It’s our 1st Birthday… Hip Hip Hooray!

Guess what today is? It’s our birthday! ‘Two Silly Sisters’ turns ONE! Yayyyyyyy! Exactly one year ago today we posted our very first blog, ‘Step away from the crunchy bread’. I remember how excited we both were… we had so many stories and recipes to share and couldn’t wait to get started. It was our dream to build a gluten free community – to share and learn from each other.

We have learnt a lot in the last year. Yes there have been many disasters in the kitchen, but there have been even more successes! We have enjoyed every minute of sharing our gluten free experiences with you, our readers. And lets face it, without you we wouldn’t have a blog, so thank you for following us on our gluten free journey!

We love getting comments, emails, and posts on our facebook wall. So please keep them coming! As a blogger, one of the most gratifying things is knowing that you are reaching out to people and helping them. Wether it’s a new recipe or advice on gluten free living. So if you haven’t joined us on Facebook yet, check it out now, because you are missing out on a lot more handy gluten free tips!

This is only the beginning and who knows what the next year will bring for ‘Two Silly Sisters’? Although I can tell you that we have quite a few little surprises up our sleeves! What would you like to see more of? We would love to know!

Now it wouldn’t be a first birthday party without a celebration (or cake) now would it? So in honour of our one year we have made a delicious batch of Lemon Cupcakes with Meringue Frosting! See recipe below. Happy baking and Hip Hip Hooray!

{Gluten Free Recipe} LEMON CUPCAKES WITH MERINGUE FROSTING
 
LEMON CUPCAKES
150g butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200g gluten free self-raising flour
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp grated lemon rind

MERINGUE FROSTING
3 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with patty cases.

2. Beat the butter, caster sugar, vanilla essence and lemon juice with electric beaters until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between.

3. Sift the flour and fold into the butter mixture. Add baking powder.

4. Fold the sour cream into the mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in the lemon rind.

5. Spoon the mixture evenly into the patty cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

6. For the meringue frosting beat egg whites with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Gradually add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar has dissolved between each addition.

7. Preheat grill to medium-high. Spoon meringue mixture into a piping bag.

8. Pipe a swirl of meringue on the top of each cupcake and place under heated grill for 60-90 seconds or until golden.

Makes 12 cupcakes.


 

Gluten Free Hot Cross Muffins

Wow, how can it be Easter already? The past few months have just flown by!

Apart from all the chocolate eggs you see at this time of the year, the next big giveaway that it’s Easter time is the hot cross buns.

Our very first attempt of making hot cross buns last year was disastrous. The dough was not easy to work with (very sticky to knead) and when cooked, they turned into rock cakes. I only wish I had photos to show you how messy they were!

This year I was determined not to miss out on eating a hot cross bun again, so I cheated a little and turned them into muffins instead. No kneading or mess, just spooned straight into a muffin tin.

So get into the Easter spirit and try our Gluten Free Hot Cross Muffins. See recipe below.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Easter long weekend. We hope the Easter bunny brings you lots of gluten free chocolates!

{Gluten Free Recipe} GLUTEN FREE HOT CROSS MUFFINS

MUFFIN MIX
2 cups gluten free self-raising flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2/3 cup sunflower oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
200g caster sugar
1 cup dark or milk choc chips
1/3 cup white choc chips

GLAZE
2 tbs caster sugar
2 tbs water

ICING
80g icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Hot water
 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
 

2. Sift the flours, soda and spices into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs and sugar until combined. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Gently stir in the chocolate.
 

3. Divide the mixture among muffin cases, then bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
 

4. For the glaze, place the sugar in a pan with the water and simmer over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Brush the glaze over the muffins.
 

5. For the icing, sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add lemon juice and just enough hot water to make a thick, pipable icing. Use a piping bag or drizzle from a spoon to draw a cross on each muffin.  Alternatively use pre-made royal icing.

Makes 12 muffins.

 

Nutella Rocky Road

I’ve always been a fan of Rocky Road, but have found it a little difficult finding a decent gluten free version. So I decided it was time to dust off this old recipe which I haven’t made in years!

Everyone loves this rocky road. The combination of milk chocolate, Nutella, coconut, fluffy marshmallows and crunchy peanuts makes it delicious! What’s not to love?

This recipe is so easy it would be perfect to make with your kids during the Easter holidays!

Give it a go... you won’t be disappointed!


{Gluten Free Recipe} NUTELLA ROCKY ROAD

3 cups milk chocolate melts
1 cup Nutella spread
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut
100g gluten free mini marshmallows
150g gluten free large marshmallows, halved

1. Line a 20cm x 30 cm lamington pan with baking paper.

2. Combine milk chocolate melts and Nutella in a large, heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

3. Stir in nuts, coconut and marshmallows and spoon into prepared lamington pan.

4. Cover and refrigerate until chocolate is set. Cut into pieces and serve.

Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long!)

 

Back to basics – The truth about Coeliac Disease

Did you know 1 in 100 people in Australia have Coeliac Disease? However only 1 in 5 of these are diagnosed! Could this be society’s lack of understanding of the disease? Quite possibly!

Gluten free is popping up everywhere. It seems to be the latest trend. But for somebody with Coeliac Disease, it’s an important day-to-day task to avoid the evil gluten lurking in our food. For those who don’t understand might think it’s just a passing fad, or that it will go away over time. Unfortunately it’s a life long disease and the only cure is to eat a gluten free diet.

What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and malt. In simple terms, it is the substance that makes dough sticky and elastic when made from wheat flour.

What is Coeliac Disease?
People with Coeliac Disease are allergic to these proteins causing inflammation of the small intestines, resulting in poor absorption of nutrients.

The Symptoms
There are many symptoms associated with Coeliac Disease. It is impossible to limit these to a single list. Some people will have one or two symptoms, whereas others may have a lot more. For this reason, it is such an under-diagnosed disease. Some of these symptoms may include but are not limited to:

• Lack of iron (including Anaemia)
• Fatigue
• Gastrointestinal distress (gas, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, and vomiting)
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Headaches
• Vitamin or mineral deficiencies
• Joint/bone pain
• Depression and mood disorders
• Inability to concentrate
• Infertility
• Mouth ulcers or swelling of the tongue
• Respiratory problems

More severe problems may include:
• Attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Autism
• Schizophrenia and other mood disorders

Getting Tested
The initial test for Coeliac Disease is a simple blood test. Remember it is important to keep gluten in your diet before the test. Eliminating gluten before you go for your blood test may cause a false reading in your results. If the test results come back positive the next step will be an intestinal biopsy.

This is done through an endoscopy. A tube is inserted down your throat, through your stomach, and then to the small intestine, where samples of the lining are taken for examination. You are given a light sedation so you can sleep through the short procedure, and you won’t remember a thing! Trust me, I remember waking up and thinking will they just get on with this thing! I soon found out it was well over and done with.

A healthy persons small intestine will be lined with millions of hairlike structures, called ‘villi’. These are used to absorb all the nutrients and minerals and act as a defence for all the bad toxins, blocking and rejecting these from entering the body. People who have developed Coeliac Disease will have blunt ‘villi’ making the body unable to absorb nutrients and fight toxins. The biopsy will determine how blunt these ‘villi’ are.

Like the blood test, you should keep gluten in your diet beforehand for true results.

Remember Coeliac Disease is a genetic condition, so if you or one of your family members are tested positive, it is important for the entire family to get tested.

Managing Coeliac Disease
If you have been tested positive for Coeliac Disease you should eliminate gluten immediately from your diet! Avoid the obvious foods such as bread, pasta, pizza, cakes, biscuits and cereals. However be aware of hidden suspects of gluten! Gluten can be lurking in sauces, lollies, ice cream, chips, beer and many other processed foods. Make it a habit to read ingredient labels. If you’re not sure consult the “Ingredient List” booklet available from the Coeliac Society of Australia or download the app, available for iPhone and android phones.

There are many fresh food produce, which are naturally gluten free, such as fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, poultry and seafood, rice, legumes and dairy products. There are also many gluten free food varieties now available in supermarkets and health food stores. If you are newly diagnosed, count yourself lucky. Had it been 10-15 years ago this would be a different story. Gluten free was unheard of and there were not many products available at all!

The great thing about the human body is it will start healing from day 1! The villi will re-grow and you will start to feel better. Some people feel the difference in a matter of days, others in a matter of months. Sometimes people will say they didn’t realise how sick they were until they went gluten free – I know I didn’t!

If left untreated, severe symptoms could include cancer (especially intestinal lymphoma). But managed properly you can continue to live a happy and healthy life!

If you suspect you have symptoms now is the time to consult your GP for a proper diagnosis.

Reference: Living Gluten-Free for Dummies (Australian Edition) by Danna Korn and Margaret Clough

 

Gluten Free what?

Living and breathing a gluten free life for nearly 4 years, I sometimes forget that not everyone is familiar with this lifestyle.

During my early days of diagnosis I explored many supermarkets and health food stores for GF food, as well as restaurants for GF dining options. With much frustration I discovered it wasn’t as easy as I thought. Many people had no idea what ‘gluten free’ was! Admittedly neither did I until I was given the news that would change my life forever!

On one occasion, on my way to a friend’s house, I stopped off at a local supermarket to grab some GF sweets to take with me. Thinking it would be quicker, I asked one of the sales attendants where I could find the gluten free section. The young man looked at me as if I had two heads and asked me “Gluten free? Is that stationary?” I held in my laugh and told him that it was food without wheat. He gave me a bit of a nervous chuckle and said that he would have to check with his manager. That was by far the funniest response I have ever had. It made me think that not enough people know what gluten free or coeliac disease really is!

Another time I was dining in a Japanese restaurant. Thinking I couldn’t possible eat sushi without soy sauce, I decided to ask if they had GF sauce. I got a blank look. I repeated it again and decided to start explaining that I couldn’t eat wheat products, such as flour. This didn’t help, so I gave up and decided to eat my sushi with no sauce.

Having ordered a green tea and slowly sipping it until my meal arrived, the waitress I was having the discussion with came running over… “I don’t think you should drink that”. She actually tried to pull my cup away from me! “The tea is made from a plant. You’re allergic to plants!”

I was extremely confused by this statement but managed to tell her that I would be fine. I wasn’t allergic to plants. It was only after that I realized she thought I was allergic to “flowers” (flour). Hence the plant statement!

This also reminds me of a trip to Thailand, where I was told the flower was on the side so I could pick it out. It was a flower cut out of vegetables!!! Oh my!

In the short time I have been coeliac I have seen such a dramatic growth in the awareness of coeliac disease and gluten free food. From products available in supermarkets to restaurants and cafe’s.

A lot of this awareness has stemmed from the Coeliac Society and Coeliac Awareness Week, which is coming up on the 13 – 20 March 2012. This year’s slogan “Is gluten slowing you down?” is aimed at educating the population about coeliac disease and it’s effects.

So help us spread the word. Share this post with all your family and friends to help us make as many people aware of coeliac disease as we can. Because we are hoping for a future where gluten free is not thought to be stationary!

Do you have any funny stories about ‘gluten free’ misunderstandings? We would love to hear them!