Sharabelle bakes

    Had a polenta topped Bean stew for lunch today.  One of my work colleagues asked me what it was.  When I told them they asked what language I was speaking.........     Apparently not everyone knows what Polenta is?      Needless to say they were not impressed with my lunch, because it did not contain any meat.  There loss really as while they ate ham rolls, I tucked into a delicious Gluten free and dairy free Pie.  Perfect for the current Scottish Weather.    I'm a fan of Merchant Gourmet quick polenta.  It's one of my go too store cupboard foods. Its really versatile, I use it too make a quick polenta porridge for breakfast.  Too top pies in place of mashed potatoes for lunch and it can even be used to make desserts.    It can be set and cut into rectangles, then later baked as chips.  Or served smooth and creamy just like the best mashed potatoes.  It's glut...

Had an early finish at work today, so planned to treat myself to a Costa Coffee Soya Milk Hot Chocolate.   I prefer Costa Coffee too Starbucks. Costa are a british company and I like to support British Businesses.  Also the only thing's I can eat in Starbucks are the fruit and nut bars, Sweet and Salty Popcorn or Popchips.   Which are way to healthy to be a treat.    So was mega excited today to find that Costa Coffee have 2 new Gluten free products on there Christmas Menu -  Crimbo Crumble and Mini Pecan Pies.  I bought the Crimbo Crumble as I love mincemeat.  Most Gluten free Mince pies pastry tastes like cardboard.  Where as the Mincemeat Crimbo crumble bar was an inspired choice for Costa Coffee.  The base was Crisp, while the mincemeat and crumble topping are lovely and moist.  Was very impressed with the taste, which went well with my seasonal Hot Chocolate xxxx Glute...

I haven't been able to blog for a while.  My IBS has been getting worse, which has been making me depressed.  It's a vicious circle, as mental health problems can trigger IBS symptoms. While coping with IBS pain and symptoms also cause anxiety and depression.  Unfortunately for me I suffer from both.......  It's not just IBS campaign   My doctor told me something that struck home for me.  If I was cut open or had medical tests, there would be no indication that I had IBS.  It's one of those illnesses that Scientist still can not explain fully.  Normally a stressful situation, digestive illness or food poisoning can be traced back to the start of most peoples symptoms.   For me It was E-coli food poisoning.   Finding our about the  " It's not just IBS" campaign reminded me that I'm not the only one who feels this way.  So often iv made emergency appointments and ended up with a Locum Doctor who does not k...

Udis Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels - Review         Udis Gluten free Bagels   I got lucky last week and discovered that some Udis Bagels are also dairy free.  Cue excitement since Iv not had a bagel in over 5 years.  What can I say, its the little things that in life that get me excited.      First thing to remember is Gluten free processed bread is never going to taste as good as normal bread.  However it can come really close.      For me Gluten free bread tastes best when its toasted, so do these bagels.  The smell of the cinnamon as they toasted was gorgeous and tempting.  They looked great and tasted pretty good.  The texture when toasted is not that far off normal bagels.      One thing to mention is that they contain egg, so are not suitable for egg allergy sufferers or Vegans.  Would definitely buy this product again. I reall...

What do you eat? has got a whole lot more confusing.... My IBS symptoms lately have been a lot worse.  I've tried keeping a food diary, however I was drawing a blank on what could be causing it.  Then my mum mentioned that she noticed my IBS always gets worse when Iv eaten a lot of my own home baking.    It tastes great and is cheaper than buying free from products.  I originally put this down to consuming too much sugar, since I know this is one of my triggers.  I have now reached the conclusion that rather than being yeast intolerant, I might be wheat intolerant.  As I'm always okay after eating Free From products Iv bought. Free from products are generally Free From more than one allergen.  It's the only way producers can make them financially viable.  So a lot of the foods I buy because I am lactose intolerance, also happen to be gluten and wheat free.   So I decided to go Gluten and W...

Positive Reinforcement Noun : the offering of desirable effects or consequences for a behavior with the intention of increasing the chance of that behavior being repeated in the future. Most people think of positive reinforcement when talking about kids or dogs.  I was first introduced to it during therapy for my Depression and Anxiety disorder.  Instead of focusing on all the negative things that had happened or I had done, I had to also list the good.  At the end of the day I would create 2 mental columns in my head and list what had happened. Negative Went to swimming pool but couldn't go in. Positive I had tried and got as far as the door.  Sounds simple, however I found it really hard to do.  Recently my Depression and Anxiety have been getting worse again.  Like a physical illnesses, mental health problems never really go away.  It's a condition that needs to be managed.  So Iv sta...

What do you eat? Just back from Tesco and found a great offer for those of us that can only eat gluten and dairy free bread.  Tesco has  Udi's Products on offer for £1.00, till the 13th July.  It's a better than half price offer with most Gluten free breads retailing from £2:00 - £3:00 for a loaf.  So it's a good time to stock up and save some money.  Check out more Tesco special offers  on Gluten free products xxx

Or more correctly Where do you eat?     Spent the weekend in Aberdeen recently. Before we had even booked it my mum asked Where can you eat?  Planning for a trip for me now includes Restaurants, Deli's and Cafe's.      Re-cap: - Currently I'm lactose intolerant, wheat intolerant and following a Low Fodmap diet to maintain my IBS symptoms.  I'm also a Pescatarian , not just for ethical reasons.  I discovered my IBS symptoms got worse when I ate meat or poultry.        Basically this makes eating out really difficult. Lucky for me I love Jacket potatoes, since I seem to be eating a lot of them lately.    If you are from Aberdeen or lived in the area then you will know what a Fly Cup is. A fly cup is basically the same as going out for a Coffee.  Traditionally there is a morning and afternoon fly cup, and refers to a cup of tea on the fly during your day.     T...

This week for What do you eat? I decided to share the foods I buy.   Porridge  - I start each day with a bowl of porridge, it's one of the cheapest super foods you can buy.   How you eat yours has sparked many an argument, I like to make my simply.    - 2/3 cups of Rolled porridge Oats - 2 Cups of Cold water - Pinch of salt   I put my saucepan on a low heat and cook for 10 min's, stirring occasionally.   Once it reaches the thickness I like, It comes straight of the heat and into my porridge bowl. I keep the porridge simple as I like to pimp it up with fruit and yogurt.        Amoy Gluten free Ribbon Rice Noodles Clearspring Miso - wheat free I used these to make my own pot noodles,  only a lot healthier and tastier.   Home made healthy pot noodle Stir fry some mushrooms, then add the noodles and miso paste.   Pour in boiling water as per the miso soup instruc...

  Sorry Iv not blogged for a while, my laptop died on me.  Tried using my kindle, just wasn't the same.  So invested in a brand new one today x I'm trying out the Low Fodmap diet , to see if it will help manage my IBS symptoms.  So far it's going well Iv had no severe stomach spasms for 2 months now.  I already don't eat a lot of the foods on the list, so it was relatively easy to switch.  I love to bake so my biggest problem was giving up Wheat and Gluten. Iv tried out a few Gluten free flours -    Dove Farms  being the best one I have found so far. There great for making cookies, but I am not so keen on them for cakes and Muffins.  You still get that bitty texture of the rice flour that's part of the mix.  After some research my solution was to add Oat Flour. I use Oats a lot in my baking, especially in Muffins and Scones.  Finding out how easy it was to make Oat Flour was a revelation for me. ...

Top 5 Tips For managing IBS Managing IBS is not all about avoiding certain foods. Sometimes other basics changes can help just as much.  These small changes helped both my mum and I lessen our symptoms.  1: Caffeine Avoid caffeine, it's a stimulant and not great if u have a sensitive digestive system or bladder.  Switching to decaffeinated really does help reduce IBS symptoms.  2: Soft drinks Avoid soft drinks. Carbonated drinks are gassy and either overloaded with sugar or made with artificial sweeteners.   Artificial sweeteners can also be an IBS trigger. Consuming too much of them can have a laxative affect.  3: High fat food Ditch the deep fried food, and oven bake instead.  Too much fatty food isn't great for any diet. However it have a worse effect on those of us with IBS.  Baked instead of fried food might take longer but it tastes just as great.   Try chopping a large potato or sweet potato int...

When your avoiding Dairy and Wheat Iv excluded gluten and wheat products from my diet for 2 months , to see if it improves my IBS symptoms.  The problem with Food intolerances is that the sometimes the only way to find out if they have an adverse effect on you, is too exclude. Instead of being Yeast Intolerant, I think I may be Wheat intolerant instead. My symptoms improved when I cut out Yeast, I stopped eating bread and products coated in bread crumbs. The same products also contain yeast.  There are two foods that I have missed the most, are bread and cheese. Dairy free Cheese isn't that great, I would rather do without. However Iv discovered that Wheat free bread is just as delicious as traditional variety's.  Breakfast - Poached eggs on toast. Gluten free, lactose free bread. Bread was from Marks and Spencers Free From Range, slices where small but pretty tasty and filling. - Banana Lunch Baked Potato with beans. Instead of a tin of baked beans I...

I don't like to write bad reviews. Anyone can have an off day and I do not believe in judging a place based on one visit alone.  However this is now the Third  visit  that I have been less than impressed. Okay the positives first: It's one of the few places that I can go with my friends and family and find something I can both eat and drink.  - They have a great selection of Suki Teas , I especially love the herbal ones. - They Stock Lazy day foods Gluten free, Wheat free, Dairy free, egg free and vegan products.  My favourite is the Belgium dark chocolate Tiffin. - They have soya milk available. Negatives:   Last time I was there and ordered hot chocolate with soya milk, the cup I was given wasn't filled to the top and the saucer had a chip in it.  It also took them a long time to serve both my mother and myself. Then finding a clean table was a bit difficult.  Things happen I work in the catering sect...

Review North East Winner of the 2015 - The Scottish Independent Retail Award for Coffee shop of the year Independent Retail Awards The positive side of having to work every Saturday, is that I always get a day off during the week.  Perfect for meeting my mum for coffee or tea and a relaxing read of the daily newspapers.   Instead of heading for our usual place we drove to Milnathort, and a place my mum had read about in the Fife Gazette - Kelty and Cowdenbeath Edition. Heaven Scent Coffee Shop  more than lived up to our expectations.   Eating out when you have food intolerances is not easy at the best of times, however I was really impressed with the amount of choice this café had on their menu.  The Café it's self is lovely, light and airy, with quirky decorations.  You immediately feel welcomed by the space and the staff.  They have a Separate Gluten Free menu available on request at the counter.  Along with a wide sele...

Finally something to eat other than Popchips or Sweet and salty popcorn.... Met a friend for coffee today at Starbucks Dunfermline. Love this branch of the chain, the staff are always friendly and helpful.   I usually treat myself too a soya milk chai latte.  I'm lactose intolerant and don't really feel guilty about the calories since they never have anything I can eat.  Going out for a peppermint tea just doesn't have the same ring too it..... While waiting in the queue I'm always looking at the Impulse buys at the till, to see if I can eat them. Today it finally paid off....  Starbucks have a new snack range that's Free from gluten, wheat and dairy.  - Starbucks Raw raspberry and nut bar - Starbucks Peanut and Cashew bar Starbucks Spring 2015 - revamp I'm a big fan of Nakd Bars   and Starbucks new range follow the same idea of a healthy treat.  I had the Raw raspberry and nut bar, it tasted go...

Sainsbury's Free From Hot Cross Buns It's been 5 years since iv had a Hot Cross Bun, that's how long Iv excluded yeast from my diet. The best  I ever tasted came from a small family bakery's in  Inverurie where my grandmother lived.  Iv recently come to the conclusion that I might not be yeast intolerant, but rather wheat intolerant.  My mum noticed that my IBS symptoms were always worse when Id been eating a lot of baked goods.  So for the next 2 months I'm going on an exclusion diet to find out.  The negative side is that Iv now cut out a lot of foods, from an already limited group.  The positive is that it's open up a whole other side. So when I discovered on a trip to Sainsbury's that they had Gluten free, wheat free & dairy free hot cross buns I just had to buy them.  Smell: The aroma of the spices as the hot cross bun is toasted  was divine. Well worth the 5 year wait since my last one Taste: ...

Carpal tunnel decompression menu Along with my other ailments I have Carpal Tunnel syndrome in both wrists.  Basically a trapped nerve, however between managing my mental health problems and Digestive problems it's always been pretty far down my list of things to worry about.  So when I did finally get it checked out I got told the only way to help was an operation.  Decompression sounds pretty non invasive, for surgery that involves cutting a ligament in your wrist.  I admit the idea pretty much freaked me out, however the surgery it self was quick and only needed a local anaesthetic.  The only pain Iv had following the surgery is when I forget I'm not to use my hand. The worst part has been is that Iv not able to cook or bake properly for the last week. Which is pretty much my idea of torture.!!! I don't eat pre-made meals unless Iv cooked them myself, so Iv been using up my homemade  freezer supplies.  I usually tel...

Nando's Fife Leisure park Dunfermline My friend lucked out and got some vouchers for eating at Nando's.  So she decided to invite a few of us out for a meal.  Of course, with me the invitation was a little different... Can you eat anything at Nando's? To my surprise, after reading their website it turned out that I could.  When you think of Nando's, chicken is the first thing that comes to my mind.  Not great vegetarian food. The menu is probably one of the easiest Iv come across to check out allergy information on.  The list covers dietary preferences like vegetarian and vegan as well. It also breaks down the calories for each food, so you can make an informed choice in what you can eat.  I loved the fact that you could choose your side dish, I get annoyed when the only option is chips or potatoes.  I had the Veggie burger in a wrap with chilli jam and avocado .  I let the waiter know I was lactose intole...

Accidently Dairy Free foods   Accidentally Dairy free - Are food's that were not intentionally created to be marketed as Dairy free. I'm Lactose intolerant so I don't need to worry too much about cross contamination, while those with a milk allergy do.  So accidently Dairy free foods are safe for me too eat. When you find out your lactose intolerant you automatically assume that you can no longer eat non free from food.  That's not always the case..... Difference between milk allegy and lactose Intolerance This link from BBC Good Food is one of the best articles Iv come across explaining the difference.  Snacks I just recently discovered that Fox's party rings are Dairy free.  I loved these as a kid and it's great that I can eat them again.  They've added mini party rings to their product range, mini dairy free perfection.   Check out Discount stores, li...