glutenfreechild

Our amazing new gluten free and dairy free chocolate discovery!

2014-01-09T03:01:00.001-08:00

Yes you read that right!

Many newly diagnosed coeliacs also suffer from a lactose intolerance, which is certainly true in our house with myself and my daughter dairy intolerant and as a result I mainly eat paleo.

One thing that is really hard to find is nice gluten free and dairy free chocolate, I usually console myself with Lindt's 95% dark chocolate but still have to be sparing with it and it would be nice to have a change. To date I haven't found any dairy free chocolate that is very nice - until recently that is!

Enter Hotel Chocolat's Dark and Nutty Hazelnut Buche:

Wow - a little piece of chocolate heaven!

As as bonus it's also vegan too...the downside though is the price, at £9 for a small log, however it is really rich so you can only 2 or 3 slices at a time at most meaning it lasts a good few days. It's definitely an indulgence we'll be treating ourselves too now and again!

A Review of the Freesat+ box with free time

2013-10-23T06:00:00.002-07:00

A couple of week's ago I was lucky enough to be sent a 500GB Humax Freesat+ box to review by the fab Mumsnet Bloggers Network. This couldn't have come at a better time for our family as we are in the process of a serious review of our household bills which seem to be spiralling out of control. With our money needed to cover the ever increasing fuel bills we just can't justify luxuries like the £50 per month we spend on Sky TV, so the appeal of the subscription free Freesat is HUGE, even with the initial outlay of the box within 6months we would be saving money when compared to our Sky subscription!

Unwrapping the box!

I am completely clueless when it comes to technology (I still call DVDs 'videos' and CDs 'records' to the embarrassment of my children), so wasn't looking forward to the task of setting the box up! A week and a bit ago a box arrived containing everything we needed to get going with Freesat. The actual Freesat box itself is about the size of a DVD player and actually pretty good looking (if you like that sort of thing that is!). Despite my technical ineptitude, the box was actually really easy to set up (though I did enlist the help of my other half to do the plugging in!). You literally just turn the box on and follow the on screen directions at each step. We were up an running within about 10 minutes maximum. Marvellous!

Setting the Freesat box up - testing signal strength

So, what do I think of it? It does everything it says in the blurb:

"Freesat believe you shouldn't have to pay a monthly subscription to watch and listen to 180 channels of the best comedy, drama, sport, lifestyle, music and news. We offer free HD services from ITV, the BBC and Channel 4; freesat+ to record pause and rewind, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand5; and all subscription free."

Freesat launched 'freetime' last Autumn which includes a Roll Back TV Guide that allows you to watch programmes you've missed from the previous seven days across 21 channels, a new showcase section providing top TV picks chosen daily by Freesat's reviewers, on-demand services and enhanced recordings."

So 'thank you' Freesat, we now have a fab array of *free* channels (195 to be precise - see below!) to watch with no costly monthly fees (hooray - we can turn the central heating on!). My kids are happy that they still get to watch their favourite programmes and my husband is getting stuck right into the 'on demand' section. It's mad to think we would pay £600 per year to Sky for a similar service!

195 free channels!

Happy smiles all round - thank you Freesat!

SPECIAL FREESAT+ BOX DISCOUNT OFFER
Freesat is a subscription free service and Freesat+ boxes are available to buy from a range of retailers - RRP from £226. Humax are offering, via GlutenFreeChild, an exclusive discount code to purchase a 500GB Humax Freesat+ box for £199, a saving of £30. Just enter the code: FT30 when ordering.

Note: I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity.

Congham Hall Spa - A Very Special Offer Autumn Retreat for Frazzled Parents in Norfolk

2013-10-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Please Note - this is a sponsored post.

A glorious English summer has come to an end and the onset of Autumn ushers in a new season. At Congham Hall in the heart of beautiful Norfolk the leaves are falling, and turning from a crisp green to lush shades of copper, bronze and crimson.

If you are looking for an Autumn break, somewhere to get away from it all, to truly relax and unwind, then you'd be hard-pressed to find somewhere more peaceful than Congham Hall Spa Hotel

Winner of the Best UK Small Hotel at the International Hotel Awards this Georgian country house is home to a hotel, restaurant, bar, spa and renowned herb garden, and set in 30 acres of gardens, lawns, parkland and orchards.

The beautiful Congham Hall Spa Hotel

The 26 unique bedrooms are individually decorated, 15 are in the main house and 11 between the house and Spa each with its own private terrace overlooking the glorious gardens.

The gardens play an important role in the life of Congham Hall, providing homegrown produce for the restaurant tables. The hotel's restaurant aims to locally source the majority of its ingredients from within a 20-mile radius with the kitchen garden providing a variety vegetables as well as herbs.

Enjoy a drink in a relaxed, informal atmosphere at the hotel bar, library, lounge or outside on the terrace before or after sampling the new menu in the restaurant.

While staying at Congham Hall dip into the Secret Garden Spa and enjoy a swim in its stunning 12 metre swimming pool. The tranquil atmosphere is the ideal place for 1-2-1 swimming lessons. Lessons are available for complete beginners, stroke technique improvement or to improve fitness through swimming and water based exercise.

The Secret Garden Spa Pool at Congham Hall

The pool area is also home to two experience showers, a Finnish style sauna, a bio-sauna, and a steam room. There are also foot baths, an outdoor hot tub and, within the pool itself, various massaging jets.

Still need to relax? Then book one of the fabulous treatments from the Spa team who have incorporated some of the seasonal herbs and fresh blossoming flowers to create a unique treatment menu. Congham Hall Signature treatments, include an elemental herbal facial and a rosemary muscle melt massage to replenish and restore your body and mind.

A spa room at Congham Hall

Additional facilities at Congham include the newly refurbished tennis court (tennis rackets and balls are available to borrow and coaching can be organised in advance at £20 per hour) a trampoline, putting green and croquet lawn. The hotel will also provide you with DVDs, books and games, not to mention Dubarry boots should you wish to go on one of the many circular walks available from the grounds or explore further afield: the splendid sandy beaches of the North Norfolk coast, bustling market towns, nature reserves and the Queen’s beloved Sandringham Estate (open till the end of October), are all within easy reach.

Congham Hall is conveniently close to the Sandringham Estate.

The fabulous Houghton Revisited exhibition http://www.houghtonrevisited.com/ has been extended, by popular demand to the 24 November.

So what are you waiting for! Book now for a Congham Hall Autumn break. Their 'mid week TWO night Autumn Break available Sunday to Thursday till 19th December 2013 is a great deal!

Better and Best Main House Rooms including breakfast are available at £399 including dinner on both nights (with a £35 per person allowance for dinner).

All Garden Rooms including breakfast are available at £499 including dinner on both nights (with a £35 per person allowance for dinner).

Congham Hall still has a handful of rooms available over Christmas and New Year and plenty of special events planned including; mulled wine and mince pies in front of the log fire; carols round the Christmas tree; champagne cocktails and 7 course tasting menus. (include link) http://www.conghamhallhotel.co.uk/christmas-at-congham-hall-2013/

Please Note - this is a sponsored post.

A Coeliac in Spain - Gluten Free at Cambrils Park, Salou & PortAventura

2013-10-16T03:20:00.001-07:00

We spent this August at the fantastic Cambrils Park resort. Before we left I spent hours on the internet researching gluten free food options and didn't find much. I asked Cambrils Park themselves via their Facebook site if we would be able to eat anything and whilst they replied "you will be able to find gluten free food here" I was more than a little concerned due to my lack of google findings.

After a disappointing experience flying with British Airways (BA) to Barcelona airport (where there were no gluten free food options available on board) and a long bus journey we finally arrived at Cambrils Park just before 8pm, exhausted and starving. After checking in we headed straight to the onsite supermarket, with 10 minutes left until closing time.

I can't tell you the relief we felt when we turned down the second aisle and came face to face with an impressive gluten free selection - everything from bread to cakes, pasta, biscuits, flour and even frozen gluten free pizzas and baguettes!

On the off-chance we wandered over to the poolside bar restaurant and asked if they had any gluten free items. At first the waiter was confused as his English was not so good (but far better than my Spanish!), then he had a lightbulb moment and said "ahhh menu celiaco, I bring menu celiaco", I could have cried when he returned with a whole menu just for coeliacs! It wasn't very huge, but had enough to keep us happy. We ordered a ham and cheese pizza and whilst it was very small it was delicious. We also ate the rotisserie chicken a couple of times which was gorgeous and gluten free (though the chips were not) So a big thumbs up to Cambrils Park for their gluten free offerings, my only complaint is that I was disappointed not to be able to eat their paella.

I hadn't read good things about Port Aventura's gluten free catering and having been to Universal in Florida (they are owned by the same company) and experiencing their shockingly awful gluten free catering (which is pretty much non-existant) I wasn't holding out much hope. When it came to lunch time we decided to try the Mexican restaurant (Restaurant La Hacienda) as we figured we may be able to eat the nachos if nothing else. I thought it was worth a short asking if they had a "menu coeliaco" - instantly the waitress said "Si, si" and appeared a minute later with a dedicated gluten free menu. We opted for a pizza (again! 11 year old boys aren't so adventurous!) with a side of gluten free fries from a dedicated fryer, though the menu did have a lot more choice.

I had heard a rumour that McDonalds in Spain serves gluten free buns so whilst waiting for our flight home from Barcelona El Prat airport we popped into the airside McDonalds. Thankfully they had automated ordering machines with English translations so we didn't have to try to explain what we wanted and lo and behold - gluten free bun options! I have to confess they weren't the nicest buns, typically dry and powdery, but it really was a treat to be able to get a burger in a bun!

So - in summary, if you're heading to Cambrils, Salou, Barcelona or Port Aventura as a Coeliac, don't panic, there will be plenty of options available.

Happy Holidays!

Review - The Smurfs 2 and Jakks Pacific Toys

2013-08-06T08:55:00.002-07:00

Summer holiday fatigue has just begun to set in, so it came as very welcome relief to be invited to a special Smurfs 2 screening with Jakks Pacific toys last weekend.

The children loved the first Smurfs film and had been badgering me to see the second one. On Sunday we set off early to the Covent Garden Odeon and were greeted by an array of Smurf characters who welcomed us into the cinema. After selecting drinks and a bag of toffee popcorn each we settled down to watch the film, which was actually pretty good! I'm really not a fan of kids' movies and have had to watch my fair share lately, but even my hardened adult heart softened at this one. I was also surprised at Katy Perry's Smurfette which was actually pretty convincingly good!

The film centres around Smurfette who has been captured by the evil Gargomel in a devious plan to extract Smurf essence to enact world domination. As you would expect the day is saved, by a very old looking Dougie Howser MD (am I *really* that old too?!) and Emma from Glee, along with Papa Smurf and crew. Lots of laughs and even a few tears ensued and everyone left happy and uplifted.

After the film it was time for some crazy entertainment Smurf style (that even my 'too cool' 11 year old enjoyed - though of course, he'd never actually tell you that!) and a look at the new Jakks Smurf toy range which are available from most large UK toy retailers now. The children were all given a little character to take away which they absolutely loved and have taken pride of place in their bedrooms.

My 6 year old daughter fell in love with the Smurfette fashion doll which is quite reasonably priced at £14.99. The official description for the toy reads: "Measuring 3 apples high, Smurfette has been transformed into a 7.5” Fashion Doll complete with fabulous mix and match outfits to brighten any blue day! Simply snap on one of her Smurfy dress combinations, add a stylish accessory, pop on shoes and Smurfette is ready for anything! With flowing stylable hair and a unique Smurf Berry scent, this glamorous jet set Smurf has everything she needs to help her stay up to date with the latest Smurf trends!"

All in all we had a great day, so a big thank you to Norton and Co. for inviting us!

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this post though we did receive free tickets for the movie.

Adventure Puzzle Party Box Review

2013-07-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

So last week Seb turned 11! Gone are the days of him wanting traditional party games like pass the parcel, musical bumps and pin the tail on the donkey, but he's not quite old enough for more adult birthday celebrations, sitting in a bit of a tricky no-mans birthday land!

After inviting 5 friends for a sleepover we struggled to find some age appropriate entertainment. I was lucky enough to be sent a free puzzle box from http://www.talltalespuzzleparties.co.uk/, we opted for the detective puzzle box which is described as:

"Turn detective with one of our ever-popular detective adventure puzzle parties.Solve the puzzles and quests to unlock a clue that will allow you to clear one of the seven suspects. Choose who you think is the thief and discover whether you are right!"

We chose 'The Jewel Thief' Adventure which is all about a family heirloom that has been stolen from Puzzle Hall. The instructions suggest that the party guests should "get out your magnifying glass and find the clues with every puzzle you solve until you discover the identity of The Jewel Thief!". Along the way they will meet the Emerald family and their guests at a celebration dinner when the theft was uncovered. We had a box for 8 which retails at £39.99 and I think it was very good value.

Shortly after choosing a big box was delivered containing lots of secret envelopes and tasks, a full set of instructions, a detective notebook for each child with stickers and pens to decorate and personalise them, a party bag to put the notebook in (and perhaps some other goodies - we used the ever popular haribos!) and a badge to give each child upon completion.

The boys (and my three younger children, two boys aged 8 and 9 and a girl aged 6) all got stuck in solving the puzzles and really got into the spirit of the adventure. The box is aimed at age 7 years plus and I think this is a good estimate.

One of the boys at the party is almost 12 and he thought the activities were a little babyish but the rest of them were all very happy. My 6, 8 and 9 year olds really enjoyed the activities and I think this would be the best age range for them. The 6 and 8 year olds have already requested a box for their birthday parties, my daughter likes the look of the Mermaid puzzle party and my 8 yr old son wants another detective party, so it looks like Tall Tales Puzzle Parties has found a new repeat customer in our family!

Tall Tales Puzzle Parties have kindly given me a discount code BLOG13 to pass on to you all which gets you a 15% discount. Click HERE to order

Half Term Entertainment on a Shoestring & Can Chewing Gum Make You More Clever? COMPETITION!

2013-06-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this 2 days into half term with my gang of four. I love time off with my family, but must admit I'm always a little worried about the expense of entertaining them. When I was a child (gosh I sound about 80, still at least I didn't say "in the good old days"!) I was left to entertain myself, if I was really lucky we'd head off to a zoo or a theme park once over the whole 6 week long summer holiday but the rest of the time was spent playing with friends, mostly in our back garden.

How can it be that children today have so much 'stuff' to entertain them, yet they are always so bored? In fact I think that's the answer - they have too much 'stuff', I didn't have 'stuff' and I wasn't bored...I wonder what the next generation of children will do during school holidays? Will our children be telling their own "I didn't have half the amount of stuff you had as a child and I didn't complain?".

Our school holiday plans tend to revolve strongly around nature, the local national trust forest, the beach and the local botanical garden and the fantastic free museums in Cambridge (the zoology one gets a big thumbs up from us).

So, ever conscious of finances, when the chaps at Chewits asked me if we'd be interested in posting their half term graphic I thought it sounded interesting, I'm all up for new ideas, especially if they save money and the kids were convinced when the offer also came with some free chewie gum to review too.

Now, I may be old fashioned but I've really put off letting my kids have chewing gum, I don't know why, mostly paranoia over them swallowing it accidentally and concern that I would find it stuck all over the house, but they have been begging me to try some for ages. Oddly I found THIS article which claims that chewing gum is good for the brain (it is in the Daily Fail though!). Anyway, I relented and Chewits kindly sent the kids some of their new Chewie gum to review, the gum comes in 3 flavours - lemon, tropical and strawberry and banana. The kids loved the tropical, weren't at all keen on the lemon and were 50/50 split on the strawberry and banana, but all agreed that it would have been better if it were just strawberry flavoured. They seemed to have great fun and importantly nobody swallowed any! Another plus is that I have yet to find any stuck to the walls/under tables or headboard, I'm not quite sure where they have put it though, it's rare that they put anything in the bin so I'm still more than a little concerned........

Anyway, chewie gum gets a thumbs up in our house, but the kids would much prefer a plain strawberry flavour please chewits!

WIN

The lovely people at Chewits have given me a Hamper worth £30, bursting with Chewits goodies to give away to you!

To enter please leave your name in reply and I'll randomly pick a winner on the 8th of June. Please note entry implies that you agree with the terms and conditions below:

All entrants must be over 18 years of age
Entry to the competition is restricted to one entry per person, multiple entries will be disqualified as will automated entries, bulk or third party entries.
Competitions are open to UK and ROI residents only and the prize can only be sent to a valid UK or ROI address.
Only entries received by the closing date of Sunday June 9th will be submitted to the competition.
The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The winner will be contacted via email and their name will be posted here on Monday 10th June.
There is no cash alternative.
In compliance with the data protection act. Gluten Free Child will not pass on your details to any third party without your prior consent.

Gluten Free Pizza - Big Thumbs Up to Dominos, Pizza Express and Pizza Hut!

2013-05-03T05:52:00.001-07:00

Gluten free food is like buses it seems....

.....we wait for years for a tasty, readily available and well priced gluten free alternative to our favourite foods and then 3 turn up at once.

2013 has proven to be an amazing year for gluten free pizza. How how we missed our pizza, Seb particularly when his friends would hold birthday parties at their local pizza huts.

I am SO delighted then that the mainstream restaurants are listening to the needs of their customers.

I have yet to sample Pizza Express' new gluten free pizza (they have offered to top your own base for ages, but this wasn't practical if you were out for the day or wanted to dine spontaneously!) but I'm told they now offer not only a gluten free pizza but also a gluten free brownie - woohoo!

We have however tried Pizza Hut and Domino's gluten free offerings - here's a quick review of both:

Pizza Hut Gluten Free Pizza

I think you can see the delight in Seb's face in the picture above! We could eat most of the toppings and the base was pretty good, it is square and only available in thin crust. It was a bit dry towards the end when it cooled, but not bad - we've been back twice since for more!
Verdict? 3 out of 5 for Pizza Hut Gluten Free Pizza

Dominos Gluten Free Pizza

This is our favourite! It *almost* tastes like the pizza I remember before our gluten free days, soooo good, my only gripes are that it's only available in one size, which is pretty small and like the pizza hut alternative it got a bit dry and chewy when it cooled, but it's much nicer than the Pizza Hut version.

Verdict? 4 out of 5 for Dominos Gluten Free Pizza

Preparing to Start 'Big School'....Part 1 - The Practicalities: Uniform & Finances

2013-02-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm writing this, it seems like only yesterday that Seb was about to start 'big school', by 'big school' I of course mean infant school. My little curly haired toddler had reached the age of four in the blink of an eye and no sooner had he started preschool he was off to infant school. He settled into infant school well (certainly much easier than I settled into my new role of being a mother to a school aged child!) and quickly made lots of friends.

Surely it was only yesterday that I dropped him off for his first day of school? Wearing his too big jumper and shiny black shoes? How can it possible be that he is starting REAL 'big school' soon? How can my baby be ready for secondary school? How can my little toddler be ready for high school? I'm certainly not ready!

In my trauma of how quickly the last (almost) eleven years have gone I've been busying myself with the practicalities of preparing for 'big school'. I was truly horrified to learn how much it would cost to kit him out in the appropriate uniform and sports kit (and this is just a regular state school!), so as finances are tight I've planned to spend £50 per month every month until September and start putting bits away so that it doesn't dent out budget too much in August.

This month I have been shopping around for uniform basics. Although the school require him to wear a standard embroidered tie and blazer we can choose where we buy his (plain black) jumper, (long sleeved collared) white shirts and (plain black) trousers from - thank goodness! In the past I have bought most of my kids' (aged 10, 9, 8 and 5) school uniform in either Marks and Spencer, Tesco or Asda in the '3 for 2' weeks, lately though I've been noticing how it hasn't been lasting, our last lot of Tesco trousers are having to be replaced only 5 months into the current academic year as they have been ripping and hems coming down and our last lot of M&S polo shirts have shrunk significantly and are now a horrible grey colour (this may be my washing skills!), so I've been hunting down alternatives. Certainly I thought that my kids were hard on clothes when they were toddlers and expected their clothes to take less of a bashing when they were older, but I couldn't have been more wrong! We definitely need some seriously hard wearing uniform for secondary school!

I was very lucky to be offered the chance to test some school uniform from Trutex whose uniform is available online from their own site Trutex Direct and other online selected retailers (see HERE ) and from selected high street retailers (see HERE) and naturally jumped at the chance. I had already heard of Trutex, but after comparing their prices with the high street own brands considered them too expensive, now though I have begun to think it is worth paying a bit extra for better quality.

We road tested the following:

1. Twin pack non-iron (vitally important for a household of 6!!) white shirts HERE
2. Black flat front trousers HERE
3. Black cotton v-neck jumper HERE

Seb loved the way that they fitted and the difference in quality was obvious, I honestly can say I think that the Trutex school uniform will last us for the whole of the academic year and (hopefully) be in a good enough condition to pass down to my younger boys. I'm convinced, no more false economy high street uniforms for us, I'm going to be budgeting to buy the rest of Seb's uniform from Trutex. If you're fed up with your child's uniform falling to bits I'd really recommend Trutex school uniform.

Now, if I only I could get Seb to look as smart as the boy in the picture above!

Perfect Family Holidays on a Budget

2013-01-17T06:06:00.002-08:00

"Perfect family holiday" and "on a budget"......hmmm there are two sentences that really don't go together! The thing is they can do so I was only too happy to blog about it in response to the latest Grand Adventure competition from MoneySupermarket.

Having four children and choosing to stay at home with them has certainly taken its toll on our budget, it's tighter than my waistband is after too much Christmas overindulgence. We have very little spare cash, especially given that eating gluten free takes its toll on our bank balance too, but you know what? We have cracking holidays every year!

I really couldn't survive without out holidays, we try to go away twice per year, usually at Easter and in the school summer holidays. Aside from our 'once in a lifetime' trip to Florida last year none of our holidays have cost more than £3000 for the 6 of us, with the average coming in at well under £1000 and we've been to some pretty cool places and had some amazing experiences. My top tips for a budget family holiday are:

Arrange the holiday yourself, you can usually save a packet if you book all components of the holiday individually. I would never book a package holiday again for this reason. I hunt around for the cheapest travel options (whether that's flights, ferry, tunnel or car hire) and similarly for our accommodation, sometimes it's cheaper to book direct with the owner, sometimes it's cheaper to book through a money saving website of some sort.
Consider camping and static caravans, things have moved on from the 'Hi De Hi' sites of yesteryear. I'm not a rustic camper, I like my mod cons, my electricity, running water and flushing toilets! It's amazing how much you can save this way and the children ADORE it, they make friends so easily and love the freedom of roaming the campsite.
Research the local area well before you go, I often plan our meals at local restaurants by researching menus and pricing online, no last minute panic and ending up in the dearest restaurant! Of course being coeliacs it's vital we do this anyway for gluten free food.
Look for special deals on days out, whether it's using discount vouchers found in papers, loyalty points from supermarkets, cash back sites for booking online or websites such as MoneySupermarket's fab deals page it can save a packet if you plan your entertainment well before you go.
Book well in advance, I know many say to 'get a last minute bargain' but I've found this often isn't the case, particularly with air fares, ferry tickets, car hire and airport parking. TravelSupermarket is a great site for researching these.
Al fresco eating - BBQs and picnics are the stuff of dreams of young children, mine would certainly rather have either of these than a meal in a posh restaurang anyday! and the best bit is they are much cheaper than eating out!
Find free local entertainment - Many museums and beautiful natural attractions are free and visiting with a picnic makes for a really cheap day out.
Consider youth hostels - the very words may make you recoil, but they can be great, cheap accommodation. If ever we stay in London we always stay at the YHA at St. Pauls, they have family bedrooms to sleep 6 and fantastic cooked breakfasts, all for around £100 per night for all of us!

So with this in mind, my next dream budget family holiday has to be a week at the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. My kids and I are *desperate* to see the Canyon and I reckon a week's camping amongst the splendor and beauty of Arizonian nature would be amazing. Flights aside, I reckon I could do the whole holiday for 6 of us for under £1000. Here's how:

7 nights at the amazing looking Mather Campground $126
Tent and airbed for the adults we can pick up from Wallmart en route $99 here
6 sleeping bags from Wallmart $90 here
Plates/cups/disposable BBQs from Wallmart $50
1 week's food shopping (self catering) $150
Entrance to the Canyon parks for 1 wk $25
1 week's diesel £100
1 week's people carrier car hire from Las Vegas aiport for August 2013 through TravelSupermarket £238.

So all converted to UK Sterling I make that a measly £675!! Which leaves us a whopping £325 to spend on other entertainment (a crazy day in Las Vegas perhaps?) and dining out.

Who says you can't have a cracking family holiday on a budget?! The world is literally your oyster, all that is limiting you is your imagination and some foreward planning!

Sarah xx

Our Perfect Family Day Out at Ripleys Believe it or Not in London

2012-11-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Those of you who read this blog regularly will know how fond we are of our holidays and all important family days out! We had an amazing day in London last week at Ripleys Believe it or Not. We were fortunate enough to be given complimentary tickets as part of the MoneySupermarket Days Out Discounts promotion. My boys are huge fans of the Ripleys book which they always ask for on their Christmas lists so we were delighted to actually be able to see the museum (if that's what you'd call it!). Before we went we checked out some of the blurb on line:

"Home to over 700 weird and wonderful exhibits, the central London attraction showcases a painting by Mexican artist Enrique Ramos on a tortilla canvas. Visitors can also see some of Ramos’s other masterpieces including miniature bible scenes painted onto pumpkin seeds and a series of portraits of icons such as Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein and Abraham Lincoln, all painted onto quail egg shells.

Marvel at a version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ painted on a grain of rice – created using a microscope and a single human hair – as well as a portrait of Michael Jackson fashioned using Liquorice Allsorts sweets. While Robert Ripley himself – the man behind the attraction and who coined the phrase ‘Believe It or Not!” – is depicted using multi-coloured bubblegums."

If I'm honest I didn't really know what to expect, I definitely haven't been anywhere quite so, well - odd! - before.

Since this day was all about the children I'm going to hand this blog over to them! So, I'd like to introduce you to my newest reviewers - Bats (10), Boz (9), Spud (7) and Boo (5) *clearly not their real names!

What did you think of Ripleys Believe it or Not?

Bats - "Awesome!"

Boz - "It's been a really wicked afternoon, can we come again?"

Spud - "I really liked it, it's cool."

Boo - "I LOVED it"

What was your favourite thing about Ripleys Believe it or Not?

Bats - "Oh definitely the Jade palace, I thought it was amazing and I really liked the matchstick bridge too, it must have taken so long to make"

Boz - "The black hole tunnel, it made me feel dizzy" (Mum's note - we couldn't get him out of it!)

Spud - "I really liked the funny table that made me look like I had no legs, it was silly"

Boo - "I liked the cute little fox and the upside down table"

*Mums note - I loved touching the Berlin wall, even though the kids thought it was "boooooring".....

Was there anything you didn't like?

Bats - "I didn't like that you and daddy wouldn't walk quicker, it's so annoying when you stop all the time"

Boz - "Uhm, not really, the man pulling things with his eyeballs made me feel a bit sick actually"

Spud - "I didn't like the poor three legged animals at the beginning, they made me sad"

Boo - "The dungeon made me very scared" (mum's note - in hindsight we shouldn't have taken a 5yr old to this bit, it was too scary, but the older boys loved it and to be fair Ripleys did warn us, we just didn't listen!)

What about the Laser Race, You forgot that!

Bats - "Oh yeah, I won"

Boz - "no you didn't you cheated, I won"

Spud - "Daddy cheated, I loved it - it was so much fun"

Boo - "Oh that was so funny, daddy was really bad at it, I definitely beat him"

*mums note - I think they all cheated and daddy especially did!

Shall we come back again?

All - "YES!!!!!"

So that's that then! A pretty good day had by all and given the seal of approval from all four kids (a pretty rare thing indeed!) thank you Ripleys, I'm sure we'll be back!

About Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London:

With more than 700 amazing artefacts on display over six floors, the attraction celebrates the weird, wonderful and bizarre in all its forms. With everything you can imagine (and plenty more you can’t), Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London is a family day out that’s definitely out of the ordinary.

For additional information call +44 (0)20 3238 0022 or visit www.ripleyslondon.com

Center Parcs Europe - De Vossemeren in Belgium - A Gluten Free Review

2012-11-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

We spent the October half term at De Vossemeren Center Parcs in Belgium. We love Center Parcs breaks, but two years ago we decided that we weren't prepared to pay the high prices charged in the UK, for instance a 5 day break at Elvedon (our closest village) in Suffolk would have cost around £1100 over October half term - crazy money! The exact same dates in Belgium cost us £450, or just under £550 if you include the ferry crossing.

That's not all though, we got 5 free 'toppings' with our booking. Toppings include free bike hire, free mini golf, free 'wannabe' (kids club) sessions, free villa location selection and free pony ride (1 topping = 3 free pony rides, what a bargain!). So £550 bought us 5 days in the villa (in a central location of our choosing), our ferry crossing *and* a free 1.5hr session in the kids club for all 4 children. We pre-booked another 2 sessions in the kids club for all of the children online when we went for the bargain price of 4 Euros each!

Not only are the villages and activities significantly cheaper (10 Euros for archery, zip wire or rock climbing and only 2.50 Euros for a pony ride!) we much prefer the villages themselves, they seem better looked after and cleaner and the staff are so much more friendly and helpful (and all speak perfect English). We have previously stayed at De Kempervennen in the Netherlands which has an amazing indoor snow centre and a (free) childrens' petting farm. Vossemeren in Belgium also has a farm and whilst it doesn't have a snow centre it does have an amazing (free) indoor play area centred around a shipwreck (see picture below). Both sites are less than a 3 hour drive from Dunkirk ferry port.

The only thing we were concerned about was gluten free food, so we packed lots of essentials before we left. We needn't have worried though. The shop had a comprehensive selection of gluten free items including rolls, cakes (brownies and coconut macaroons by Damhert, which I think is the European trading name of Mrs Crimbles as the cakes were identical) and pancake mix! The restaurants too were well trained in all things gluten free, even the snack bar were amazing and couldn't go out of their way enough to help, whilst we couldn't eat anything from there they telephone the main restaurant to bring us some fries cooked in a dedicated fryer. The pancake house also serves gluten free pancakes.

All in all we would strongly recommend European Center Parcs, we'll never return to a UK one again!

Gluten Free Cornwall Part 2 - Fish & Chips - Padstow and St Austell

2012-08-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

The latter half of our Cornish holiday was spent at the coast, near our St Austell base, and at the beautiful Padstow.

Gluten Free St Austell - The Trebonney Fish and Chips Restaurant.

The gluten free gem of our holiday has to be the Trebonney fish and chip shop in Fore Street, Roche, near St Austell. Postcode PL26 8EP for those using satnav! This really unassuming little fish and chip shop (that's being polite it looks like somebody's garage!) seemed to have a really good coeliac knowledge and their food was gorgeous. Seb and I both had their gluten free cod and chips and gluten free onion rings (the only gluten free onion rings I've ever had where the batter stayed on the onion and was actually crispy!) and enjoyed every mouthful, the portion sizes were pretty big and neither of us managed to finish our chips. They also offer takeaway meals too. If we lived nearby we'd definitely be regular visitors!

Gluten Free in Padstow, Cornwall.

We had a really successful gluten free day out in Padstow and managed to eat lunch and dinner with no problems.

Green's Cafe - Padstow

We ate lunch in Green's Cafe and were delighted to find that they offered gluten free rolls (dietary solutions granary ciabatta) to replace regular gluten bread. Seb had a cheese and ham roll (they gave him two ciabatta rolls - they're really small - instead of a regular sandwich) and I had a ploughmans, though for some reason I was only given one small ciabatta, whereas my husband had lots of (gluten) bread with his ploughmans. They also offer gluten free scones, so we followed up with gluten free scones, jam and clotted cream. I can't say they were the nicest gluten free scones I've ever had - in fact they'd be at the bottom of the list, they were very heavy and dry, but it was SO nice to have lunch - including cake - with the rest of the family for once.

As great as it was to feel normal at Green's I can't say that our happiness spread to the service, it was absolutely dire. We waited for ages to be served, the waiter just dumped a tray of drinks on our table and said "there you go, I'll let you sort out the drinks yourself" and never checked if our food was OK, nor did he come back to clear the empty plates and glasses and ask if we'd like desert - we had to walk up to the kitchen and ask to order more and the same when it came to paying. We spent £50 on lunch for a family of 6 so would expect better (some?!) service, not a place we'll rush back to, but I guess you have to balance the high prices and terrible service with the gorgeous view and gluten free availability.

Harbour Ice Ice Cream Parlour - Padstow

After a spot of crabbing on the North Quay we were delighted to spot a little sign saying "gluten free cones available" - gluten free cones were an extra 30pence, but how fantastic for Seb to eat out of a cone rather than a tub as he had done for the rest of the holiday! They had a big allergy chart on the wall so we were able to choose gluten free ice cream too - cornish clotted cream for Seb and chocolate for me. Perfect!

Rick Stein's Fish and Chips - Padstow

A 5 minute walk up to the South Quay opposite the Lobster Hatchery, Rick Stein's fish and chips takeaway offers gluten free fish and chips, although there is nothing on the menu to tell you that they do! We had cod and chips each which tasted like normal gluten containing fish and chips, or at least how I remember them to taste! The prices were nowhere near as high as I'd imagine, £7.80 for a pretty decent sized portion of cod and chips. A great way to round off a pretty successful gluten free day in Padstow!

Click for Part 1 - Gluten free Polperro and the Eden Project.

Gluten Free Cornwall - Part 1 Polperro & The Eden Project

2012-08-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a very wet week in Cornwall in August, this was our first gluten free Cornish visit and we didn't have high hopes for finding good coeliac friendly (not to mention child coeliac friendly!) fayre, but thankfully our fears were unfounded!

Gluten Free Polperro

A quick google before we left led me to find the Treble Cafe, they don't seem to have a website, but you can see their facebook page HERE. Situated in Landaviddy Lane in Polperro, a quick walk from the harbour this cafe/restaurant is really coeliac friendly. They had quite a large pasta menu, all of which could be made with gluten free pasta. Any bread based items could be substituted with gluten free rolls and in the evenings gluten free pizza bases are available. They also cook their chips in a dedicated fryer so the chips are coeliac friendly too!

I had ham, egg and chips and Seb had their homemade bolognaise sauce with gluten free pasta, which he said was great!

Gluten Free Eden Project

We spent the wettest day of the holidays at the Eden Project, whilst I think the entry tickets are vastly overpriced, the food on offer at the Eden Project is conversely really reasonably priced and very coeliac friendly!

We ate in the bakery, in the link between the rainforest and mediterrenean biomes. They have homemade gluten free bread available if you ask for it and a few gluten free main menu items. I had a gorgeous gluten free fritatta, rosemary potatoes and salad and Seb has their homemade tomatoe and basil soup with gluten free white bread and butter. Main meals are only £6 which includes the main menu item and as much salad, potatoes and bread as you like.

Three of the desert items were amazingly gluten free (not just the usual fruit salad!) - a gorgeous chocolate orange cake (which we both plumped for), a lemon polenta cake and another chocolatey looking cake. A pretty good gluten free day!

Click for Part 2...Gluten free Cornish Fish and Chips - St Austell & Padstow!

Warburtons Gluten Free Bread - or Should I Say Bread CRUMBS!

2012-08-22T07:04:00.001-07:00

Warburtons make a bold promise on their website:

"Our baking team has been researching into producing a gluten-free and wheat-free range for about five years. It is only now that we believe that we have got the right recipe and a range of products that are of the high quality that you would expect from us."

When you're spending around £2.50 on a miniature loaf of gluten free bread from a major manufacturer, i.e: a loaf of Warburtons Gluten Free sliced brown bread, you don't expect it to resemble bird food, especially not when you open a brand new loaf and the slices come out looking like this, for the second time:

It's a shame because the bread tastes great and the texture is great (for gluten free bread) and most importantly my son really likes it, but we won't be buying it again.

A Gluten Free Camp Bestival Festival!

2012-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks ago we set off for our second Camp Bestival experience at the beautiful Lulworth Castle in Dorset. The kids absolutely love the whole experience from the freedom of camping to queueing for the loo at 7am, playing with clay at Daemons and Doppelganger, riding the Ferris wheel, engaging with the Camp Bestival bluecoats, Silly Science, pimping our trolley, the English National Ballet and Mr Tumble, the music is not great but I don't think most families go for the music!

For my eldest, Seb, though the highlight of Camp Bestival is alway the food - not just any old food but gluten free food and LOTS of it. Before we went last year I spent hours on the Camp Bestival forum and google looking for gluten free food information, I didn't manage to find out much other than "don't worry, you'll be fine". So I thought it might be useful for future visitors to hear about our gluten free Camp Bestival experience.

Paellaria
Top awards go to the fabulous Paellaria stand, close to the main (Castle) stage this food stall definitely wins our "best gluten free Camp Bestival food" award. Suitable for coeliacs they offer a chicken and chorizo paella and a vegetarian option. Friendly service, decent prices and really, really good food. This is always our first stop and so good we always eat there twice. You can check them out on facebook HERE.

Pasta Heaven
Another stop of choice! Found in between the upper and lower kid's garden, Pasta Heaven offer gluten free pasta and freshly made sauces. Just tell them you need gluten free pasta and they'll cook it fresh for you, it makes the wait a bit longer, but they're knowledgeable about cross contamination so you won't get gluttoned! You can check them out on facebook HERE.

Chunky Chips and Wicked Dips
This is a firm favourite with the kids! Reasonably priced (for a festival!) freshly cooked chunky chips with a choice of toppings - they only fry chips in their fryers so they are definitely gluten free and really tasty, I like mine with baked beans. Check out their website HERE.

Thali Cafe
Really tasty chicken and vegetarian curry and rice. All festivals need a good curry and the chicken one is particularly tasty and gluten free! Check out their website HERE.

Manna Kitchen
Seriously clued up and *definitely* the best gluten free chocolate brownie I've ever tasted! They sell gluten free lunch boxes for kids (with gluten free rolls) for only £4.50 too. Their stall was in the farmer's market marquee in the upper kid's garden. Check out their website HERE.

Buttercupcakes
Not so good this year compared to last, but they still had a stock of gluten free biscuits available to ice and decorate (and non gluten free cupcakes) and definitely the cheapest place to buy a kid's drink (50p for a cup of orange or blackcurrant squash). You can check out their facebook site HERE.

The WI Tent
This is definitely the secret jewel in the catering crown of Camp Bestival. Gorgeous fresh made sandwiches (£2.50) and baguettes (£3) and lots and lots and lots of homemade cake. They had quite a few different gluten free cakes available (not on display though because of cross contamination, you had to ask). We loved their gluten free rocky road (£1) and had two pieces each, they also had gluten free lemon drizzle cake and gluten free chocolate beetroot cake (no I didn't fancy it either!) and all for a good cause too!

Wagamama
We didn't eat at the Wagamama at Camp Bestival, so I can't confirm if they could definitely offer gluten free, but they are usually pretty good at adapting their food to be gluten free - see HERE - so I'd be surprised if they didn't offer something.

The Hurly Burly
Again, we didn't eat here (we meant to, just ran out of time!) but they had a delicious sounding homemade gluten free cornbread, butter and jam on their breakfast menu, so I'm guessing they're be pretty clued up at lunch and dinner too. Maybe next year! Check out their website HERE.

Texas Corn Roast
Sweet, tasty roasted corn - simple and gluten free, a great snack or a light lunch in the lower kids garden. Check out their website HERE.

and lastly.........Not Camp Bestival - but nearby Weymouth:

The Old Harbour Fish Bar
After we pitched our tent on the Thursday morning we headed into nearby Weymouth for the afternoon. We parked in one of the 1hr free parking bays at the marina and headed to the Old Harbour fish bad for some gluten free fish and chips, cooked freshly to order. They were definitely the best gluten free cod and chips I've ever had (and I've had a lot!), made only better by eating them on the harbour wall! Check out their reviews HERE.

I'm sure there were more that we missed too! All I can add is if you are planning on going to Camp Bestival in 2013 and you are a coeliac or in need of a gluten free diet don't panic, you will definitely be more than catered for!

Gluten Free in Orlando, Florida - Part 5: Restaurants Outside the Parks and Wholefoods

2012-08-08T04:47:00.001-07:00

So, I'll admit we did most of our Florida gluten free eating inside the parks, but we still had a few evening meals in restaurants on I-Drive and the surrounding area.

Bahama Breeze

This was definitely my favourite restaurant chain, just because I love Caribbean food and really liked the vibe, we ate at the one on I-Drive twice (near the Wonderworks building), both times we had to wait around 30mins (they operate a pager system). They were really friendly and knowledgeable about gluten and offered us lots of choices. Both times I had the grilled chicken with cilantro crema, mashed potatoes topped with toasted corn. Totally gluten free and really tasty. Seb had grilled chicken breast and fries (dedicated fryer) both times. You can see their menus HERE but unfortunately they do not mark them gluten free.

Outback

Brilliant for coeliacs! They even have a dedicate gluten free menu, I think this is probably my top choice for a gluten free friendly restaurant outside of Disney. Both times we had their ribs with a jacket potato, I think they are probably the nicest ribs I've ever had. Top marks, the only downside is we had a long wait, even at 9pm.

Pollo Tropical

We grabbed a quick lunch here on the way back to Sanford airport. It's a quick fast food type place but with really good food. We totally over-ordered, just beware the portions are huge! You can check out the gluten free/containing items on their website - we had lots of grilled chicken, corn, slaw, rice and mashed potatoes.

Wholefoods

Oh my goodness I am totally in love with this HUGE natural supermarket in Turkey Lake Road. We only discovered it a week into our holiday but I wish we'd found them sooner. It is literally gluten free heaven. I've never seen so many gluten free products under one roof - they stock anything you can imagine, we bought gluten free pizzas, gluten free waffles, gluten free doughnuts (yes doughnuts!), gluten free blueberry muffins, gluten free breakfast cereals, gluten free brownies, gluten free cookies, gluten free bread and more and the fresh salad/ready cooked food section looked glorious. Oh how I wish there were stores like this in the UK (I know there are a handful in the UK, but nothing like the size of this one and all too far away sadly). I would seriously consider moving to Florida JUST for Wholefoods, it's that good. If you are a coeliac off to Orlando you MUST, MUST, MUST go here as soon as possible to stock up on gluten free goodies, you know when you go to a normal supermarket and spot something gorgeous, choc full of gluten and you wish that you didn't have coeliac disease? well that doesn't happen at Wholefoods, you feel normal and their gluten free food is *really* good. Have I sold it to you yet? LOL.

Gluten Free in Orlando, Florida - Part 4: Universal & Kennedy Space Center

2012-08-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

and so the gluten free Florida journey continued!

Universal Studios
We spent a day at Universal studios, whilst we all absolutely loved it the food options here are pretty terrible. A google before we went told me we might be able to find gluten free food at the World Expo. So we headed there and were really disappointed to find disinterested (even rude) staff who had no knowledge of gluten. We had chicken and chips and were definitely gluttoned, I spent the afternoon in and out of the toilet whilst Seb complained of feeling nauseous all afternoon. All I can say here is if you're going to Universal studios, leave the park to eat and go to Universal City Walk instead!

Universal City Walk - Margaritaville
Wow - I *loved* this place, they had a seperate gluten free menu! A great atmosphere and really knowledgeable, helpful staff. Definitely the best (non Disney) dining on our trip. I had mushroom Cheeseburger and fries (with a gluten free bun) and Seb had their volcano nachos, followed by brownies and ice cream sundae (or as they call it chocolate hurricane) for desert. The food here was really good and SO nice after a terrible gluten free day in Universal Studios. Thank you Margaritaville for making us feel normal!

Universal Islands of Adventure
We made ADRs at Mythos restaurant well in advance, it's supposed to be the no.1 theme park restaurant. It was pretty good and nice to eat 'proper' food instead of burgers and chips! They were knowledgeable about gluten free food and helpful. I had their chicken caesar salad and Seb had their pad thai. Both were really good. We skipped desert as we were so full. Later in Harry Potter land we had some pumpkin juice (the butterbeer topping contains gluten and they won't make it without). Although we didn't eat there we did notice another restaurant, the Confisco Grille, had a seperate gluten free menu.

Kennedy Space Center.
Although this was a great day out the food was awful, I had enquired in advance if food would be available. We had booked their 'dine with an astronaut' package and I had emailed in advance to enquire if there would be gluten free options available. I received this reply:

Sarah,

We can't wait to have you join us for Dine with and Astronaut, the lunch takes place only at 12:00 pm. This is a wonderful experience because the astronaut will go to each table for a brief discussion and then they will discuss their experience in space. When you arrive just let the server know about the restrictions, and we will be more than accommodating to your families needs. We are very excited to have your family join us. I will also suggest that you sign up for the Up Close Tour, this is a once in a life time experience. If you wanted to purchase snack at out concessions just ask for the manager and they will be able to suggests the different items that your family can have.

Thank you,

Aina Wukits, C.S.C.

Executive Sous Chef
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
Mail Code: DNPS
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
321-449-4295

321-449-4293
awukits@dncinc.com
www.KennedySpaceCenter.com

In reality though it was absolutely terrible, there were no special provisions, all we could eat from the buffet were the mixed vegetables and the salad. They prepared us a grilled chicken breast each (no sauce or seasoning) so we had a plain chicken breast and a few pieces of carrot and brocolli and lettuce. I wasn't too bad, but Seb was really upset. For desert they bought us out 2 packets of plain gluten free cookies (2 small cookies in each pack). It was possibly the worst gluten free dining experience of our trip. All I can suggest is if you are a fellow coeliac/celiac that you DON'T eat at KSC and instead take your own food. We were soooo hungry in the afternoon and after searching for a snack all we managed to find to eat there was a snickers bar each. Not good.

Part 5: Gluten free Florida outside of the parks & Wholefoods gluten free heaven: http://glutenfreechild.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/gluten-free-in-orlando-florida-part-5.html

Gluten Free in Orlando, Florida - Part 3: Sea World and Discovery Cove

2012-08-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm after we'd been spoilt with gluten free food at Disney, Seaworld - Orlando and Discovery Cove were both a bit of a let down. Disney definitely rules the gluten free/allergy catering stakes. I researched gluten free dining heavily at both Seaworld and Discovery Cove and had never really discovered much, but I was hopeful - given how great Disney was. I had even emailed Discovery Cove to ask about their gluten free catering and even though their reply was very swift and courteous it didn't fill me with hope:

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for contacting Discovery Cove. We appreciate the opportunity to 
provide world-class customer service!

Our Culinary Team, like everyone else at Discovery Cove, would like to provide 
you with peace of mind that your day will be as enjoyable, and safe, as 
possible.  They also recognize the importance of all aspects of food safety – 
especially those challenges our guests with food allergies encounter when dining 
out.  We would be more than happy to place a note on your reservation to alert 
the culinary staff of a guest’s specific food allergy.  Please respond to this 
e-mail with this information.  Then, on the day of your visit, you are welcome 
to visit our restaurant, Laguna Grill, early in the day to discuss your personal 
dietary needs with one of our chefs.  
 
After speaking to many guests, we have found that allowing our guests to use 
their judgment based on personal experience is best.  Guest response to this has 
been excellent.  In addition, many guests have expressed it is the best 
experience they have had, since it allows anyone dealing with food allergies a 
more precise idea of what menu selections they should avoid. 

I hope this information was helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we 
can be of further assistance.


Best Regards,
Louise | Guest Relations

Discovery Cove, Orlando
6000 Discovery Cove Way | Orlando, FL  32821
O. 407-370-1427 | F. 407-370-1452
dco-guestrelations@discoverycove.com

Discovery Cove
So, after receiving the email above we were more than nervous about a gluten free day in Discovery Cove! We did as instructed on arrival and headed straight to the Laguna Grill and they said that "yes we provide gluten free food and snacks". We had a pretty decent cooked breakfast of scrambled egg and bacon - the food was unlimited, which was good as the portions served were pretty tiny!

The refreshement stands all carried gluten free snacks, we tucked into several bags of trail mix and crisps (potato chips) and ice lollies, however were pretty sad that everything else was gluten containing.

Lunch was in the Laguna grill again. Gluten free food was very limited. I had a salad to start, which they prepared freshly for me, with no dressing (I wanted dressing - but they said that it all contained gluten), whilst Seb skipped his starter as salad was the only thing on offer. For our main course they cooked us plain chicken and chips, which was nice, but again quite boring and we had to wait 25 minutes for it. Desert was only fresh fruit, which didn't impress Seb! However in the afternoon - after the lunch rush - a sign appeared saying "gluten free snacks available" - so I asked and was given two "Gluten free to go" packs. These are an amazing idea, from two Floridian mums. They contained all sorts of gluten free snacks, my favourite were the snickerdoodles! We really appreciated our packs, it's just a shame we had to ask for them! Food aside though Discovery Cove is an amazing place - we'd go again in a heartbeat!

Seaworld - Orlando

Again I hadn't read great reviews about SeaWorld's gluten free offerings before our trip. Upon arrival we visited every restaurant we could find. We really wanted to buy their all day dining deal wrist bands, but were worried that there would be nothing for us to eat. We were assured we'd be OK though and were told it was a shame we weren't there a month later (we went in April 2012) as they were introducing gluten free pasta and pizza to their restaurants shortly.

We managed to find a decent lunch in the Voyager's Smokehouse restaurant. Seb and I had ribs (with no sauce and corn on the cob. We couldn't eat the fries here as the fryer wasn't a dedicated one, but the ribs and corn were feeling and taste really good, even without the sauce and were cooked especially for us by the chef (more waiting!).

We ate dinner at the Seafire Inn, cheesburger and fries again, but without the bun. It was OK, we were hungry and it filled us up, but we wouldn't rush back and we certainly didn't get value for money out of our wristbands. Hopefully if they now have the GF pizza and pasta as we were told things will be a lot better at Seaworld for fellow coeliacs.

One thing to note though, on our way home we popped into a little shop nearish to guest services selling drinks and snacks to find that they sold the Gluten free to go packs we had been given at Discovery Cove, which helped to quell the hunger on the journey home!

Part 4: Universal studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal City Walk and Kennedy Space Center: http://glutenfreechild.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/gluten-free-in-orlando-florida-part-4.html

Gluten Free in Orlando, Florida - Part 2: Walt Disney World & Epcot

2012-08-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Disney does it again! Following our amazing first day at Disney's Animal Kingdom we headed off to explore the gluten free culinary delights of Walt Disney World and Epcot. Again we had booked all of our table service meals well ahead of time, which I really recommend doing as the best restaurants get booked up really quickly!

Walt Disney World
In total we spent 3 days at WDW and we ate a LOT of gluten free food there! Here's a quick round up:

Cinderella's Royal Table - WDW
It was my daughter's fifth birthday whilst we were in Orlando. What better place to spend her birthday lunchtime than in Cinderella's castle. We had taken her to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique earlier that morning and bought her a Rapunzel makeover as a birthday present and most other girls were head to toe in pricess outfits too! We booked this as soon as we could, 180 days before our stay, at the same time as booking I had also purchased the HRH package, which was about £50 and included a really big Disney Princess balloon at the table, a birthday card - signed by all of the princesses, a little tiara and a chocolate birthday cake - gluten free of course! The cake looked brilliant and it was wonderful we could all eat it, but whilst the frosting tasted good the inside was actually really dry. I think it would have been nice if it had been served warm with cream or ice cream though, to be honest it didn't really matter though - it was just lovely to be able to have a big chocolate birthday cake that we could all share!

The food here wasn't that good if I'm honest - the experience was amazing, but I was expecting better food, gluten free or not, though I know it's not known for its good food! I had a salad to start followed by a vegetarian cassoulet, which was OK but not something I'd like to eat again, I finished with chocolate mousse - which was actually really lovely. Seb had cheese and grapes to start and then gluten free chicken nuggets, mashed potato and corn, finishing with ice cream for desert.

The Crystal Palace - WDW
Again this was a bit of a disappointment, mainly because of the price we paid. The restaurant was very crowded, we had to wait 45 minutes outside despite having ADRs and inside was chaotic and dirty. We also had poor service. Still, it's another character restaurant so you go more for the experience than the food. The chef came and took Seb and I on a tour of the food we could eat - which was a good selection of the buffet and we were given a warmed gluten free roll and butter too. Desert here was a pre-packed chocolate brownie. It was OK, but not worth the money.

Peco Bill's - WDW
A large, quick service restaurant. The server was knowledge about gluten free food and a supervisor was called to take our order, we both had cheeseburgers and fries (with a bun!). Simple, quick and easy - the bun was pretty good for gluten free too.

Pinocchio Village Haus
Another counter service restaurant. Our server was once again clued up about gluten free food and after a quick chat with a supervisor we had ordered two gluten free cheese pizzas, my only complaint was that they were pretty small - so I had a side salad with mine.

Blizzard Beach Waterpark

Avalunch - Disney's Blizzard Beach
We had a great day at Disney's Blizzard Beach waterpark, I was a bit worried about finding gluten free food here, but really needn't have worried at all - it was great! We had lunch at Avalunch. Seb had chicken nuggets and fries and I had Cheeseburger and fries, all really well cooked and very tasty. We had the pre-packaged brownie for desert. We did mean to try a turkey leg in the afternoon but it was just too hot to eat anymore!

Epcot

Biergarten
We had a really great, if somewhat unusual! lunch at Epcot's Biergarten. The entertainment was brilliant and it was lovely to be inside in the cool out of the heat. The food here is buffet style and we could eat lots of it - especially the sausages! (german style) - Seb had a plate piled full of sausages and potatoes and I experienced a little more with a huge variety of salads, vegetables and meat. Desert was disappointing though - more pre-packed brownies and chocolate chip cookies, or fruit salad. Actually reading this back it doesn't sound bad at all, I guess we were just getting spoilt!

The Electric Umbrella
Another quick counter service restaurant - the staple gluten free offerings at Disney resorts are gluten free cheeseburgers, gluten free mac'n'cheese (Amys), gluten free chicken nuggets (they call them chicken tenders) and a small gluten free cheese pizza. We both had the chicken tenders and fries here, they really don't taste gluten free!

Part 3: Discovery Cove and Seaworld: http://glutenfreechild.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/gluten-free-in-orlando-florida-part-3.html

Gluten Free in Orlando, Florida - Part 1: Disney Animal Kingdom & Downtown Disney

2012-08-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

In April 2012 we had an amazing fortnight in Orlando, Florida. It was amazing because of the parks, the dolphin swim, the weather and the magic of it all - but more than anything it was amazing because of the food! We have never found gluten free eating so easy anywhere else. We had a pretty crazy 2 weeks and visited pretty much all of the parks and quite a few different restaurants. I had researched heavily before we went and had pre-booked everything in advance, which I really recommend.

There's just so much to talk about I've decided to split this into several different posts, starting with the Disney Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney, out of all of the Florida parks Disney definitely do gluten free the best!

Disney's Animal Kingdom - Tusker House Restaurant
We started our holiday with a bang with an amazing character breakfast at the Tusker House restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom park. It wasn't cheap, but boy was it worth it, it was definitely our best gluten free dining experience in Florida! I have never seen such a huge breakfast buffet! I had marked our ADRs (advance dining reservations) as being gluten free and the server had a ticket stamped with a big red 'allergy' stamp when we arrived. We reminded our server who immediately went to get the chef. The chef personally came to our table and took my son and I on a private tour of the buffet, telling us what we could and couldn't eat (most things!) he then asked if we would like him to make us some fresh waffles and blueberry muffins? of course we would!!!

We sat down to our enormous plates full of bacon, sausages (yes sausages!), potatoes and scrambled eggs and just as we were finishing chef came over with two huge plates full of gluten free heaven. He'd made us fresh Mickey waffles covered in syrup and two warmed blueberry muffins each, he also gave us some packets of chocolate chip cookies to take with us for later in the day. I actually cried at this point. Proper tears. It felt SO good to be normal, the look on my son's face when his Mickey waffles appeared was sheer joy and excitement - more than any the characters or rides produced.

Here he is tucking into his Mickey waffles.

If you are coeliac/celiac visiting Florida and needing gluten free food - the Tusker House breakfast in Disney's Animal kingdom is an absolute must. I can't recommend it strongly enough!

Disney's Animal Kingdom - Rainforest Cafe
Breakfast from the Tusker House was enough to keep us going until 5pm, when we had ADRs for the Rainforest Cafe. This experience wasn't so great.

If you haven't been to a Rainforest Cafe it's well worth it for the experience, my kids loved the 'storm' and animated characters hanging from the trees. The food is overpriced and mass produced, service really could be better too, but they were knowledgeable about gluten. That said they still catered for gluten free diners. My son and I both had a cheeseburger and fries, with a bun! sadly it was a very dry gluten free bun, but it was edible. We skipped desert as everyone was still full and a bit jet lagged!

Downtown Disney - BabyCakes
We never ate a meal at Downtown Disney, but did visit twice to stock up on the *amazing* gluten free cakes on offer at BabyCakes bakery. This fantastic little gem, tucked inside Fresh-A-Peel was just wonderful. We went slightly mad and spent $50 on our first visit. ALL of their cakes and cookies are gluten free (and dairy and egg free too). It was literally a little slice of heaven.

My personal favourite was the cinnamon sugar doughnuts, although they were 'cake' type doughnuts, rather than the type we're used to in the UK, it was still soooooo good to eat a doughnut for the first time in 3yrs!

Seb tucked into their brownie, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate dipped doughnut and carrot cupcake. You can see their menu HERE for their Orlando store, all gluten free (another tears moment!).

Image Copyright BabyCakes

Part 2: Walt Disney World and Epcot: http://glutenfreechild.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/gluten-free-in-orlando-florida-part-2.html

Gluten Free Tumbleweed?

2012-08-07T07:33:00.001-07:00

Gosh, has it really been that long since my last blog? Sooooo much has happened since I last posted. To summarise:

I got a book deal (alas not about GF living, but I hope to write a 'life with gluten free kids' book one day in the not too distant future!).
We had lots of birthdays!
We've been to Tuscany, Orlando and Camp Bestival and survived without being gluttoned (I'll post reviews of each as soon as I can!).
Seb had his annual coeliac review which has by far been the most traumatic event of the year so far, it appears his coeliac disease has made him phobic about needles. We tried for 3hrs to get a blood sample. It didn't happen and we both left the hospital in floods of tears. The hospital has suggested a course of play therapy before next year's appointment. I told my husband I couldn't go again, last year was bad, but this year was really, really bad and I'm not strong enough to take him alone again.
We've learnt a whole lot more about GF living, dare I say it - some days even seem (whisper) 'easy' and some days I forget we are "different".
I think my 3rd son may also be a coeliac. We never had him tested as he's such a big healthy boy, but lately he's been displaying symptoms, including some strange skin issues - so we're off to get him tested too. If his test is positive I know it will be a struggle, he is a total pizza fiend!
I've discovered the Paleo diet and OMG I love it so much (though I cheat and still eat haloumi, feta and sweet potatoes).

So, that's our life in a nutshell. I can't wait to get back into this blog properly again!

Sarah & Sebx

Gluten free pizza dough

2011-01-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

I haven’t blogged in the past week or so as we have actually been enjoying really plain food in the aftermath of rich Christmas fayre! and as this past week has been so busy with both back to school and back to work chaos I haven’t really had time to bake, but I got back into the swing of things today.
So it was Ian’s birthday today and I decided to cook us a spicy chilli con carne for dinner, typically my children won’t eat chilli (though they do eat quite a hot curry - go figure?!) so I made them all homemade gluten free pizza instead, pizza is a bit of a Saturday night tradition in our house!
I have experimented with many ready made gluten free bases and pizza dough ready mixes and non of them quite cut it for me (Juvela ready made bases are about the best of the ready made out there) so I began to play with my own dough recipe. I have honed this down now to what I believe is the best and most authentic gluten free pizza dough possible but am always open to suggestions!
Here’s my recipe for gluten free pizza dough, it makes enough for two large (enough to feed 4 children with some left over for snacks the next day) pizzas:

500g gluten free strong white (bread) flour
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of quick yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
large pinch of salt
350ml of water

mix all ingredients well (my 3yr old likes to do this with her hands!), leave covered in a warm place for about 10 minutes and then either roll or stretch out onto a large (lightly oiled) pizza tray (the type with holes underneath) and then drizzle a little bit of Olive oil on top.
We top ours with simple tomato puree (my children don’t like chopped tomatoes and passata makes it too soggy) and some herbs, lots of cheese and a bit of pepperoni and pop them into the hottest oven you can muster (mine goes up to 250 degrees) for about 10 minutes and hey presto – tasty gluten free pizza!

Gluten free birthday cake

2011-01-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

My little boy, Rafferty, turns 6 on Wednesday and we are celebrating with a party at our local soft play centre tomorrow. The playbarn cater food as part of the party package but couldn’t help with gluten free options so I’ve packed up a little lunchbox of gluten free “party” goodies (Asda own brand hula hoop type crisps are gluten free for any coeliac children missing hula hoops) for Seb and will add a ham roll tomorrow morning (Tescos fresh gluten free white rolls are amazing) along with some carrot batons.

For those of you who haven’t come across honeybuns (http://www.honeybuns.co.uk) you really need to check them out – Seb absolutely adores their chocolate tinker cookies (as shown in my picture), chocolate brownies and Rudolph’s Reward crispy cakes, all gluten free and in great child appealing packaging, I bought Seb a tin of their minis for Christmas and he’s already asked for another for his birthday!
We are also taking along our own gluten free party bags:

Lastly we’ll be taking along our own gluten free birthday cake. I’m still recovering from the stress (and copious baking!) of Christmas so wimped out here and took the easy option! At Rafferty’s request the cake is a simple gluten free Victoria sponge with strawberry jam, covered in standard white regal icing, rather than crafting a topper myself I took the cheat’s way out and bought a personalised rice paper (gluten free!) topper and finished the whole thing off with some wide red satin ribbon. Rafferty is Cars mad so is more than happy with the result which I think cost around £5 in total to make:

Gluten free chocolate roulade and sherry trifle!

2010-12-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas day came and went so quickly! we enjoyed a gorgeous gluten free dinner finished off with two decadently rich gluten free desserts.

First a gluten free sherry trifle (I just made my own GF sponge) and secondly a gluten free rich chocolate roulade (swiss roll to you and me!) and oh my was that gorgeous! I used a Leith’s recipe which is naturally gluten free since it only contains chocolate, eggs, sugar, coffee and cream. I added raspberries to ours as the acidity helps to cut through the sweetness a little!

It was a little tricky to roll, but I managed to do so without cracking it (no mean feat! make sure you have non stick baking paper!) and possibly added to much cream, but it tastes wonderful, another “you’d never guess it was gluten free” moment! I think this might be my new favourite GF recipe!

Here’s a couple of pictures: