Gluten Free Banana Bread (Wheat-free, Rice-Free and Free From Refined Sugar)

Finally I have my baking mojo back and I have a very happy hubby! Since discovering The Free From Fairy Gluten-Free Wholegrain Flour my gluten free bakes have literally been transformed. Using this fantastic flour gives us bakes that do not have the powdery finish that I got using other gluten free flours.

Whenever I have any ripe bananas that are going brown I love to use them in bakes and as I had a bag of The Free From Fairy flour I knew it was the perfect time to have a go at making a gluten free banana bread. Believe me, we were not disappointed!

This is what I did...

Savoury Egg Muffins - Gluten Free and Dairy Free #FreeFromEaster

When it comes to Easter we immediately think of chocolate eggs. But, believe it or not, not everyone likes or can have chocolate. So if you are looking something that is definitely healthier that chocolate and a savoury option then look no further.

Eggs are such a fantastic source of protein, contain various vitamins and minerals and are such a versatile food. Eggs are an essential part of my kitchen and thanks to our chickens, something that we always have in. So when it came to thinking of a savoury recipe for Easter I kept coming back to eggs. Eggs are a traditional Easter item and the perfect ingredient to base a recipe on.

These savoury egg muffins make a fantastic addition to either your party buffet or to just keep in the fridge for when you or the kids are wanting a snack. They can be packed with fillings that please everyone and tailored to individual taste.

This is what I did...

Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free Easter Cupcakes - #FreeFromEaster

Following on from the Free From Pancakes collaboration I am, again, joining forces with some amazing free from bloggers to bring you a free from Easter.

I have been told by the hubby that he misses my baking so I am going to be experimenting a lot more with gluten free bakes. I will admit I have found the thought of baking gluten free quite daunting. I can bake gluten free cakes but I am yet to perfect a loaf and still need to try making pastry. So over the coming months I am going to rediscover my baking passion. I find reading the other free from blogs so inspiring and they really do give me the confidence to try more. My aim is to show you that it is possible to create baked treats that are gluten free and will please the whole family, not just those that follow a gluten free diet.

For my first of two free from Easter bakes I have made some delicious chocolate cup cakes and next week I will be sharing a savoury recipe. So keep an eye out for that one!

Today's recipe is a simple sponge cupcake but is gluten free and free from refined sugar. This is what I did...

#CookBlogShare 2017 - Week 10 Plus 4 Sweet Treats!

Welcome to week 10 of #CookBlogShare.

Last week the linky was hosted by Eb over at Easy Peasy Foodie. As always there was a fantastic variety of recipes shared, sweet, savoury, bakes and informative posts, there really was a bit of everything. That is what I love most about the Cook Blog Share linky, anything foodie goes!

Last week I had the pleasure of spending the evening in London with some lovely free from bloggers. We were invited to try the new gluten free range from Schwartz and learn a bit more about the new complete recipe mixes and sauces. The meal was outstanding and you can read all about our evening here. I love attending foodie event like these and especially love spending time with fellow foodie bloggers. A blogger event is really the only place that you can get away with taking so many pictures of food before eating!

Now back to CookBlogShare. This week the sweet treats definitely won me over. Following on from the gluten free event I have chosen free from sweet treats. Here are my favourite four recipes from week 9 of CookBlogShare...

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Free From Week - Coconut Bounty Cake

When I saw that the week that I would be hosting the Great Bloggers Bake Off linky party was free from week to say I was excited (and pleased!) is an understatement!

I have recently been baking and eating more free from foods. This have been a journey of food discovery. Free from baking is completely different from traditional baking. All of the weights that you regularly follow go out of the window. It is like learning all over again. Different flours and ingredients act in different ways so some research needed to be done.

This week, in the tent, the bakers had the following challenges...

• The signature challenge saw the bakers create a variety of sugar-free cakes. They used honey, agave syrup and fruit, but there's more to replacing sugar than just adding sweetness.

• Paul's technical challenge was gluten-free pittas, which are made with a very sticky dough which really tested the bakers' skill.

• For their show-stopper, the bakers made dairy-free ice cream rolls. Mary and Paul were looking for silky-smooth ice cream, surrounded by jam and a light sponge. 

After seeing what the challenges were I decided to make a cake which is not just a sugar free sponge, but is also gluten and dairy free. The chocolate ganache does contain sugar in the dark chocolate but is also dairy free.

This is what I did...

Chippa Gluten Free Sauces

Up until recently I did not realise how many products contained gluten. For anyone that suffers with coeliac disease it must be a nightmare! Thankfully I do not have it and neither do any family members. But the hubby and I have reduced down our gluten intake as a lifestyle choice. Personally I feel better for reducing gluten, I have a lot less bloating and feel generally better without it.

One product that contains gluten, that I am sure the majority of household have, are condiments. We always have bottles of ketchup and brown sauce in our house. The amount of gluten free products that are available is growing, however I have never seen gluten free condiments.

Until now!

I was recently asked if I would like to try the UK's first gluten free condiments from Chippa. Naturally I said yes and I could not wait to try them.

I received three of the most popular condiments in the UK, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and brown sauce. In our family the children love tomato ketchup, while the brown sauce is for the hubby while I use mayonnaise on my salads. Therefore I knew that we would be able to give these sauces a thorough tasting!

Quinoa Porridge

This week has seen the start of my detox with an aim to loose a bit of weight. You can read why in my Time To Loose Weight post. The detox has meant that I have had to cut out a lot of my usual foods.

Yesterday I had a breakfast of fruit but today I felt that I needed something a bit more filling to start the day. I looked at what carbs I could have and thought that quinoa would make a great porridge style breakfast.

Quinoa is a "super food" which has got a high protein content. It also contains great levels of iron, fibre, magnesium, phosphorus and is also a source of calcium!

My quinoa porridge was so deliciously healthy I will be making this from now on as my breakfast.

This is what I did...

Quinoa Porridge

Ingredients

3tbsp quinoa grain
15tbsp water
90mls milk substitute to taste, I used coconut milk
Fruit to taste

Method

1 - Place the quinoa grain in a sift and rinse with cold water

2 - Place the water in a pan to boil

3 - When the water has reached boiling point add the quinoa grains, cover and simmer for 20 minutes

4 - After 20 minutes remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes

5 - Break up the grains with a fork and place in a bowl

6 - Pour over the milk, this can either be warm or cold milk

7 - Add your chosen fruit, I used blackberries, and serve

This is a delicious breakfast which is both filling and good for you. You will find that this breakfast is all made using "allowed" foods if you are following the Juice Plus diet. If you are following Slimming World the quinoa is a "free food" and the milk substitute can be counted as you healthy extra.

Enjoy x

I am sharing this recipe with:

Honest Mum - Tasty Tuesdays
A Mummy Too - Recipe of the Week