Our own domain!

Hi everyone;
Sorry for missing our weekly post and lack of social media updates lately. I have been busy, establishing a new home for the site.
It has been a good but slow three years since I started the site and I have decided that it is time to take things more seriously. Over the week, I will slowly move all the content on this site to our own domain which can be found at www.aussiecoeliac.com.au.

Please be patient as I fill the new site with all the great facts, tips and content that you absolutely love reading and we should be up and running  by Friday for hopefully our post on the July Gluten Free Box.

Thank you for following the blog thus far and I hope to see you at the new address.

Ashlee; The Aussie Coeliac.

I Broke.

After 17 years of being a diagnosed coeliac you would think that I'd be used to not being able to eat things. Most of the time it is manageable and after time it does get easier. Then there are those moments when you feel like you did when it all began. My moment was this weekend.

Brody and I went to do our usual weekend shopping. Fresh produce, milk, a quick stop to see what was new in the health food aisle.
He mentioned he felt like dessert so we went off to the chilled desserts section.

That is where it happened.
Not wanting the same old chocolate mousse I always get, I ventured to read the labels of the more interesting desserts.
One by one the options dwindled, when the last product went back on the shelf I felt deflated.

I spent a good few minutes cursing my bad fortune, wishing I didn't have Coeliac disease and then I cried a little before reaching out and grabbing the chocolate mousse.

We got home and I ordered myself a few things from the gluten free bakery so it wouldn't happen again. A few hours later I felt silly but it wasn't silly, it's the reality of what being diagnosed with coeliac disease is. Its hard but with the support of family, friends and even the beautiful people you can find in social media communities, it is better. 

Today my co-worker has gone out of her way to ask and buy me a gluten free muffin from a bakery around the corner, for our morning tea because she is always upset by the fact that I can never eat anything they bring in.

Just remember it isn't bad to have these moments, just make sure you don't let them get you down. Remember that there are more positive moments that you can focus on, like my co-worker today.

Ashlee. xx

Cure the chocolate cravings, cheap!

If you are like me, you enjoy sweet things.

There comes that point in the late afternoon or evening when those cravings take over.

Unfortunately being a Coeliac and craving a sweet hit tend not to go hand in hand.

This is where the new range of the Aldi exclusive brand Dairy Fine $1.00AUD chocolate bars can help.

Yes, you read that right, $1.00AUD chocolate bars, better yet; they're gluten free.

There are a variety of flavours, including some that are hard to find gluten free versions of. 

The bars are produced in:

• Caramel
• Strawberry
• Dark Chocolate and Cherry Coconut
• Honey Comb
• Rice Puff
• Peppermint
• Milk Chocolate and Coconut (Not Pictured)

Caramel

The milk chocolate casing breaks down to reveal a sweet caramel filling. A sweetened condensed milk type of caramel bursts out. The filling has a buttery fudge appearance. The taste lingers in the mouth without being overly sweet.

Strawberry

The strawberry is far sweeter than the caramel counter part. It has a creamy baby pink filling and a potent strawberry flavour. If you consume too many pieces, even to a sugar fairy like myself, it is sickly sweet.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Coconut

Punchy and bitter dark chocolate surrounding a creamy cherry filling. There is a tiny after taste of coconut. I never had the pleasure of consuming a cherry ripe, however mummah coeliac has informed me that the dark chocolate and cherry coconut bar from Aldi has the same basic flavour without the same texture. It does not have the chunky solid filling of a cherry ripe, instead it produces a smooth fluid filling.

Honeycomb

Milk chocolate with small chunks of honeycomb pieces adds enough texture and sweet honeycomb flavour without being overpowering. Unlike the solid chocolate covered chunks of honeycomb that can be tooth achingly sweet; this bar finds the medium ground. 

Rice Puff

I have only had a "crunch" bar once, a long time ago. Back then they were one of mummah coeliacs favourite things.

These as far as I can remember taste pretty much the same. Without the bloating side affects.

Rice puffs provide a wonderful texture, with plenty of dispersion through the chocolate.

Peppermint

If you are looking for a refreshing tingle to finish your evening, the creamy mint center of this chocolate bar could be your next favourite thing. The filling is strong but not overly sweet and leaves a fresh sting of peppermint on your tongue. 

Each $1.00AUD bar, weighs 100g. There are three pieces in each row which make them a bit hard to share but then again, why would you want too.

As previously mentioned you can find these at Aldi supermarkets.

This is not a paid review, simply my opinion as a chocolate lover.

Don't forget to check us out on all the social media sites:

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, for live updates and discussions.

If there is a product that you think I'll enjoy, that you enjoy or that you'd like for me to review, leave a comment below!

Until next time.

Ashlee xx.

A wonderful way to enjoy a bagel.

At the start of the week, I posted about the Pure Bred bagels that I found on the shelf at Woolworths.

I asked for your help in deciding what I should have on my bagels, for I had never eaten a one before.

The suggestions I received, sounded delicious. I chose three of the suggestions and one of my own to help me review and discuss.

These Pure Bred 4 Poppy Seed bagels can be found in the bread aisle of Woolworths, You can purchase the pack of four for $5.75AUD.

The poppy seeds end up everywhere, so you should take care when removing the bagels from the packaging and cutting them in half. 

The bagels themselves are soft and tear easily rather than the rubbery bread that gluten free options usually provide. There was none of the dryness you may have come to expect from gluten free bread products. As the boiling process of bagel production usually creates they are slightly chewy but not in a negative way.

They don't taste under cooked or doughy and where the poppy seeds remain they provide a lovely texture. 

The first bagel combination that I tried was the breakfast bagel.

I scrambled eggs with chilli flakes and pan fried gluten free chorizo  and layered them together.

I warmed the bagel up slightly under the grill and the bagel became moist and soaked up the juice from both the egg and chorizo.

On the second day I decided to go with a lunch bagel. This option was suggested by Kahli; she said that two of her favourite combinations were tomato and cream cheese and salmon and cream cheese. I decided to combine both of her favourites into one. I spread cream cheese on the bagel, added sliced tomato and cucumber and then spread some chilli salmon over the top.

The sweet gooey texture of the cream cheese was balanced with the sharp spice from the chilli salmon. The tomato and cucumber slices provided a beautiful fresh flavour and wonderful crunch.

The third day saw me visit some exotic seasonings. I created a base of gluten free chicken and ham slices in a spiral with a dab of cream cheese in the center. I grated some carrot and sliced mini capsicums to add colour. Finally I added some lovely wasabi for an extra kick. This one tasted more like a sandwich roll but the denser dough reveals the difference. It was light and filling with small hits of the strong horse raddish flavour. It was absolutely fabulous. This creation was suggested by Vanessa. 

Finally, after all the savory bagels I had tried, I decided that it was worth seeing how the bagels handled sweet. The first person to suggest  a sweet dish was Manni. She suggested jam and berries however I wanted to try adding greek yoghurt and desiccated coconut to the mix. I wasn't sure how the poppy seeds would affect the sweet factor. I wiped off a majority of the poppy seeds and replaced it with the desiccated coconut.

The plain, dense bagel worked perfectly well with the fillings and balanced the overly sweet black forest of jam so that the combination didn't result in a sickly sugary laden treat.

I am not sure if I prefer these over plain bread rolls, I probably will purchase them again but at the same time if the bread rolls are cheaper it wouldn't make a different to me. The Pure Bred range however has provided some amazing quality in terms of their bread products and these bagels have piqued my interest as to the quality of their other products.

Let me know what other ways do you bagel? Also, If you have any other products you would like me to review or just a suggestion of a product you'd think I would enjoy, leave a comment on the post.

Don't forget to check us out on facebook, twitter or instagram for real time updates and photos and to join in the conversation.

Ashlee xx.

#Fourdaysofbagel

I had never eaten a bagel.
When Mr B and I grabbed then off the shelf I asked, "Is it a bun or a donut?"
He laughed.

This morning I put out a cry for help on our social media pages, asking:
"What bagel combinations do you enjoy?"

Four bagels in a pack means four ways I can try out bagels.
Let me know in the comments below, on our Facebook page, via instagram or tweet me your delicious gluten free bagel combos.
At the end of the week I'll post my review of the bagels and the ways I enjoyed them, mentioning anyone who suggested them.

You can follow my live bagel journey via our instagram and join in with #fourdaysofbagel and #aussiecoeliac

Ashlee xx

AGFL "The Box" - June

My June box arrived on Wednesday 17th, this is my third box from "Australian Gluten Free Life".
You can find my previous box reviews listed here.
The box as previously mentioned ships in the third week of the month.

If this is your first time reading about the Gluten Free Box from AGFL the prices are; $30AUD for one month or $80AUD for 3 months including shipping.
If you wish to order the July box, the cut off date for payment is 5pm on Sunday the 12th of July. The box should begin shipping the following Monday.
The recipe in this box was Hot Cakes with Maple Glazed Bacon and Whipped Butter, yum.

With the formalities all complete, we shall begin.
Once again the box arrived with my cursive name tag and addressed envelope. I opted out of taking a photo this time around as by now they all look very similar.

In this box there were only six items in the box compared to the eight items in the May box and the nine that arrived in the April box. However when totaled these items were worth the most out of the three boxes I have purchased.

The first thing I noticed in the box was a product I did not imagine i'd see in the box.

Bioglan Probiotic Digestive Balance tablets, a box of 30 capsules.

The card and box both announce the fact that it helps to relieve bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort.
I haven't used this specific brand but I do use Digestive tablets that relieve my glutened symptoms when they unfortunately occur. These tablets can be quite pricey and as the Bioglan tablets do not need to be refridgerated and have a shelf life until September next year these will be added to my 'emergency and accidental glutened kit' to help relieve my discomfort should it occur.

At Priceline pharmacies this specific size package will cost you $29.99AUD; however Chemist Warehouse can offer it to you for $19.99AUD so that is the price I will use when tallying my box contents.

The largest item in the box is another item from Simply Wize that I have had the pleasure of trying before. The Almond Bread is absolutely delicious. They are low in fat, fructose friendly and contain no artificial flavours. The pack is a full size at 150g, I've seen these before at Woolworths and Coles however at the moment I cannot find them on their online shopping options. You can find them online at Absolutely Gluten Free for $6.75AUD.
For those who are curious these are hard and crunchy but they also melt in your mouth with a wonderful buttery and nutty flavour; as well as absolutely moreish, if given the chance I would eat the entire packet in a sitting with a hot chocolate.



I've had many corn thin slices, however I can say that I can recall seeing the brand that we got in this months box. We got a foiled pack (I'm not entirely sure if this is a sample pack, travel pack or If inside the larger pack that is sold in stores the corn thins are wrapped into slices of four) of four slices Real Foods Corn Thins. I received the original flavour, however in the small pamphlet that was neatly tucked away in our envelope, there are also; Tasty Cheese, Sour Cream and Chives, Sesame,Soy, Linseed and Chia, Multigrain and Wholegrain thins.

I'm not sure if everyone received the same flavoured pack.

The 100g pack can be purchased from Woolworths for $2.00AUD, this foiled pack therefore is worth roughly 0.44 cents.

Usually for breakfast I have a smoothie, or a slice of gluten free toast with a egg when I can be convinced to spend the $7 for a loaf of bread. I think you have to be raised on Porridge or Weetbix and since I couldn't eat either I have honestly never tried them. I will however try the Brookfarm 'Porrij' sample that came in the box. My first ever taste of Porridge.

The sample doesn't have a weight on the packet so using my trusty scales I've weighed it at approximately, 50g.
The back of the packaging claims, high protein, no added sugar, fruit free, soy free,FODMAP friendly, Cholesterol free, Organic supergrains and ready in 90 seconds.
The ingredients list; organic brown rice, organic millet, almonds, organic quinoa, organic amaranth, organic golden flaxseed, macadamias and cinnamon. This product does contain tree nuts.
A 400g packet from the Brookfarm website will set you back $11.17AUD, resulting in this 50g sample being worth roughly $1.40AUD.



The trail mix we got this month is from Paleo Pure, I received the Mixed Berries variety. This will be another mixed that I blend up to use in my morning smoothies, with a selection of nuts, seeds,
coconut chips and in my version, goji berries, dried blueberries, cranberries and maple syrup. They are; grain free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan friendly, organic, hand made and low carb.
This pack from the Paleo Pure website will cost you $12.95AUD





The final item in this months box was a protein bar from Carman's Gourmet Kitchen. This protein bar is produced in a completely gluten free facility.
The flavour I received is Greek yoghurt and mixed berries. The bar contains at least 10g of protein.
You can purchase a 5 pack of these bars at Woolworths for $5.93AUD, resulting in our single bar being worth $1.19AUD.





The total cost of the products inside this box is estimated to be around $42.72AUD, so far our most expensive box.
I must say, I do miss the chocolate chip cookie style food that we received in the April box and hope that sometime in the future we are provided with more opportunities to try sweet foods as well as just the healthy stuff.

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook, for real time updates. If you received the Australian Gluten Free Living box, let me know if you got any different flavours, or what your thoughts on the products we go this month were.

Ashlee xx.

Product Review: Dynamite Hot! Chilli with Beans.

Today I posted on my Instagram a photo of my lunch which I had picked up from Woolworths for $3.25. It was the Stagg Chilli “Dynamite Hot” Chilli with beans. I am not a fan of canned lunches, however when I noticed the big yellow exclamation bubble It sparked my curiosity, a quick check of the back to ensure I could in fact eat it and it was in our basket.

The can is 425g and is supposed to contain 2 serves. It claims to be “Ignited by Habanero peppers” which made me more eager to try it out; I definitely enjoy the habanero flavour. Serving the product is simple, you can use a stove top or a microwave. I used the microwave at work and just popped the contents of the can into a bowl and microwaved for 2 minutes on HIGH.

The chilli contained lots of beans and was meaty enough for my standards, with chunks of mince meat in a thick sauce. At first I didn’t seem to taste any heat and I was more than half the way through the bowl before it began to feel hot. Rather than being a sharp sting the chilli had a flavour and the heat built as you ate. The product left a nice tingle in my mouth and on my lips. On the last bite I did notice my nose get a little runny however it was nothing more than a few sniffles. If you were only having the recommended serving size, you probably wouldn’t feel much heat at all. To me it was delicious but just the same as any regular Bolognese that I make at home. On a scale of 1 to 15, where 1 is tomato sauce and 15 is my too hot to handle, I’d place this at a four.

Disappointingly, it was nothing spectacular, however I would purchase again if I needed a quick lunch with just a bit of a chilli hit. It was definitely delicious and the ratio of meat, tomato and beans was decent. The small amount of heat that did hit me lingered for at most ten minutes, with the tingly feeling in my mouth and on my lips lasting for at least five. If you’re like me and a bit of a chilli freak and looking for a nice burn, then it’s probably best to give this one a miss. It will fill you but will not result in sweats, tears or coughing.

The product is not fructose tummy friendly; it contains at least both garlic and onion. The product ingredient list is gluten free and has no cross contamination statement (a bit of a risk on my part in case they do manufacture in the same factory and just don’t list it), for obvious reasons it is neither vegan or vegetarian.

Until next time.

Ashlee. xx 

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook! 
I post real time photos on there and you can let me know if there are any products you have tried or would like me to try.

AGFL "The Box" - May

We moved into our own home over the weekend and yesterday. Yes, this 23 year old and her partner of 25 can say they own their own home and it feels great. Amongst all the moving and unpacking, my May gluten free box from 'Australian Gluten Free Life' arrived.
This is my second box, you can find my first box opening and first impressions here.
The cut off for the May box was Sunday the 17th and I received my box at work this morning.
I also received the second of my subscription boxes the Fortune Cookie Soap Box which you can find the review for here.

Again prices are $30AUD a month or $80AUD for 3 months. The cut off date for the June box is 5pm on Thursday the 11th of June. Boxes generally start shipping the third week of the month.

With all those details out of the way, let's get on to the box.

Once again, it came with a hand written tag and envelope.
There were eight items inside this months box and all but one were full size, the recipe card inside the envelope was for ANZAC biscuits.
I will edit this post later to give some further descriptions of what each product was like.

The first item that I pulled out of the box, I have decided I will eat for lunch tomorrow.

This is an instant All Natural Green Curry Soup. This soup is made with Konjac noodles, which are derived from an Asian root.
These soup cups will set you back $1.99AUD from Woolworths or Coles.

The soup itself was a tad watery, I would recommend not adding the boiling water to the line and perhaps just a little under it, if you want a thicker and fuller flavour.

The Brookfarm macadamia power food, this product is gluten-free and Paleo, it is also great for those on vegan and ketogenic diets according to the information card.

 The size of the packet is 500g and this packet from the Brookfarm website will set you back, $16.95AUD

I personally am not a big muesli or trail mix person, but this goes really well in a smoothie. At the time of editing this section in, I've had it in my morning breakfast smoothies for a week or so. It adds a lovely coconut and nutty flavour and also a bit of texture to my otherwise bland banana and greek yoghurt smoothies.

We also has in the box two packets of the Simply Wize, Barbeque CornCrunch.

These are roasted corn kernels in BBQ flavour. I have seen these in the shops previously but have never bought them.

You can't buy these 30g packets individually, however you can find the 150g box, containing 5 packets for $4.18AUD. 

I didn't like these on their own, the texture was a bit unusual for my liking, however I added them to my rice cooker with some rice, ham, sesame oil and soy sauce to make an incredible BBQ steamed 'fried' rice.

We got another breakfast bar, this one I enjoyed a lot, I love fruit bars that are essentially all natural fruit roll-ups.
The brand is The Australian Superfood Co.
I received the Ancient Rainforest Berry, raw bar.

This fine bar will cost you $4.50AUD which personally is a bit pricey, so I don't think I'll be repurchasing this product.

The sample sized product we received was from Stoney Creek. We got a small Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal. The brochure it was attached to contained, ways to use the Flaxseed as well as information on how to store it, how it was produced and other tid bits of information.
The card suggests using this over your morning cereal or gluten-free muesli.
You can get 1KG from their website for $11.30AUD

The Fever Tree Ginger Beer, looks appetizing. I've never had ginger beer before, Mr. B swears that it is the worst thing he has ever tried. I'll decide for myself.
It was difficult to find pricing for this one. The website only has wholesaler contacts and they didn't have a website. I did find that from Dan Murphys you can pay a 4 pack for $6.90AUD, which puts them at around $1.73AUD each

I can't wait to find a time to enjoy this.

The final product in the box is a very interesting item. The Virgin Coco Cocoarolls were something i had to try instantly. They are nutty, sweet and coconutty all at once. Both sweet and savoury as well. It isn't a surprise that the box is almost half gone between myself and Mr. B.

I was unable to find a price for this box, but we could estimate it based on similar products at around $5AUD a box, that may be being generous.



All up, the box was certainly worth it this month. Those Cocoarolls, were something I would never have heard about if it wasn't for the box, same with the Fever tree company.
This box was a little harder to price but I estimate its worth ot be somewhere between $29 and $31AUD.

Until next time.
Ashlee.

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook! 
I post real time photos on there and you can let me know if there are any products you have tried or would like me to try.

AGFL "The Box" - April

As a Coeliac, when it comes to testing out new products, I personally am a bit hesitant. Not because i'm fearful that i may accidentally gluten myself, i've certainly had enough practice at reading labels these past seventeen years. It's because of the price tag and the fact that gluten free food doesn't always have the best taste. I would hate to spend money on a product, only to find out I don't enjoy it. Especially when the price is marked up for Gluten-Free.

In Early February, I found the Australian Gluten Free Life magazine at my local newsagent, I was instantly enthralled and bought a copy. The magazine comes out quarterly and they are currently up to Issue 4; If you are an Australian coeliac then you probably know it.
While I was reading that issue there was a lovely advert for their venture the AGFL "The Box", the first ever Australian gluten free subscription box.
That caught my attention. I hadn't heard of it before.
The box can be purchased month to month for $30AUD (including shipping) or as a 3 month subscription for $80AUD (including postage). You can find both box options and the option to subscribe to their magazine on their website.
Unfortunately, I couldn't afford the March box but I did manage to snag an April one; for my first box I just purchased a one month to ensure that I liked the box before committing to three months of it. After opening this box I can definitely say I will be subscribing to the three month option.

The box arrived today while I was at work and it took all my effort not to open it then and there. However I managed it; you can find photos and details of the contents of the April box below.

The box was in white, with a small blue sticker in the top corner and a gorgeous hand written tag. It's so cute. On the top inside of the box there was a welcome note, with their Instagram and facebook link. You can also hash tag your box pictures with #agflthebox for your chance to win another box.

On top of the baby blue tissue paper was an envelope with the same calligraphy font. Inside there was my product card, a promotional card for one of the products and a recipe card that used one of the products in the box.

 

There were nine samples in the box, all full size; I've tallied their prices and provided you with links to each of the companies, where you may be able to purchase the products and the product card descriptions. 

 Anathoth Farm; Sweet Chilli Relish.
"From a weekend market in New Zealand to supermarket shelves in Australia. Anathoth Farm has certainly grown over the last 26 years. Their Sweet Chilli Relish was awarded 2015 Relish of the year at the Australian Product of the Year Awards."
Stocked at Coles for $4.83AUD for 420g.

I had to taste this the moment I saw it. It is slightly spicy, but with a nice natural tang of sweet. Absolutely delicious.

 Blue Dinosaur: Paleo Bars, Ginger Nut.
"Made from just five ingredients (apricots, almonds, coconut, coconut oil and ginger) there are no hidden nasties in Blue Dinosaurs Paleo Bars. Not only are they preservative free they're also free from gluten, dairy, soy and have no added sugar"
You can by these online in packs of 12 for $47.40AUD.

 Cobs Popcorn; Slightly Salty and Slightly Sweet
"Cobs Natural Range is made from 100 percent wholegrain corn and is free from anything artificial. The 30g bags are the perfect cure for 3.30-itis"

I am not sure about these 30g packs, but you can buy the 80g packs for $2.85AUD from Woolworths.

 La Zuppa; Tom Yum Soup
"For a super simple gluten-free snack all you need is boiling water when you have La Zuppa in the pantry. The new Just Add Water range is available in five delicious flavours"

I'm not sure if there were other flavours sent out but I managed to get Tom Yum soup.

You can buy these packs that contain two servings each at Woolworths for $2.99AUD.

Spotted Cow Cookies;Triple Chocolate Fudge
"What's a cuppa without a good biscuit to acompany it. The Spotted Cow Chocolate Fudge Cookie is a chocolate lovers dream. It's made with pure couverture milk and white chocolate pieces"
This was hands down my favourite product, with the relish coming a close second. I adore chocolate and this cookie was moist and fudgy.
Sadly there aren't many stockists in Victoria, they have a list on their website, but you can also buy them in packs of 12 on sale at the moment for $24.75AUD

Pukka, Incredible Organic Herbs; Tea Samples
"Put the kettle on take five with a delicious herbal tea from Pukka. Their teas are certified organic and are made from ingredients that have been sustainably harvested"
There are three samples;
Love: Rose, Chamomile and Lavender
Peppermint & Licorice: Self explanatory really
Revitalise: Cinnamon, Cardamon and Ginger

As far as I can see, you can only buy these online at their site for $7.95AUD for a box of 20.

 Lucky Nuts: Almond Meal with Chia.
"Almond meal has long been a staple of gluten-free baking. Now thanks to Lucky you can enjoy the same great tasting almond meal with added health benefits in Lucky Almond Meal with Chia and Lucky Almond Meal with Quinoa"
I believe both of these products which are new on the market were sent out in the boxes. I received the Almond meal with chia. This is a product I will definitely use.
As a new product I can't find a price but the traditional almond meal is $10.99AUD.

When taking into the considering the size of portions and full size products the total of the box is $27.88AUD.
For the $30AUD including shipping I think that this box is totally worth it. I do enjoy tea, I loved the cookies, I love baking with almond meal. The relish was insane and I love both the popcorn (from previous experiences) and i have had great experiences with the microwaveable tub soups from La Zuppa. I am not a big fan of health food bars and it is probably not an item I will purchase for myself but I am definitely willing to give the blue dinosaurs a go.

I will be subscribing to the box again.; so you'll see a whole new unboxing blog post next month.

Ashlee xx

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook! 
I post real time photos on there and you can let me know if there are any products you have tried or would like me to try.

A Coeliac Easter

When everyone around you begins buzzing with the talk of chocolate and large family lunches, you can almost be positive that Easter is around the corner.

This year my office is preparing an Easter egg hunt. I will watch as my co-workers devour their findings but being a coeliac I will more than likely be unable to consume any myself.
Upsetting though it may seem I have over the last 17 years learned to deal with events or occasions. Thankfully as I always had my mum looking out for me as a chocolate loving kid, I never felt deprived.

If this year is your first Easter as a coeliac or gluten intolerant then I hope you find this post useful. If you are here looking to cater for a coeliac of gluten intolerant;  friend,  co-worker, significant other or family member; thank you. Finally if you are a seasoned coeliac please feel free to leave your own tips and helpful information in the comments.

The number one rule when it comes to Easter Eggs  is of course, as always read the labels. Manufacturers can always change the ingredients lists or add allergen statements without you knowing unless you read. There are multiple guides to be found online about how to read labels or you can check out my own little guide which can be found here. 

The second rule when it comes to chocolate and Easter is that it is always safer to avoid flavours and fillings. Ask yourself, does this have a gooey peppermint center, if the answer is yes then it is safer to leave it out.

One of the most common unsafe ingredients added to chocolate bars is Barley Malt Extract which can be found in a variety of chocolates including Lindt and Maltesers.There is however no need to fret, there are still some Gluten Free eggs that us chocolate lovers or our kids can indulge in this Easter weekend.  

Of course the celebrations aren't limited to chocolate; family get-to-gethers, friendly catch-ups and all sorts of other events can take place over a long weekend.

Some great tips if you are eating out over the Easter period can be found here.  

If you are going to a family or friends for lunch or dinner, don't forget to let them know or remind them about your allergies. The one thing I've had to remember is that just because gluten, cross-contamination and crippling food allergies are at the front of your mind doesn't mean that everyone else will remember. In fact from my experience more than half the people, including my extended family will forget that I can't have that gravy they've just poured all over my baked potato.

A few ways you can ensure that you don't go hungry but don't feel like a burden are:

• Offer to bring a side dish or small part of the meal
• Eat before hand.
• Pack some sneaky back up snacks, just in case!

Whilst the chocolate isn't all Easter is about, if you have children or maybe a 23 year old obsessed with chocolate, it's a big part of the holiday.

Although nothing beats reading the ingredient labels and I still strongly reccomend you do; I have compiled a list of the most popular brands in Woolworths, Coles and other department stores and have created a quick glance guide as to whether or not they are gluten free.

Gluten Free 4 U Birthday Present

Many seasoned Coeliacs who live in Melbourne will know of the Gluten Free 4 U bakery, first established in Moorabbin; and then later opened up a store in Kew.

Contact Details

5 / 1-3 Bignell Road, Moorabbin VIC 3189                                1345 Burke Road, Kew VIC 3101

Phone: 03 9555 5175                                                                    Phone: 03 9817 6981                    

Being from the west of the state both of these stores are over forty minutes away making them hard to get to.
I had never been to the stores and have never gotten around to ordering anything for delivery however I desperately wanted to try some of their goodies. I got lucky when on the day before my party one of my friends (who has a partner on that side of town) mentioned that they would be in Moorabbin (in fact they were just around the corner from the store) for her partners university open day.
I quickly mentioned that there was a lovely Gluten free store over there that I wanted to try and she offered to stop by and pick me up some items as a birthday present.
I mentioned to her my love of cheese and bacon scrolls (my father used to give these to me when I was younger, even after I was diagnosed; before I could realize the full extent of the damage it was causing me) and that it had been two or so years since I had eaten one. (I had managed to get one from the now closed down gluten free store located in Keilor East, which happened to be right down the street from my at the time house).

She managed to find the last two fresh scrolls in the store. The first I ate cold, too excited to taste the delicious scroll to pop it in the microwave and warm it. I literally popped it into my mouth the second she handed me the bag; thanking her most ungracefully with a mouthful of crumbs. The second I had for breakfast the morning after my party, this one I did warm up slightly.

The scrolls were divine, they were cheesy without tasting artificial and the cheese added a softness to the scrolls. The second one was a bit tougher on the edges due to having sat in the bag overnight but once warmed it did soften considerably. It was heavenly to be able to bite into warm soft bread that tasted like actual bread. There was plenty of bacon pieces to keep me satisfied as well. I am not so patiently awaiting the next chance I will get to head down to Kew and try another scroll.




As a surprise she also bought me a $15 gluten free muffin tray. In the tray there were three different flavours of muffin; Chocolate, Chocolate Chip and Blueberry.

It's safe to say that the muffins didn't last til mid-week. I shared the first three with Brody for his comments on how it tasted (from a non-gluten free eater viewpoint). The second chocolate chip muffin I shared with my Mother. The chocolate muffin became my Tuesday morning breakfast and I devoured the second blueberry this morning for breakfast.

These muffins were moist and soft to eat. The chocolate had a bit of an overpowering taste of cocoa, a bit powdery and bitter. Not that I mind, I enjoy the sharp flavour of cocoa.

Blueberry Muffin

The blueberry was a fairly plain muffin and you didn't get much flavour other than unflavoured muffin mix until you hit a blueberry, the blueberries were juicy and popped slightly when you bit into them. They were sweet enough to forget about the plain muffin but not overly sickly sweet. If there
had been more blueberries or even just better dispersed through the muffin this would have easily been my favourite.




My favourite only by a small margin was the chocolate chip muffin. A pretty standard muffin flavour but the muffin was soft and moist with large quantities of chocolate chips scattered throughout. Whereas in the blueberry I could take a few bites of plain muffin with no berries, the chocolate chip was mouthful after mouthful of melty chocolate pieces and muffin.



An absolutely delicious birthday surprise. For those of you in the area of Moorabbin or Kew, who haven't already you should definitely pop in and try some of their goodies.

Ashlee xx

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Birthday; Work Celebration

At work we have a birthday roster; every time there is a birthday in our area, one of the other people is tasked to get a cake or other celebratory dessert to help celebrate.
When I first signed up to go on the roster I was a bit worried about how much someone would have to spend for a cake for me. I hate burdening people, it is something that I feel very uncomfortable about; so as it got closer to my birthday I reminded my co-worker that they could opt for a Pavlova or even suggested that he buy a traditional cake for the rest of our co-workers and I provide my own gluten free cupcake.

When I got into work today, I received the 'meeting' request for my birthday and as the clock ticked over to two we all piled into the lunch room where there was a box from 'Cupcakes by Paolo'. Now on their website they don't specify that they are able to do cupcakes to cater for allergens however my co-worker was assured that the cupcakes we received were gluten free (the real test will be if I suffer any gluten poisoning over the weekend).
The back of the box does state that they do cupcakes to cater for gluten intolerances however they ARE made in the same facility as their normal cupcakes just with a second lot of tools (for gluten free only)

My co-worker ordered 13 cupcakes, 7 in chocolate lovers delight and 6 in oh so red velvet. Each cupcake had a swirl of icing and heart sprinkles (these I removed and did not eat due to most people not knowing that they could potentially have gluten in them)

The cupcakes were moist, soft and delicate. I can't judge about whether they were gluten free based on their taste alone as I can't remember the taste of a cupcake. The chocolate lovers delight were fudgy and jam packed with chocolate, while the red velvet cupcake with buttercream frosting were sweet and simple.

As long as I have no glutened side affects, these were perfect gluten free cupcakes. As it was a surprise I have no idea about the price of each but I am sure that if you contacted the store they could give you a quote.

Birthday Weekend; La Rustica Restaurant

I had intended to blog about our Saturday night dinner which was spent at the Hard Rock Café in Surfers Paradise. We couldn't wait to get back there after Brody and I went to the Hard Rock when we first took a trip to Surfers in 2010 and we have also been to the Hard Rock Café in Sydney. Both of those times I had a decent amount of gluten free options to choose from, however that was not the case this time.
We arrived, took our seats and opened up the menu. Three options greeted me; entre sized nachos ($20AUD), grilled Tasmanian salmon and steak.

I tend to shy away from heavy red meat dishes; they tend to bloat me and make me feel lethargic, so the steak was off the cards. We has ventured to the local Sushi Train (I desperately want this chain to take off down here in Melbourne, it was amazing to walk down the street and be able to not only have sushi but a sushi train) for lunch, meaning I wasn't in the mood for grilled salmon. This resulted in me ordering the nachos. For the size of the plate the price was fine however I wasn't anywhere near finishing the portion; it's definitely more of a share platter.
After Saturdays' experience I can't say that we will be returning to the Hard Rock Café again; I'm not sure why they have removed a lot of the gluten free options from the menu but with only three options left I cannot say I was impressed.

Our last night in Surfers found us not sure where to go for dinner, we had spent the entire day at Movie world and were well past the point of exhaustion.
A few months ago I downloaded the Gluten Free Eating Directory app. When I first got it I spent a whole car ride using the 'near me' feature to find new and exciting gluten free venues. Although it does not have EVERY restaurant that caters for gluten free (for example my local Hogsbreath will do gluten free and have gluten free possible options on the menu but are not featured on the directory) they tend to have smaller and less known places, hidden gems.
I gave the app a tap and opened up the near me locator. The first option on the menu was only a kilometre away from the hotel on the strip, easy enough to walk to; La Rustica Restaurant.

La Rustica Restaurant is a family owned restaurant; with two Italian brothers and a Turkish in-law by their own admission.
The restaurant would be hard to find if you aren't keeping an eye out; it is literally a small hole in a wall of colours with a few tables out the front.

 

After you enter the store, the front section is a take away counter and then through some beaded curtains to a rustic and quaint little dining area. The décor is mostly wooden, with photos of the family on trips and vacations, the wall next to us was adorned with definitely currency from around the world.

The menu was littered with tiny little (g) icons, my eyes lit up every time I read one of the options that I was able to eat. Brody begged me to share a starter plate with him, he had been craving Queensland prawns, talking about how fresh they always were.
We shared a gluten free garlic prawns on rice. Brody almost forgot to order the prawns gluten free and after correcting him I heard the waiter speaking to the kitchen "gluten free order, change pans"
The sauce was  delectable, so much so that even Brody was wiping his finger across the plate. We had two prawns each, all around eight to ten centimetres each if stretched out. They were most definitely fresh and incredibly tasty. I'm not a big prawn fan. The rice underneath had soaked up the sauce and was light and fluffy. There was a small side salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

Brody ordered the no so gluten free lasagne (although there was a gluten free option available) for $19AUD and he couldn't finish the serving size, definitely a great price. I had been searching for a risotto or pasta dish that I didn't have to cook myself and was tossing up between a gluten free carbornara or a dish called the matthew's chicken (don't quote me I might have it wrong).
I ended up ordering the latter, a tomato based sauce with chicken pieces, semi-sundried tomatoes and gluten free penne pasta.

The pasta was perfectly cooked, the sauce was like the usual creamy tomato pasts or risotto and the sundried tomatoes weren't chewy or hard. I added extra chilli flakes for a bit of a spicy kick.
It was $3AUD extra for Gluten free (total of $23AUD) for mine.

This is a little hidden gem on the strip and it was well worth the visit. I will be returning next time I am in Surfers Paradise.