Yesterday marked the started of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I bet all of us knows one person with some sort of food allergy or intolerance. Please try and think of them and help them eat safely if you can do so. Remember: We all have to eat.

According to the Australian Food News, Coles will introduce ‘allergen-friendly labelling to its private labels‘ That’s really fantastic, something I thought they should have been doing anyway…

I have read on several sites that Domino’s has introduced a gluten free pizza crust across America. This has made very few people happy as the gluten free items are still cooked alongside the normal pizza’s, therefore technically not gluten free. Australian Domino’s have had a gluten free pizza crust for about a year now, with the same situation, just cooked right alongside normal pizza items.

I don’t see the point really, if the people that really need to eat gluten free cannot have items like this, then why bother?

Just in case you didn’t see my post last week, Woolworths have a nifty little tool on their site that shows you what Organic, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Lactose Free, Wheat Free, Sugar Free etc products your local Woolies has.

Got any gluten free news to share?

Gluten Free News and Views: Food Allergy Awareness Week, Coles Allergy Friendly Labelling, USA Domino’s is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

It was Mother’s Day here in Australia yesterday, if you are a mummy then I hoped yesterday was what you expected it to be. It was a lovely day for me and my wonderful boys made it special with lots of hugs and kisses and hand made pressies.

Weekly Menu Plan

Monday – Stirfry Vegetables with Steamed Rice

Tuesday – Gluten Free Tuna Pasta Bake

Wednesday – Gluten Free Lentil Loaf

Thursday – Gluten Free Curried Tuna Slice

Friday – Slow Cooker Lasagne

Saturday – I am off out for the night so the boys are fending for themselves.

Sunday - Simple Supper Night

Linking up with Org Junkie and Menu Plan Monday

Have a good week and Happy Mother’s Day for yesterday Mum

My Menu Plan with Gluten Free Meal Ideas is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

This week Woolworths have some Gluten Free and Allergy Friendly products on special in their weekly catalogue. I hope it is in recognition of Food Allergy Awareness Week, good on them if it is.

Gluten Free Specials

• 20% off total range of Freedom Foods
• Sweet William Dairy Free Blocks 100g – $2.49
• Ajitas Vege Chips 100g – $1.99
• Nuttelex Dairy Free Spread – $2.60
• macro Gluten Free Brownie Mix – $3.99
• macro Gluten Free Banana Bread Mix – $3.19
• macro Free From Dairy Dips – $2.99

and the best thing is the little blurb I found at the bottom of the page:

For a list of gluten free products available at your local store visit woolworths.com.au/healthyshopping

And I just checked it out, it is really handy! Be sure to check the ingredients again in store to be safe. Double checking can’t hurt.

Bravo Woolworths!

For fairness I also checked Coles catalouge for this week, no gluten free specials but there is a page on Gluten Free here.

Found any good Gluten Free Specials lately?

Disclosure: I was not asked or paid by Woolworths or Coles for this post.

image credit

Food Allergy Awareness Week and Gluten Free Supermarket Special at Woolworths is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

Hello everyone, hope all is well in your part of the world. It’s chilly in my part. Brrr….

Monday – Chicken Parmagania for the boys and Gluten Free Eggplant Parmagania for me

Tuesday – Gluten Free Tuna Pasta Bake

Wednesday –  Good Old comfort food – Snags for the boys and Gluten Free Potato Bake for all with lots of vegies. Might add a little tuna to the potato bake for my protein.

Thursday – Spiced Quinoa Pilaf with Corn and Broccoili – trying more quinoa recipes – this one is naturally gluten free. Let’s be honest though, I’ll probably need to cook ‘chicken on the stick’ for the boys as well

Friday –  Gluten Free Salmon Cakes with veg

Saturday – Simple Supper Night – yes its on a different night as here in Australia it is….

Sunday – Mother’s Day! Yay, I am lucky enough to have dinner cooked for me tonight.

Linking up with Org Junkie and Menu Plan Monday

My Menu Meal Plan with Gluten Free Ideas is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

Coeliac Disease is a growing issue. Just today I read that 1 million Australians now eat a gluten free diet. Interestingly of them, 250,000 are diagnosed Coeliac’s. Many of them are children.

Children of course go to child care, pre school, kindergarten and school. I often feel sorry for care givers and teachers these days having to worry about food and ensuring children with allergies are not in danger and catered for if there are special events.

My son was in his first year of school last year and to encourage fun learning, his teacher did lots of cooking activities and had lots of BBQ’s, picnics and parties.

Whenever I heard about them I often wondered what a mother of an allergic child would do. How much more worrying it would be to have to consider these situations and put alot of trust and faith not only in your child, but in your child’s teacher to understand the severity of it. Especially if the child’s teacher has not experienced food allergies previously.

When Anne contacted me to ask me to review her new book, ‘A Practical Guide to Supporting Children with Coeliac Disease and Gluten Intolerance’ I was delighted to say yes as a guide especially written for teachers and care givers would be so beneficial.

The book covers topics like what coeliac disease is and how to recognise it. Also has some wonderful food ideas for special occasions and even some yummy sounding recipes for cooking in the classroom.

As a coeliac reading this, I was happy with the information provided, all the important bases are covered like what gluten is, where it might be hiding and what foods are gluten free. My favourite part though is where Anne explains cross contamination and how to avoid it. No-one seems to understand how vital this is to coeliac’s so it is wonderful this has been included.

Also, Anne touches on how the child might be feeling, to not be able to have something the whole class is having is a very isolating feeling. School is hard enough as it is, especially in the younger years. To have an educator that understands this and is willing to make an effort is wonderful and this book makes it an easier process to do so.

It will be a wonderful resource. Perhaps it is a little disappointing that it is only geared towards the education  market. I would love to see something like available to everyone. It really would be a good starting guide for the newly diagnosed.

You can purchase the book, which is part of a series called ‘Meeting Special Needs’, for $24.95 from www.teachingsolutions.com.au

Teachers Resource: A Practical Guide to Supporting Children with Coeliac Disease & Gluten Intolerance by Anne Vize is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

I adapted this recipe from one of Finding Joy in My Kitchen. Obviously I left the mushrooms out, you could keep them in, I just had none.

Gluten Free Ham and Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 250 grams dried gluten free pasta – I used Orgran
• 100 grams sliced gluten free ham (or ham off a bone) diced
• 4 tablespoons gluten free plain flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup grated cheese

Method

• Cook the pasta as per instructions. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Meanwhile, mix the gluten free flour into a cup of milk. Pour into a heated saucepan and heat gently. Add another cup of milk and stir until thickens. Simmer for a few minutes.
• Add cream, heat gently.
• Add ham and stir while heating.
• Add 3/4 cup of the grated cheese and stir while it melts into the sauce.
• Drain the pasta. Pour into a oil sprayed baking dish.
• Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta, mixing gently through.
• Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese on top and bake in oven.
• Bake for 30 mins.
• Enjoy!

Gluten Free Recipe: Ham and Pasta Bake is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

Gluten Free news I have discovered from things I have read as well as news releases I have received.

Wheatfree.com.au

A new online store has opened just for us gluten free and wheat free folk. Wheatfree.com.au is chook full of all the products we need.

Celiac Awareness Month

May is Celiac Awareness Month in the USA. How lucky they get a whole month! The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has some great things in store including a round of posts by some wonderful gluten free bloggers. Something those of us not in America can enjoy, see here for the details.

(as a side note, celiac is spelt without the ‘o’ in America and Canada, if I am talking about USA based celiac related news I will spell it the way they spell it.)

Gluten Free Eating Directory

I have just discovered that this fabulous website now has an app to make it even easier to discover new products and businesses. Even better is that they have one for iPhone and Android! And its free!

Nut Free Bars

Like many schools and day care centres across Australia, my son’s school has declared it to be a nut free zone. My son takes this very seriously (as he should!) and reads every label before I put it into his lunch and even with products that have a ‘may contains’ statement we don’t put it into his lunchbox. This is why nut free bars are fantastic, I have found 2 gluten free nut free bars on the market, Freedom Foods and Food for Health.

Have you got any gluten free news?

Gluten Free News – Wheatfree.com.au, Celiac Awareness Month, Gluten Free Eating Directory, Nut Free Bars is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

Thank you everyone for entering my The Muppets DVD movie giveaway. I loved reading about your favourite Muppets character.

As there were so many enteries and they were all good, I did ask hubby for a hand in this one. He is also a Muppet fan from way back so he knew all the characters. So without further ado…

Winner One is….

Sonia!

and Winner Two is…

Judith!

Watch for email from me ladies

Stay tuned everyone else, I may just have another giveaway coming in the next couple of weeks

Disney Movie: The Muppets Giveaway Winners is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

Well hello Monday and hello to you all.

Monday – Gluten Free Ham and Pasta Bake with garlic bread (yes and gluten free)

Tuesday – Slow cooker sausage casserole with steamed rice and stir fry vegies

Wednesday – Gluten Free Tuna Rice Based Quiche

Thursday – Taco’s – boys with beef and me with beans, taco shells are gluten free

Friday – Gluten Free ‘Kentucky’ Baked Drumsticks with Seasoned Wedges

Saturday – Homemade Fish and Chips

Sunday – Super Simple Supper Night

Be sure to check out Org Junkie and all the menu plans linked up to Menu Plan Monday.

Have a good week – anything exciting planned?

My Weekly Menu Plan – with Gluten Free Meal Ideas is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe

Perfect Mashed Potato.  One of the yummiest things to eat surely but I am first to admit I am not very good at getting those lumps out. Last night I did it. Made the most delicious lump free potato mash ever.

The secret?

Steam the potatos. It is that simple. I usually boil them. Never again! Steam them and then mash them while they are hot with dash of milk and a scoop of butter and away you go. The best mash ever.

Oh and I used a double steamer, you know the saucepan set with the bottom saucepan full of water and the top saucepan with the holes in the bottom, has the vegies in it. (or potatoes in this case).

Really so simple. Oh and I am not claiming this idea as my own, I can only guess that 1,000′s before me have steamed before mashing but it is something I thought of doing last night when I was being lazy in the kitchen and didn’t want to wash an extra pot.

Do you love mashed potato as much as me?

Secret to Perfect Mashed Potato is a post from: Nellbe Gluten Free Copyright @ Nellbe