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.

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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.