Vegetarian Gluten Free and Grain Free Christmas GF SCD

Christmas is nearly here so I thought I'd share with you some of the recipes which seem to be most popular around Christmas time. I'm way behind with my planning and cooking this year, I hope I manage to have everything done in time but this post will help me to find all the food I need to prepare.

My December TVK Box

I'm very happy with my December TVK box, especially the item in the front left corner! Even though this is my twelfth box, I'm still bursting to open it and discover what's inside! 

Nothing But

Have you tried the vegetable and fruit snacks from "Nothing But"? If you read my reviews of The Vegan Kind Monthly Subscription Box, you may remember that I've already had the opportunity to sample two of their yummy products before, the Mange Tout & Red Pepper Snack and Pineapple & Grape Snack.

Pumpkin Seed & Fruit & Nut Chocolate Clusters GF

I think there's something very special about home made gifts and one of the major advantages in making your own chocolates is you can ensure that they are gluten free and/or dairy free. I'm really fond of fruit and nut chocolates but I've also been making my own chocolates with pumpkin seeds recently. In fact, I've become a quite addicted to dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds - you may remember my amazing bargain purchase of Landgarten chocolate covered pumpkin seeds which I talked about in the post about my October TVK box.

The Primal Pantry Bars, Grain Free and SCD Legal

Not all fruit and nut bars are created equal as you will quickly realise once you've taken a bite out of one of these delicious bars. "The Primal Pantry" was the brainchild of Suzie Walker. Struggling to find clean, healthy snacks for her daughter, she decided to create them herself from the fruit and nuts in her own pantry. The positive feedback she received encouraged Suzie to start her own business, which is now flourishing and expanding to a place near you!

My November TVK Box

Two TVK boxes arrived at my door this time - oh my! Check out the beauty box underneath, I can't reveal the contents since it's a Christmas present but if you're interested in getting one for yourself, you need to subscribe here. The contents of my regular box were well up to expectations and of great quality - which isn't a surprise because the contents of all the boxes I've received to date have never failed to please!

Vegetable Pot Pie GF SCD

There's nothing better than to come home to a warming and comforting pot pie, especially during the cold Winter months. This grain free vegetable pie features a crumbly crust made from almond flour and extra virgin olive oil and a selection of winter vegetables bursting with colour and taste all immersed in a sweet onion and herb gravy and not a grain in sight.

A Few Things I Like - 2

I was supposed to be posting a recipe this weekend but the daylight ran out on me today and I couldn't take the photos so I thought I'd share with you a few more things I like as a follow up post to the one I shared in September. I'm going to experiment with taking photos at night so if anyone has any tips please share!

My October TVK Box

As some of you already know, I subscribe to The Vegan Kind and receive a wonderful box of goodies every month. Usually most products are suitable for a gluten free diet but unfortunately this month two of the treats weren't! But then I discovered a little pot hidden beneath the large onion bhaji snack bag which more than made up for my slight disappointment!

Butternut Squash, Carrot & Quinoa Nut Roast GF

I've been making this awesome nut roast regularly throughout the Summer. Quick and easy to prepare, it's packed full of protein from the quinoa and the nuts and the butternut squash and carrots give it a subtle sweetness as well as a lovely warm, orangey tinge.

Gluten Free Granola GF

Did you know that granola was invented in the 19th century? Originally called granula, it was created by Dr James Caleb Jackson, a huge believer in the benefits of water therapy. Dr James Caleb Jackson opened his own spa in Dansville on the site of a mineral water spring and this grew to be one of the largest water therapy centres in the world. A vegetarian, he believed that the key to good health was diet.

My September TVK Box

Life's been so hectic recently but I've just found a moment to post the review of my September box from The Vegan Kind. As usual the contents are/were awesome! Although a couple of the items aren't gluten free that really didn't matter this month..I've had people staying who were quite happy to eat them on my behalf!!

A Few Things I Like

I haven't posted a recipe in ages, sorry!! I am hoping to be able to find the time soon though but to keep in touch I thought I'd take some quick photos of a few products I use regularly, items and food I couldn't be without..including the raspberries above! 

My August TVK Box

This has to be one of the best boxes I've received so far from The Vegan Kind - I know I say that every month but they do seem to be getting better and better and that definitely says something about the content of these awesome boxes!

My July TVK Box

If you're new to my blog, you may not be familiar with The Vegan Kind Monthly Subscription Box. Each month for £12.95 (including postage and packing in the UK), between 5 and 8 items are selected by the company and packaged into a lovely box along with a recipe card and useful information about the products. The awesome thing about these boxes is the surprise, you never know what's going to be inside.

Coconut Cream Ice Lollies or Popsicles GF SCD

Since the weather has been so beautifully hot, I thought I'd share my dairy free and much healthier version of the milk ice lollies which used to be a huge hit with my children ...and with me!

Vegan & Grain Free Coconut Ice Cream by Aimee Ryan

Everyone who loves ice cream should consider acquiring a copy of this book! No bookshelf should be without it! It's packed full of enticing recipes to suit both kids and adults from everyday treats to refined dinner party desserts and you'll be glad to know that most of the recipes are quite simple to prepare. Even though some are a little more fiddly and require a little patience, the end result will be worth it.

New 101 Sugar-Free Recipes - World of Food

Not long ago I was contacted to see if I would like to contribute some recipes for the World of Food's July 2014 issue of 101 Sugar-Free Recipes and I was very happy and excited to share a few. The timing of this particular publication couldn't have come at a better time!

Freego - Hand Picked By Us and By You

GREAT NEWS IF YOU LIVE IN THE UK & EUROPE!!! 

Social Media is an amazing way to spread the word about where to find your gluten free food and essentials and over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a few very positive posts about Freego, a new website specialising entirely in gluten free food - YES!

Grain Free Rhubarb Crumble GF SCD

My memories of rhubarb crumble go back a long, long time - back to my childhood and farm holidays in the south-west of England. Every year my parents would take us to Somerset, Devon or Cornwall and we would spend the first week on one farm and then pack up to go to another for the next. One of my clearest and fondest memories is being woken up at half past three in the morning to find my father at the bedroom door announcing it was time to get up and go on holiday, we were so excited. In those days there were no motorways and the journey could take anything from 12 to 14 hours in our little salmon pink Triumph Herald.

Grain Free Crumble Topping or Breakfast Cereal GF SCD

This crumbly, crunchy dairy free and grain free crumble topping is perfect for sprinkling on top of fruit whether it's fresh or stewed or even to eat with dairy free milk as a breakfast cereal. It's very simple to make. Made from almonds, coconut and sunflower seeds it's both nutritious and delicious.

My June TVK Box

Yesterday I was outside most of the beautifully sunny, warm day and nearly missed the postman. I'm so glad I heard him otherwise I would have had to wait another day before opening this wonderful little box of treats from The Vegan Kind. Every box I've received so far has been mostly full of products I've never tried and this month's box is no different, I can't wait to try everything.

Golden Apple's Raw Chocolate Bars GF

This last bank holiday weekend my family and I really enjoyed taste testing this fabulous chocolate bars from Golden Apple and we were quite taken aback by how incredibly delicious the bars are.

My May TVK Box

This month I was lucky to be at home when my TVK Box was delivered. Oh the anticipation! A word of warning, it's not easy to get into so arm yourself with a pair of scissors for the ready! Once inside, I discovered, as expected, that the contents were just as awesome as those in all the other boxes I've received.

A Break from the Daily Routine

Keswick

The week before last I took a few days off work and I thought I'd share a little of what we did on our holiday. Amazingly, we had a few warm days at the beginning of the week and we were quite keen to make the most of them.

Mediterranean Dip GF SCD

We're eating salad almost everyday at the moment and though I'll never get bored of hummus, I decided to make something different, just for a change. This dip tastes wonderful and once the vegetables are prepared, it takes only moments to make and it's so colourful. Although I'm sure this would be lovely made with chickpeas, I've decided to make it suitable for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by using haricot (navy) beans instead.

Pea and Rocket Soup GF SCD

There's nothing I like better than a bowl of delicious fresh tasting soup to welcome in the Summer months and it takes only a few minutes to make.

Easter Treats and Bakes GF & SCD

Since it's Good Friday today and surprisingly a beautifully warm and sunny day in West Yorkshire, I thought I would share a few recipes from my archives in case you're still planning your holiday meals and treats.

My April TVK Box

Another month and another box from TVK has arrived! Yesterday, I really had to suppress my urge to take a slight peek at a photo of the box I saw on FB in case I ruined the surprise since mine arrived a day later than some.

Free From & Vegan Easter Eggs at Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's have a wonderful range of reasonably priced "free from" chocolate eggs to choose from! There are several brands of chocolate that are certified gluten free but finding tasty chocolate Easter eggs which are gluten free AND dairy free can be quite a challenge especially if you're searching for children who don't always want to be presented with a rich, dark chocolate egg - though that would make me very happy!

Seven Portions of Fruit & Vegetables a Day

This week the British public were surprisingly informed to drop the "5 a day" rule and follow the new recommendation of "7 a day" or even "10 a day" 80 gram portions of fruit and vegetables. The latter is the recommendation of doctors at the University of Liverpool in an accompanying editorial to the recently  published research study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health conducted by University College London. Several of my work colleagues couldn't believe that this was at all possible, most of them complaining that they couldn't even follow the "5 a day" rule!

Vegan & Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake GF

It was Mother's Day in the UK yesterday and the perfect excuse to bake a cake! But in order to satisfy everyone's dietary needs, it HAD to be vegan AND gluten free. I have to admit that some of my attempts at baking vegan cakes with gluten free flours have turned out to be very disappointing, in fact quite disastrous really! However, as soon as I saw the beautiful vegan lemon drizzle cake on Bit of The Good Stuff, I knew that I MUST attempt to make it gluten free and yesterday was the ideal occasion since my daughter was visiting and she adores lemon drizzle cake.

March Muffin Madness at GFE - Gluten Free Easily

I was honoured and delighted to be invited by Shirley to contribute a recipe to the March Muffin Madness Event over at GFE - Gluten Free Easily this year. Thank you Shirley. Have you seen the wonderful contributions this year? They're all fantastic and there's savoury muffins as well as sweet. All diets are catered for including grain free, vegan and vegetarian and, of course, they're ALL gluten free! There's some very talented recipe designers out there in blogland!

My March TVK Box

When my husband told me that my TVK Box had arrived and was waiting at home for me to open, I couldn't wait to get back from work. Receiving this surprise box of goodies each month is fantastic, you never know what you're going to get but one thing is guaranteed, the contents will be awesome!

A Very Green Salad GF SCD

It's St Patrick's Day tomorrow and this is my contribution to the celebrations. Jam packed full of green veggies and served with an avocado and mint dressing, this salad is the ultimate green salad.

Trail Mix GF SCD

I rarely buy trail mix shall I tell you why? The packets in our supermarkets quite often contain cranberries and they're always sweetened with a sugar syrup. I don't even like dried cranberries and if it contains pineapple, it's often the candied sort which I have to pick out.

Dried Fruit Salad with Toasted Almonds GF SCD

Preserving fruit in the sun such as dates, figs, apricots and plums has been practised for millenniums and dried fruit has remained an important ingredient particularly of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean diets. No need for dehydrators in ancient times, nature took care of everything!

My February TVK Box

Last month I was completely shell shocked to find out that I'd won a giveaway from The Vegan Cookie Fairy - an amazing box of vegan (and all gluten free BTW) snacks and a fantastic little pot of hand cream. I was so impressed with the contents, especially the chocolate covered pumpkin seeds, I decided to subscribe to the The Vegan Kind because it's so awesome to receive a surprise box each month, it's like Christmas twelve times a year!

Puro Fairtrade Coffee - a Review

When Puro Coffee approached me and asked if I would like to review their coffee, I was very happy to accept their offer. The name was vaguely familiar to me but it isn't a brand of coffee that you can buy in the supermarket. Eager to find out a bit more about the company I went to their website and realised I had most likely already enjoyed their coffee whilst visiting a National Trust site.

Onion Soup GF SCD

Onions are one of the world's healthiest foods. Richly packed with dietary flavonoids they offer protection against all kinds of disease and it's interesting that the quercetin found in onions doesn't become degraded when simmered to make soup, it just gets absorbed into the liquid. I love onions and last week I must have consumed an average of at least two onions a day, we use them in every dish we cook.

Winter Vegetable Casserole & Herby Stuffing Bites GF SCD

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas break. My eldest son and his gorgeous family landed safely back in Toronto early yesterday morning and life is now slowly getting back to normal. The last three weeks have been jam packed full of wonderful, precious moments which will stay with me for ever. How lovely it's been to have my whole family back together and how extra special for all of us that we were able to spend so much time with the latest addition to the family, it was just perfect!