gluten free familyA mum's blog about gluten-free living in Australia

As Easter approaches, most people have smartie-filled bunnies or boxes of assorted Lindt on their minds. Not me, I think about hot cross buns — or rather about hot cross bun deprivation. 

But Simply Wize has once again come to the rescue with their gluten free variety which can already be found in the freezer section at Coles supermarkets. We tried them last year and loved them!

On the topic of things soft and spongy, in the last few months we have happened upon quite a few new products that we liked and wanted to spread the word on: Read the rest of this entry »

Well and Good's Crusty Bread mix

Just when you think you have tried out all the gluten free bread mixes in the market, a few more pop up out of nowhere.

This is especially true in the case of the Tasmanian Sky Ranch Bakehouse, who recently shipped me a packet of their bread roll mix to test out.

It was hard to resist making the charmingly named ‘Bunsky’ mix, and as I have never actually attempted to make gluten-free buns, I was particularly interested.

And lo and behold,  in the very same week, Well and Good sent me a box of their crusty loaf mix – hence an ideal opportunity for a mini-bake off. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitarium crumpets

Ahhh the hot English treat that tastes as good with plain butter as any spread you can think of. Yes, its been a long time since I bought a packet of those home from the supermarket.

But all that changed last week after Vitarium sent me a box of their gluten free crumpet mix and asked me to give it a go.

I’ve seen it on the supermarket shelves and never quite had the courage to test it out, but with the royal nuptials on Friday night I decided there could be no better time to whip up an experimental batch for the family to munch on throughout the ceremony. Read the rest of this entry »

Aldi's 'Has no' bread mix

Listen up fans of Aldi’s gluten free range – and I know there are plenty of you out there -  the discount supermarket will soon be filling its shelves with over a dozen products.

Although Aldi does not stock gluten free products as part of its regular product line – it does bring some out from time to time as Special Buys under the ‘Has no’ label. These stay on the shelves until stock runs out. Read the rest of this entry »

One of our readers recently asked whether anyone could recommend a good bread machine for making gluten free bread.

Sadly it is not something I have ever been able to investigate fully because of the logistical difficulties of comparing several different machines.

And how do you judge an individual machine anyway, if you are not sure whether it is the machine or the mixture itself that has contributed to its success or failure? Read the rest of this entry »

You may have realised by now that I have a slightly balmy obsession with bread making.

Given the increasing diversity of decent ready-made gluten free loaves on the supermarket shelves, I probably need to explain why – so here goes . . .

Although we have no trouble getting our little one to eat gluten free toast, what I really want is to send my child to school with yummy, soft sandwiches in his lunchbox that don’t have any wheat, milk, eggs or preservatives in them. Is that such a big ask?

Unfortunately in the world of gluten free baking it is. So with this goal in mind I bring you the Big Bread Bake Off mark II. Read the rest of this entry »

Simplywize bread mix

Looking back over last year, there have been so many changes in the gluten free world.

Tons of new products arrived on supermarket shelves to improve our gluten-free lifestyles (gluten free frozen pizzas, nuggets, cake and bread mixes just to name a few) and the march of the gluten free bakeries continued with Choices opening up new shops around Sydney, and a few new outfits turning up in convenient locations like Leichardt.

Co-blogger Mandy and I were wondering with such a broad range of gluten free foods now so easily accessible – is there really still a purpose for the Gluten Free Family blog?

Then we caught a headline in Australian Doctor magazine last week saying new research had discovered a non-coeliac gluten trigger and we decided there is still a lot to be said about the problems associated with gluten intolerance – from medical, dietary, and culinary perspectives. Read the rest of this entry »

Every so often we unearth a new gluten free product that makes a big improvement to our quality of life.

Lately, however, it is some older products that have been reinvented or distributed in a new way that have proved to be our saviour – and it is the reinvention of two new breakfast staples that has me all a-flutter this week.

Rice puffs
Our big breakfast discovery for the week are these “new and improved” rice puffs from Freedom Food. We tried this brand a few years ago – but there was something amiss with the texture and taste so we swiftly moved on to Nature’s Path Crispy Rice, which we have been eating happily ever since.

Only problem is they are hard to find – and our local IGA only has them in stock sporadically so we need to buy up a truckload when we see them. Read the rest of this entry »

Woolies goes gluten free snag mad

It’s been busy time in the gluten free game for the mainstream retailers, especially in their meat and bread departments.

Woolies has gone gluten free snag mad and massively ramped up its home brand gluten free range. Most of the brand name sausages it carries are now also gluten free. It’s almost harder to get sausages with gluten in them these days.

Lilydale also recently announced a new line of gluten free chicken sausages that are also free range. They will go on sale in Coles nationwide, except for WA.

Speaking of Coles, it has started stocking some new gluten free breads and cakes in its bakery section. Read the rest of this entry »

My haul from last year

Its show time for Sydneysiders once again in November as the Irrisitable Gluten Free Show comes to the Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park on November 20 – 21.

The venue has changed from last year’s show – which was held at Darling Harbour – and I think it is also a week later than previously scheduled, so do double check your diary.

It may not be as central – but one of the good things about the change of venue is that it also now a good deal cheaper to attend (I’m not sure if the two things are related – but last year I paid $25 entry which was a bit of a sting).

I believe ticket prices are now $10 per adult at the door – which makes a big difference for a family of four – but  a quick check of website indicates you can also pre-register for free tickets – so that could also save you a dollar or two. (Though you may also have to factor in the cost of  parking given Moore Park isn’t particularly close to any train links.)

My co-blogger Mandy and I will most certainly be there, soaking up the gluten-free vibes, sampling all the gluten free sweet treats, and quizzing stall attendees about the minutiae of their product ranges. So for those stuck out of town – and unable to attend – please send in any burning questions you may have for manufacturers or retailers and we will make sure the tough questions get asked! Read the rest of this entry »