Glutafin Digestive Biscuits and GF Samples

The kind folks over at the Gluten Free Message Board, where I am an active member, are very good at sharing links to any exciting free samples they find companies offering on the internet. Such samples take around 28 days to be delivered but are a great way of testing out products from different companies.

This morning a found a parcel waiting for me downstairs. I was quite surprised as I wasn't expecting any deliveries. It turned out to be a sample of Glutafin Digestive Biscuits which I must have ordered at some point.





I've not tried them yet but it's always worth checking the Glutafin and Juvela websites reasonably regularly to see if they are offering any free samples. Some of the other companies do this as well but the big ones can afford to do it more regularly.

Anyway I'm off for a revision break. Cup of tea and digestive biscuit I think!

ShakeAway Milkshakes

While in Reading (revising of course) Ina persuaded me that I needed a break and suggested we go for a nice walk. Living in Reading town centre I didn't really see how a 'nice' walk was possible but welcomed the break from revision (and secretly hoped I could drag him into a few clothes shops for some retail therapy!)

Unfortunately, knowing me too well, he had envisaged the consequences of taking me past clothes shops and come up with a plan. That plan was to give me the messiest drink possible, that no sales assistant in their right mind would ever allow you in a clothes shop with. To hear about this visit from his point of view you might want to visit his blog.




It worked rather well but I didn't complain too much - I ended up with the most awesome drink!
ShakeAway is a milkshake company with a difference. The difference being that they fill their stores with hundreds of varieties of chocolate, sweets, biscuits and fruit and allow you to make any combination of them into a milkshake! They have over 150 choices - from the heavenly to the down-right bizarre.

My first thought on walking in was how on earth I would choose a 'safe', gluten free milkshake without spending hours in conversation with the staff. I needn't had worried. I picked up a menu and saw that the key included "ng" for "not gluten free" after any items unsuitable for coeliacs like myself. This meant that everything else on the menu was suitable!

On further examination I realised they also did dairy-free milkshakes made with soya ice cream. I don't have a lactose intolerance but am aware that it often co-exists with coeliacs and I was really impressed that this company had gone to such an effort to cater for people needing special diets.

So Rhubarb and Custard milkshake with Minstrels on top for me (although the minstrels sunk to the bottom!) Ina chose a Fry's Orange Cream milkshake with extra cream which was equally delicious.

On further examination of the menu there were a few anomalies for me. That is a few milkshakes not marked "ng" that contained ingredients that I know to contain gluten (for example Ferrero Rocher.) So I would advise any coeliacs visiting to use common sense as well as the menu when deciding what it safe. I am currently composing an email to the company to raise these concerns and will report back when they reply.

Still, with stores all over the south of the country, and so much obviously gluten free on the menu, they are well worth a visit.

And full marks to ShakeAway for effort in catering for people with special diets.

Xen Pan Asian Restaurant, Reading

I'm in Reading again and once again didn't feel like cooking after a full day of revision. I had already decided to take the evening off to go out for drinks with Ina and some of his friends. The others were going for an Italian first, but having had a few bouts of contamination recently I decided not to risk joining them.

Instead me and Ina went in search of somewhere else to eat. Ina suggested a Thai place and I agreed so we ended up at Xen Restaurant. There was plenty of choice on the menu from Thai, Indian and Japanese cuisines.




I had Paeng Pet Ped Yang - Roasted duck cooked in coconut milk, pineapples, cherry tomatoes and peppers in a red curry sauce. I chose coconut rice to accompany it. Absolutely delicious! And no ill effects.

Xen has an open kitchen making the chefs readily available and all the staff were very helpful.

Very much recommended!

I love Crimble's Slices!

I am addicted to Crimble's Cake Slices!

There are three in the range : Bakewell Slices, Lemon and Coconut Slices and Country Slices (kind of fruit cake-y)




And they are all delicious!!

Go try them!

The White Hart, Nettlebed

As I may have mentioned, I have been spending a fair bit of time in Reading recently to visit a lovely young man who lives there.

After a long day of revision for me, and work for him, we decided to go out for a drive and find some food. Accompanied by the Beatles discography we set out to escape central Reading and find a little cosy country pub.

Amazing music and great company, combined with the fun driving of country roads meant we went a little further afield than we intended.

We ended up just beyond Henley-on-Thames near a place called Watlington.

As we were driving The White Hart, Nettlebed, caught my eye and we went in to investigate. In typical Julie style, I had managed to find one of the most exquisite and expensive pubs in the area! Not quite what we had intended!





We walked in to the bar area to find leather sofas and comfy chairs rather than bar stools.
We were then led into the dining area and given menus. Everything sounded amazing and we were spoilt for choice.

Obviously my first question was what could I eat? I scanned the menu and ruled out things which were obviously full of gluten and chose what I would like from what was left. I then asked the waitress to ask the chef if what I'd chosen was suitable. It was!

So we relaxed with a glass of red for me, and a cider for Ina and waited. Twenty minutes later our starters arrived. Mine was Duck with Sauerkraut and Apple Puree. It was absolutely delicious - a really interesting combination of flavours.

Ina's gluten filled Goat's Cheese in a Filo Pastry looked just as good, and he assures me it was superb!

Strangely we ended up order the same main course of Hare in Red Wine with Red Cabbage and Creamy Mash. One word: delicious!
I'd never had hare before but very much enjoyed it and the mash was to die for!!

We finished off by sharing a dessert of Orange and Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango and Mint Salsa. We were far too full for it but again it was gorgeous.

The bill came to just over £50 for the two of us - not ideal for a student budget but well worth it and very much recommended.

Revision Snacks

I am currently revising for my third year (of a Masters degree) University exams. As every good student knows revision snacks are an essential part of revision.

Having got through my Easter eggs and the vast amount of Milka I bought from France I went in search of new snacks.

My best friend and I have revised together for the last 4 years and each year we share a 1kg tub of Jelly Belly jelly beans. They last us for the 8 weeks or so we spend revising. Luckily they are gluten free so I can still eat them :D

This week I am in Reading visiting my boyfriend, who works down here. I didn't have much food to bring with me so yesterday I paid a visit to Waitrose. I found Riceworks gourmet brown rice chips on buy one get one free. They are THE BEST savoury gluten free snacks. I'm tucking into a bag of the sweet chilli flavour as we speak.

I also found Kelkin Mini Milk Chocolate covered Rice Cakes. These are a nice chocolatey treat without just being a chunk of chocolate and go really nicely with a cup of tea!

Well that's enough of a break for me! Back to the revision