Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes ARE Gluten Free

November 21, 2011


I think what made my holiday season even more special is finding out that Starbucks ginger bread lattes are gluten free! I was so thrilled! I had asked earlier that week to one of the non-coeliacs and he had said not to put the nutmeg topping and that would make it gluten free. BUT I go to a Starbucks that has three coeliacs working there and they ensured me it was gluten free. I had avoided them all last year because I read on forums that the gingerbread latte was not gluten free. Wanted to share the news as soon as I found out! When three Starbucks Coeliac Baristas say they are gluten free then they 100% are. Woohoo!

Go grab one today :) and Happy Holidays!

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cakes, Brownies and Cookies

August 17, 2011


You give up a lot of yummy foods when you have coeliac disease. You don’t have many desserts, can’t enjoy other people’s birthday cakes, or just go to any old store and pick up a cake or a brownie. I think the hardest thing for me is watching everyone else have some and I sit there with my mouth watering! It’s hard and no one else really gets it except other coeliacs...

My Mom knows how much I love all that sweet stuff, so when she came to visit from the U.S. she brought me Betty Crocker yellow cake mix. So one weekend I was really craving cake. I decided to look on Betty Crocker’s website and I was surprised to find a part of her website dedicated to gluten free products and recipes!

I saw a quick and easy recipe for Betty Crocker’s Carrot Cake and decided to give it a try! It was delicious! The rest of my family also couldn’t believe it was gluten free. If you spot Betty Crocker gluten free products, I highly suggest you buy them. I’ve also tried the brownies and cookies, they have also turned out great!

Hell Pizza - Delicious Gluten Free Pizza

June 03, 2011


I absolutely love pizza. Who doesn’t?! What I wouldn’t do to just be normal and order some Pizza Hut or Domino’s take out? Eh, well it’s not that easy anymore! But, like everything else, I’ve managed to deal.

I used to have pizza almost every week, now I’m lucky to have it once a month. When I do have pizza, I usually make it homemade. I buy the Sainsbury’s free from pizza crust, add sauce, spices, veggies and anything else I desire.

A few weeks back, my family and I went to HELL pizza. (Yes, I know, the name kind of throws you off) The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite Hellish… but the pizza is absolutely heavenly! I felt like I was eating normal pizza. It was simply amazing. There was so many different toppings on the menus and such a large selections. All the side sauces were also gluten free. It was delicious and I highly recommend it.

We spoke to the waiter and asked him where we could get the pizza bases because it would be great to make some homemade pizzas with them too. He says the gluten free pizza crusts are sent to them from New Zealand. He continued to tell us what a big global chain Hell Pizza is becoming and what a phenomenon there gluten free pizzas had become around the world. Make a visit :-)

Tennis Player Novak Djokovic Has Coeliac Disease

May 19, 2011

I read this article and it made me smile. Sometimes the best way to get facts out about certain diseases and conditions is through celebrities. Especially those that have it. Novak Djokovic, a tennis player, had undiagnosed coeliac disease. Once he started his gluten free diet he became an ultimate success on the tennis court. Reading articles like this makes me believe that you can live a somewhat normal life but also excel.

I’ve seen quite a few articles on this in various papers and websites – The Independent – Is a gluten-free diet behind Djokovic’s smash success? And The Wall Street Journal – Djokovic’s Gluten-Free Ascendancy

Take a read and let me know what you think.

Muffinska – Gluten Free Muffin Shop

May 06, 2011


My husband and I were walking around London’s Covent Garden one day and a muffin shop caught my eye -- Muffinska. I was looking at the sign and they said they had gluten free muffins available! I got very excited as usual, so we both made our way into the store.

They had four different flavors – blueberry and raspberry, white chocolate and raspberry, etc. I picked the blueberry and raspberry muffin. It felt quite hard, but most gluten free products are hard until they were warmed up. But I was excited to bring it to work for breakfast the next morning. A muffin instead of some fruit, or a bowl of gluten free cereal. I brought it to work and warmed it up and put some butter on it. The whole muffin turned into crumbles as soon as I cut it. It smelt awful -- as if it was gone off and the taste was even worse. My experience with muffinska gluten free muffins, wasn’t that great. Needless to say, I was left without breakfast that morning.

Wahaca -- Mexican Gluten Free Restaurant

May 05, 2011

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!! This holiday in the U.S. and Mexico celebrates Mexican heritage and pride and to honor and celebrate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.

So why not celebrate with some Mexican food?!? Mexican food may just be my favorite cuisine. I absolutely love it! One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had as a coeliac so far is at Wahaca – Mexican market eating restaurant. It was amazing!


When we got there, we let our waiter know I had coeliac and to be aware of contamination. She was so lovely and explained that they have different parts of the kitchen where they prepared gluten free food, vegan food etc. and even had a different deep fryer. She also went through the menu with me and crossed off the items I should avoid because there is some sort of product with gluten in it. You can see the X outs in the photo! The whole meal, I kept telling my husband I felt so normal for once. I could order almost everything on the menu. I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face :-)


I ordered several of the small street food dishes and absolutely stuffed my face. Even after the meal, I did not feel sick or bloated. I just felt like my stomach was going to ripe open from eating way to much!

There isn’t much else to say other than you will truly enjoy this dining experience.

Carluccio's Italian Restaurant - Gluten Free Lunch/Dinner Spot

May 04, 2011

A few days back my husband and I took a lovely day trip to Windsor Castle. As we were walking around, we saw Carluccio’s – an authentic Italia restaurant. I’ve had many friends mention there gluten free menu to me, but we’ve never had a chance to go! So as we walked by it, we thought this would be the perfect lunch for our perfect day out!

Carluccio’s gluten free menu had quite a few choices ranging from salads, to pasta, meat dishes and quite a few desserts! I ordered the Insalata di Mozzarella (without the focaccia bread), and for my main dish I ordered Penna Giardiniera –
pasta served with courgette, chilli, parmesan and garlic. Both were absolutely
delicious! They also give very good portions so you feel quite satisfied. I love pasta and have it quite often. I’m so thankful, that gluten free pasta is one of the food items that taste quite similar to normal pasta!

The service was also very good. The waiter was aware of the gluten free menu and the diet. I always tell restaurants please make sure there is no contamination. After the meal, I did not feel sick or get a bloated stomach. So I don’t think there was any contamination!

I give Carluccio’s two thumbs up and highly recommend it!

Leon's Restaurant - Gluten Free Lunch/Dinner Spot

April 13, 2011


Another super gluten free friendly lunch/dinner spot in central London is Leon. It has absolutely delicious foods and a lot of the items are gluten free, even some delicious desserts!

Leon is a mix of Mediterranean and Indian food. It has dishes ranging from the gluten free Leon Gobi to the grilled chicken with aioli sauce. They are also well balanced meals. With dishes like the gobi and grilled chicken you are also given brown rice with a side of fresh cole slaw. Yummy!

Leon also offers a few gluten free desserts that are just amazing and taste like normal desserts! The Better Brownie, Lemon Ginger Crunch and Deep Chocolate Tart and even a piece of Pecan pie!

The menu online has GF written next to it if it gluten free. My favorite bit is that even the menu at the actual restaurant has all the symbols next to each item to let you know if its gluten free, vegetarian, hearth healthy, etc. So when you are ordering you don't have to rack your brain thinking did the website say the hummous was gluten free?

The staff members I've asked questions to are very clued up on what has gluten and what doesn't and if they aren't sure of the answer they pull out a book and check. I have never felt sick from eating a Leon meal. I highly recommend it. There aren't that many locations in London, but wherever you are it's worth the trek!

Fire & Stone - Gluten Free Restaurant Review

April 11, 2011

Like I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, going out to eat can be such a chore at times. I try to avoid it, but sometimes can’t and don’t really want too. I miss eating out, anywhere, everywhere. For example, a few nights ago my husband’s high school friends got together for dinner. I really enjoy their company so I didn’t want to miss out. We went to Fire & Stone, a London pizza restaurant.

I called ahead of time and asked if they did gluten free pizzas and of course the answer was no. However, there was a BUT. They said if I brought in my own pizza base they could make me a pizza.


So I did just that. I gave them my base when I gave the order and my pizza came when the rest of the groups came. When it first arrived it was not cooked thoroughly. So I told them to take it back and cook it again for another 10 minutes. It came back and it was cooked. It was ok. The base went very hard, probably because it was cooked in a pizza oven. It was nearly impossible to
cut. I concluded that I prefer making my own pizza at home.

The manager came over earlier and told me they have cleaned the oven, but they cannot guarantee that there would be no contamination.

I felt a bit bloated after and in the morning I felt a bit sick. I should have had a salad, but of course I opted for taking a chance for a pizza. I think for my sanity, I just wanted to be a bit normal and just enjoy a pizza like everyone else! But I know I should have made the smarter decision. Ah well, no more Fire & Stone for me.

Crussh -- A Gluten Free Lunch Spot

March 30, 2011

On cold wintery days I just love having soups for lunch with a few gluten free crackers. A lot of the soups I used to have always had some sort of pasta or rice so I had to let that go.

Since I work in the heart of London, I try to find places I can eat out from time to time. Most days I pack my lunch because 1) I try my best to avoid contamination, which can happen in restaurants 2) buying lunch everyday gets real expensive!


One hidden gem I found scattered around London is Crussh. They specialize in fresh juices, soups, salads and even small gluten free cakes and snacks. A lot of their ingredients are organic and fresh, which make all there products taste even better.

I absolutely love there soups. So many of there options are also gluten free. On any given day they have at least two gluten free soups. For those of you that also suffer from lactose intolerance, they have many lactose free options too.

My favorite soups so far are: Butternut, red aduki and ginkgo soup, Mexican red lentil, lime and pepper, Squash and coconut laksa and these are just to name a few!

Give Crussh a try and let me know your favorites!

Study Reveals Problem of Gluten Sensitivity

March 28, 2011

Check out this video. Some people that don't have coeliac disease claim that feel a lot better not eating gluten products due to gluten sensitivity.

Wagamama - Gluten Friendly Restaurant

March 14, 2011


Wagamama's Teriyaki Chicken Donburi

This past weekend I met up with my cousin and he’s like lets go to lunch. I was like no, no its ok… because its always such a hassle finding somewhere for lunch. I’m like we can go to McDonalds and I can get french fries, but he wasn’t so keen on that. :-)

He suggested Wagamama. I said sure! I’ve heard they have gluten free menu, so I said why not try it out. We told the waiter and he came by with a binder and there was a sheet that stated the dishes that were/could be gluten free with substitutes to sauces, noodles etc.

I ordered the teriyaki chicken donburi -- grilled juicy chicken glazed with orange teriyaki sauce, sticky white rice, with thin sliced carrots, pea shoots, spring onions and sesame seeds and a side of spicy kimchee. They didn’t put any sauce on my dish because they said it contained soy sauce so they brought over gluten free soy sauce in a bowl. I had asked for them to warm it up and mix it together, but they said they can’t do that. That was pretty annoying. Overall, the dish was nice and there were quite a few other options. I would definitely recommend for a coeliac to visit Wagamama… luckily it’s a global chain! 

London Pancake Day -- Gluten Free Recipe

March 08, 2011

I love pancakes! By far one of my most favorite breakfast foods. Since I was at work, I was not able to celebrate pancake day, but I plan to make it up this weekend!

A lot of the gluten free pancake recipes I find are quite complicated. So many different types of flour, xanthan gum, this and that. Seeing all the ingredients puts me off. Because I usually don't have all the ingredients since I am fairly newly diagnosed. I like plain and simple sort of recipes. And believe it or not, one of my easiest gluten free recipes is pancakes! My recipes isn't based on exact measurements, but I work around how much I plan to eat/make.
--Few heap tablespoons of gluten free white flour.
--1 egg
--1 tablespoon sugar
-- Mix it all together
--Then add milk to make it a medium consistency.
--Grease the pan, pour in some pancake mix and move the pan to the size you want it. And there you have it!

** A bit of a sidenote. These don't come to be big fluffy pancakes. They come out quite thin. I've learned that most British people prefer thin pancakes over thick. And I have got used to the thin.

Let me know how the recipe works out for you!

Gluten Free Baking -- Macarons

March 07, 2011

Every Friday at work is Cake Club day. Those that have signed up, have a specific week they bring in some sort yummy baked goods. Boy do I love cakes, muffins, cookies, brownies and all the sweet stuff you could imagine. But you guessed it -- I’m not in Cake Club. No cakes are really ever gluten free. Unless you make it with gluten free flour.

This past Friday, it was my friend’s turn to bring in something. So she brought in raspberry cupcakes, which looked amazing! She always hears me moan and groan about things I can’t eat so made me homemade macrons. Macrons are made with almond flour, so its gluten free! It was so sweet of her to make that extra batch, because macrons aren’t the simplest things to make.

Here is a recipe similar to my friends. Also, a book she recommends is "I Heart Macarons." I haven’t tried making them yet, but plan to do so very soon. They just taste like a normal desert! Because they are made with almond flour. Nothing really changes in the recipe for coeliacs. YAY for that! Even the fillings are usually gluten free. The above photo is chocolate. Another flavor I had was coffee macarons with a vanilla filling. 

T.G.I. Friday's - Gluten Friendly Restaurant

February 28, 2011

What can I say... I've always loved T.G.I. Friday's and always will! Though it may not be the healthiest, man is it delicious. I had the sizzling chicken and cheese and did not feel sick after. They have a variety of salads, steaks, burgers (without the bun), etc. 
 
Sadly, a lot of my favorite dishes I can't have. But luckily they do have a gluten free/lactose free menu. Not many choices, but still its better than nothing. This is one of the very few restaurants in the U.K. that actually have its own gluten free menu. I think they have one because it is a big U.S. chain and a lot of U.S. chains are good at having gluten free menus. Here are some U.S. restaurants that have gluten free menus.
 
P.F. Changs (Click on gluten free) 

Any one know of any other good chains?

Coeliac Disease Symptoms Come In All Forms, Shapes & Sizes

February 24, 2011

When I read this article written by the well-known British journalist Esther Ranzen -- I was just wowed. Esther’s daughter, Emily, suffered in her early years with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) a disorder that leads to extreme chronic fatigue and weakness. They went through a lot with her – she was bed ridden and basically disabled. Emily had lost any sort of hope that she would be able to do things normally again. With Emily’s will power and determination to get better she learned to talk and walk all over again.

As Emily grew up she decided to go on a diet that involved no carbohydrates, no wheat, basically nothing that is fine. She had always had this rash on her arm and after being on this diet it disappeared. Emily was tested for everything in the book, but not coeliac disease. To make a long story short, Emily did have coeliac disease.

It just shows, coeliac symptoms come in all forms! This was the first I had heard of coeliac disease causing a rash. Sometimes when I feel really down on missing out on some of my favorite foods, I think to myself… “Man, I feel a lot better – food is staying in my stomach, I don’t feel so tired, I don’t look so drained even after 10 hours of sleep the night before. I guess that’s some positives” Everyone’s body is different, so I guess symptoms come in all forms.

Definitely, take a read of this article. It’s great. At Last, I Have Discovered the Secret of Emily’s Lost 14 Years. 

Barcelona - A Gluten Free Friendly City

February 21, 2011

Beautiful Barcelona!
Sometimes when I'm at home and in my own environment I kind of forget I have coeliac. That's because I'm in my own element. I have my foods around me, I can cook on my own will or even go shopping if I need too.

So going on trips and holidays isn’t that easy for me, especially since I’m not that fond of any meat besides chicken. And when I go on holiday, boy do I feel the wrath of coeliac -- especially in countries where most workers at restaurants don't speak English. Even though I print out coeliac travel cards, most don't understand what it actually is. I try not to get frustrated, but it’s hard.

I recently went on a business trip to Barcelona.  On a whole, people at restaurants there are more aware of coeliac disease than other foreign countries I’ve been to. I gave my coeliac card to restaurants staff and most seemed to know.
Chicken a slice of cheese and side salad

Here’s a recap of my meals out in Barcelona, Spain.

One night we went to the Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona. They actually had a list called "Platos No Gluten" (plates without gluten). Needless to say, there isn’t much on the list, so I ended up having a piece of chicken, with cheese on it and a side salad. Surprisingly the honey mustard and blue cheese dressing were gluten free. So I said just chuck it on the side! But at least they know what coeliac is and what they were dealing with. The meal was good, but it was really annoying that nothing but a piece of meat was gluten free.

Roasted Vegetable Paella
The best restaurant I went to is La Fonda Del Port Olimpic. They were so fantastic and aware of it!. They even had pasta dishes, and at the bottom of the menu said "We have pasta for celiacs." Which made it helpful. I had the traditional roasted vegetable paella. It was delicious! And I did not feel sick the next day. They ensured me they only used oil and spices in making the paella. Later that week, I went back to the restaurant with colleagues from work, as I was I craving pasta. I ate it and was ok. 

I’d rate Barcelona as a fairly gluten friendly city. A lot of their chips and snacks also have "Sin Gluten" written on it. Meaning no gluten! So they are aware! Which makes it a lot easier.


The Best Gluten Free Cereal – Chex!

February 18, 2011

I think the hardest meal to cater for on a gluten free diet has got to be breakfast. I know there are eggs and meats, but I’m not that fond of  the breakfast meats and I’ve just got myself to start eating eggs! Even if you like eggs and meats you can’t really eat that kind of breakfast when you go to work everyday.

Most people just have cereals or some toast. I don’t make toast at work because the toaster is contaminated and gluten free cereals are well nasty!!! I’ve bought so many gf cereals, had it once and then not touched it again. However, one gluten free cereal that is amazing and makes me feel like a normal person is CHEX! Chex has five gluten free cereals, rice, corn, chocolate, honey and cinnamon. I just love them! For those of you that live in that states, you’re lucky because you can get them at a grocery store, but for those that live elsewhere in the world we don’t have them in our supermarket. But here in the U.K. my husband found a place that sells it. You can order it online or go to the store. It’s called “The Stateside Candy Co.”

CHEX it out :-) 

FREE Gluten Free Treats

February 10, 2011


Since I got diagnosed only a few months ago I’m always surfing the web for recipe ideas, product reviews and of course free gluten free products! Seriously, who doesn’t like free stuff? I think the trials are great. Gluten free food is not cheap at all. Sometimes you even buy the product and you just don’t like it. I’ve thrown so many things away because they taste awful, but with a free trial it’s great! If you don’t like it that much and you throw it away you don’t feel as bad.

I received a wonderful trial package from DS gluten free. I received coupons; custard creams and crisp bread, which were both delicious. Here is the link for the free offer. 

I’ve also signed up for other offers, but they have expired. If I get anymore I’ll be sure to post. 

Gluten Friendly ToasterBags

February 08, 2011


Gluten free bread always tastes better toasted, but when I’m at work I can’t really toast my sandwiches and I don’t use the sandwich maker.

For the obvious reason -- contamination city like woah!

So this weekend I discovered toaster bagst! I know this is old news, but I never saw the need of these up until I was diagnosed. At work today, I wiped away as many crumbs on the toaster as I could and gently placed my toastie bag with my sandwich into the toaster. Left it in there for about three minutes and boy was it perfect! Bread was nicely toasted and most of the cheese had melted and the bag was in the same condition as it went in. 

I managed to dump the sandwich on another plate without the bag getting on the plate. Skills I know. If you are coeliac and haven’t tried this, give it a try! 

Starbucks Gluten Free Sandwich

February 07, 2011

I work in one of the most beautiful areas of London (in my opinion) -- St. Paul's Cathedral. I love the area! It is always buzzing with a mix of tourists and business men and women. With that combination of people there are tons of restaurants, fast food joints and small supermarkets everywhere!

So for lunchtime, people always have a choice of the type of cuisine they'd like to have, but for a coeliac it's not that easy. A standard lunch is a sandwich, wrap or panini. I've scoped out a lot of places around me and only one place does a gluten free sandwich and that is Starbucks. Every few weeks Starbucks changes up there gluten free sandwich. So far, they've had tunafish, Branston Pickle with mature cheddar cheese and my favorite so far -- the Starbucks gluten free roasted chicken pesto sandwich on good ole Genius bread. It is delicious and I highly recommend it. The filling tastes nice and fresh and the bread becomes quite soft because of the pesto filling. Also, it just feels so good to be able to go out and buy a sandwich. Though it is sad out of all the in such a buzzing area like St. Pauls that coeliacs only have a choice of one sandwich from on place! But hey, think about it this way... its better then nothing right?

P.S. If you work around the area and know of any places that does gluten free sandwiches, let me know!

Marks & Spencers Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffin

February 06, 2011

One day I was at Liverpool Street Station and had about 10 minutes to go before my train departed. I was craving some pecans, random I know. So I went into Marks & Spencers and stood in line because that’s where they usually keep the dried fruits and nuts. I was walking through and saw yummy mini donuts, little pieces of cake and then I saw a chocolate chip muffin in a different green packaging. I picked it up and saw that is was gluten free one! So I bought it J

This muffin is absolutely delicious. I cut into half and put some butter on it and microwave it for 30 seconds. It becomes so soft and tastes like a melty chocolate cake. I highly recommend it. Also, since I’m the only one in my family with celiac if I buy a big package of food it makes it hard for me to finish before it goes all hard and out of date. This is packed as an individual muffin so you can finish it easily.

I look at nutrition facts quite a bit, and processed gluten free food is high up there on the calorie and fat scale. This M&S muffin is no different. One muffin is 525 calories and has 29.4 grams of fat, but hey it’s all good in the hood. We can treat ourselves every once in awhile :-)

A Gluten Friendly Restaurant: Imli – Indian Tapas Restaurant, London

February 05, 2011

A few months back my husband and I went on our usual date night and on our walk to the tube station we noticed this Indian tapas restaurant called Imli. We stopped and took a look at the menu and most of the items were gluten free! I was ecstatic!

At that point, I had only got diagnosed a few weeks before. Seeing this restaurant made me really happy! So just last night my husband and I went there with two of our friends. The atmosphere is lovely and the place was packed on a Friday night.  I ordered a few of the gluten free dishes. The food was good, but it lacked the spices and the kick most Indian dishes have. Also, for the price the portions are very small.

We had a lovely night and finished all that was on the table, but it is very encouraging to see a bunch of GF signs near menu items. Give Imli a chance if you like mild Indian food.

Warburtons vs. Genius Gluten Free Bread

In my opinion, one of the most difficult things to get used to and begin to like is good ole bread. I’ve tried quite a few and my favorite so far is Genius Bread. Most gluten free breads need to be toasted to even be edible, but Genius bread you can actually enjoy as a normal cold sandwich.  The trick with a Genius sandwich is if you are taking it to work, or anywhere wrap it in plastic wrap. Its keep the bread even softer! 

In January 2011 the U.K.’s third biggest bread manufacture Warburtons released its line of gluten free products. Some products include bread, rolls, crumpets, etc. I was really excited to try out the Warburtons because its what the family uses. However, I was a bit disappointed. Warburtons taste delicious toasted, but is impossible to do anything else with. The bread breaks in half just when taking it out of the plastic bag!

I've tried other bread as well, but so far Genius is the closest to being normal bread. If you have yet to try Genius Bread you can even get a £1 off coupon. 

Life of a Coeliac

I was recently diagnosed with Coeliac Disease at the young age of 24 and boy was it a big shock. I absolutely LOVE food! Who doesn’t love it?! And little did I know, that food would go from being something I loved to almost a chore for me – planning ahead and deciding on meals, feeling so low when you go out to eat and can’t taste what everyone else is tasting and just go mad when you crave that something you can’t have anymore!

It is not easy having celiac, but at one point you realize, “OK I now have this lifestyle changing disease, there is nothing I can do about it, I can just moan and be upset but that won't make it go away. I just have to learn and deal with it.”  And once you realize this, it will only get better and easier.

So why start the blog? Well, I’ve been trying all sorts of products and wanted to help fellow celiacs because no one will understand you better than a celiac. Since I know its not easy, I thought it would be great to write a blog and let others know some of my favorites and not so favorites, from products off the shelves to restaurants! 
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