Dear Diary

I haven't done a self indulgent update/diary post for yonks have I? This is either indicative of my rather uneventful life or my bone idleness. I prefer you believed the latter!

First off...how do we all like the new look of things around here? I finally got round to putting up the header my gorgeous Skye designed for me a few months back, and I love it. Remember this gorgeous little cupcake cross stitch Skye did for me a while back? Well she's only gone and opened her own online shop i am hand-made stuffed with loads of gorgeous cross stitches (and loads of other lovely things in the pipeline) everything is on sale at the moment so check it out for perfect stocking fillers.

It's a bit of a work in progress as far as the blog makeover is concerned, I wanted to get the whole lot done at once but I've not be terribly well again so I've had to do it in drips and drabs when I've felt well enough, plus I'm not exactly what you would call a whizz with the HTML so sometimes I find it as hard going as my gran finds trying to get out of a beanbag, but I thought my little old blog deserved some TLC after making the Cosmo Blog Awards shortlist!

Ruby over at Rubelle's Moon is giving herself the ultimate Gluten-Free Challenge of trying to cook various gluten-free recipes...kudos to Ruby though, she's doing some tricky things I have never attempted like puff pastry and naan bread. I challenged her too make gluten-free bagels, and gave her my mincemeat recipe shes making as part of her challenge. Shes lovely so go check out her blog and give her loads of support and encouragement!


Caleigh from Gluten Freek has organised a gluten-free 12 days of Christmas and asked myself and a few other gluten-free blogger's to be involved. the premise being that we all cook something different on each of the 12 days. I called dibs on the Gingerbread recipe which coincides nicely with my own Christmas challenge...last year it was to make my own mincemeat with the ultimate intention to whip up gluten-free mince pies for the first time ever...this year I'm attempting a gluten-free gingerbread house. I'm both excited and absolutely bricking it...I don't possess the gentlest of touches so the likely hood that i muck the house up on the first few attempts by putting a finger through the roof or snapping a wall in half out of sheer excitement is very high.

I've created a new page on the blog which is dedicated to readers pictures of my recipes. So if anyone has had a go at any of my recipes and has any snaps do pass them along and I'll whack you up in the hall of fame 'Your Katie-boo Bakes and Makes' what a snazzy page name, eh? Email me at thekatieboobaker@hotmail.co.uk or drop me a tweet @katieboobaker .

A few weeks ago we got a 14week old kitten from the Charity Worthing Cats Protection League-although with this little physco cat it's us that needs protecting more than him. He will eat anything, chase anything and hang off anything. He launches himself at your pj toggles and chews on any stray wisps of hair escaping my pony tail. We literally haven't a clue what the crapping Nora we're going to do at Christmas when the little bugger is left alone with the tree or presents. He's scales the curtains like a commando and uses my room like an obstacle course and I can imagine him mulling over the Christmas tree as some sort of challenge he must complete, like a kitty Everest of sorts. Christ.

Anyway. This has turned out to be a rather wordy post and its going to be rather picture heavy too, many apologies. I shall hopefully be back tomorrow with a Twice as Nice post.

Bought various winter woollies to keep the cold out. Dietary Specials kindly sent me some of the new recipe frozen goodies to try out and I can confirm they were all very yummy. I've started drawing again in an attempt at diverting my attention when The Other Bowel Problems are causing me pain, it isn't always ideal especially when all I want to do is lay down but its helping.

Sorted my baking cupboard out in an attempt at order before the Xmas baking rush is upon me. I'm living off coffee and fruit tea's at the moment with it being so cold. Been trying to sort out my recipe books and order them but I'm rapidly running out of bookshelf space.

Sainsburys' very nicely sent me a selection of the new items from the Free From range, reviews coming soon! Enjoying finding gluten-free goodies, loving this g/f cereal, miso soup and taco trays.

My gorgeous bracelet from Becky as my consolation prize for not winning the Cosmo blog awards! Keeping my hot water bottle topped up in this weather and while I've been poorly and spraying my pillows with this sleep therapy spray to help me relax at night. I've been flicking through my Kath Kidson 'Sew' book for pressie ideas to make for my friends.

Found a lovely frame for my lovely Flo print from Natasha at The Secret Tea Party, discovering gluten-free chips are available at my local chippie ALL THE TIME and once a month you can get g/f onion rings,sausages and fish! Here's Sleeping Physco himself. Finally getting film for my Diana.

Mum bought me this a few weeks ago after I made the Cosmo blog shortlist, the F got bent after the whole thing fell off the top of my wardrobe and onto her head.

Just A Bunch Of Hocus Pocus

Since I’m 26, and no longer in a position where trick or treating and dressing up in an Disney Princess Costume won’t look weird/creepy (no matter how short and childlike I appear) I have to satisfy my inner child and love of this time of year with Hocus Pocus marathons and marvelling at various blogger skills with a knife when it comes to pumpkin carving (Looking at you Beth!).

Although as I’ve said before these are about the only few things I love about Halloween. As I’m officially A Grumpy Old Cow now I usually kick off Hallow’s eve by unplugging the doorbell to deter children from begging for Cadbury's Giant Buttons and Haribo at my house. But I have to admit I do miss dressing up and knocking back a skin-full and then attempting to gain entry to a club which is filled to the rafters with girls dressed as slutty versions of every possible variation of animal. Many a year I enjoyed drunkenly trying to apply cat whiskers to my own face with liquid eyeliner which I’d be trying to hastily rub off the next day on the way to a lecture.

Anyway, I thought I'd make the effort to get into the Halloween swing of things with a I want/I love  list of goodies for you to have a butchers at. 

From left-right: Skull and cross bones ice cube tray, Bat cookie cutter, Plastic candelabra, Spiderweb placement, Halloween bunting, skull plug stopper, Spiderweb cake stand, Misted tumbler, Candle.

From Left-Right: Gluten-free carrot&ginger cake, Pumpkin party bags, Squash soup, Beth's awesome pumpkin carving, Pumpkin soup, Hummingbird Halloween cupcakes, Bodum whisker, Halloween pegs, Paper lanterns.

Cosmo Girl

Here I am bundled under my Slanket, rough as old toast, looking thoroughly white and spiteful...but I care not a jot...because I've been shortlisted for the Cosmo Blog Awards!!!!
You'll probably already know if you follow me on Twitter or live within screaming distance of my house, but I actually had no idea until Skye rang me late last night. When she said 'You need to go online now' I thought my readers had staged some sort of mutiny against me or something, I had no idea what was going on!

I was beyond surprised to have made the shortlist, I know everyone says that, but lets be honest my blog is small and very niche and I never expected to get very far, especially when I compare my blog to others in my category, including the lovely girls at Where Are My Knees? 
Its great to be in the company of so many blogs I love, read and admire, so good luck to everyone who made the shortlist across the categories.

I know my posts have been few and far between recently but I 100% love my blog and I put my all into it, and all the lovely comments, tweets and emails I receive from you gorgeous lot keep me feeling inspired and encourage me to carry on writing and thinking of new posts and recipes.

I'm flying the flag for Gluten-Free (and baking) so if you'd like to see me win in my category; Health, Diet and Fitness click on the link below, it would make me one very happy girl if you could vote for me!

Channel 4 Food

If you follow me on twitter you will have probably seen me babbling on repeatedly about this over the weekend so I shan't hold it against you while you tune out the next few sentences!

So, very recently I was contacted by Channel 4 Food and asked if I would like to be featured on their blog about  gluten-free and allergy friendly food blogs and websites. Obviously I said yes (as if I'd say no!) and the feature went live last Friday, all very exciting non?

I use Channel 4 Food's website a lot so it was beyond exciting to be asked, but to be called witty (By CHANNEL 4 no less) almost made my head rotate at great speed a la Beetlejuice. It was also totally eye popping to be dubbed one of the best gluten-free blogs, as hard as I work and as many hours I put in on my blog, I never believed for a ruddy second that I was on a par with some of the other amazing gluten-free blogs out there so it was all very humbling.
Yet again I'm feeling so very grateful for the opportunities my blog has afforded me, especially after a slow couple of months recently where  the frequency of my posts have been concerned.
I just want to take a moment just to thank Becky and everyone at Dietary Specials for their support over the past year. They really are an awesome bunch and a great company, I'm not sure my blog would have got off the ground if it wasn't for them championing me from the start.
If you'd like to have a nosey at the Channel 4 feature click here there's 9 other brilliant blogs featured which all deserve a follow so go and peruse at your leisure.

On to even more shameless self promotion...

The Cosmo Blog Awards 2011 are coming up and it would be super duper ace if you could vote for me on their site under the category Health, Diet and Fitness.If I win (not very likely but still) I shall keep you all in cupcakes for a year, or failing that I'll dish out some hugs. Bet you can't resist now, eh?

Thanks for all the positive feedback from the Speedy Sides Feature, if you have any speedy side recipes you think would be suitable to be featured email me and let me know I'm always on the look-see for recipes, and don't be shy, I'm like a dopey Labrador and not in the least bit vicious. Have a fab week, it's almost hump day! (as in the middle of the week, not the other...).

The Mentalist.

The last few weeks have been a smidgen fraught although fraught makes it sound more like I was having trouble finding a dress in my size in the Topshop sales.
My poor old moggie Max was put down which was really more upsetting than I ever thought it would be. And after all the ball aches and mess around's and appointment changes RE my barium meal I finally had the ruddy thing done, but it took an age (my tum decided that was the day it would have a 'slow bowel transit'-couldn't have done that at my graduation could ya un-coperative bowel) and by the time I'd left the radiology unit day had turned into night and I felt like David in Flight of the Navigator when he wakes up in the boat in the dark and finds out he's been transported to the future.

This is probably far to much information than anyone reading this blog wants to hear, but I very recently stopped taking 'the pill' after 8 long years, due to The Other Bowel Problems rendering it quite useless, and being 'with child' is one more ball than I think I can juggle at the moment (although I don't juggle as such,just pass two balls back and forth between two hands).
For years I thought the pill was the only thing keeping my wild emotions sedate enough that I didn't kill anyone. But it turns out sans pill I am not as violently angry as I believed myself to be, belligerent yes.Pathologically violent,no.Well,maybe sometimes.

Although it turns out I'm even more tearful than I first realised. And highly strung.And emotional.
During a shopping trip to Brighton I cried in the middle of a restaurant. Steve was mortified. The waitress turned tail quick march when she spied me blubbering and the couple at the table next to us, at first thinking Steve was proposing in some restaurant with low lighting engagement scenario, quickly realised this was not that case and hide their acute embarrassment behind a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Poor Steve couldn't do the same as he'd only ordered juice and sat looking ready to bash his brains out with the pepper grinder.
My  lovely buddy Skye (go read her blog,shes the most darling person I've ever met perhaps ever) had told me about The Angel Food Bakery in Brighton so Steve and I took a stroll down The Laines trying to dodge the hoards of exchange students who had chosen that day to descend upon Brighton despite the miserable weather.
Sadly no dice at the bakery as they'd sold out but do follow the link if you fancy pre ordering your own cupcakes (the non g/f ones looked yum-tastic so I've high hopes for the g/f versions).
I don't want to cast aspersions on lovely European people, but my god some of the exchange students were rude, I was practically thrown out of the way by one very rude mare in Starbucks who very nearly ended up with my skinny caramel latte in her lap.The only thing stopping me was that I had queued since the year dot for the ruddy thing in a line longer than the equator.

Anyway folks, I'm looking for some gluten-free recipe for future Twice As Nice posts and also for my Your Recipes tab so if you have some yummy yummy in my (or your) tummy recipes knocking around the place email me at thekatieboobaker@hotmail.co.uk. it doesnt matter if they're non gluten-free as I can convert them easy enough (depending on what it is, I'm not Jamie Oliver).

Anyway my lovers, I hope your all fine and dandy, and 'hello!' to my new Katie-Boo Babes-I'd like to tell you that my posts aren't always so nutty, but that'd be a bare faced lie. Enjoy!
I'll be back at the weekend with the first edition of Twice as Nice,which I have long promised and have only just got round to doing. See you all then!

First try at homemade gluten-free duffnuts (donuts)

My lovely old moggie Max (right)

Taking refuge in my cluttered but cosy bed-byes on poorly days.My mother constantly wonders how theres room enough for me

 

Yummy quinoa salad, recipe here

My gorgeous new Diana F+ that my gorgeous boyfriend bought me. Smug?Me?Yup thats right!

MayDay

Hello my Lovelies and a big hello to my new lovelies, glad you could join us :)
May is one of those blah sort of nothing months for me, my birthday is a distance memory and all the exciting things are usually a whole month or more away. The only thing I've got to look forward to this month is the 'rents going away to Rome so I'll have free reign of the house, whatever that means since my parents stopped babygating my room when I was three.
Young Steven will be joining me (I'm far too much of a wuss to stay in my house alone for four days and he'll cook dinner every night) so I hope the weathers nice so we can have dinner in the garden and do nice summery things and wear maxi dresses (me, not Steve).
The 16th to the 22nd of May is Gluten-Free Week. Coeliac UK are asking people to shop, cook and eat gluten-free for one week to raise awareness (and also, I imagine, to demonstrate what a ball ache it can be sometimes). My dad has gallantly decided to take on the imaginatively named Gluten-Free Challenge for the week, and I'm interviewing him pre and post challenge for my blog just to see how he found it. He's (almost) as humourous as myself so I'm sure you'll find the interview if not interesting then at least entertaining.
Not coeliac or gluten-free and fancy taking up the gauntlet ? To get involved in The Challenge visit  coeliac.org.uk/glutenfreepledge .
Im doing my first ever guest post on saturday over at Where Are My Knees? so make sure you pop over and have a read. If your trying to diet, the girl's blog is a great community to get ideas, recipes and encouragement, plus some great testimonials and inspirtation from various guest bloggers and the girls themselves.

You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth

Afternoon my lovers!
And what a lovely sunny afternoon it is, not that I'd know since I don't leave the house for anything less than an emergency.
Yet again The Other Bowel Problems and related ball aches have struck me down and hindered the blogging process, I won't go into it all because your probably more fed up of hearing about my ruddy  Bowel Prob's than I am about having them. I basically started on two new tablets last week and one was torture, after a phone call to my consultant and after much pleading and crying (me not him) we (I) decided that I would stop taking said medication. Which is probably best for everyone involved since I was a living breathing nightmare for the short time I was on said tablets.
Anyway.
Did anyone hear about 'Gluten-Gate' aka the 'Demetre Disaster' aka The Royal Muck Up That was Antony Demetre Appearance On Saturday Kitchen?
The general gist as I understand it is Anthony Demetre chef extraordinaire (ahem) appeared on Saturday Kitchen (cooking show here in England for any over sea's folk) and took the opportunity to say that since he became Coeliac he 'eats pizza and pasta every 3 months' because otherwise his 'body rejects it'. Now I won't go into how misleading his comments are  or how irresponsible what he said was or how he failed to issue a satisfactory statement complete with apology because theres only so many ways I can express my anger and irritation without resorting to losing my rag and throwing some unsavoury language about the place.
But.
I will say this...(waves goodbye to dream of gluten-free baking show on the BBC)
The BBC had a responsibility to issue a statement and a apology to the viewers of Saturday Kitchen and also the Coeliac community due to the sensitive nature of the comments made regarding a serious disease and the misleading comments that were made about lifestyle regarding said disease.
Gluten Free Guerrilla's emailed the BBC on three occasions only to receive wishy washy responses and NO formal apology (the BBC also failed to issue any apology on the show despite complaints and outrage)
What made the situation even more frustrating was that Demetre's comments suggested that many Coeliac's could probably get away with the odd bit of gluten here and there such as he does, as he's 'one of the lucky ones' dontcha know! That statement is maddeningly confusing for coeliacs, especially those newly diagnosed, but also totally misleading for everyone else. Imagine turning up to your friends house for dinner and discovering they'd ordered pizza with the works because 'Anthony Demetre said it would be OK to have a sneaky bit of gluten every now and then' (my words not his). It's hard enough trying to impress upon people how serious the condition is without someone totally down playing what can be a very debilitating illness.
Obviously he's a chef not a doctor but people in the public eye have a responsibility to the general public to be careful about not making misleading or false statements such as the ones made on Saturday Kitchen and the BBC should have made an immediate apology and clarified the comments as false.
Anyway. I've said my piece, and made a complaint to Ofcom and the BBC. If you want to hear more on the story visit Gluten Free Guerrillas where you can see Demetre's agents statement and also the emails from the BBC to the Guerrilla's.
Did everyone have a good Easter? My mum and I spent 40 fraught minutes in the town on Good Friday shopping for things for her and my dads trip to Rome in May. The rest of the weekend was spent sorting and tidying and trying to sleep off the after effects of the poison, sorry, tablets.

Pretty sparkly egg from my Mama

Spring flowers

Gluten-Free Cupcake from The Swallow Bakery

My super cute and super bonkers cat Poppy asleep on top of the microwave

Pretty birthday wrap in a cheapo sainsburys frame, cute no?

Easter card

I haven't done much baking or cooking lately or though I have a few bake dated recipes which I'm

popping up soon. 

Today's recipe is from Delicious. If you don't read Delicious you have to get your hands on a copy, I love it. That and Sainsbury's food magazine are my favourites and I always find lots of ideas and the recipes don't often need much tweaking to make them gluten-free. 

I know I promised a give away before Christmas and I haven't forgotten, I'm going to do it when I get to 100 followers, that will give me time to accumulate a few lovely bits and bobs for the prize. 

My dad is doing a sponsored walk on the 12th of June in aid of Children's Hospices UK and Breast Cancer Campaign, it's a bit of a trek-a good 20 miles from Teddington Lock to the London Eye . 

I'm dead proud of him because it's not been long since his heart scare thing and him then being diagnosed with Angina so he's doing really well bless him. If you would be interested in sponsoring him email me at thekatieboobaker@hotmail.co.uk.

Sass & Belle

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a slut where dotcomgiftshop is concerned, but recently my gal pal Sophie introduced me to the oh-so-cute Sass&Belle...and a new obsession has been born (god help Mr Bank Manager).
Don't believe me? Check out this too-cute-for-words bits and bobs yourself. They're perfect little pressies for Easter (or for you, just because your awesome).

'Mama's cooking up a cheery piiiee!'...so pretty pinny

For those 'I.Just.Can't.Be.Arsed.You.Do.It' days

great for pegging recipes or notes up on your noticeboard!

 For keeping your cookbooks in order.

Are you sensing a theme here?

Mushroom madness...salt and pepper shakers.

Not very baking related I know,but adorable none the less.

Hang up your utensils (y'know..your spatulas and what not)

Magnetic noticeboard, pop up your recipes,memos or family pics.

Who doesn't love a bit of bunting?

Gluten-free toast only!

Kreativ Blogger Award

My gorgeous and lovely pal Sophie from Cider with Sophie tagged me in this award.She's such a sweetheart and is so creative and clever so go check out her blog!)

Rules:

Say 10 facts about yourself

You must tag 10 bloggers

Tell them about the award!

Who I am tagging:

• The super sweet Caleigh at Gluten-free[k]
• The girls over at the ace new dieting blog Where Are My Knees?
  
• New find and fav read of the week, Bee at vivatramp
  
• Lovely Ms Pink at  The Pink and Blue Blog
  
• My gorgeous buddy Skye at "even artichokes have hearts"
  
• The very cute Lyzi at being little
• The cheeky Emma at Voodle
  
• Another lovely Lizzy at EABeauty
  
• The ridiculously clever Chris at Dulcie Blue Bakery
  
• The amazingly talented Sally at Sally Faye Illustration
  

                            Now, ten things about me:

1. Despite my fear of the dark I wear an eye mask to bed.

weheartit

 2. I like my orange juice warmed in the microwave for 30seconds. I don't even know why.

weheartit

3. I'm a terrible coward, my list of fears is endless...heights, deep water, kids, spiders and eyeballs...happily not needles.

4. For the past 2 weeks I've been sucking a dummy at night because I read online it could help me stop clenching my jaw at night. Sexy.

5.My favourite book when I was a kid was Sophie's Snail by Dick King Smith

6.My favourite book now is a toss up between The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.

weheartit

 
7.I used to work at Gap, it was the best job I've ever had, namely because we got to wear radio head sets and could do Britney dance routines in the fitting rooms

8.I once tricked my mum into putting mustard on her sunburn when we were on holiday in Majorca. I broke the news that I made it up 3 days later.

9. I'm unashamedly obsessed with all things Disney, my favourite holiday is Florida and Disney World, I'm currently working on The Boyf to get married at The Disney Wedding Pavilion. He said he's rather blow his brains out.

10. I have a talent for accents. My speciality is Australian.

What's in my baking tin?

We are all nosey. Fact. Given half the chance many of us would love to have a good fish around in a friends handbag while she pops the loo. That's why I love the various 'Whats in my handbag/purse' sort of posts on the fashion and lifestyle blogs.
So. Since this is a baking/food blog (supposedly) I thought I'd do a variation on a theme, because I doubt very much you'd want to see the contents on my handbag (my front door key and various hairbands and receipts) especially if you come here hoping for baking and gluten-free content! Instead...(the tension is palpable!)...I'm going to do a 'Whats in my baking tin?' post. Exciting, no?
I'm not sure if it's going to be anymore interesting than the hairband/receipt/key contents of my bag, but I often get asked what type of cake cases etc I use so I thought this might answer a few questions and give you all a break from my usual word heavy posts. The contents of my tin is a bit sparse at the moment, I need to stock up on a few things like colourings and cases and I've got my eye on some vanilla paste that Jamie is always waving around on 30-Minute-Meals.
My No.1 untapped resource is Holland and Barrett's, you can pick up whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks for really reasonable prices, and vanilla pods (which the supermarkets charge mega bucks for) is so cheap it might as well be free! Sainsbury's also do great vanilla extract and other flavours like orange and rose water for under a £1 in their Taste the Difference Range, and they've got a good choice of sprinkles and sparkly bits to pop on your cakes.
I would highly recommend silicone cases, even though it seems expensive (mine were 6quid for 12) it works out cheaper in the long run because they can be washed and reused. My next purchase will be a few big silicone cases for doing things like birthday cakes and bread.

And for my next trick..

After you've got over the intial shock of me posting twice in the same week, I hope your sitting down for a third helping, you lucky devils!
After being on very intimate terms with the toliet for the past few weeks-and believe you me, no one will ever know the grouting round the tiles and the rattle of the cistern quite like I do- I'm finally starting to feel a smidge better, perhaps not fighting fit but no longer in a morphine induced haze or revisting every meal I eat.
Illness aside, January hasn't been too bad a month. I ordered a new wardrobe and bedside cabinet which (with a wee bit of help from my dad) I managed to construct hitch free, you will know by now is quite the achievement for me since A. I'm beyond clumsy and B. I have the attention span of a malteaser.
You've also probably noticed that the blog has had a reshuffle. I downloaded a photoshop type program which I used to do my blog header, it's probably wildly amateurish but I'm quite proud of it, and also my new computer skills (thank-you to Matt for your advice and help!). What do you all think? I'm loving some of the girls new headers and layouts; Beth's labels are very cute, Gem's new layout and header are fab, and I love all the little touches Emma's added to her blog.
I've been slacking a bit in my 365 project, but I've taken loads of pictures (although none from my hopsital stay-not overly keen on documentation of me looking rough being broadcast on here!) I just need to upload them all. Is anyone else doing their own 365 project?
I hope that people found my review helpful, I got some great feedback. I try to cover all bases when I do the reviews but if there's anything I'm missing or something in particular that I havent included leave me a comment, similarly if there's a product you want to see reviewed let me know. Coming soon in reviews is Marks and Spencers and Starbucks new sandwiches, and also my first edition of Gluten-Free Heroes which I'm really excited about.
Anyway I shall leave you with a few pics from the past month and a few bits and bobs I got for Chrimbo-better late than never eh?
See you all soon my Katie-Boo Babes!

The lovely pile of pressies I got from The Gorgeous Becky

Owl handwarmer from The 'rents

Super sweet suprise parcel I recieved from soph (cider with sophie) as a get well soon.

 Vivienne Westwood necklace from The Boyf (do excuse my puffy and bruised hand-they had to poke around to the get an IV in

Cute or what? Only £4!

After bawling down the phone to my mum from my hospital bed she bought me in this fella

My new wardrobe,minus the doors

My very own cake stand from The 'rents.