Friday 17 June 2011

AWOL - back now with gluten free tips and recipes

Hi to all my followers. So sorry I've been AWOL. No excuses, I've just been neglecting my cakesknitsandcosies blog ever since I rebranded to Lynne's Pattern Parlour. So I 'm going to kickstart this blog, with handy tips on gluten free living and crafting.

Here are my first gluten free tips:

Gluten free bread.

It's really difficult to make decent gluten free bread. I've given up trying. But there are couple of 'bought' alternatives that are really nice.

1. Genius bread - great for eating as a sandwich (not as nice when toasted)
2. Dietry Specials bread - great for toasting (not easy to eat as a sandwich)

I buy a loaf of both, and here's a great tip:

Divide each loaf into smaller portions - 3 or 4 slices in each. Wrap and freeze. Just take out when needed. Gluten free bread goes stale very easily, so freezing it like this means you can avoid throwing it away (it's far too expensive for that!!)

Here's a lunchtime gluten free treat - You very own Welsh Rarebit
Take 2 or 3 rounds of gluten free bread (I would recommend dietry specials for toasting), 2-3 slices of cheese per round and 1 slice of ham, chopped finely, dried herbs if you have any. Toast bread on one side, turn and lightly toast on the other. Remove from grill and place cheese onto toast, then sprinkle the ham over and dried herbs. Return to grill. When the cheese is melted, remove from grill. Add a little gluten free tomato ketchup if desired (most brands are gluten free - just check ingredients). There you have it - a 'normal' lunch, with all the benefits of being gluten free and no butter too - so less calories. You could also add a sliced tomato or salad. Enjoy.

Keep following for more gluten free tips and recipes