Day 22 – Friday 6 March 2015

Today I had a day off work.  I started with the day with an omelette with ham and mushrooms – had some eggs that needed using up.

I started with a few chores around the house and my dad arrived mid-morning and we went to The Old Creamery (http://www.oldcreameryfurniture.com/) to collect my new bedroom furniture that had arrived.  It took three journeys to collect the items and it was quite entertaining watching dad and I manoeuvre the items upstairs; a couple of the items were heavy and bulky.  When it was all in place and the handles put on it looked really good.

After that we had a quick cup of tea, whilst putting together a laundry box that had been delivered a few days earlier.

We then went back to Chilthorne, where mum and dad live, for some lunch.  Mum had prepared a jacket potato with tuna and salad.

Dad and I then had to go to Bristol.

That evening I had a very small portion of left over fish pie.

Food today

Breakfast – Omelette with ham and mushrooms

Lunch – Jacket potato with tuna and salad

Supper – small portion of fish pie

Drinks –tea during the day and an orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

Pictures to be added

Day 21 – Thursday 5 March 2015

Nothing interesting to report today, started with porridge, with a bit golden syrup added.  Lunch was the usual cheese and tomato sandwich thin and for this evening I had the rest of the ham from the weekend with new potatoes and vegetables.

Food today

Breakfast –Asda free from porridge oats

Lunch – Cheese and tomato sandwich thin by Newburn Bakehouse

Supper – Ham with new potatoes and vegetables

Drinks –tea during the day and an orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

Day 20 – Wednesday 4 March 2015

Today is my birthday ….

I started today with a bowl of Asda free from porridge with a bit of syrup added, whilst opening cards and presents.  I arrived in work slightly later than usual, with two tins of cakes (sticky gingerbread squares taken from ‘Delicious Dishes’  produced by Glutafin, and a chocolate cake from The Gluten-free Cookbook by Heather Whinney, Jane Lawrie and Fiona Hunter),  for my friends and colleagues.   There were some cards and flowers waiting for me at work too.

Birthday treats for the office

Sticky gingerbread squares

Chocolate cake

I did not have any lunch today – well just a couple bits of cake – they went down really well in the office, especially the chocolate cake.  The gingerbread squares were really light and sticky with a good ginger flavour.  The chocolate cake was not dry, which was worried about and almost gateaux like with the amount of chocolate cream inside and around the edge.

For supper I went to my mum and dads.  When I arrived they had a power cut so mum was unable to do any cooking – she had prepared a stir fry with lots of vegetables.  We were just starting to think about going out for something to eat as the power returned.

For starter we had some fresh fruit – grapes, pineapple, apple and melon.  The stir fry contained:  onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic peppers, chicken, prawns, broccoli, cashew nuts, and carrots.  This was all served with plain boiled rice.  We did not need a dessert after that.  I had taken some cake for them to sample and mum and dad each has a sticky gingerbread square.

I popped home very briefly to meet a friend for a quick drink and then off dancing with mum and dad and some of their friends.  They always go Ballroom dancing on Wednesday evenings, so I joined them as I was on my own this evening.  Dad and I had a couple of dances around the hall, not that I am very good.

During the break mum produced a Victoria sponge birthday cake – I was just going to say gluten free when she took out of the tin a ‘Baked to taste’ lemon drizzle cake just for me.  I was so tempted to have a slice of the birthday cake, but was good, will wait for the challenge to finish and I am sure mum will make another one – more for everyone else!

That was a fun day!

Food today

Breakfast – Porridge

Supper – Fruit salad followed by stir fry

Cake – Baked to Taste lemon drizzle cake and homemade Chocolate cake and sticky gingerbread squares

Drinks –tea during the day and Shloer with my supper

Mums stir fry

Lemon drizzle slice

Birthday cake

Day 19 – Tuesday 3 March 2015

I started today with porridge again, another busy day at work and nothing exciting to eat.  For lunch I had the usual Genius gluten free triple seeded soft roll but this time with chicken and tomato.

Quick supper tonight as we had the remainder of the fish pie that I had made over the weekend.  I served this with some peas.

Tonight I had to finish decorating the chocolate cake (recipe taken from The Gluten-free Cookbook by Heather Whinney, Jane Lawrie and Fiona Hunter).  For the topping and centre I melted some plain chocolate with cream over simmering water and when it was cooled added to the creamed butter and icing sugar – there was lots of it, some went in the centre and the rest on the top and sides of the cake.  Looked lovely – no tasting until tomorrow – except some of the chocolate mixture as there was so much.  I was worried about the cake as one of the sponges broke in half whilst I lifted it out of the tin and it looked very crumbly, but that was hidden under all the chocolate.

Food today

Breakfast – Asda gluten free porridge with golden syrup

Lunch – gluten free triple seeded soft roll with chicken and tomato

Supper – Fish pie and peas

Drinks –tea during the day and an orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

Day 18 – Monday 2 March 2015

Today I started with porridge, this time Asda free from porridge oats, which I made with milk (I could use water) and added some golden syrup for a bit of sweetness.

I took in a packet of Asda free from chocolate digestive biscuits today and had three during the day, I liked these, they are a lot smaller than normal digestive biscuits but contained twice as much chocolate on top!

I had a cheese and tomato bap for lunch, Genius gluten free triple seeded soft roll with cheese and tomato for lunch.

For supper we had a M&S chicken and prawn paella, which was part of the £10 meal deal over the weekend.

Food today

Breakfast – Porridge

Lunch – Genius gluten free triple seeded soft roll with cheese and tomato

Supper – M&S chicken and prawn paella

Drinks –tea during the day and an orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

Asda Porridge Oats

Chocolate Digestives

Day 17 – Sunday 1 March 2015

Busy day today; started with breakfast and we had 2 Tesco free from crumpets each – before they go out of date.  I just put a bit of butter on mine.

We met my friend Karen and her family at Palmers Garden Centre for a catch up at lunch time (and to exchange birthday presents – Karen on Tuesday me on Wednesday).  I had a pot of tea and a Tesco free from chocolate muffin (Palmers do not have many gluten free choices), followed by a latte.

Back home and lots of cooking to do; cakes for the office next week.  I started by making sticky gingerbread squares (recipe taken from ‘Delicious Dishes’  produced by Glutafin), followed by a chocolate cake (recipe taken from The Gluten-free Cookbook by Heather Whinney, Jane Lawrie and Fiona Hunter).  I did not put the chocolate filling into the cake as I did not need the cakes until Wednesday so would do that Tuesday evening, especially as it contained double cream.

I don’t do much baking so always takes me so much longer than necessary and the kitchen always looks a mess after!

For supper I cooked an M&S Ham joint from their £10 meal range and served this with roast new potatoes, cauliflower cheese (with Asda free from cheese simmer sauce mix) and peas.  This was a very tasty meal.

Whilst supper was cooking we had a packet of ‘Udis Ancient Grain crisps’, jalapeno cheddar flavour.  Phil ate most of them as I was in the kitchen.

Food today

Breakfast – Tesco free from crumpets

Snacks – Tesco free from Chocolate muffin

Supper – M&S roast ham joint with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese (gluten free cheese sauce) and peas

Drinks –tea during the day, latte at Palmers Garden Centre.  Orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

Sticky Gingerbread Squares

Day 16 – Saturday 28 February 2015

Today we started off with the usual shop in Asda, another expensive one with lots of gluten free items, including ingredients for the gluten free fish pie for this evening and two cakes which I will be making tomorrow to take into the office for my birthday – more about that later.

We then briefly popped into Yeovil with a quick stop in Marks and Spencer for a coffee and a ‘made without wheat and gluten free’ chocolate muffin! Which I enjoyed – it was very crumbly, which I have found with gluten free cakes and biscuits and I am trying lots of those! (But my weight has stayed exactly the same).

When we arrived home I did the usual chores of cleaning, tidying and washing.  I took Maisie, our kitten into the garden for a run-around – she is too young to let out on her own at the moment.  The day had started with a hard frost but it was lovely later in the morning when the sun came out.

Then cooking – Fish Pie – from ‘Cooking Without’ by Barbara Cousins.  This book has been lent to me by Susan from Café Nouveau, Frome (http://www.lighthouse-uk.com/).  Whilst preparing this I also had half a dozen large parsnips from my parents, so I cooked these and mashed with potato ready to be split into portions to freeze.  I also used some of this as a topping for the fish pie.

By time I have finished all the cooking Phil was sat down with a drink, so we had a packet of ‘Udis’ Ancient Grain – aged cheddar flavour.

I served the fish pie with some peas and sweetcorn (the remainder of the tin that had gone into the fish pie).  It was very tasty, not as creamy as the usual fish pie that I make (Fisherman’s Pie, Delia Smith, Complete Cookery Course).  No capers included and I usually spend ages trying to find capers in supermarkets!

Food today

Breakfast – M&S made without wheat and gluten free Chocolate muffin

Supper – Fish pie

Snacks – Udis Ancient Grain – aged cheddar flavour

Drinks – Tea during the day, latte in Marks and Spencer.  Orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

M&S Chocolate Muffin

Udis Crisps

Fish pie for tea

Maisie

Day 15 – Friday 27 February 2015

Back in the office today and lots of catching up to do.  I started the day with muesli for breakfast and had some narins oats and syrup gluten free biscuits during the morning along with an orange.

I left the office at lunchtime and went home where I had a Newburn Bakehouse gluten free, wheat free, diary free sliced white sandwich thin with cheese and tomato filling (they tasted salty to me as well).   I really like these and will continue buying these after the challenge, as they are a good size for a small lunch.  Phil arrived home shortly after and we popped into town and stopped for a coffee in Marks and Spencer.  Phil had the small complementary biscuit that comes with hot drinks.

Fancied going out for a meal tonight, but Marks and Spencer had their £10 meal deal this weekend so we had some steak with rosemary parmentier potatoes, peas and carrots.  All gluten free – we were going to have chips but all of the chips in Marks and Spencer (and there were about four different options) contained gluten.

Food today

Breakfast – Muesli

Lunch – Cheese and tomato sandwich thin by Newburn Bakehouse

Supper – M&S steak with M&S rosemary parmentier potatoes, peas and carrots

Snacks – narins oats and syrup gluten free biscuits and an orange

Drinks –tea during the day, latte in Marks and Spencer.  Orange and mango juice with lemonade in the evening

I have no idea why these pictures have decided to show sideways!

Day 14 – Thursday 26 February 2015

An early start today as I had to be at the Holiday Inn, Taunton for the CCG Governing Body meeting, where I assist Kathy by meeting and greeting people and helping with any running around that is needed.  Breakfast was muesli and a cup of tea.  I arrived at about 8 am this morning and helped setting up the tables, they needed rearranging.  After an hour of running around we stopped for a coffee.

After the meeting we had to move the tables around again, then Kathy and I stopped for lunch.  The Holiday Inn were very helpful and prepared me a gluten free tuna sandwich with a few crisps and coleslaw.  Having heard lots of stories about gluten free bread I am not finding it too bad, however, to me it tastes really salty, but not unpleasant.   I do not put salt on anything (well, ok, chips) and only use in cooking for flavour.  So, no idea why certain items taste salty to me – it was the same with the pizza in Pizza Hut last week.

Anyway, back to today, when I got home, tea was a mix of left-overs – new potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, green and red pepper and a bit of ham – all lightly stir fried and sprinkled with a bit of cheese.  That was very tasty, if not very healthy!

Food today

Breakfast – Muesli

Lunch – Tuna sandwich on gluten free white bread with a few crisps and coleslaw

Supper – Using up stir fry with broccoli, new potatoes, ham, peppers and mushrooms topped with cheese

Drinks –tea and coffee

Lunch Holiday Inn

Day 13 – Wednesday 25 February 2015

Wow, what a day yesterday.  Back to earth with a bump! And I am ready to continue the challenge until Easter.  As per usual I started the day with muesli (one day I will learn to spell it – every day the spell checker has to correct it!)  I had to go to Monks Yard at Horton Cross (http://www.themonksyard.co.uk/) today for a meeting at 10 am, so I stayed at home instead of going to the office first.

I took this opportunity to do some cooking – remember the challenge set by Helen to make some chickpea farinate bread.  That did not take too long and it looks ok.  I added sautéed onion to the recipe, which was optional.  I took this into work along with the second spinach and salmon quiche that I made at the weekend for the bring and share lunch at work.

Monks Yard provides lovely biscuits for meetings and I resisted these, just having a cup of coffee.  I took in a packet of four nairns oats and syrup gluten free biscuits as a snack during the meeting.

For my lunch today I had some farinate bread and homemade quiche, as they were the only gluten free options available, along with some carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes. Most of the quiche and farinate bread went so they could not have been that bad!

I enjoyed the chickpea farinate bread, to me it tasted like an Indian onion bhaji, it was quite a heavy texture but very tasty (there was a lot of cumin in the bread).

For our evening meal today we had Marks and Spencer ‘made without wheat, gluten free’ salmon fillet fishcakes.  They were really tasty; I served these with new potatoes and broccoli.

Food today

Breakfast – Muesli

Lunch – bring and share at work so I had chickpea farinate bread, a small piece of homemade spinach and salmon quiche, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes

Supper – M&S gluten free salmon fillet fishcakes with new potatoes and broccoli

Snacks – narins oats and syrup gluten free biscuits

Drinks –tea and coffee during the day and mango and orange juice in lemonade for the evening

Nairns oat and syrup gluten free biscuits

Chickpea farinate bread

Spinach and salmon quiche

M&S Fishcakes