Australians And New Zealanders Hellooooooo :)

[Saz]

I think some of Weis Sorbets are gluten-free/df. And I think the majority of their other ice cream is gluten free. The bellyhoo pies are great. I love the cherry one. The beef burgandy is good as well, although personally would prefer a bit more gravy/sauce. They are a bit pricey but unfortunatly if companys aren't supported they won't continue to make the product. I remember the days when you were lucky to find one type of biscuit in the supermarket. As much as I don't like paying extra, I'd rather that than have no choice of food. I've never been a fruit,nuts and seeds person.

[11475]

I saw the bellyhoo pies, ravioli and some other pasta things at Coles today. I bought one of the vegetarian lasagne's, knowing it'll mean pain to eat it (other food problems), but with the hope of enjoying something as a rare treat. I was curious about the ravioli, but I used to enjoy eating pasta with cheese and tomato sauce...so really, I just liked eating tomato sauce and cheese .

I made a post under the 'products' thread about 'Passage Foods'. Have a look at their website if you haven't seen the products already and are interested. They have a range of stir fry sauces and simmer sauces and I've made a few for my family who have enjoyed them. Has anyone tried them?

[11475]

Also - if anyone is around Brisbane, the MOST DELICIOUS bread I found was from SOL Breads. (You can find the website from the name if interested.) They have a store/cafe, but also supply a number of health food stores. They have a range, but I've only had the gluten-free mega grain, and the rice and pumpkin breads. Both were great, and in my opinion, the best of any gluten-free breads I had tried.

[Saz]

I tried one of the currys from passage foods. It was ok. I prefer pataks, although not labeled as gluten-free a lot of their products are. I think passage have just expanded the range, maybe I will try one of their non curries.

I was slightly dissapointed with the lack of Christmas food around this year, but I found out that coles branded rum balls are fine for us to eat. At $4 they are cheaper than the Leda ones. Also Aunt bettys has mini Plum puddings available in Woolies.

[anabananakins]

I'm hanging out for easter, I adored the gluten free hot cross buns that were around last year.

Our family's christmas is mostly gluten free, so I haven't had to miss out or adapt much. Yorkshire pudding works fine with the white wings gluten free flour, and I never liked store bought mince pies anyway. The only thing my mother and sister have with gluten is the gravy which I have always loathed (when I tell my sister not to drown her yorkshire pudding in gravy unless she's sure she'll eat all of it, I was as emphatic about that pre-going gluten free as I am now!)

We were going to make them with gluten free flour for the pastry but one brand of the mince stuff has gluten in it and when it came down to it, I couldn't be bothered buying the other brand since my mother still had half a jar. So I had jam tarts instead. But keep an eye on that if you're planning to make mince pies. I think it was the brand at coles that was ok, but pretty sure it was the traditional name brand one that wasn't. I could have that backwards - definitely check but don't despair if the first one you find isn't safe because I'm sure one was.

[Saz]

I don't like Mince Pies gluten-free or not. It'd be nice to see some gluten-free versions of all the different cake types. Especially the Chocolate bombs which seem to have made an appearance this year! Also some the english cadburys cake and biscuits look good. I see some Schar panetone or stollen online but it was $15.

What brand of gravy does everyone use? The only one I know of is the gravox ones, but I'm not the greatest fan.

[anabananakins]

I hate the sweet pastry that most store bought mince pies are made with. If bellyhoo made them with that pastry, I'd think they'd be great.

We've always been a gravox family and I can't stand the stuff. But in germany my host mother would make gravy with flour and the juices from the roast. I'm not sure if she added other seasoning. But I guess that could easily be done gluten free with the white wings flour?

[WayneH]

Hello, I'm a new member, live in Sydney on the northern beaches.

Both my daughter (Ella aged 5) and I are Coeliac, have both been on a Gluten free diet for about 12 months.

I am always on the lookout for new products and places to eat out, trying to keep the school luchbox interesting for Ella.

Buy most of our gluten-free products from the local Coles and Woolworths.

Standard gluten-free food in our Pantry is;

Freedom Foods Rice Puffs

Freedom Foods Rice Flakes

Freedom Foods Muesli

Range of Woolworths Macro Buscuits

San Remo Gluten Spirals

San Remo Gluten Free Sheets

San Remo Gluten Free Spaghetti

Old Time Bakery - Gluten Free Pizza Bases (from Woolworths)

White Wings Gluten Free Flour - used for most of the cake baking

In The Frezzer

Country Life - gluten-free Multigrain Bread

Bulla Ice Cream

I have not tryed to bake in gluten-free bread myself yet, I think I will try this in 2012, still miss the taste of beautiful fresh white bread.

Nice to read previous entries, have picked up some good tips already.

[Glutinator Girl]

I don't like Mince Pies gluten-free or not. It'd be nice to see some gluten-free versions of all the different cake types. Especially the Chocolate bombs which seem to have made an appearance this year! Also some the english cadburys cake and biscuits look good. I see some Schar panetone or stollen online but it was $15.

What brand of gravy does everyone use? The only one I know of is the gravox ones, but I'm not the greatest fan.

I use the Maisell one, I think its not long been out, its a bit watery but mixed with cooking juices it tastes ok

[beebs]

i prefer gravox to massell but to be honest i just make my own with pan juices gluten-free flour n a bit of stock n somwtimes wine...yum. Had the ravioli and bellyhoo pies for the first time the other day....how good is that pastry, yummmoooo

[Di2011]

oh how I wish I lived in sydney right now.. Canberra seems like a backwater when it comes to gluten free options!!

Does anyone have any suggestions for Aussie online stores?

I know there are lots but products are all so different and price is wonky.

[Saz]

woolworths have brought out their own version of chezels and twisties. The "twistes" come in a chicken flavour and a cheese one. I tried the chicken ones and they're great! They have less of a cornt taste than the ajitas version. Looking foward to trying the chezels next!

[anabananakins]

Most of what we're getting is all from woolies and coles, diandliam, so you should be able to get the same stuff too. The range changes all the time so it's worth investigating.

I was at David Jones foodhall (in the Market Street store in Sydney) last night (sorry - diandliam, you probably don't have one of those) and there are lots of little gift boxes of cookies that were labelled gluten free. They are all mixed in but the labelling was pretty clear (on the front, above the flavour/type). I nearly ended up buying gluten free cookies for someone who isn't gluten free, just because they sounded good.

ETA, hi Wayne, welcome. Sounds like you've found lots of the good stuff (the san remo pasta range is great, so much like regular pasta)

Do you like the country life bread? I couldn't stand it, it turned me off bread entirely until I got to try other brands.

[Saz]

oh how I wish I lived in sydney right now.. Canberra seems like a backwater when it comes to gluten free options!!

Does anyone have any suggestions for Aussie online stores?

I know there are lots but products are all so different and price is wonky.

I haven't purchased anything from these sites but they are Aussie

www.absolutelyglutenfree.com.au

www.glutenfreeshop.com.au

www.glutenfreeforme.com.au

[auzzi]

Canberra seems like a backwater when it comes to gluten free options!!

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Check asian supermarkets, indian supermarkets, IGA [as well as Woolworths and Coles], Health Food stores: gluten-free pops up in the most unusual places... Have you checked with the Coeliac Society?

[beebs]

but di-you have deeks cafe-u lucky thing

[Di2011]

My DH has been so bad that I am a bit "spooked" by anything with gum. I have trouble with virtually anything with numbers (esp 1400, 400's or salt on the label).

Deeks uses guar gum exclusively. I have a big big problem with xanthan gum and try, try, trying to get game enough to retest the guar gum. I have spent the last month telling myself to test. Deeks is about 10 min away and I have been past many times, gone inside a couple of times now. Just about ready to test.

When you have skin problems like mine that are so intense and all over, so seriously socially impacting, you soon learn to test one product / ingredient at a time. It often made me sad, mad, depressed etc but now it is just my reality and I am happy to live with it.

I also think I needed to get over my psychological reaction to anything vaguely "baked" which I think I now have. So Deeks is on my test list

I guess all this is why I get on here and read about all the great things you all find to eat but more often than not they have "gluten free" but I can't tolerate... Gets frustrating when meat/veg/fruit/rice is your limit. Sick of being sorry for myself!!!!

[WayneH]

Most of what we're getting is all from woolies and coles, diandliam, so you should be able to get the same stuff too. The range changes all the time so it's worth investigating.

I was at David Jones foodhall (in the Market Street store in Sydney) last night (sorry - diandliam, you probably don't have one of those) and there are lots of little gift boxes of cookies that were labelled gluten free. They are all mixed in but the labelling was pretty clear (on the front, above the flavour/type). I nearly ended up buying gluten free cookies for someone who isn't gluten free, just because they sounded good.

ETA, hi Wayne, welcome. Sounds like you've found lots of the good stuff (the san remo pasta range is great, so much like regular pasta)

Do you like the country life bread? I couldn't stand it, it turned me off bread entirely until I got to try other brands.

Hi anabananakins,

The country life bread is okay, main thing is my daughter will eat it and makes her feel normal with the other kids eating sandwiches for lunch at Kindy.

I am thinking about buying a bread maker and trying to make my own, have you tried making your own gluten-free bread?

[kareng]

Hi anabananakins,

I am thinking about buying a bread maker and trying to make my own, have you tried making your own gluten-free bread?

Look on the baking section and maybe use the google at the top right corner. We have had lots of bread recipes and discussions about bread makers.

[mushroom]

Look on the baking section and maybe use the google at the top right corner. We have had lots of bread recipes and discussions about bread makers.

Ah, but are they available in Australia? At 240v???

[auzzi]

In Australia:

Quantum

[beebs]

I have the new breville Bakers oven with the gluten free cycle - its brilliant - I love it and make bread all the time!

[dandt]

My brother used to be on the gluten-free/cf diet years ago before compliance became too difficult and we went on a holiday to canberra and deeks was so yummy!!

I'm currently waiting on my gluten-free gingerbread men. Struggled a bit to get them to stick together but my mother came to my aid with a tub of nuttelex (we seriously have like 6 tubs in the fridge because we kept forgetting we had it!!!) I have now decided that I have to start using xanthan gum or something when I cook! The recipe was pretty dodgey though but I had decided to use some recipe which wasn't designed to be gluten-free because I didn't think I'd be able to find all the ingredients in the proper mix. I'd only seen the mixes at coles and my woollies have NO flour at all. They have a bread mix but that's it.

Speaking of which, has anyone else seen all the different flours they have in coles now? I got so excited because I'm in a regional area with no health food store so I've pretty much been limited to the mix until now! I just got the cookies out and they're really crumbly but taste nice so I'm thinking I'm going to go get the brown rice flour and xanthan gum tonight and try making them properly tomorrow. Might even make the dough tonight so I can refrigerate it.

I can't help with bread. I HATE the brand that starts with Z, or at least I think it was gross.

Oh and if anyone didn't know this, the home brand jelly beans at woollies are gluten free. They were out of stock EVERYWHERE for a few months but I spied them on the shelf on the weekend. Even better, they're still gluten free.

[+jasonparker]

Has anyone found a way to keep our gluten-free bread fresh? Using Aldi's Wild Grain ATM which is great, but like most gluten-free breads, needs to be toasted after the first day.

[mushroom]

Has anyone found a way to keep our gluten-free bread fresh? Using Aldi's Wild Grain ATM which is great, but like most gluten-free breads, needs to be toasted after the first day.

I don't necessarily do this with store-bought bread, but with home-baked I put it in a paper bag and then in a plastic bag and leave it on the bench The paper absorbs any excess moisture which leads to mould production, and the plastic keeps it from drying out. Now if your store-bought has preservative you probably don't have to worry about the mould. But I have found the refrigerator really dries it out and makes it crumbly. Better to wrap it in serving sizes and freeze and thaw than keep it in the fridge, from my perspective.