I’d often seen the make-shift sign on the roundabout in Roundswell, Barnstaple, advertising the Kitchen’s presence from 5pm until 8pm every Saturday, but I’d never really gone to investigate.

We’d decided to walk to Sainsbury’s to get something comforting to cook for dinner, but on the way we came out right next to the trailer on Old Bideford Road and we couldn’t resist how amazing the food smelt!

The Kitchen arrives each week with a new menu, and up this week was jerk pork, jerk chicken, goat curry and a sweet potato curry.

I asked what was gluten free and was told everything except the goat curry, which has dumplings in. I was a little sad because I tried goat in Uganda and loved it, but the rest looked so amazing I was over it pretty quickly!

We decided to geta  regular portion of each of the jerk chicken, pork and sweet potato curry, which comes with rice and peas and salad.

When we were handed over the portions I couldn’t believe how generous they were – they were positively bursting! I think it was a severe case of ‘eyes bigger than stomach’ but at only £16 for these three meals it was an absolute bargain.

As Caribbean food just eminates sunshine, it was only right we ate it in the back garden and enjoyed it with some fruity smoothies!

The jerk chicken and pork were amazing – full of flavour! I preferred the pork, it’s one of my favourite meats and I don’t get to eat it as much as chicken, and it was so tender!

The sweet potato curry provided a bit of sauce to mop up with the rice, and it was sweet with a spicy kick. Again, I just couldn’t believe the flavour bursting from these dishes. I’ve always wanted to try Caribbean food and now I’m desperate to get my hands on a good cook book!

There’s something about it that just makes you feel warm inside – the fiery kick and the combination of flavours just makes this possibly the happiest food around.

The rice and peas were also delicious – though there was so much rice! We ended up eating about half of the rice and I think the three dishes could have easily stretched between four of us!

Finding Monty’s Caribbean Kitchen was definitely the best suprise of the night and the fact they are a small trailer hidden off the main road makes it even more of a treasure trove.

I can’t wait to get back down there in a few weeks and see what else they’re cooking – might be another blog post on the way when I do!

Monty’s Caribbean Kitchen also cater for parties – to find out more visit their website here.

Yes, I know, I live in North Devon and have spent a decade without the infamous cream, scones and jam combination. I even worked in a shop selling the things for three years. It’s basically blasphemy.

But, with some relatives coming down to visit, Mother unearthed a packet of Helen’s Brilliant Scone Mix from the back of the cupboard I had meaning to review for some time and got baking.

I returned home from a hen weekend in Bristol (but that’s another blog post!) to find a tin of freshly baked gluten free scones waiting for me, and, well, it would have been rude not to, right?

Searching the fridge for cream and jam, I managed to find a half-empty jar of the most amazing jam in the world, EVER. We used to sell it at the Old Cream Shop in Croyde where I worked – I’m not sure if they do it anymore, but it’s STRAWBERRY AND CHAMPAGNE, and yes, it IS as amazing as it sounds!

So I layered on the DEVON Clotted Cream first then the jam on top – this seemed the least messy way to do it!

The scones were really easy to cut in half and didn’t crumble at all. I asked mother how she had found the mix to cook with and she said it had been really simple.

You add the liquid and mix until it thickens, then ‘dollop it onto the tray’ as she so delightfully put it – and Bob’s your Uncle. Scones galore.

I took my slightly boozy cream tea out into the sunshine and enjoyed with a coffee (my coffee-free lifestyle seemed to suffer a bit post-hen party, though I am slowly getting there again!).

Now, I have absolutely no idea what a ‘normal’ scone should taste like, but there were pretty damn good. They were soft and didn’t fall apart of dry out my mouth like some gluten free stuff can.

Even a couple of days later they still tasted fresh and I didn’t have to do anything to them. I did zap my next one in the microwave though for 20 seconds as I liked the idea of a warm scone with my cream and jam.

As for the jam, well, I think strawberry and champagne speaks for itself really – when I manage to find some more of the stuff I’ll definitely let you know where!

I’ve seen this scone mix in Sainsbury’s so if you fancy some delightful cream teas to enjoy during them *ahem* supposed summer we are meant to be having, then I’d give it a go.

Alternatively, you could set up an indoor picnic, close the curtains, get some bright lamps and pretend the summer is here….just indoors!

Have you tried making gluten free scones or have you enjoyed a cream tea out and about? Share your gluten free cream tea experiences by commenting below!

I was doing so well with my training, eating clean, drinking lots of water, cutting coffee, feeling motivated and getting results. But it all went a little downhill….

It started when I put my back out, and then went on holiday. And then I was ill, and THEN I went on a boozy hen weekend, and here I am today, too scared to ask PT Steve for a body fat reading because I know it isn’t going to be good.

Noooo, no more!!

But now I’ve slipped back into bad habits, it’s made me realise how healthy I felt when I was doing everything right! Ok, I was eating right 90 per cent of the time and having at least one treat a week, but it was GREAT.

I had so much energy, I lived through each day at work excited about my workout that evening and I slept well every night. I hadn’t had a cold for months (normally I am plagued by them) and as soon as I added too many treats + alcohol back into my diet I’ve felt ill for about a month.

You see, I don’t want to be the person who’s on it one moment and eating crap the next. I don’t want to ‘have a break’ from my ‘diet’ – I want it to be a lifestyle choice. I hate the word diet!

I want to eat healthy all the time so it doesn’t matter if I have a treat. I won’t feel guilty if I eat a cake, a pizza, or a bowl of pasta. Because I’m not doing it for some faddy weight loss diet, I’m doing it because I know having coeliac disease and thyroid problems makes me more immune to further problems. And I don’t want to give my body any more excuses to get ill.

Because exercise is so important if you have coeliac disease. It lowers your risk of osteoporosis for starters, and being so accident prone, brittle bones is the last thing I need. I also want to take good care of my gut – it’s been through enough gluten-induced trauma and I don’t want to keep filling it with rubbish food.

Getting started is always the worst part of exercise and clean eating. Going from lazing on the sofa eating pizza to being a lot stricter and actually moving is hard – it’s especially hard when you have a thyroid that’s saying ‘noooo, I don’t want to move I want to sleep!’.

But when I start eating right and exercising I can’t believe how great it makes me feel. And this is why I am writing this blog post, because I’m not just making a promise to myself but to everyone who reads this that I am going to sort myself out and start training again!

Wish me luck…..

Guidelines set down by NICE now stipulate that anyone who a GP suspects to have IBS should be tested for coeliac disease first. To me this seems an obvious decision – why diagnose with IBS before ruling out a disease which could potentially lead to osteoporosis, miscarriages, infertility, malnutrition and even bowel cancer?

Perhaps this staggering level of undiagnosed coeliac disease sufferers is down to this – people being wrongly told they have IBS and leaving it at that. Why wouldn’t you believe the doctor if he told you that, after all, he knows best, right?

If you believe you could have coeliac disease it’s important to go and speak to your GP, and as much as it hurts, do not stop eating gluten. For a blood test or subsequent endoscopy to be successful you need to be eating gluten regularly. This is because gluten causes an autoimmune reaction and if you cut it from your diet, tests won’t be able to pick this up. Once you’re successfully diagnosed (if it is coeliac disease you have) you can then eliminate gluten from your diet on your doctor’s advice.

Before these guidelines were put in place, many people were told they have IBS. This means there could be thousands of people out there who are putting their health at risk but not cutting gluten out when, in fact, they have coeliac disease. If you’ve been told you have IBS but you’ve never been tested for coeliac disease, Coeliac UK is urging you to go back to your doctor and request a blood test.

 A good start to the week

So far, it’s only Monday and there have been so many positive things happening for Gut Feeling week. I would even go as far as to say this has been the most prolifically covered one yet! Sadly, I think some of this will have to do with the faddy gluten free diet for weight loss that is advocated by certain celebrities, but I suppose if it is raising awareness of coeliac disease then that can only be a good thing.

Coeliac UK has been urging people on Facebook to change their profile pictures for the week to spread awareness of coeliac disease. Similarly, The Black Farmer has been circulating a rather interesting semi-naked (get on it ladies!) image campaigning for people to get tested if they have unexplained gut pain.

The week also started with a bang as Caffe Nero announced it would finally follow in the footsteps of Starbucks and offer a brand new gluten free roll on Genius gluten free bread. It comes with a chicken and pesto mayo filling and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my local Caffe Nero will be one of the 600 stores stocking it. This is the kind of positive move we need – more chains offering convenience foods when you’re on-the-go. If I’m stuck in town with no food the last thing I want is yet another gluten free chocolate brownie for my lunch – I need real food!

Support the campaign!

So whether you’re spreading the gluten free word, educating others about coeliac disease or lobbying companies for more choice, there’s something you can do for Gut Feeling week.

If you’re holding an event, or your a business offering a new product or a discount as part of the campaign, comment below and let everyone know about it.

It would also be great to hear your stories of diagnosis – did you find it easy to get diagnosed with coeliac disease? Or perhaps you have been suffering symptoms for some time and are still struggling to get diagnosed?

There’s a whole wealth of information out there for those with coeliac disease so if you’re worried, speak to your doctor or contact Coeliac UK for advice. And remember – go with your gut feeling.

I’ve also seen some great posts today, such as these ones from Kevin at Gluten Free By The Sea and Carly at Gluten Free B - check them out, they’re worth a read!

Set in an old railway station near Barnstaple, this popular cafe is always busy and is a great spot to sit and look out over the estuary, as well as being a pit stop for cyclists along the Tarka Trail.

Fremington Quay Cafe

As it was a bit of a dreary afternoon and the fridge was looking bare, Steve said he would treat me to lunch and we popped down the road to Fremington Quay.

Now unless I missed it, I haven’t seen anything advertising they do gluten free rolls but Kay told me they did, so I chose from the range of fillings on their baguette menu.

They also have jacket potatoes, which Steve opted for, and a range of gluten free Honeybuns cakes (the caramel shortbread one is to die for!) and some homemade gluten free macaroons – either coconut or almond.

It’s an impressive array for somewhere out of the way – and I can imagine if I was on holiday and came across this when cycling down the Tarka Trail I would possible cry with happiness. It’s kind of like a gluten free oasis in a desert of bread…

While we were waiting for our food (yep, we like to do things the wrong way round!) we decided to share a coconut macaroon for a starter/dessert.

Home made at the cafe, these are by far the nicest macaroons I’ve tried. They’re not too sweet, not too sticky, and also HUGE, so you get what you pay for!

When the food arrived I was pleasantly suprised. I had seen a ‘normal’ baguette go out and it was huge – some places tend to end up giving you a piddly little roll and charging the same price, but not here. I was given TWO generous gluten free rolls, stuffed with bacon and brie, and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

The bread had been warmed through and was soft and tasty – it didn’t crumble when you tried to eat it and the rolls had held together really well.

This was actually a really generous portion (it cost around £6 to eat in) and I was impressed with the amount of filling they had managed to fit in. Normally when I make a bacon roll it looks like a car crash…

The salad was really fresh and the bacon was crispy – it was the first time I had eaten any bread in a long time but it was definitely worth the treat!

Steve had a generously filled jacket potato with tuna mayo and sweetcorn, and I also had a latte. The whole lot came to £15, which isn’t bad for two meals, a macaroon and a drink!

Lunch with a view….

In the summer it’s also a great place to walk down to and sit outside with an ice cream. I love the friendly feeling of the cafe and the fact it’s always busy come rain or shine.

It’s also great to discover new gluten free places nearby – I’m hoping to do a round up soon of great places in North Devon to eat – so watch this space and please comment or email me with any suggestions!

When I first found out that Newburn Bakehouse (Warburtons) were launching gluten free wraps I was jumping for joy…until I saw the price and nearly keeled over in the supermarket.

Brought out as part of a trial run in selected Tesco stores, the wraps weight in at a hefty £2.99 for three. Yes, that’s right folks, pretty much £1 a wrap!

Yes, I get that they have to take extra precautions, put in the research; I know the drill – but when you can pick up a pack of EIGHT normal wraps for the cost of ONE gluten free one, it kind of sucks. Big time.

Putting my price prejudices aside, I was impressed with how flexible they seemed and I liked the handy resealable bag (even though I planned to pretty much scoff all three in one go) so I thought I would give them a shot.

I’ve never really been a fan of Mexican in our house – normally I am confined to eating a bit of chilli with some lettuce whilst watching everyone else scoff wraps – but I was actually feeling quite excited for the upcoming meal.

The wraps are a square size – and although this still makes me feel ‘different’ (grr) it actually came in quite handy so I could easily differentiate my wraps from the evil, gluten-ous ones. Maybe there is some method in the madness after all!

Filling my wraps with a generous portion of spicy chicken, some cheese, sour cream and lettuce, I folded up my first wrap in anticipation.

Folding wraps, I have discovered, takes some practice – but luckily these wraps were really soft and flexible. I was worried like most gluten free products they would crumble to pieces, but they weren’t brittle in the slightest. Good start!

I took my first bite, and,  I’ll be honest, I couldn’t really fault them at all. They were soft, tasty and held together really well.

Even when I loaded my second wrap with chilli, they folded perfectly and didn’t leak everywhere (well, any more than the ‘normal’ wraps anyone else was eating!) – it was good to finally be able to join in the fun!

Overall, I have to say I was impressed. At the current price, they are certainly going to be a very occassional treat, but as I am trying to keep to a low-carb diet, it is probably a good thing they are expensive!

If you don’t mind the cost, these would be a great lunchbox alternative – and I can imagine a popular option for kids as well!

Have you tried the Newburn Bakehouse wraps? What did you think? Comment below with your thoughts!

My daily routine usually goes something like the following….

Wake up. Coffee.

Get to work….coffee. And another. And another. And another.

One for the road? Oh go on then.

You get the picture?

Being in a rather hectic job and working long hours its easy to get sucked into the caffeine cycle, but after a holiday in Portugal, in which I only drank TWO coffees in A WEEK, I realised how much this drink was quite possibly ruining me.

So as I boarded the plane home with my best friend Hannah, our minds full of motivation and resolutions for when we returned, I decided it was time I tried a bit of a coffee detox.

After all, I had survived a week with only two cups of coffee, surely I would be fine? Right!?

Oh, my last holiday coffee – a thing of beauty!

As many of you know, I’ve been trying to lose body fat and get really fit for my holiday in September, and the fact I like my coffees milky with one sugar is even worse. As PT Steve would say, sugar is the enemy.

So, the week began, and instead of my morning coffee I opted for a nice pint of….water.

I think the wierdest thing has been breaking the habit of switching the kettle on in my zombie-like state, inhaling the fumes of freshly brewed coffee to wake me up.

Instead, I have started every morning with a pint of water – and how refreshed did that make me feel!? I’ve been struggling to drink a litre of water a day, let alone the target of 3 litres daily before my hols.

But despite the dehydrating properties of coffee, I have found myself thirstier than normal and actually have pretty much hit my 3 litre target most days – making sure my pint glass on my desk is refilled regulary!

On the mornings I really felt I needed a boost, I opted for a green tea with pomegranite, which gave me that little kick and had the added comfort of holding a warm mug of something first thing.

I really expected to feel myself struggling during the day – and the first few days I did find I had a bit of a headache – but I have felt so much more awake than ever!

I feel the coffee was really dragging me down – my days was full of highs and lows, whereas now I don’t get that 2pm slump and I feel so hydrated – plus my skin is looking so much healthier and I think the dark circles under my eyes have faded slightly!

So why should a coeliac give up coffee?

Interestingly, there is more than one reason for my coffee break up.

I’ve seen quite a lot of articles floating around the net (see here, here and here, to name a few) suggesting that coffee provokes a similar reaction in coeliacs to gluten.

In fact, this article by Dr Clark, which started much of the debate, suggests 10% of coffee is a protein which cross-reacts with gluten antibodies.

In theory, this means that when a coeliac drinks coffee, their body will react as if they are having a gluten attack.

When I first read this, my first reaction was, ‘yer, whatever’ – but having not had coffee for a week, I’ve noticed my stomach has seemed a lot better, so maybe there could be some truth in it?

The theory is largely untested although it seems to be gathering some momentum – I’m not telling you it’s true and I’m not telling you to suddenly go cold turkey on the Starbucks, but it’s certainly something to follow and be aware of.

Bye bye forever?

Well, probably not.

I’ve loved my week of being clean from coffee – ditching my 4-5 coffees (= 4-5 teaspoons of sugar) a day I am feeling much better and I’m definitely going to eliminate drinking coffee from my day-to-day regime.

But sometimes when I’m meeting a friend, or having a particularly bad day, I know I’ll still dip into Costa and grab a latte – I love them too much to say no!

The idea of coffee provoking a cross reaction does worry me, but until there is more substantial proof I’ll still have the occassional treat, and monitor how my gut reacts. If it makes me feel ill, then I’ll have to say a tearful goodbye.

I have to say though, I am feeling so much better and looking forward to seeing how this affects my next weigh in next week – so watch this space!

Do you drink coffee? What do you think about Dr Clark’s article on coffee provoking a cross reaction? Comment below with your thoughs!

Whilst sat wrapped in a blanket on the sofa sipping Lemsip and feeling sorry for myself, I had a sneaky look through my photos and tried to rekindle some of that holiday feeling.

Before taking off, I had a super quick Google of ‘gluten free Albufeira’ and to my delight a restaurant called Senhor Frogs popped up on Trip Advisor….saying they did gluten free pizzas!!

Well, of course we had barely landed and I was already trying to figure out where it was!

Luckily for us, our hotel was located on the beach in Albufeira, a 5-10 minute walk from either Old Town or The Strip – where Senhor Frogs was located!

Senhor Frogs – clearly labelled gluten free from the start!

However, it wasn’t until a drunken taxi ride home when we finally spotted the restaurant (we hadn’t really done much research and had no idea where we were – it turned out to be 10 minutes walk from us!).

So the next day we marched up the hill to see what they had to offer!

Luckily, I had read on the review that if you want a GF pizza, you have to order it earlier in the day so they can prepare the dough – so we stopped by at lunchtime to make our order for dinner.

I was really pleased to see the signs outside clearly advertising the fact they did gluten free pasta, and I went to speak to the waiter who was very nice and told me my pizza dough would be awaiting me at 7pm that night!

That night I was excited to choose my pizza from their vast range – a little over priced for Albufeira (I think mine cost me around 16 Euros) but I chose one with pepperoni, ham, peppers, mushrooms and olive.

I was so excited when this got put in front of me!

The most exciting thing for me, after my whole battle with Dominos, was that I could even order my GF pizza in a LARGE!

When it got placed in front of me I was so excited – it was huge and stuffed with toppings, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in!

I was really impressed by the base – it was quite a thick base but really light and unlike any I have had before – it was so tasty.

The best thing about Senhor Frogs was that when I couldn’t finish the whole thing, they even let me take it home and they told me they would put it in a different box to my friend’s leftovers, so it wouldn’t get contaminted. Brownie points for them!

I enjoy the leftovers later on with my Kindle and a mug (yes, classy) of Sangria in bed. Bliss.

Overall I found eating in Albufeira pretty hassle free – I stuck mainly to salad (which I LOVE when I’m abroad) fresh seafood and paella – and of course Sangria!

Mmmm, leftover pizza and Sangria, yum!

So if you’re heading to the Algarve and you want some gluten free pizza – head to Senhor Frogs!

Oh yes, this time next week I will be tanning it up in sunny Portugal, sipping on Sangria and eating lots of tasty seafood – and also tracking down gluten free haunts – for a well-earned five day break.

So the past week it’s been a real blitz to try and blast off as much fat as possible before I go to fit into the amazing [and eye-wateringly expensive] bikini I have purchased for the occasion!

I faced my arch nemesis this weekend – returning home from work to find the family scoffing my one true weakness….pizza.

The tempting thought of my all time favourite gluten free pizza brought me extremely close to tears, but I knew there had been a difference in my body that week after eating really well (mostly to make up for Easter!) and I was only a day or two from my next body fat reading, so I pulled through!

Instead, PT Steve and I made ‘meat-za’ – chicken breast butterflied and topped like a pizza – all the amazing taste, but with non of the bloating, bready-y badness!

We topped our chicken with a tomato and garlic sauce (home made), sweetcorn, orange pepper, mozzarella and a little bit of chorizo…

Before it goes in the oven…bake at Gas 6 for approx 25 mins

After it comes out, looking delicious!

Serve with salad and greens – yum!

I love dishes like this – they’re a great way to get creative and it still feels like you’re eating something pizza-like, without all the badness! Of course, you could add all sorts of veg and really mix it up each time – I bet it would be amazing with goats cheese too!

I’ve also been trying a couple of other things to clean my diet up.

Every morning I am trying to drink a pint of water with a couple of slices of lemon squeezed into it. The acidity is great for your stomach and it helps with your cortisol (stress) levels – something I am suffering with at the moment!

I’ve also been keeping up with my smoothies – I’ve been experimenting with adding veg as well! Try a handful of spinach blended with raspberries and a juiced lemon for something a bit zingy, or add cucumber with blueberries fot a fresh tasting drink.

It’s been great fun experimenting (although some haven’t been so great!) and now PT Steve has bought himself a new blender, so things could go crazy in the kitchen!

I’ve also been trying to up my fibre intake by adding flaxseed to my smoothies…

I found this pack for £4.99 in Sainsbury’s and it was the best value one on the shelf – I’ve also added it to my meatballs and I’ve found not only does it add fibre, but it also helps them stick together a bit better too (and it’s labelled gluten free – result!)

So with one week to go, and my pizza cravings worse than ever, I need to stay strong and try and drop that little bit extra before my hols! My body fat has dropped by nearly 2% in two weeks – so I must be doing something right!

I’ve also started a Body Balance class with my friend which I LOVE and today I tried out my new yoga dvd for beginners I’ve bought – the plan is to use these to increase my flexbility and destress!

How are your fitness goals going? What healthy tips and tricks do you have for those on a gluten free diet? Share them by commenting below!

A cross between a cake pop and a truffle, when I was sent some samples from Rowena at JEM’s Cupcakes I was intrigued!

Cute, iced little cake balls, they came in a selection of boozy flavours and delightful colours.

From pina colada to Jamaican rum punch, I couldn’t wait to tuck into these little beauties.

First up was rum punch – in a gorgeous pink iced case with sparkles, this little cruffle packed a tropical punch!

Second, in sunshine yellow, the pina colada cruffles were sweet and reminded me of holidays in the sun.

And the cream coloured Baileys cruffle – my personal favourite – was creamy and boozy – the perfect combination.

I really loved the idea of these – I could see them wrapped up as a gift for a friend – bite sized cakes with that idea of a box of chocolates.

I loved the texture as well – they almost reminded me of marzipan – they really were delightful.

Rowena also very kindly let me try some cupcakes – beautifully decorated, the rich chocolate cake and vanilla variety with a gorgeous, iced rose were great tasting, and didn’t feel like I was eating specifically GF food.

But the cruffles really stole the show – a unique idea and I loved the alcoholic theme – 10/10!

Find out more about JEM’s cupcakes on their Facebook page by clicking here.