Enjoy!!

I forgot to tell you all I made a GF chocolate cake last Friday using the "Freefrom" chocolate cake mix.  It was so yummy!  I ate 1/2 the cake myself over the next 2 days  They also do a chocolate mud cake mix and a lemon cake mix.

For most coeliacs low-gluten is ok.

This is from the NZ Coeliac Society website:

"A claim to the effect that a food has a low gluten content must not be made in relation to a food unless the food contains no more than 20 mg gluten per 100g of the food.

The major change has been in the Low Gluten claim, which now makes a maximum level of 20mg gluten/100g of food as the sole criteria for making a low gluten claim.

The prohibition on oats and malt has also been removed for the low gluten claim.

The NZ Society of Gastroenterologists and the NZ Dietetic Association have stated that the Low Gluten Standard is generally considered the appropriate treatment standard for those with coeliac disease."

One thing I found in the last couple of years is that some food (like the envirokids cereals for eg) that was previously known as Gluten Free has had the GF label removed and now just says Wheat Free.  My sis called to enquire about this and was told that it's not that the recipe has changed, it's because testing methods can now measure miniscule amounts of Gluten where it couldn't before.  Those food can no longer be known as gluten free even though 2 years ago they were and those with coeliacs or gluten intolerance were happily eating them with no issues.

eta: coeliac society website http://colourcards.com/coeliac/

Do any of you have a Butlers close by?  They do the best GF chocolate brownies - so decadent!

http://www.butlerschocolates.com/default.asp

Anthea I'm just going to take a selection of my own stuff (cuppa soups, flavoured rice wafers, fruit leather, dry GF cereal etc) on the assumption that they can't cater to me but will be pleasantly surprised if they do.  DH will also be under instruction to stop for hot food on his way to the hospital when he comes to visit.

I must admit I haven't tried any of the pastry mixes.  I'd definitely be keen to try the Marx stuff (I  their breads) but I'd need to do a direct order because they don't stock it in any Wellington stores.

I'm jealous that you're on the North Shore.  I always go to iE Produce when I'm up that way, they have such a great selection!

Mmmm, I love Burger Fuel too, I was so pleased when they brought out GF buns.  I also love muffin breaks GF muffins.  The local one often has a couple of GF flavours available so obviously I have to buy both

I was so dissappointed last night.  I had a Basco GF Carbonara Fettucine (pasta and sauce mix) which I decided to through together for a quick dinner.  I'd heated up the milk etc as per the instructions and went to open the packet of pasta and sauce mix when I noticed it was well past its best before date I only bought it last week too now I need to try and find my receipt so I can get my money back.

Stink, that would be so disappointing!  I wonder if Hell Pizza would deliver to the maternity ward

I tried mine in the weekend too, was very yummy.  I'll be putting a couple of packs in my hospital bag incase the GF meals in the maternity ward are substandard (last time I got a rice wafer and some stewed fruit for my meal).

I haven't been able to find the GF maggi stock yet, except online.  There wasn't any in the supermarket when I checked.

I have the yummiest biscuit recipe which you could use to make a cheesecake base.  It's also the only cookie recipe I have found that can be rolled out to be cut into shapes with cookie cutters without crumbling (I did mermaid shaped cookies for DDs birthday recently and they looked and tasted great).

Gluten free cookie cutter cookie recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten-free flour mix or baking mix
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1 cup butter

Directions:

Mix or sift baking soda, flour and cream of tartar. Slowly cut in butter. Beat sugar, eggs and extract together. Pour egg mix into flour and blend well. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Roll out and cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost and decorate, if desired. Yield: 2 to 3 dozen, depending on shapes desired.

I found the mix had to have a bit more flour kneaded through it after it was chilled because it didn't hold it's shape too well (due to all that butter) I probably used another cup of GF baking mix to get a good consistency.

I'm going to make a lemon ginger cheesecake for my baby shower next weekend and am going to add ginger to the cookie recipe and probably replace some of that sugar with golden syrup to make it into 'gingernut' base.

My fav breads are vernerdi (the one with all the seeds) and basco GF breadmix (when it's freshly baked it's as soft as normal bread and makes the yummiest sandwiches - if the bread lasts long enough to cool down to be made into sandwiches that is).  Also whenever I'm in Akl I stop at Marx Bakery for their bread which is lovely and soft too.

What I really want to find is a nie pastry (either pre-made or a recipe) so I can make meat pies.  I haven't had a pie in years.

I haven't tried the soup yet  but I will let you know when I do

I usually do all my groceries online but I'm off to the supermarket tonight so I can check out some of the new products available for those of us who are intolerable (oops, I mean intolerant)

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't even thought to check whether any of the trident noodles were GF.  I picked up a Maggi Chicken Soup for a cup today. 

I'm loving that more mainstream brands are bringing out GF foods and driving the price down.

Good work Anthea.  I've noticed a few recipe bases at New World but tbh I'm now so used to cooking things from scratch I don't know if I'll use them.  Really happy about the stocks though.

The other thing I absolutely love is Cookie Time's gluten free chunky chocolate chip cookies.