MOKA GIGI on Sydney Rd, Brunswick. Go there for a great coffee and food (mostly gluteny) and a GF cookie! I confess to resorting to a GF melting moment for breakfast twice this week.

I've been eating a lot of pizza. Making pizza bases is amazingly quick with a mix and I'm ashamed to have been ordering it for so long! The Basco mix is great, especially when cooked in a dinner roll sized ball. It's more like a scone than a roll, but who cares when it's tasty? It loses points in having egg whites rather than whole eggs in the recipe though.
The Freeform mix from Safeway is beating Basco at the moment. I haven't made it into rolls yet because the boy has been helping me eat the pizzas which are tasty and use whole eggs which is SO much more convenient than having to use up or throw out egg yolks!
The next trial one is going to be Orgran's but I've not liked things by them before so I'm hesitant but they have a big advantage that they don't use anything but the mix and water and maybe some yeast for taste as suggested.

Today I'm talking about lunches though, not pizzas (though both the Basco and Freeform pizza bases microwave respectably). I'm lucky in my office. We actually have a convention microwave, a boiling water tap and fridge. So I could bake if I wanted to even! Not that I really feel like baking while at work usually.
I'm also very slack in the mornings. I generally give myself 2 minutes to grab food stuffs (including breakfast) before I'm at the door. Breakfast and lunch and usually eaten at my desk (just because, not because I'm busy!). I have a drawer full of snacks and lovelovelove the option of choosing a snack from my drawer full of options rather than pouting because the vending machine isn't gluten free.

Staple items for breakfasts is instant hot chocolate, tinned rice pudding and GF muesli bars.
Lunch though, lunch needs to be more substantial and a muesli bar can only sometimes be accepted.

Cooking with hot water and a fridge
Rice vermicelli is my latest brainwave. I eat it at home a lot. You just soak it in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain, stir through (as much as possible) some sort of GF sauce and ta da! food. At work I drain it using BBQ tongs (the boys often BBQ for lunch) or with a fork if I'm feeling dangerous (much more spillage and noodles down the drain in this instance). It's also easier to soak in one bowl and transfer to another when it's done.
Rice vermicelli comes in individual serves, especially if you look in an asian grocery, and is CHEAP the 100g serves are 60 cents in my local supermarket but are even cheaper in my local asian grocer.

Sauces - I lovelovelove Sacla pasta sauces. They're found in the pasta sauce section of the supermarket next to the pestos which they sort of are, but they come in flavours other than sun dried tomato or basil. This week I had olive and tomato, but my favourite is the eggplant and mushroom. They need to be refrigerated after opening.

Add a microwave
Additions: I had an extra minute this morning so I sliced up a couple of mushroom into a container. Made my vermicelli and sauce as normal then nuked them with the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Delicious! Add some smoked chicken or other verson of precooked meat and you've got protein as well.

Leftovers are great for lunch. I always thought that I wouldn't want to eat what I'd had the night before, but I've never once been sick of the dish. Especially when it's been lasagne. Mmmm. Reheat and you're set.

There are instant pouches of rice these days that cook in a couple of minutes in a microwave. Many are gluten free, which is great, though check thoroughly as many are not!
There are also instant microwavable indian dishes in the Indian food section of many supermarkets. Not awful! And since India is not known for it's wheat, most are gluten free. Combine with rice and dig in!
Drawback: Most of these rice pouches and indian meals do not serve only one. Bring lunch for a friend! Jazz it up with some pappadums since these are also microwavable! Easiest DIY chip like thing ever.

Dessert
Steamed puddings are pretty good and decadent for an end of week treat, particularly when someone's handing out poisonous birthday cake. They keep quite a while and don't need refrigerating. I found mine (Healtheries brand) in the healthfood section of Safeway though some places may put them in the dessert aisle with the "normal" people pudding.

Mug Cake. Yes, that is it's name, and that's what it is. It's a cake you make in a mug. The drawback is you'll need an egg. The plus side is you otherwise only need a mug, the mix and a microwave. These are great. They taste like an uber fluffy cupcake. I found them in my gluten days in an asian grocery and then my friend found them in the normal supermarket in the cake aisle, in English, with gluten free on the pack!

Rice pudding. Heinz makes a small, serves 1, flavoured rice pudding that is gluten free. I like the chocolate one, the vanilla is also good, but I have not been game to try the banana. Keeps well, doesn't need a fridge, a good dessert or an acceptable breakfast (wholegrains are okay, right?)

Review: Healtheries Simple Macaroni and Cheese

2007-08-08T09:14:00.000+10:00

I was in a pathetic mood the other night. I wanted comfort food. I whined at The Philsopher for a hamburger and chips, something, anything, some comfort food that would make me feel happier. And now I'd have the added benefit of maybe not feeling better but at least falling asleep for around 13 hours so I wouldn't notice feeling bad.

Luckily The Philosopher was very against this plan. He'd had enough of my cranky, bratly behaviour on the gluten challenge and is extremely keen to avoid further instances of it. Which is good because before then he didn't think my allergy was that bad but now he's more militant about it than I am!

Mac and cheese is comforting and the Simple pack was less than $3. The cheese sauce was a little weird as it wasn't that garish yellow we've all come to expect from macaroni and cheese. The pasta wasn't too shabby either - tiny tubes of potato and rice flour pasta. The taste? Kind of like carbonara sauce without the bacon or pepper. The Philosopher, who doesn't like macaroni cheese, liked it more than I did, though I still ate 3/4 of the pack. I like that fake cheese flavour of mac and cheese and cheese flavoured corn chips. *sigh*
But Simple Mac and Cheese is great. Especially if you have some bacon and pepper around for some quick carbonara.

6/10

Gluten free away from Melbourne

2007-08-06T11:06:00.000+10:00

First off, gluten free baking results:
Cake = good. A little lemon essencey rather than lemon for me, but adding something like lemon rind or sultanas or coconut to the mix would cure that. "Normal" people ate it and seemed to munch very happily though without much praise. This is a very everyday cake, which is not a bad thing.

Basco all purpose gluten free mix: The pizza base reheated in the microwave okay, but lost a bit of structure. Oven would have been better, but it still tasted good! Reheated the rolls from frozen in the oven and they were good. A sort of scone/roll combination which isn't bad at all. I may shove some cheese and herbs in them next time.

Gluten free in Mornington. There is a cute little store called "Gluten Free Foods" (7/55 Barkly St Mornington 3931 (03) 5973 6466) just off the Main St in Mornington. This small shop is packed with gluten free goodies. I found several sauces that I'm sure my regular gluten free store has but due to the big range have remained hidden amongst other "must haves." Best finds - microwavable gluten free multicoloured prawn crackers, chilli pappadums. The lady there also gave me a list of gluten free places in the area so I took mother and The Philosopher to HARBA (www.harba.com.au).

Beautiful view over the park and a pretty good glimpse of the ocean give this restaurant a good "normal" crowd. It looks like it once was a grand old holiday home that has been ripped open at the front for more views for more people and they are currently getting council approval for a rooftop eating area. A bit drafty in winter, this would be fantastic in summer when the plastic wall/awnings could be rolled up to let in the cool sea breezes.
Their normal menu is quite extensive but their gluten free menu was just as extensive and had such delectable selections that The Philosopher nearly chose from that menu too. The only sad moment was when I was just about to taste my pear and rhubard compote with shortbread when the server quickly whisked it away. It turns out the shortbreads are made in the restaurant and the server was savvy enough to take matters into his own hands! The menu is being updated now to remove this which is sad because the compote is delicious.
The only bad thing about this place was that my soy mocha was watery and didn't really taste of anything really. Possibly milk and water and chocolate. And the others declared their coffee not the warmest they'd ever had.

Gluten free baking frenzy

2007-08-02T19:12:00.000+10:00

Freedom Foods Lemon Cake Mix:
This gets a big thumbs up for being cheap. It's a supermarket (Woolworths) brand without gluten or yeast. It also doesn't need many additives to make it, just 2 eggs and some water. They do recommend you beat it with an electric beater though. The mix smells very lemony and the batter looks like a normal cake batter and tastes pretty good too. The cake is current cooling so a taste test will have to happen tomorrow.

Basco All Purpose gluten free flour:
this stuff has been sitting in my cupboard since i got the diagnosis. It's been the thickener in my bechamel sauce and the like, but I haven't branched out enough to try the options on the back of the packet yet - muffins and pizza bases. Since the Crust Pizza Bar debacle, I decided to give it a try.
Mixing it up was fine but then I had to knead it. It is gooey and sticky and does not like being kneaded. Luckily I had some more flour around to help but I think next time I'd try and do it without "kneading til smooth" and see how it went. I made 1 pizza base and am currently enjoying it thoroughly topped with tomato, garlic, cheese and fresh herbs. It's definately a rice pizza base but give a definate crunch and you can actually pick up a slice without it flopping everywhere. It doesn't brown too much on the top though, so I recommend lifting it up every so often to check the base.
Instead of making 2 pizza bases as the pack suggested, I threw the rest of my "pizza dough" into well greased muffin tins. I know how dinner rolls! I just tried one hot out of the oven with a smear of butter and Oh My God Good. I'm not sure how they'll stand up in the long run and I'm expecting them to go stale tasting quickly, but that's what freezers are for.

Is this the Australian answer to the Pamela's Baking Mix all the American bloggers go on about?

My letter to Crust Pizza bar (yet to be sent)

2007-07-31T18:26:00.000+10:00

Dear Manager,

I am very grateful to your stores for stocking gluten free pizza bases. Being able to order food to be delivered is completely fantastic and adds normalcy to a life that is bound by dietary restrictions.

Also, your pizza bases are very strongly flavoured of beans. I would suggest changing brands to one that does not use bean flour, perhaps a rice based version.

HOWEVER, I am very unhappy that after ordering approximately five gluten free pizzas from your Armadale store, all of which were barbeque chicken, I find that the barbeque sauce is NOT gluten free. It wasn’t until I called and asked that I was advised of this and am now being sent a nutritional information sheet.

I look on your website to check the allergen information and find that the ricotta pizza I ordered instead of the BBQ one contains gluten. The same list also lists the barbeque chicken pizza as NOT containing gluten despite staff members declaring that the sauce contains gluten. I called to cancel my order and get a refund put on my credit card (as I paid over the phone with it) only to be told the pizzas had already been made and there was uncertainty as to getting a refund at all.

I am very happy that I am only gluten intolerant and not coeliac. I have only had very minor health issues from this that I did not trace back to your product until this evening. A sufferer of full blown coeliac may suffer terribly from intestinal problems, mood swings or other immune responses because of this.

I am saddened by this and while I applaud your efforts I find them woefully inadequate and think you would be better to scrap the whole gluten free idea rather than poison your customers.

The Gluten Glooms

2007-07-30T11:00:00.000+10:00

It's Friday, work is done, the world is my oyster (at least until Monday) and I excitedly head off to the pub with the gang for dinner and catching up. I didn't worry about what I could and couldn't eat - I'd eaten there during my full on natropath restriction diet, surely there will be something. I was wrong.

Well, not wrong. I'd just forgotten that when I'd eaten there before I'd eaten steak with no sauce and lettuce with vinegar. And since I've gone off big slabs of meat lately, that was out. What was left? I was tempted by nachos, which would be tasty even without cheese or sour cream but luckily I checked what flavour of corn chips they used - cheese flavoured. Who on earth uses flavoured corn chips for nachos? *sigh*
Result? Rather than eating a packet of potato chips (again) and drinking some coke, I drove off to find food and found sushi.

Lucky I did as it gave me a chance to stock up on things like soy milk for our trip to Gippsland to see The Philosophers parents, who are great, feed me well, but don't have soy milk. His father made me chicken risotto at the restaurant, which was great and not even altered from the way they normally do it. But in my mind risotto needs the butter and cheese to be risotto. Otherwise it's just rice and stuff.

So, while lamb roast with veges made by a mother is great and eating a "normal" dish in a restaurant is good (especially when you know the chef is aware of what's going on), it's also great to have lunch while you're out and about shopping. And there is nothing more depressing than a waiter coming back to sadly say that the meal you asked about suddenly isn't as gluten free as they thought. THEN when you explain the issue they suggest a nice glass of water. OOooooo I wanted to do bad things to that trendy smiling waiter. I had french fries, which in general most celiacs avoid due to cross contamination but, well, better a hot thing than a cold, dressing-less salad. I then went to the supermarket and bought a banana.

And for all you movie lovers - according to a manager who is gluten intolerant at MidValley Village Cinemas in Gippsland, their popcorn is GLUTEN FREE! Not dairy free though, but you can't have everything. Which is great considering yet again they advertised Snakatas but didn't have any. Bastards!

Restaurant Review - The European

2007-07-27T09:51:00.000+10:00

The European was chosen for dinner with my mother and sister last night because it is next to the Princess Theatre where we were going to see The Phantom of the Opera (which was excellent).

I booked the day before and interrogated the unlucky person who answered the phone. "Can/Do you cater to wheat and dairy intolerances?" "Do you have room for a wheel chair?" (Mother has a broken ankle and is in a wheelchair with one leg sticking out the front.)

Get to the restaurant and fall in love with the decor and ambience and the nice man who handed me the wine list. Temparillo by the glass was very tasty. The wheelchair was easily fitted in at the table (though it was a close call getting through the doors and not hitting other patrons).

The food was European inspired, not surprisingly considering the name of the restaurant, and while they could cater for the gluten/dairy intolerant, they didn't do it particularly well in my opinion. Since I was there a little early and the man who'd offered me wine was lurking around I asked him what I could have. A brief check with the kitchen later and I had a list of many fish dishes (not my favourite thing), a lot of things minus something that would bulk out the meal, or wagyu beef (just because mother is paying doesn't mean I should break the bank!). He also suggested they could make the mushroom and truffle oil risotto dairy free but, of course, without the three cheeses in it it wouldn't be the same but would still be tasty.
Since I'm not that big a fan of meat at the moment, I decided on that. Only to have our actual waiter (an abrupt girl) question my choice, saying that it wouldn't be that good.

Well, it was pretty tasty! But it is hard to fail with porcini mushrooms and truffle oil. Yes, it was more like mushrooms and rice than a risotto, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

6/10
Everyone else loved their food, even if it was a little long in coming, and the wine was great. But for gluten/dairy intolerants? Not so great. If you eat meat and dairy you're set, but only if you're prepared to have (for example) duck terrine without the brioche. For vegetarians, even those who can eat dairy and gluten, pickings are slim.

Next time I need a pre-theatre meal? I'll try the Indian place around the corner, less ambient, no wine list, but I'll be able to EAT!

Muffin Mix

2007-07-26T08:48:00.001+10:00

I finally branched out and got a different mix. I put down the Well and Good and went for a Basco muffin mix in chocolate. I only got to eat one before I went dairy free (skim milk powder or some such :( ) but it was good, just like a normal muffin. I added extra chocolate chips and mmmm the warm muffin smell and the oozing chocolate chips is bliss.

I made them on Sunday with the only issue being the bottoms got a little burnt (common problem I've found with rice flour muffins, you have to keep an eagle eye on them). Last night (Wednesday) starving guests polished the rest off. I hadn't even put them in a container, figuring The Philosopher would polish them quickly enough. Verdict? Even after 3 days sitting on a bench they were good.
I found them just as good as Well and Good, perhaps slightly drier. However, I don't like that I'm stuck with a chocolate muffin. The Well and Good ones are plain (vanilla?) are I can add cocoa and chocolate chips easily enough, or blueberries or cheese or whatever I decide I want. The Basco limits me to chocolately ones. Not a bad thing, but not always what I want in a muffin.

7.5/10

Never say never

2007-07-25T14:45:00.000+10:00

I bought The Philosopher a subscription to Gourmet Traveller for Christmas. We rarely cook anything out of it, but we both get a kick out of the 'food porn.' Last month's edition had a decadent looking chocolate pudding/souffle on the cover. Me, being me, said "Want that!"
"No, don't be silly," he said. "It's probably full of poison." But he goes to look at the recipe. "Oh, it's gluten free."

We haven't eaten it yet, but just the knowledge that I can eat it makes me happy.

Dairy free

2007-07-24T10:33:00.000+10:00

Eating dairy free makes me hungry. Suddenly I'm not eating enough protein. It took me hours yesterday, going over my food dairy, trying to work out why I am almost chewing off my own leg with hunger. I don't eat that much meat, it's always too much effort or I don't feel like it. I'd love to be vegetarian, but I couldn't do it all the time. Bacon, for instance, is much too tasty.

Today I am going to try try try to eat the right amount of protein and trytrytry to get some easy to grab snacks for the dairy free/wheat free cupcake on the go. Yesterdays snack was corn thins with Tofutti's Better than Cream Cheese however it contains maltodextrin. I haven't been able to find a conclusive answer to the "can gluten intolerants eat maltodextrin?" If anyone out there knows, please tell me!

Despite the possible gluten in it, Better Than Cream Cheese gets 10/10. It's a little solider than normal cream cheese, so either soften it a little first or take care when spreading. It has slightly more flavour too, which is great since I still need to finish those annoying cardboard Brown Rice Thins. It also lasts longer than a tub of normal cream cheese.

Bonsoy is also another good buy if you're looking for soy. My natropath recommended it and I agree. It doesn't try to be anything but what it is - which isn't milk. It's a darker, more beige colour, it has a nuttier taste which is fantastic in hot cocoa with honey, and, well, it's made by Japanese soy masters. Do soy masters have a code they live by? A uniform? it may be a silly reason to be drinking a type of soy milk but it gives minutes of speculation each time I drink it.

Sausage Rolls and Corn Thins

2007-07-23T11:34:00.000+10:00

Ooops. Apparently the sausage rolls I ate last post were actually from Gluten Free Gourmet, not the Gluten Free Bakery. They are the party sausage rolls pack of 9, but since they're joined in 3's I just ate a normal sized sausage roll. I ate another last night and microwaved it to defrost it a little. Most of the pastry came off. Next time I'll try and be more patient and let it defrost naturally.

This week I'm challenging myself by not eating dairy or caffeine. My sinuses are acting up again and last night I felt like I'd been glutenized. I was completely zoned out and fuzzy. Definately no gluten had been eaten though! So having heard vague rumours that dairy can affect sinuses, I'm testing the theory. And I should drink less caffeine anyway.

My food phase of the moment is Corn Thins. Everyone has this thing against rice cakes it seems in the gluten free community. I have nothing against rice cakes. I just like corn thins better. But either rice or corn, these gluten free cakes are fantastic when topped with cheese, tomato, fresh basil, maybe a slice of ham and then put under the griller.
This is especially good when you pick up Real Foods brown rice wholegrain thins instead of Real Foods Multigrain Corn Thins. Brown rice thins are the reason rice cakes have such a bad reputation and if bought, should be eaten with toppings that scream flavour. Corn thins can cope with the subtle flavours of cream cheese. Rice thins? may as well just eat the thing dry as you're not going to taste the cream cheese at all.

Product review: The Gluten Free Bakery

2007-07-18T12:14:00.000+10:00

It's been awhile, and for no good reason either. I've been sewing up a storm which I wish I could show off on here, but that of course is waiting for the digital camera. Hopefully soon!

Pies, sausage rolls, pastry. These are my weakness. On the two month gluten challenge, The Philosopher and I would spend over $50 at our local bakery each week. I miss the convenience of a frozen pie or sausage roll. I miss the taste.
I've been going through the frozen section of the Gluten Free Shop and have decided my current winner, for both pies and sausage rolls, is The Gluten Free Bakery.

The sausage roll:
I defrosted them slightly in the microwave before baking and this caused the bottom of the pastry to come off. I just put the sausage roll on the bakign tray upside down and placed the broken pastry on top. It turns out that wasn't really necessary as all the pastry basically fell off when I put it onto the plate. Despite this - there was definately that familiar flavour in the sausage part. The pastry was a tad dry, but I added no sauce to it, but perfectly adequate. Add a bit of sauce and voila in my opinion. Couldn't be taken away in a bag like a sausage roll from 7/11 and I definately recommend not eating it on the couch, because of the pastry, but on a plate at a table.
7.5/10

The pie:
I've tried other frozen gluten free pies. The only one I can recall being the Silly Yak's pie. I remember it being nice, but not that traditional pie taste. The Gluten Free Bakery pies have that taste. The pastry is a little more solid than the sausage roll pastry, though the pie does come in a foil pie case. My only cooking issue was that the meat starting leaking out of the top of the pie. I recommend a baking tray, not doing what lazy-me does and just putting the foil straight onto the oven bars.
8.5/10

Best thing? They can in multiple packs and were ~$4 or so for the pie and slightly less for the sausage roll. Can't recall precisely, but they were cheaper than the other alternatives!

Aside:
Jarrah hot chocolates seem to be gluten free! They are not labelled as such, but the ingrediants list seems fine and more importantly I feel fine and I've had one a day for the last week. Instant hot chocolate goodness in the freezing winter weather = awesome!

Product review: Healtheries Simple Snack Bar

2007-07-12T13:01:00.000+10:00

I do not work for Healtheries, despite the number of things I seem to be eating and reviewing that are made by them. Though I do warn people off the BBQ flavoured rice wheels which are NOT gluten free. Serves me right for not reading the label :(

The Chocolate Snack Bar is fantastic. It's a dense, chocolately bar that is surprisingly filling as well as being a decadent chocoately treat for only 186 calories. Not bad compared to a Snickers bar! High in fibre and in protein, these are an excellent snack to throw in a bag for emergencies or to supplement a less than fantastic GF meal offering (airport meals spring to mind!).
While the chocolate is my favourite, the berry and yoghurt is also good, though not as decadent as the chocolate. I've yet to try the apricot and yoghurt, but the odds of it being remarkably different to the berry and yoghurt are slim.

This rates a 10 out of 10. It's a bar that's easily available in supermarkets, it was a little pricey at ~$3 but much more satisfying than a dry GF muesli bar (if you can find one!). They are sold individually which is great if you wanting something on the run, which most other GF bars are not.

I won't leave this time without a recipe. The Philosopher made this last night and it was awesome. The last of the Orgran pasta (hard to cook, often over or under done. Last night it was under) combined with this sauce - awesome.

The Philosopher's Pasta Alla Mattriciana (serves 2)

4 rashers of bacon, all fat removed (because we've gotten a bit tubby)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic (or to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tub tomato paste (or to taste)
~2 cups chopped mushrooms
dried basil to taste
red wine (optional)

Cook the onion in a little olive oil until transparent. Toss in the bacon and cook until sealed (the bacon flavour is important you see).
Add garlic. Stir.
Add tomatoes and mushrooms and tomato paste and basil. Stir.
Add red wine (or water) as desired.
Simmer.
Serve.

This is a sauce that makes under done GF pasta taste good. How can you beat that? Well, next time we're going to try it with salami, which may indeed beat it, but the salty tang of the bacon with the garlic and chilli.... mmmm.....

2007-07-11T10:51:00.000+10:00

Healtheries: Simple Chocolate Fudge Steamed Puddings

Running late for work today forced breakfast to the backburner until morning tea time, by which point I felt I deserved a treat. Searching the health food aisle in the local supermarket not only found me a different flavour of rice wheels (also by Healtheries) which I'll try later, but steamed pudding.
The Philosopher has not let me get these before since, well, they are a dessert and I'm trying to eat well. But he's not here, is he? mwahahahaha.

It was nearly $5 for the twin pack of pudding. Once out of the cardboard wrap the puddings looked like every other version of microwavable steamed pudding I've seen. Plastic cup with cakey stuff in it with a foil lid. No labels or logos or anything to say it's GF (which may be an issue if you're in a place where normal steamed puddings might be, as this one will look like all the others), which I think is great because eating GF shouldn't be such a drama.
40 seconds in the microwave. Mmmm..... Can't smell much due to a cold, but it looks pretty great. The taste - a bit overly sweet in the sauce but that's common in steamed puddings where they assume you'll have cream or icecream with it. The cake is slightly drier than its "normal" counterpart but again, something easily remedied by a shot of cream or ice cream. Or even custard maybe.

4/5 points for this treat, only losing a point because I have fond memories of my mothers Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding.

2007-07-09T10:24:00.000+10:00

The Sunnybrook Healthfood Store has been mentioned on here by me before. It's online presence is as The Gluten Free Shop and they deliver Australia wide. But I, luckily enough, actually discovered physically first. I used to drive past them every day and then one day, about two months after I'd been diagnosed, I suddenly saw the big gluten free sign in their window.
How did I miss it? The shop is bright yellow and a double shop front. The sign is across an entire shop window.

I immediately demanded the Philosopher take me there. Now. And so he did and oh what fun! It's like a supermarket, it's that big inside. And they have everything an allergy sufferer could want. An entire aisle of biscuits and cakes and slices for instance! A freezer packed with pies, sausage rolls, tarts, frozen meals, the works. Even gluten free vege burgers! They have the range of gluten free beers.

They also have a huge selection of organic and natural products. Like green friendly cleaning products, shampoos, etc etc. I picked up some organic herbal throat lozenges. They actually taste okay, though not like candy like most throat lozenges. And they work! Hurray! I can speak again!

The staff are really great and helpful. They have a the range of gluten free flours, xantham gum, imported bread products. Check them out in North Road, Ormond, right near the station, there's parking available right behind the store though.

And for those of you in the Richmond/Abbotsford area, there's a little cafe at the Punt Rd end of Victoria St. It's possibly called the Victoria Cafe (or not, I have no idea) that had gluten free friands. In two different flavours! Makes my day when I find places that I can drop into for a snack where they understand the whole gluten free concept.

Product review - Orgran Gluten Free Custard Powder

2007-07-05T13:13:00.000+10:00

This is something that has been hanging around my cupboard for months now. It was one of the first things I bought when the natropath suggested a gluten free diet. Bought from one of the Mother Earth healthfood stores, it was a real surprise to find, because the front of the store is so full of vitamins and supplements that I thought that that was all they did. But behind all of that is quite a large variety of specialty foods, including awesome rice crackers and other snacks. So if you're stuck for food in the middle of Melbourne, try Mother Earth. There's one at the Flinders St end of Elizabeth St.

But back to the custard. Out of the packet, it looked like custard powder, a promising sign. 3 tbsp for a thick custard it suggested. Sounds good. Gradually stir in 500ml of milk or milk substitute. I ended up with 1 1/2 cups of skim milk, 5/8th cups of Bonsoy and a smidge of water. Milk is mostly water, so I don't think this will alter much. Add 1 tbsp of sugar or sugar substitute. Again, I had to use a mix, this time of brown and white sugar. Oh well, I thought. It may be a little more caramely than normal. Mix mix mix.
It's yellow.
Hey honey, come and look at my yellow custard before I cook it! I say.
Hehe! he says. Yellow!
Microwave for 4 minutes then stir well. Oh my god is it yellow. Hmm the "skin" around the edge is kinda plasticy.
Microwave for a couple more minutes until you reach the desired consistency. I did mine for about another minute and then mixed well.

Oh my god is it yellow. Crayola yellow/gold actually. And the consistency isn't unlike what you'd imagine a melted down crayon would taste like. It's not BAD, but I think I want to have it with something else. I still have most of the packet left, so next time I will try it without the added tbsp for extra thickness.
The Philosopher stared at it in bemusement. And only hesitantly accepted a taste. Meh, it tastes okay but like crayons. No prompting was made. He got to crayons all on his own.

The morning after, looking at the container of leftover custard, oh my god is it yellow. And solid. Like plasticine. Haven't reheated it yet, though it was easy to pull a piece off to munch on. Custard bar? Not sure the rubbery-ness will catch on.

I don't think I'll buy this again. Definately too yellow!

2007-07-04T08:56:00.000+10:00

Once upon a time there was a girl and boy, curled up under quilts, peacefully asleep.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

A sleepy arm pokes at the alarm clock until the noise stops. The arm retreats from the cold and resnuggles into the warmth.

DO DE DOOP BE BEEP BOP BEEP.

A mobile phone buzzes angrily. With a sigh the girl hauls herself out of bed and turns it off. Stumbling around the house, she find the kitchen and stares blearily into the pantry in search of breakfast. Planet Organic Rice Porridge.
"Mmmm warm porridge with honey and cinnamon," she thinks. "That will warm me up!"
Put 50g of porridge into a saucepan with 375ml of milk or water.
"I have to measure!" she wails. "It's early!" But having made a decision, she must continue. Grumbling she finds the kitchen scales and the measuring cup. She pours the Bonsoy, weighs the organic brown rice flakes mixed with millet flakes. She remembers that the stove works much better when turned on. Stir stir stir for five minutes while reading a book and drinking juice and becoming more alert. Finally it is done.

The rammekin is filled, the almond slivers and cinnamon sprinkled on, the honey drizzled. She takes a bite. Mmmm. Warm and filling and one of the definitive tastes of winter.

Planet Organic Rice Porridge is awesome. But is a little longer than my general morning routine will allow. I would love it to have tablespoon or cup measurements rather than grams and mls. I'm sure I could use them instead, but I'm afraid to improvise as I might lose the porridgey consistency. If you actually have time for a proper breakfast, this is awesome.
Now I just need to work out how to make it into some form of breakfast cookie or muffin or bar or slice that I can take places.... hmm.... I really miss oats sometimes

Supermarket dating

2007-07-03T10:25:00.001+10:00

The Philosopher and I love going grocery shopping. It's like a date. We snuggle and giggle and debate and are (according to our friends) disgustingly cute. I've never understood how shopping can be a chore for people. There is so much stuff in a supermarket! I never truly realised until I worked in one exactly how much though - spak filler, toothpaste that stops hunger pangs (seriously! it's mostly caffeine), a thousand things.

Gluten Free Girl got heaps of comments, some very angry, some agreeing, when she confessed to making judgements about people based on the contents of their shopping trolley. I now put my hand up to say, I do it all the time, and when I was working in a supermarket I did it for up to 8 hours a day. Yes, each assessment is probably entirely wrong since it's only based on the food they are buying. It may not even be for them. Their dying mother may have asked them to go shopping for them. I don't know.

Last night The Philosopher and I went on a large shop to resupply us in, well, almost everything. Looking at the food at the checkout, I laughed. We eat like "crazy hippy types" (as my grandpa would say) - but with red meat. What was in our trolley?

Beef roast
Mince
Bonsoy (truly THE BEST soymilk out there. Made by Japanese soy masters.)
Amaranth cereal (high in protein and fibre, I shall use it to sprinkle on my GF cornflakes. I'm not too certain how it would be on its own.)
GF corn flakes with psyllium (again, more fibre!)
Organic firm tofu (well, we didn't intentionally get organic, but it's all they had)
Granny Smith apples (for making poached apple something or other mmmm)
Greek yoghurt (for the apple concoction)
Beans beans beans in tins. Chickpeas, red beans, bean mix. (chickpeas for roasting or curry, red beans and mixed beans for chilli and tacos)
Bamboo shoots
Spring onion
Diced tomatoes in tins (pasta sauce, chilli, soup, whatever we decide, they go in almost everything)
Rice vermicelli
Pad thai sauce
White corn tortillas possibly made by Diegos (don't taste that great unless made into enchiladas. NOT recommended as burittos! Unfortunately they are the only brand I can find that are made with only corn.)
Heinz rice puddings in little tins (great for hiding in my desk at work for emergency lunches, breakfasts, snacks, quite fillign for their size and keep well)

Out of all that? Well, last night it was pad thai with chicken and tofu. The Philosopher is now inspired to make his own sauce since I found the jarred stuff a touch too spicy. But not too spicy to prevent me from eating leftovers for lunch!

The rest? Already a roast beef with potatoes is planned. A pasta bolognese for when friends drop by later in the week. A chickpea curry.

Tonight? Well, since I'm on my own, perhaps I'll be bad and have a GF muffin! Blueberry and choc chip, made with a mix by Well and Good. So far the best mix I've found, though I'm only two into my search so far. The best thing about this one is that you add any flavourings yourself so you can keep a bag on hand to make whatever flavour muffin you're craving!

Deprivation is in the mind and I do not feel deprived. Especially when I fork up that last mouthful of spicy tofu. Especially when I get that muffin straight out of the oven and bite into it, having molten chocolate ooze into my mouth. Even when I eat my morning cornflakes, just like so many others.

When weekends attack

2007-07-03T10:16:00.000+10:00

This weekend felt so full. There was a Hen's Night, a zombie movie double feature, afternoon tea with friends, much sewing. What's a girl to do when The Philosopher had a bigger Buck's Night than you had a Hen's night and is still snoring off his sake? When the kitchen is still a bomb site and the cupboard is looking bare? Eat!

Since going gluten free I've been keeping a bigger selection of staples in my cupboards. So long as you have some polenta, some cocoa, water or milk, and some form of sweetener in the house, you can make yourself a delicious breakfast. Or dessert. Whatever!

From Recipezaar, Chocolate Polenta Pudding was my first find when I went on a GF recipe hunt and it was a fantastic start...

2 tbsp polenta
1 tbsp baking cocoa
1 cup water or milk or soy milk (or some combination thereof)
sweetener to taste. I prefer honey or maple syrup over sugar.

Mix polenta and cocoa with liquid in a microwave safe bowl and nuke for 3 minutes (I assume on high, I just press the button). Stir each minute. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes and drizzle with sweetener of choice.

2007-06-30T09:36:00.000+10:00

My first comment is from the lovely author of three-eggs-plus-one. Thankyou! It made my morning! Her blog is right from the start of her allergy diagnosis you should check hers out too and help her through the first hurdles of being gluten free.

Saturyda mornings are a sleep in. I wait impatiently all week for it. That glorious feeling of turning off the alarm and going back to sleep. When I finally wake up though, I usually late for something and need to dash.

Solution?

Grilled cheese and tomato on rice cake.
Sound crazy? Where's the toast? Bah! Gluten free bread isn't all that great in general anyway, and not the great for you. The rice cakes are different to bread (well duh) and it's not the same. But that's good! The toasted rice cake smells like popcorn and is a tasty crunchy vessel for fresh tomato and a slice of your favourite cheese. Any topping you like can go on, just watch the goopiness factor.

The rice cakes need to be carefully watched to avoid overcooking which leads to charcoal and possibly fire (I'm not kidding). One blogger suggested using the toaster with a finger ready of the eject button. No thankyou! I like my toaster and don't want a groggy me setting parts of it on fire every Saturday. My grill is key to this (though I think Americans call it a broiler? I've never known if that's true....)

I'm off to eat and play in the glorious Saturday air, cupcakes, but try this simplest of all recipes. And relish the lack of gluten hangover afterwards!

Two exciting things

2007-06-29T11:49:00.000+10:00

Excitement number one is me getting up the gumption to take this blog to more than just me. I just commented on Gluten Free Girl's blog thanking her for all her inspiration and linking this blog. Me. Author of a badly written blog that doesn't even have pictures yet! Scared! But, the only way to be a writer is to write, hence I am writing. Practise makes perfect, right?

Excitement number two was, of course, food. Wonderful gourmet food of the modern 'the chef is making a statement' style. Vue de monde is a French restaurant in Melbourne that is "Inspired by the days best available produce, menus are tailored to each table creating a tasting style experience."

It is not cheap:
"5 course for $150 (inclusive of some premium ingredients), $15 per course for each additional course."
But it was fantastic.

We saw no menu, the uber efficient/fantastic wait staff sat us down at our table and asked if anyone had any food issues besides my gluten intolerance, which had been mentioned when we booked. Then they started to bring us food......

The Menu (from what I scribbled down at the time)
An amuse bouche of aloe vera and green tea broth with mushroom foam

Truffle risotto garnished with shaved truffle

A terrine with 5 layers - carrot, foie gras, ham, rabbit, pistaccio, served with fresh pistaccios

King fish fillet served with carrot and cardamon foam on baba ganoush garnished with a crisp aubergine slice with coconut husk char for seasoning

Palate cleanser - Peach juice served with dry ice

Slow cooked caramelised belly pork layered with crackling and pork cracker in pan juices with wilted turnip leaves

Lamb done three ways - sirloin, sweet bread, and belly, served with a dark sherry reduction which was painted on the plate and split peas

Palate cleanser - a frozen kiwi fruit lollipop covered in peppermint jelly

Amuse bouche - served in a 6 pack egg carton served in pullet egg shells - pistacio custard, white chocolate and orange mousse, prune and armagnac eggnog

Dessert:
Grand Marnier souffle with apricot sorbet and vanilla creme anglaise with apricot sauce and citrus powder
A chocolate cake(?) made from almond meal and rice flour filled with spiced chocolate ganache served with milk sorbet

amuse bouche - petit fours
almond macaroons
Meringue with a pipette of passionfruit and mango sauce which is squirted into the mouth while eating
Banana icecream ball covered with dark chocolate
chocolate coffee cup
Apple in caramel sauce with foam garnish

Others in my party had matched wines to each course as well. I had a sample of each, but only a sip or two. *sigh* bliss

While I feel a bad person for eating obese goose liver (foie gras) and eating things from depressed chicken egg shells (pullet eggs), it was completely tremendous. We rolled out of the restaurant four hours later stuffed to the gills and then some. But despite this we are still contemplating the twelve course menu they also offer - the gastronomes menu.

Though I may have to be vegan for a couple of days to work off my bad food karma!

Not only was the food a celebration of flavours and the like, it was also served warmth and good cheer and not once was I left out of anything as a gluten intolerant. The only dish in the menu above that was different for me was the first amuse bouche. The others had some sort of lobster bisque served in sea anenomes. They had gluten free bread for me, which they even toasted! I had my own pat of butter (which was so good. Why is it that I forget how wonderful butter can be?) to prevent cross contamination.
How can people say the GF is restrictive when five people can enjoy together such a feast? Though I don't suppose that truffles being gluten free will occur to many as they are darned expensive. But, we are not relegated to rice cakes and water for the rest of our lives.

Tonight is a double feature at the Astor cinema, which is a beautiful building, still with original balcony level, and actually has double features! Which I think is lacking in the modern cinema experience. The Philosopher and I shall eat at Grill'd again and I shall try a new burger out. This is not deprivation - this is living!

Vue de Monde, Collins St, Melbourne
The Astor Cinema, Windsor, Melbourne. Cult movies, double features, completely awesome.

Pizza to go

2007-06-28T11:59:00.000+10:00

When I lived in Richmond every fortnight I had a tradition. Since my housemate had guests over that were allergic to our cat I'd lock the cat in my bedroom, order a pizza, select a DVD and snuggle up with cat and pizza to watch something. It was great. And I would always go to the same pizza place - Crust. Their pesto pizza was truly awesome. It was all about the crust in my opinion. Sure, their toppings were gourmet and tasty, but without their fantastic base, the toppings weren't being done justice.

While eating gluten I was delighted to see that they had a new store (they're a very small chain) in my area. Immediately we organised people to come and eat pizza with us. First disapointment - no more pesto pizza :( Second disapointment? the crust, while still very good, was not as awesome as I recalled. BUT I did see a very exciting note in very small print at the bottom of their menu - GLUTEN FREE ON REQUEST.

Last night I ordered home delivered gluten free food. Gluten Free Pizza. I waited impatiently at the door, I had the couch and the tv show all ready, I pounced on the delivery guy demanding to make sure my pizzas were gluten free. The Philosopher and I sat down, took a deep breath and opened the box. Vague disapointment ensued. Where was the crust? It looked messy and just not that great. But, pizza often gets a little tossed around on its way so we still dove in happily.
Pizza 1 - Italian meatball
Pizza 2 - prosciutto, roasted capsicum and baked feta

Conclusion = they make their gluten free crusts from bean flour. They taste... okay. If I was stuck with people and they wanted pizza I could tolerate it, especially if the topping was strong, like the feta, and I got extra of that to drown out the crust taste a bit. The meatball taste was lost amongst the bean. The prosciutto one fared a little better because of the strong feta flavours, but I would have happily doubled the amount of feta.

Decision? Get The Philosophers father, now he's sold his pizza restaurant (woe!) to take his truly awesome pizza base to the masses! While it's not exactly the same as commercial western style pizza, it's closer to what i recall pizza being like in Italy. A little more crunch, a little thinner.

Why am I here?

2007-06-26T10:28:00.000+10:00

Today I was leafing through the blogs I regularly check. I happened to chance upon a link to a delectable chocolate cake recipe by Chocolate and Zucchini. What's a foodie to do but look at her recipe list? And get horribly scared and wonder why she's in here in the first place!

This is one wimpy cupcake you see before you here today. A blogger with no digital camera, few recipes, nothing in french, just sitting here killing time at her boring job.

I am force, forced I say, to go and console myself with some GF snacks. Snack of choice today? Chicknuts. Chick nuts are roasted chickpeas and I adore the spicy tomato seasoned ones. I have attempted to make them on my own, but have ended up with burnt rather than roasted each time. Chicknuts are found in supermarkets and health food stores and are high in iron and protein and damn munchable!

Not quite a cupcake

2007-06-25T14:09:00.000+10:00

Thank god alcohol is gluten free. And chocolate. And cheese. One cannot survive a party without these things.

The morning after though is harder. No longer can I go on a late night McDonald's run for a cheeseburger and fries. No longer can I go back to bed with a cup of tea and vegemite toast (GF bread has been temporarily banned by The Boy as not nutritious enough). What's a cupcake to do?
Make chocolate polenta pudding for breakfast!
This is very darn tasty. Letting it sit is crucial, otherwise it's soupy and not good. Left on its own to cool and goop up it becomes very tasty. Highly recommend sweetening with either honey or maple syrup. Soy milk is definately substitutable here, and any milk is preferred over making it with water.

Another emergency morning-after snack? Healtheries Rice Wheels! For some reason my supermarket only ever has the cheese flavour but I've never felt deprived. This product is helping me let go of that fake cheese flavouring on corn chips. Find them in the health food section with marketing towards kids lunch box snacks.

Gluten free eating out

2007-06-22T13:17:00.000+10:00

Last night was dinner and movie night and the gluten free options were many. Hurrah!

The Philosopher and I ended up at Grill'd on Chapel St, which we'd heard rave reviews of. I called beforehand and made sure they were gluten free (minus bun of course) and double checked that when I went in. They had a list readily available so they could definately tell me what was what. Their meat patty? gluten free! Their fries? Gluten free! And guess what? This place is totally fantastically awesome. If you love burgers you'll love this place. The Philosopher also had no bun with his and actually thought that having a bun would detract from the flavour of the burger by muting it all. The chips had a wonderful herb sprinkle (GF!!) and were perfectly cooked.
Best of all? Not a single strange look for asking if things were gluten free and having a bunless burger was equally acceptable. Perhaps we have no-carb diets to think for that though.

Then it was to the Pancake Parlour to meet everyone. The Pancake Parlour are great for people with allergies, though you wouldn't expect it. You can get any of their pancakes made with buckwheat flour (GF!) instead and even also made with soy milk if you can't do dairy. Their meals are alright. Their organic vanilla icecream is orgasmic, just remember to ask for no waffle garnish.
The one question I always must ask there? How can you have something called a Swiss Mountain Malt without malt? Wouldn't that just be a Swiss Mountain? The item description does clearly state that it is available with or without the malt.

Village Cinemas. I never thought I'd be recommending a candy bar for GF! But lining up for a drink, there it was! Big as life and brightly lit.... a sign for 100% gluten free! Village now has Snakatas (made of corn, though they do contain MSG) which are labelled as gluten free and GF muesli bars. Huzzah!

Going out has never been so easy.

2007-06-20T11:09:00.000+10:00

What am I going to do? Two of my favourite bloggers are leaving the internet for awhile to do things in the real world? Gluten Free Goddess and Something In Season I shall miss you and eagerly await any random posts you write. I hope you come back!

Gluten Free Goddess, your mexican recipes made the Philosopher be reinspired and made the crappy GF tortillas delectable. Everyone should try her sour cream chicken enchiladas.

Something In Season, you gave me insight into a wider world. You bolstered my opinion that baking GF does not need 1001 flours. You gave me ginger cake that reinspired me to bake, looking beyond the GF baking mixes.

I never commented in their blogs. They probably don't know I write this blog. But I Miss You Cupcake misses them and the work hours are suddenly much more lonely.

In food related news, I cooked for my mother last night. Poor mum, she broke her ankle, so I drove the two hours home to make her and my sister dinner and play with her cute little dog.

Dinner: pan fried chicken breast with creamy mustard mushroom sauce
Pan fry chicken. In a seperate pan add 3-4 sliced mushrooms and cook gently. Add garlic to taste (~1 clove). Pour in cream, I used ~3/4 of a small container, so maybe 3/4 of a cup. Spoon in some mustard. Generally I use wholegrain but this time I used dijon, 1-2 tsp or to taste. heat through.
Take cooked chicken off heat and serve with sauce on top with a green salad and you're done!

Variation: Generally I make this recipe with some white wine as well, but I'm not allowed that while detoxing my body, curses.

If you have a La Porchetta in your area, I used to order something vagely similar (in that it was a creamy/mustard sauce) called Chicken New York. It was a staple of my diet when I handily lived next door to a La Porchetta. The sauce went marvellously with fries. Alas, that store stopped making it. But maybe somewhere they do again.

2007-06-19T13:17:00.000+10:00

Last night we made food. In our kitchen! We did dishes, we cleaned benches, we cooked, we ate. *bliss* This was not happening in the gluten months. Cooking and cleaning were anaethema. They were not spoken of.
But last night?
Baked eggplant with pan fried chicken breast and homemade tomato sauce

Chicken:
Slice each breast into strips longways, or not, whatever you like. Then pan fry in a drizzle of olive oil. We had a breast each, but ended up with leftovers.

Eggplant:
Slice some steaks lengthways, we cut three from a big eggplant and had 1 leftover. Place in baking dish. Place a piece of chicken on top of that. Then add:

Sauce:
1 can diced tomatos
garlic to taste
1 onion, finely chopped
pinch of dried thyme
mushrooms

Cook onions until translucent, add mushrooms, cook until you think they're done. Add garlic and tomatos and herbs. Simmer until it's all nice and goopy. Pour/spoon over eggplant and chicken.

Top with grated cheese and bake until the eggplant is cooked.

Serving suggestion:
I was having salty cravings last night and topped the eggplant/chicken/sauce/cheese stack with a slice of prosciutto. Yeah baby.

Variation thoughts:
Perhaps spreading the eggplant with some ricotta. But if you do that, why not just go the whole hog and make an eggplant lasagne? hmm....

How can people be sad about being gluten free with meals like this?

Finnegan Begin Again

2007-06-18T12:24:00.000+10:00

Today is the day! The new day! The beginning (again) of a new era! Very excited. Today is the first gluten free day. Again.

Today is also my first day of the South Beach diet's two week "phase 1" detox. Why am I doing this? To get rid of my need for sugary gluteny wonderfulness. This part of the South Beach Diet was designed to get rid of cravings for all those empty calories in things like white bread, so I thought I'd make it work for me. And despite the wonder of my friends about what I shall eat, there are many options. I can have meat, veges and dairy. That's really it. I can have artificial sweetener but I'm going to try not as it's not good stuff.

The menu for today? I started with scrambled eggs with some tasty cheese. There was also going to be sauteed mushrooms in balsamic vinegar but it was early, so I had a carrot while driving instead. My hot water with lemon was thrown away when I found out how much coffee taste had remained in the travel mug. Watered down lemon flavoured coffee is not all that great.
Lunch was made by my lovely boy, a taco salad. No corn chips sadly, but a bowl of homemade chilli topped with fresh salad? I cannot wait.

Yesterday was also special because we went to the market. The Prahran Market is full of goodies to try and eat and while I will pout now that I can't have some of the fabulous looking homemade pastas and Italian breads, there is so much there! cranberry nougat was awesome but beaten in the end by the mocha nougat. Garlic dip, a zillion types of pesto. Even a bakery that does rice flour bread so my friends and I can have the big breakfast at the market together. Nothing is as decadent as going out for a big breakfast at the market, listening to the jazz band, watching all the people.

The Essential Ingrediant. Another traditional stop in our market wanderings, this place makes me drool. I love buying kitchen things and this place has the expensive, ultimate ones. That's all I shall say or I may convince myself I really do need a KitchenAid mixer, blender and coffee maker, as well as new cutlery and a flan dish. *sigh*

The Philosopher's Lazy Chilli:
Beef mince
Burrito seasoning
Onion
Garlic
Balsamic Vinegar
can of mixed beans

cook, mix, eat is pretty much the method here. We often add a touch more cumin that is in the seasoning. And, of course, pick your packet seasoning with care as many contain evil-gluten, or make your own!
Uses: many! Makes an awesome toasted sandwich with a bit of cheese. With rice a warm hearty dinner. Wrapped in a tortilla, inside a taco. Or what Philosopher's do when in the midst of serious thinking - microwave and eat out of the container.

GF Gourmet

2007-06-13T14:06:00.000+10:00

The lovely boy works from home most days. He's doing a phd in Logic/Philosophy and apparently the wunderkid of the university for the subject. I cannot tell you what he does, only that he loves it and seems to be good at it. My brain screams and runs away when he tries to explain. I guess I need the three plus years of training in the subject to start getting the phd.

Anyway, to the point, he works from home. Which is great, as I travel for an hour each way to work five days a week and am usually too tired and aggravated by public transport at the end of it to think about dinner properly. I confess that over the last two gluten months when asked what I want for dinner 9 times out of 10 I answered toast. So having a boy who likes to cook and is good at is absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend picking one up next chance you get.

Tonights menu was just emailled to me. Prosciutto wrapped chicken breast stuffed with feta served with a white wine reduction and home made potato wedges. Needless to say I am the envy of my workplace. While being gluten free.

This is the problem with labelling yourself/others as "gluten free." I can still eat! I can still have coffee, chocolate, coke, tofu, cheese, tacos, and a thousand other tasty tasty options. The fault is not with the gluten free people, it's with our culture of prepackaged, instant food. Why does Lipton Ice Tea contain gluten? Have people ever read the labels on what they're eating? Certain brands of bacon bits are suitable for vegetarians. Certain types of 'oreo' style cookies are vegan friendly. 2 minute noodles contain meat, even the non-meat flavoured ones. Then think about the preservatives, the flavour enhancers and all the rest of the chemicals....

The thing that most disturbed me about becoming gluten free? It wasn't that I couldn't eat certain foods (though every so often I pout a bit), it was the random things I craved. I could smell cheese flavouring on corn chips at 50 paces it seemed. I never realised how much I loved the stuff - I rarely ate it. But obviously something in the chemical mix appealed to me. But what? It's not cheese, it's not the salt, it's not the MSG. It disturbs me that I am addicted to a food I cannot even name. How many of the foods that we eat these days don't actually taste like the foods they are meant to be? Do burger rings taste like burgers? Tomatoes taste remarkably different to tomato sauce, tomato paste, etc. WTF?

The end comes

2007-06-12T09:26:00.000+10:00

I finally did it. I called the blood testing people and sorted out going there. This week. Come Monday I'll be detoxing and hopefully getting rid of the headache/sinusache that has plagued me for a week. I cannot wait.

Part of the cannot wait feeling came from two eatings on the weekend. One was a leisurely, decadent second breakfast before my pottery class. Friends had gotten together to buy a birthday present and we'd found ourselves in Oakleigh, near the station, the land of Jewish bakeries. But, being a Saturday, none were open. So we went to a very generic little cafe (which I can't remember the name of) and had underdone pancakes which were adequate and rather nice coffee. But what really grabbed me was their VEGETARIAN gluten free section of the breakfast menu and the choice of THREE types of luscious looking gluten free cakes in the glass case. *bounce* True, it is a little out of my way but for an actual choice in food? It's not THAT far out of my way.

The second thing? Was homemade and not actually gluten free but could be if we used dahl or rice flour as the recipe suggests. My lovely boy made me roti, Vietnamese style. Vietnamese roti apparently have coconut in them, so the dough was flour, dessicated coconut, water and a bit of oil for cooking. That's it. Into my scanpan frypan on hothothot and these were fabulous. Reminiscent of galettes, the savoury French crepe, but thicker and more substantial even without curry on top, I have two bits for have with my lunch today.

Looking at recipes for my return to GF cooking, I am scared at the number of flours people regularly use. Sure, they're all bloggers and very into their foodz, but a recipe with FOUR different kinds of flour? SomethingInSeason posted sometime ago a recipe for a ginger cake that he had altered from his original post. The alteration? He removed all the flours except for brown rice flour. I then made muffins (still being tweaked, recipe to come) from this recipe. Could anyone tell that I'd only used brown rice flour? No. I think that I shall be avoiding potato starch, bean flour, and the many other flours. I live aroudn the corner from a tiny little Indian grocery. They have rice flour, chickpea flour and *fingers crossed* hopefully dahl flour too. That should do me, surely.

2007-06-06T11:42:00.000+10:00

With only one week to go of eating gluten, I thought I would be sad about losing so many foods, but all I'm thinking about is how I can make things myself to be gluten free. Asian Coconut cake? It's only flour, coconut, sugar and oil according to the pack, so surely rice flour could fix that. I would stop eating gluten now if I could despite the ease of eating I've had lately. It's almost because of that ease that I can't wait to go back to gluten free. Eating is so simple that I give it no thought. I'm perfectly happy eating toast every meal rather than experimenting and making an effort for the sake of nutrition.

In a week I say goodbye to processed foods, almost completely. For the first two weeks back off the gluten I shall even be saying goodbye to sugar, something that I have become to need with the same urgency as a cocaine addict over the last two months. I wonder if any other gluten intolerants have this problem?

I am looking forward now. Looking forward to becoming healthy again. Looking forward to being excited about food again. Looking forward to everything that has become grey and dull because of gluten.

Todays menu: mac and cheese.
Easily made into gluten-free by using gluten free pasta, this recipe I vaguely made up last night and it needs a touch more work. Probably a stronger flavoured cheese too!

1 - 1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
40g butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour (or thickener of choice)
Grated cheese (I used about a cup of low fat colby. Low fat does not melt very well and colby got lost in this so I had a vagely cheesey goo. Still tasty, but not exciting at all).

Cook some pasta in a pot. Drain.
Melt butter in a small pot. Add the flour and stir til pale and foaming. Take off the heat and slowly add the milk, stirring after each addition. Return to heat and stir continuously until it boils and thickens. Take off the heat again, cool slightly and add the egg. Add cheese, mix.

I decided on baked mac and cheese, so I put the pasta in a baby lasagne dish and poured on the sauce, sprinkled with more cheese and some breadcrumbs and baked from about 15-20min.

Recommendations? next time I'd put maybe some parmesan or feta in as well to give it a boost.

In the beginning....

2007-06-04T13:10:00.000+10:00

Today marks the final week countdown of my gluten eating challenge. Before these past two months I hadn't eaten gluten in nearly 6 months, as soon as a natropath suggested I had an allergy after weeks of restriction diet testing. I saw my doctor (eventually) and asked him about getting tested. He basically told me there's not much point, as the only result will be to not eat gluten which I'm doing anyway and feeling better. He saw no point in making me feel bad to formally get tested, but I had to know. I had to know if the first doctor I saw was right, and that sleeping so much was normal. That I was just unlucky and had a run of sinus infections, had colds all the time and was almost bipolar in my moodiness.

7 weeks into the 8 weeks of eating gluten. How do I feel? Much better than I thought I would, which scares me. I thought I'd be having many more 'stomach upsets' to put it politely. Nope. Nothing really. My boy tells me I am much moodier though. And our sex life has become nonexistant. Which apparently can be linked.
I'm also finding myself unable to think of foods beyond high sugar, high carbohydrates. I'll eat other foods if I'm given them but given the option I'll eat toast, rolls, pies, donuts, churros, chinese steamed buns over everything else.

One of the articles on this site here mentions that if you are depressed due to a food allergy, you are likely to continue to eat that food. Basically so you feel less depressed because you're that much more depressed.

Conclusion? As much as I've enjoyed not having to worry about gluten. Being able to go to Chinatown and eat without having to try and explain gluten to people who don't speak english. I've enjoyed churros with chocolate dipping sauce (though I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with the espresso glass of chocolate once I'm off the gluten again) and bread rolls. But in the end none of this stuff tastes as good as I thought it would. The only reason currently to keep eating gluten is social. My boy is happy for me to be gluten free and have a gluten free house. My mother is a nurse and very supportive when I'm there. The boy's father owns a pizza restaurant (sadly 2 hours drive away) and he makes a fantastic pizza with rice flour that I must get the recipe for.

In the end there are too many things I'm missing out on right now because of gluten. Donuts with sprinkles and peking duck with pancakes are great but I'd rather be in the moment enough to enjoy them.