Glutafin Gluten Free Pizza Bases

I completely forgot I ordered a free sample of gluten free pizza bases. When I received a red card through the door saying I had a parcel waiting for me, I got really excited and thought it was an advent calendar. I was wrong, and luckily much happier to receive two gluten free pizza bases. 

Now, I am a huge fan of pizza. Its often hard to find gf oven pizza in the supermarkets (especially near my flat), so I am normally one to buy the bases from the shops and add my own topping, (I have become particularly good at making these after a trip to the pub). 

As this was an unexpected delivery, I wasn't really prepared for the occasion, so I raided my fridge of things I could add. Luckily I had tomato puree, so I added Pesto, Pepperoni, Sweetcorn, Onion, Chillies and extra mature Cheddar. 

The crust is outlined on the base before you cook it so you know where to leave the topping. 

I think in total it took around 15-20 minutes to cook in the oven, so slightly longer then normal pizzas. 

The base tasted amazing, it was the perfect size, held together really well, and the crust had an incredible crunch to it. 

Marks out of 10 on the scale of gf pizza bases? 10

I believe you can only order these at the moment (please correct me if im wrong).

Gluten Free Barcelona

Back in February, a group of us flew to Barcelona to spend the weekend with one of our friends, who was living out there as part of her year abroad at university. She had been living there for around four months by the time we went, so had worked out all the great places to visit being gluten free. And, as she was fluent in Spanish, I new I wouldn't have to worry when eating out. 

When I first arrived, one of the things that amazed me was how aware Spain is with Coeliac Disease. Almost everything gluten free is clearly listed on the packet 'Sin Gluten', meaning no gluten, so you could feel completely confident in what you were buying. 

We were staying in Esquerra d'Eixample which had local markets near by, and a health food shop. I bought chocolate rice cakes to snack on (demolish). 

Wondering around the city on the Saturday we discovered a gluten free and dairy free ice cream parlour called Gelaaati! This was perfect as one of my friends is dairy free, and as we were both craving something sweet, it was a god send.

Not all the ice cream was dairy free, but they had a few options to choose from, and not just sorbet. 

And gluten free cones! 

I went for a gf crepe, with Nutella of course. I watched them clean the plate before cooking, and get the batter from a different tub. They also changed their utensils which was just amazing. 

We spent the majority of the weekend munching through huge amounts of Paella, Patatas Bravas and various seafood dishes, not to mention the many glasses of Sangria. I avoided the obvious things that I knew would contain gluten, and felt absolutely fine the whole weekend. 

We also stumbled across a sweet shop with clearly labeled pick 'n' mix. 

The one place I did have difficulty was the airport on the way home. I recommend either eating before or taking a snack with you, as evan the rice salads they had at a coffee shop had 'may contain gluten' written on the back. 

Overall though, an exceptional trip, with no stressful/anxious eating situations. If you were ever hungry there was always going to be something you could eat.  

Maybe I will move there one day, I just need to expand my non existent Spanish vocab. 

Gluten Free Mince Pies from Waitrose

Yay, my first mince pie of the year. I am on a mission to sample every brand of gf mince pie before christmas (hard challenge). These arrived at my local Waitrose in Fulham last week, would have been rude not to buy them really. 

Four in a pack for £2.50 isn't too bad on the gf scale. 

As we all know there tends to be a lot more calories and fat in gluten free substitutes, I guess its because of the change of recipe they need to pack it out with all sorts of unhealthy things. These are 216 Kcal and 20.9 grams of sugar (I only discovered this after my second, and felt incredibly sick for the rest of the afternoon). The pastry hardly falls apart when you bite into it and the mincemeat is perfect. 

Mark out of 10: 8 

Too Good To Be Gluten Free - Quiche Lorraine

I first discovered the No.G range when I moved to London and took my first trip to Whole Foods. Quiche was something I was a huge fan of back in my gluten eating days, so was thrilled to discover that gf quiche existed. The price always put me off buying it, as it was £4 for a very small size, but every time I went in I loved eyeing up the shelves to see if the cost of these items had been lowered. 

This payday, I decided to treat myself. The price had been lowered to £3.50 (that 50p makes all the difference), and I was desperate to try. 

The size is small, I reckon you could eat one to your self with salad for lunch/dinner.

It tasted amazing. Exactly how I remember Quiche Lorraine tasting back in the day. The pastry had a really nice flavour to it, and although it didn't hold together so well (c'mon, this is gluten free after all, we aren't expecting miracles), and was tricky to get out of the foil tin, it was definitely strong enough to eat with your fingers if you wanted. Made with maple cured smoked bacon, extra mature Cheddar and Emmental cheese in a free range egg custard. Yum.

Available in Sainsburys, Whole Foods or online at Ocado. They have a full range of products including pies, tarts and cheesecakes. Website here. 

The only negative about this product is the price. 

Marks out of 10: 8 

Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at Gravetye Manor

For my birthday last week me and my family booked to have afternoon tea at Gravetye Manor. We researched for places that serve gluten free tea in Sussex and chose Gravetye Manor from the positive reviews on Coeliac UK. Its near East Grinstead, about 40 minutes from Brighton (I was home for the weekend). 

We had a warm welcome by the staff when we arrived, who greeted us with umbrellas from the car and walked us to the entrance. 

The historic manor is situated in beautiful gardens which would be perfect in the summer. The rooms start at £250 a night and with only 17 to choose from i'd recommend booking well in advance. 

We made our way to the sitting room which was small and cosy, and only a couple of other parties in there, making it peaceful and relaxing. As we had pre booked they where all ready with our two gluten free (for both me and my mum) and two normal cream teas. Any choice of tea is available from Green, Darjeeling, Assam, Earl Grey or just traditional English Breakfast. 

The gf afternoon tea was amazing, the scones where double the size of the normal scones, and the sandwiches came in a variety of fillings. I completely overindulged and it was fantastic.

My mum and dad suited and booted for the occasion. 

I cannot recommend this place enough, they were on point with the gluten free availability and completely accommodating to our needs.

Tea was £22 per person, each stand was for two people. Available everyday from 15:00 - 18:00. Book in advance.

Mark out of 10: 10

Gluten Free Leon

Leon is every coeliacs dream. I'd say around 80% of their menu was gluten free. It's the perfect place to grab a quick bite whether you are on your lunch break, enjoying a shopping trip, or just exploring the sights of London. Their menu is super heathy with clear guidence of allergens written under each item. Super healthy and super quick, I can't explain to you how much I love this place.

Imagine peering into a glass counter full of cakes knowing you can eat every single one? I know it sounds too good to be true, Leon have made is happen. Hallelujah! 

On my lunch break the other day I decided to treat myself to their Cranberry Bakewell, and my gosh I'm glad I did.

It's made with polenta and ground almonds amongst other yummy things, and topped with dried cranberries. Incredible.

Their restaurants are all over central London and Heathrow Airport. Visit their website here.