Inspirations at home - follow up

Last month I posted that I was having an inspirations at home party, it was a great night with some great taste testing. I got given some samples to make up some food/treats for everyone. The products they have are fantastic and soooo yummy, I ended up with 5 tubs of goodness and cant wait to try them all out. (So far I have only had the Meze dip mix and the hot chocolate)
If you want to get anything head too: http://www.yourinspirationathome.com.au/ (all gluten free apart from 2 products and all natural)

First meal out on LCHF

I was a bit nervous eating out for the first time on my new eating plan (LCHF) but to my surprise it wasn't that bad. We went to Star Bar for our UrbanFX end of year break up, Star Bar is my favourite at the moment as they have so many gluten free options (chicken schnitzels and pizza!) and great food.
I found some San Choy Bow and steamed greens with butter. Went down a treat (I used to HATE butter).
Fingers crossed I can keep up this eating plan as it takes a lot of preparation for lunches, snacks and shopping.

Low Carb, High Fat - new eating plan

Recently I went to a dietician at the Diabetes health Centre Launceston as I am still suffering from stomach pains, bloating, cramps, gas and much more. My mother recommended I go as it seems to be the way a lot of people are going with their diets.
At first I didn't like the idea at all of eating high fat and low carb, I was very sceptical about it all. Reason being, I am so used to having 2 fruit, 3 veg, some protein and some carbs. This is how a lot of people eat and its hard to change your ideas on food intake. But I decided to give this a go and see if it could really help me feel better all over.

In short I have cut out all carbs (fruit, rice, starches, gluten free wheat alternatives, processed foods, sugar in any form) and am now sticking to all natural sources of fats such as coconut/olive oils, meat and meat fat, eggs, cheese and milk (goats for me), nuts and more, along with veggies. We need to look at as the way our ancestors used to eat, everything from the land and fruit only when it was in season (so as a treat). Back then there were a lot less issues with diabetes, obesity, food allergies, bowl/stomach issues and probably a lot more.

I have been given so many tips and joined a few Facebook pages so its been very overwhelming and an overload of information. I must admit though I am feeling better already and its only been 1 week. I have lost about 2kg in fluid as you lose a lot of un-needed fluid first up. I am still really hungry as I am used to snacking a fair bit, so will need to find some different options and up my fat a bit I reckon.

I will try and keep my blog updated on how I am going with this new eating plan (not calling it a diet as I am not really doing it to loose weight, thats just a bonus if I do!) Some people may not agree with this eating plan and that ok, I just want to give it a go and see what happens!

Big Brekkie at Birdseed

On the weekend I took my Dad out for some gluten free tucker, we headed to Birdseed and took the puppy dog with us. We sat outside in the small outdoor are and were like always greeted with a cheery smile and a welcoming atmosphere. We were starving, so there was only one glaring option to satisfy the hunger and that was the big brekkie with the works.
When the food arrived on our table our jaws dropped, WOW it was certainly a big brekkie. The meal was superb and certainly satisfied. Dad enjoyed having gluten free bread and was impressed with all the things they make in-store.
To top things off one of the girls working there bought us out a bite sized treat, it was like a bready, doughy bit of cake with strawberry/banana on top and drizzled with a very tasty warm chocolate sauce.
The whole meal and dining experience was fantastic, 10/10!
https://www.facebook.com/BirdseedTweet

Waffles for lunch

One of my favourite places to eat now is Samuel Pepy's, its all gluten free and caters for many other allergies. They are now open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch which is wicked. The people are so friendly and the atmosphere is great.
I had heard a lot about the waffles they serve so I had to see for myself how good they are. Yes, I ordered them for lunch and I don't regret it. They were fantastic, light, good texture, fresh and served with the right amount of banana and soy ice-cream. For all those sweet tooth's out there, if I were you I would be heading over to Yorktown Square ASAP!!
https://www.facebook.com/samuelpepyscafe

(photo taken from Samuel Pepys Instagram, my phone died on me when I went to take the photo) 

Peanut butter raw brownie

Today on my day off I had a craving for something from the Garden of Vegan. I was really exciting for an almond chai and a treat but unfortunately they had run out. So instead I got a chocolate peanut butter raw brownie. It was amazing, that's all I have to say. Garden of Vegan is the best!

Le Cafe on St George

Today I went for lunch with my Grandparents, we were heading to the Tower cafe in the old hospital but it was shut so we drove up and decided to check out Le Cafe on St George. Its a very small but cute little cafe with a nice outlook to the park.
The menu didn't list anything gluten free but we thought we would take the chance. The only option I could see was a warm chicken salad, unfortunately the chicken had been pre marinated with a gluten sauce, so the waitress offered fresh ham from the butcher next door (we even saw her run over and get some). The salad was really nice in the end with a few changes, so sometimes it shows just to ask.
My suggestion though would be to not go there for breakfast or lunch as there wasn't really anything available. They did have though Birdseed cakes and the coffee smelt great.
https://www.facebook.com/LeCafeOnStGeorge

Easy lentils and pork

In my GoodnessMe box I got this lentil mix (which they sell at Coles, in few flavours). It was so simple to make and tasted great. I added grilled pork cutlets, goats yoghurt and corriander to top it all off. Simple, healthy and very tasty!

GoodnessMe Box

So I have signed up to receive Goodness Me Boxes monthly and its the greatest thing I have ever received in the mail. Each time I get a beautifully wrapped package full of healthy gluten free goodies. Its a great chance to try new things, get discounts and discover new products for only $25.
If your into items that are organic, raw, vego, vegan, allergy friendly I would suggest you get one and see what you think, you can sign up for 1 only or sign up for a year.

These pictures are of the 2 boxes I have received so far from: http://www.goodnessmebox.com/

Your Inspiration at Home Party

I am hosting a party soon with Your Inspiration at Home and I cant wait! All of their products are gluten and dairy free except 1 white hot choc and a glaze.
If anyone is keen to buy some products have a look at their catalogue and let me know soon.
http://yourinspirationathome.com.au/shop-unique-blends.php

Catering with TLA

Recently I went to a 5 day HSR training course at the Silverdome and we were lucky enough to have each day catered morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Of course I made sure my request for gluten and dairy free went through and gee was I spoilt. I got my own plate of food each meal and got given so much, way more then I would normally eat at each sitting. (not complaining though)
For morning and afternoon tea I got items such as cakes, mini pizzas, yoghurt and berries, pies, sausage rolls and more. For lunch I always got a fantastic hot item and these really great wraps full of meat and salad (I need to get the recipe for these soft bendy wraps!) I could not fault any of TLA's food whatsoever and they got the help from my favourite cafe, Birdseed!

So we thought we would try them out at work for a staff meeting, TLA certainly didn't let us down. The food was great and everyone enjoyed it. Of course I got my yummy gluten free goodies separately and they made sure all the hot food was safe.

I would be recommending them to anyone who wants catering but especially gluten free, they did a great job!

Contact details:
Sarah Bertels

Event Manager - Albert Hall
sarah@alberthalllaunceston.com.au
0417 583 474

Belly's Bar & Grill, Latrobe

After a wonderful weekend away at Cradle Mountain, we came home through Sheffield and Latrobe. It was about 3pm on Sunday and we hadn't yet had lunch. We tried the Axeman's Hall of Fame, but the kitchen was closed, along with 2 other cafes that were closing or didn't have any gluten free items. After nearly giving up we tried the Belly's Bar & Grill on the main road, they were open, cooking and had plenty of gluten free alternatives on the menu. The staff were very friendly and helpful and offered me many yummy things on the menu, they even had gluten free bread for the burgers/bruschetta. I ended up with a simple warm chicken salad but it was very yummy and a good price.
Certainly stop here if your ever heading through Latrobe, especially at a bad time as they seemed to be the only decent thing open.

(forgot to take a photo and they don't have a website or Facebook page)

Cashew chicken

My favourite stirfry yet would have to be cashew chicken. It's so simple yet so tasty. I used to use frozen mixed veggies in it, but have soon realised fresh veggies taste so much better!
My pictures pretty much explain the whole thing! (best with noodles)

Raw/health food bars

I have an obsession with raw food bars at the moment, I search the isles of the supermarket for new things every week. Raw food would be the ideal diet for me and I would love to give it a go, but it is very expensive to get set up and its not everyone cuppa tea. Recipes are easy to find as its very popular at the moment, so I am going to try as much as I can, well anything thats easy that is.
For now I am sticking to these raw/health bars, the Counter Bar from Coles is great, they have a huge range of bars for all taste buds. Be careful though as not all of them are gluten free (some have oats). The raw chocolate and raw date almond and chia are my favourite. Great little pick me up.
The other ones are Macro from Woolworths, they are a chocolate bar substitute I suppose. They are fantastic, cheap and a rather large bar.
All of these bars are filling and a much healthier option!

baked goodies from Birdseed

Whenever I want a cake, a sweet treat or just something tasty and gluten free I head to Birdseed in Prospect. They do wonderful cakes and sweet treats that can be taken away or you can dine in for lunch too. We ordered a cake for work and it was the most dense, moist, tasty and mouth watering gluten free cake we have ever had, plus I ordered it the afternoon that I picked it up. I took my Mum there for lunch once and she couldn't believe the food being served was gluten free, she thought it was great too!
You can find Birdseed at: https://www.facebook.com/BirdseedTweet

Burger Junkie food van

Everyone likes takeaway but unfortunately its not that easy for us coeliacs. But don't worry I have found some great takeaway spots that we can safely eat in Launnie. Burger Junkie food van is one of them. Serve different burgers weekly and can do all of them up gluten free. The bread buns they use are awesome, taste so fresh and real! I had a wagyu beef burger with mustard and pickle and lots of other goodness. It was a wonderful burger and very filling, plus a good price too. The staff were very helpful and happy to work with my allergies. Unfortunately I couldn't eat the chips/fries, they looked awesome though!
To find them you will need to like their Facebook page as they change locations each night.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Burger-Junkie/1422632987961758 

Peanut butter icecream

Yeop it's gluten free and tastes pretty wicked! (even though I shouldn't be eating dairy, Ooops!)

Lunch at Net19

Today is an RDO for Aaron so I decided to take the day off too and go for lunch at Net19 in Newstead. It's a fancy fish and chip Cafe in a groovy little complex. They had a few gluten free options on the menu but I couldn't resist the calamari salad. They also do chips that are gluten free because they have a separate deep fryer for chips. The whole meal was oamazing, the salad has this awesome aioli on it and a sweet soy dressing. I wish the meal never ended.
I washed it all down with an organic ginger beer. Yum yum yum is the best way to describe this meal/Cafe.

Coconut & Lime chicken with wombok salad

I invited my Dad and his partner over for dinner when we moved into our new place earlier this year and I wanted to cook something, simple but effective but different to what I normally do. I searched the net and found a recipe for coconut and lime chicken with a wombok salad on the Coles website. I had all the ingredients in the pantry. just needed to get the fresh veggies and chicken.
When the chicken was cooked it looked a bit like crumbed fish fillets, so I fooled Dad as he got chicken not fish!
It was a great fresh light meal that would be fantastic for a BBQ or warm summers night, of course I am odd and had it in Autumn/winter. But I do have it for lunch today and I am very excited!
Here is the recipe: http://recipes.coles.com.au/recipes/3609/lime-coconut-skewers-with-wombok-salad/

Thai chicken and pasta

I was scrolling through the pages of the Women's Health website and came across this healthy and very quick recipe. I reckon it took me about 15 minutes to prepare and cook this meal and it tasted great!
The only thing different was that I used red thai curry paste and chicken thigh as its nicer then breast.
Also I found a new pasta at Coles, its Heinz gluten free and comes in a wide range of pasta styles. I used the Penne and couldn't fault it: http://www.heinz.com.au/Our-Products/Gluten-Free/Pasta/Gluten-Free-Penne

Here is the link to the recipe, I forgot to take a photo of this one but it did look enticing.
https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/womens-health/nutrition/recipes/recipe/-/7870442/thai-chicken-and-pasta/

Remember, just because the recipe or food label doesn't say gluten free doesn't mean it isn't. A lot of the food I eat doesn't mention gluten free, but if you read the label well enough you will soon discover a lot of items on the shelves that are safe. I substitute a lot of things in recipes with gluten free options.

Beef and Kidney stew

Just recently I had a real craving for beef and kidney, not sure why as kidney's is not always a popular choice. Plus I haven't had it since I was a little girl, but I decided to give it a go.
I didn't use a recipe just looked some up online and spoke to mum about what I should put in the dish, I also wanted to use my slow cooker. So I decided I would create and just see what happens, this is what I did/used:

• ox beef kidneys
• mushrooms
• beef blade stead
• beef stock cubes
• worcestershire sauce
• tomato past
• salt & pepper
• mashed potato to serve with 

I chopped all the meat, kidneys and mushrooms into chunks and put 2 cups of beef stock in with a good drizzle of the worcestershire sauce. Also half a tin of tomato paste and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and stirred it all together.

I put the slow cooker on at 1pm on a low heat and turned it off about 7.30pm and everything was cooked really well. I must admit though I used too many kidneys as they were a bit overwhelming and I think next time I will add some bacon for the extra flavour and texture.
This meal is great for an iron fix and if you want something with lots of flavour!

Curried sausages with a twist

I haven't posted anything for a while, I have been rather slack but also not getting out and about discovering new food or creating.
Anyways lets get back into it by sharing a curried sausages dish I did for Mothers Day. I found it on Food.com when searching for a recipe. Its soooooo easy to make and most of the ingredients are in the cupboard, I just had to get fruit chutney and apple sauce. You will find that most sausages these days are already gluten free, so us coeliacs are spoilt for choice as to what kind we want.
This dish is great for a wintery night or just a hearty meal if you chock it full of vegetables. I also added sultanas which is a perfect addition. (I forgot to take a photo, ooops)
http://www.food.com/recipe/curried-sausages-198901

Dinner at Levee Food Co.

We went out for dinner for my partners birthday at Levee Food Co. at the Seaport. It's a great venue and good service plus they have plenty of gluten free things. I had a Levee pizza for entree then had the chicken, mushroom, bacon and spinach risotto for main. If I knew the main was going to be so big I wouldn't have ordered a pizza! But yum yum, the meals were. So good and filling. Not the best g/f pizza but not bad. Somehow we managed to spend $115 for 2 people but oh well it was good food for a good reason! 

http://www.leveefoodco.com.au/

Ham Steak and Pineapple

I looooovvee Ham Steak and Pineapple and came across some in the Coles supermarket on the weekend that were labeled gluten free. I have eaten them in the past but I had to read the ingredient list to check they were ok, now we don't have too. Along with them I had some hot chips (from the frozen section of the supermarket) they are something I always have to check though as I never remember which ones are gluten free.
Its certainly one quick, mess free dinner but a little bit naughty (I need to make more time to prepare my own potato/sweet potato chips!)

Chilli Con Carne

I have been struggling to find a Chilli Con Carne base thats gluten free (for those days you cant be bothered making things from scratch) but when browsing the health food section at Coles I came across this one. All you needed to add was a tin of crushed tomato's, kidney beans and mince and is great for people with lots of allergies or health concerns. Then serve with either rice, corn couscous or corn chips. It was very easy to make and tasted fantastic, I also added some avocado spread on top to give it some extra kick. I have had a few of these sauces now and they are all pretty good, but are a bit more expensive then sauces from the asian/indian etc. section.

Blue Cafe, Inveresk

My brother was heading back home to the Army in January, so we went out for lunch at Blue Cafe, Inveresk to say one last goodbye. I hadn't eaten there for a while so was interested to see how the menu had changed. There was too much to choose from as I wanted to have about 3 of the dishes on the menu. I decided to go with a small serving of the quail and a side of chickpea fries. The quail was beautiful and the salad that accompanied it was really tasty, now the fries, these were quiet different. An unusual taste and texture as I think they were made fully from chickpea flour. The aioli that came with them though was terrible, so I asked for a relish instead and that was nice. I am not sure if I would recommend the fries but certainly the quail and all the other meals on our table looked really good.
http://www.bluecafebar.com.au/

Cataract Bistro

We went to the new revamped Cataract Bistro for a friends birthday recently and I was quiet excited as everyone had been talking about the new stone grill meal, where you get raw meat and cook it yourself. So I just had to have it, along with calamari and chirozo salad for entree.
The entree was really nice and quite big but thats cool with me, then my main came out and looked very exciting. It had veggies on the side the steak plonked on the hot stone ready to be cooked, so you just cut bits off cook them dip them in a gravy (gluten free, yay) and eat, repeat! It was really fun, fresh and a new dining experience. Worth checking out!

The Taste, Hobart

Over New Years a friend and I went to the Taste down in Hobart for a day trip. Unfortunately we didn't give ourselves enough time to really sit back and relax but thats ok the weather was pretty miserable and I dressed like it was summer (because it was in Launceston!). We did a lap of the venue checking out all the food stall and bumping into so many people, it was packed! We were first drawn to a Willie Smiths organic cider which was a good start to the experience.  After much contemplating I found a place called Mint that did healthier options such as rice paper rolls, salads and buns. I ordered a rice paper roll and a Vietnamese salad that had satay chicken in it with a huge variety of good veggies. To my surprise the serving was huge, so certainly value for money. We sat outside on these chairs that were covered in fake grass, it was great apart from the rain! I was soon thirsty so went and checked out the Franks cider tent, I went to go with an apple cider until the lady suggested I try the cherry cider, I am not a big fan of cherry flavoured things but this was really really good. Now it was dessert time, we picked this out as soon as we walked into the venue, dark chocolate mousse with raspberries and a walnut apple crumble topped with caramel icecream. All I have to say about these is WOW! Coeliacs really are spoiled for choice, sometimes too much. We left the Taste feeling very full and over indulged, but it was totally worth the calories and the drive down!
(I just had to take a pic of this cute little bus/van that sold icecream!)

lunch at the Basin Cafe

While my brother was down from Townsville we took him to the Basin Cafe for lunch after a tiring day at the boxing day sales. I love eating here and the setting is wonderful, overlooking the pool and the Basin also the chairlifts going overtop.
The menu at the Basin Cafe have gluten free items listed and do a really nice gluten free bread. I went with the chicken curry served with rice and bread (note sure why it came with bread?) but I didn't care because it was really good and one of the better curries I have had. I demolished the whole thing quiet quickly. They also do a wicked breakfast, yum!
http://www.launcestoncataractgorge.com.au/basincafe.html

My favourite ingredient this Spring/Summer

We all have one or a few ingredients we always buy when grocery shopping and mine for Spring/Summer would have to be fresh coriander. The flavours are so good and it can be put in so many dishes. I always use it in a fresh salad as part of my lettuce and sometime pop some into a stir-fry. When cooking/creating with it be careful as its not everyone cuppa tea (I have a friend who will not eat a dish even if it got coriander sprinkled on top as a garnish!).
Think I might have to go grow my own as I eat that much of it!

Apple Crumble

With my big bag of local orchard apples I decided to stew them myself and make apple crumbles with them. Stewing them was easier then I thought and they tasted really good. I then got a recipe out of my 4 ingredients cook book so therefore the crumble was really easy to make and cook. I put them in individual pots and made sure they had plenty of crumble (got to have lots!). So good to be able to have some sweet treats and they be enjoyed by other (non gluten free) friends.

Apple Tea Cake

Before Christmas I went to an orchard and bought a bag of golden delicious apples, unfortunately I am not able to eat a whole bag of apples to myself in a week so I decided I wanted to stew them and make an apple tea cake. I found a recipe in one of my gluten free cookbooks and finally stocked my pantry up with some cooking ingredients etc.
It was rather easy to make with the help from Morgan being my cookbook reader-outer, the recipe didn't seem like it had enough stewed apple in it so I added some more. For my first attempt at apple tea cake and first time baking from scratch in sometime I don't think I did too bad!? (tasted a little gooey and for sure gluten free!) Check it out.