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.

Twice as Nice...1 ingredient, 2 ways. Edition 1: Pastry

Another new feature I've dragged out for the depths of my imagination (which, judging by my groundbreaking titles is more like a puddle than a never ending abyss of creativeness).
As you probably gathered from the highly innovative concept, each edition will feature one ingredient used two different ways. The two recipes featured here came about after I was sent the Dietary Specials new recipe Shortcrust Pastry.
I must preface this now by saying this is NOT a sponsored post, I just really love this product. In fact I'd go so far as to say its probably in my top three of favourite gluten-free products ever. Not only because it tastes great, but because it saves me from the colossal ball-ache of making pastry from scratch. Plus you can freeze it until you need it. AND you can roll it out without the whole lot falling apart and sticking to the rolling pin, making you want to throw yourself on the floor in a grown woman tantrum. In short, I am a slut for this pastry.
The first recipe is one that I created when trying desperately to think of something with strawberries in as my recipe that could be made for a Breast Cancer Care Strawberry Tea Party. I wanted something (other than the run of the mill cupcakes) that anyone hosting a party might fancy rustling up.
I don't like to blow my own trumpet, but this recipe is one of my most genius ideas to date. Not genius in a MENSA kind of way, but ye gads its ruddy bloomin' scrummy.
I'll be honest and say the strawberry curd is a wee bit of arsing around, but I promise its so very worth it that it could be sponsered by Loreal.
The second recipe is for a sweet onion tart adapted from an ancient recipe I picked up in Waitrose when I was at uni in Sheffield.
Tarts and quiches with a bit of salad are so nice this time of year around the end of summer and unless your Mrs or Mr Cast Iron Guts you'll never eat a whole tart all at once, so you can pop it in your lunchbox or have it warm for your tea the next day. Economic, no? George Osbourne could learn a thing or two from me.Fact.

 Ingredients

• Nice big wedge of butter (around 25g)
• 2 Large red onions
• 1 Large white onion
• 200g Dietary Specials Shortcrust Pastry (take out a few hours in advance to defrost)
• 330ml Creme fraiche (go lite if your counting the cals)
• 3 Eggs (I use free-range)
• Generous pinch of nutmeg
• 15-20g Chives
• 150 Cheese (Emmental is ideal, but a mild Cheddar works just as well)

 Extras

• Quiche or flan tin
• Rolling pin
• Small sprinkle of plain flour for dusting
• Baking beans or something to weigh down the parchment during blind baking

Method

• Throw the butter to melt in a nice big frying pan. Get a sharp knife (mind fingers!) and chop the white onion up finely, then slice the red onions up thinly. Pop the lot in the pan and cook gently over a low heat for around 30-40mins. Give them a stir every now and then. 
• When the onions are soft and starting to go all lovely and caramelised take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool.
• Whack your oven up to gas 5. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out your pastry and use to line your tart tin. Use a bit of parchment to line the pastry and pop in a few baking beans or some rice and blind bake for 10mins.
• Take the tin from the oven and take out the parchment and baking beans and pop the back in the oven for 5minutes, it should colour slightly.
• Get yourself a big ol' bowl and pop in the creme fraiche, eggs and the pinch of nutmeg. Use a pair of scissors snip the chives into the bowl, season everything with salt and pepper and spoon in the cooked onions and around half of the cheese. Make sure everything is mixed thoroughly and pour the lot into the pastry case and scatter over the rest of the cheese.
• Return the filled pastry case to the oven and bake until golden and set and the mixture no longer has a wobble. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5minutes before you eat it or tuck in when its cold. Grab a fork, a glass of Chablis and tuck in.Yummers.

   Ingredients

• 250g Strawberries
• 150g Caster sugar
• 2 Eggs and 2 egg whites (I use free-range)
• 60g Butter
• 200g Dietary Specials Shortcrust Pastry (take out of the freezer in time to defrost)

    Extras

• Electric whisk
• Tart/flan tin
• Baking parchment
• Baking beans or rice/lentils
• Rolling pin

     Method

• Crank your oven up to gas 5. Lightly flour your worktop and get to work kneading the pastry for a few minutes and then roll out using a floured rolling pin. Line a tart/flan tin with the pastry and then line the pastry with some baking parchment and throw in the baking beans or rice.
• Pop the pastry in the oven. After around 10mins take it out and remove the parchment and beans and return it to the oven for another 5-7mins. It should be slightly browned but not drastically different in colour. Leave somewhere to cool while you get on with the curd.
• Lop your strawberries tops off and halve them, popping them in a decent sized pan with a few tbsp's of cold water over a medium heat.
• Keep the pan at a simmer for 5minutes or until your strawb's are soft. Transfer the strawb's from the pan into a sieve over a clean bowl (must be heatproof) using a slotted spoon. 
• Get yourself a metal spoon and push your strawb's through the sieve. Add the pulp to the strained strawb syrup left in the pan. 
• Next you need to make yourself a Bain-Marie which is a beyond preposterous way of saying 'bowl over pan of water'. You will need a bowl that fits into your pan without touching the cm or two of water that's in the bottom. 
• Bring the water to a simmer over a medium heat and add 50g of sugar, the eggs (beaten before hand) and butter to the bowl and give it all a proper good stir and keep stirring gently and continuously for about 10minutes.
• Crank the heat up and keeping stirring for another 8-10minutes.Stirring, I know, can get beyond boring...don't be tempted to stop because it will curdle and then you'll be so vexed you'll throw the lot at the wall.
• When the mixture starts to thicken, take off the heat and pour immediately into the pastry case and set aside while you make the meringue.
• Get yourself an OCD clean bowl and make sure your whisk is spanking clean too (any grease etc will stop the meringue from rising, and if you stopped stirring when I told you not to with the curd, your already going to be cross without flat meringues).
• Separate your remaining eggs and plop the whites into the bowl. Using an electric whisk (or a hand whisk if your a martyr to the cause) beat the eggs whites on a medium speed until stiff and foamy. 
• Add a tbsp at a time of the remaining 100g of sugar and continue to whisk it all until the meringue is very stiff, white and glossy. You can  risk it for a biscuit and try the old 'bowl over the head' trick if you want, but if its forming peaks I'd pass on the biscuit risking!
• Spoon the meringue over the curd in the pastry case, make sure you can't see any of the curd.
• Pop back in the oven for 8-10minutes, the meringue should be slightly golden on top. Leave for a few minutes to cool before eating, or gobble it down directly from the oven and burn your entire digestive tract. Claim ownership over this recipe when people tell you how tummy gurgling awesome it is...I'll let you just this one time.

Creature From The Black Lagoon

Hello my lovelies! Tis I, back from the depths of blogging hiatus! Thank-you to those who have stuck around to see me blog another day and hello to any new readers!

Of course my absence, as always, can be blamed on none other than the No.1 culprit The Other Bowel Problems.
The weekend before last I was back in A&E again, clutching my poor tummy and babbling incoherently in my state of dehydrated delirium. Not how I'd usually like to spend my weekends, no matter how much morphine is involved. A nice nurse tried to conjure up a vein from the abyss of my arm and I was finally rehydrated and medicated up to the eyeballs.
It always seems that whenever I'm in hospital I'm only ever designated the young, good looking male doctors. Which on the face of it wouldn't be too bad, if my ailments were of the non embarrassing variety.
After reeling of every intimate detail of my bowels to a dishy A&E doctor I was then wheeled round to the Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) where I then had to repeat the same conversation again with another handsome specimen, who I could hear outside at the nurses station snapping on a pair of sterile gloves while I lay on a sweat box of a hospital bed imagining what fresh hell could be about to occur that entailed the wearing of sterile gloves.
However I managed to side step the bum exam he intended for me by protesting I'd already been violated in A&E. Which I hadn't, but there was a flying bacon's chance I was got to let dishy doc numero deux anywhere near the junk on my trunk.
Anyone who has been in hospital will tell you its not the restful place it proclaims to be. When your not having your veins sized up, your being x-rayed, having your Ob's taken or being interrogated by all and sundry. Besides all this there is always plenty to keep you  awake, which was especially true of  my ward that night.
The lady in the bay next to mine, although perfectly able to walk seemed to enjoy punishing the nursing staff by being completely unco-operative and unhelpful every time she needed the commode 'I need a tinkle, NURRRRSEEE!', thus forcing the tiny Filipino staff nurse and equally dinky HCA to awkwardly maneuver her onto the bog on wheels.
Even after all this palaver she still manage to tiddle on the floor, which escaped the nurses notice up until the moment when putting the lady back in bed she waded through the puddle, booming in a voice that was surprisingly loud for someone the size of a Polly Pocket 'Oh darling, look! LOOK! You peed on the floor! Bed pan for you next time!'. 
I then forced myself to stay awake during ward rounds,which is my favourite part of the hospital day (after painkiller time) as you get to eavesdrop and find out whats wrong with everyone else on the ward. Not as if its hard really, since a peice of material pulled round a hospital bed hardly keeps people from being unable to hear whats going on behind it.
I was also pleased that I was awake to witness the effeminate cleaner mopping the floor with one hand on his hip humming 'I Want To Break Free' by Queen.

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Despite all this hospital high jinx, I managed to escape and have been moaning and bitching in the comfort of my own home ever since.
I've got to be honest and say that I've been finding my illness very hard to cope with recently, but I've devised a battle plan for my blog which will hopefully mean that I will be posting much more regularly and thus help to distract myself from feeling cruddy.
The Other Bowel Problems have dominated my life far too much recently and I've had to cancel some dates which have been really important to me, including one of my oldest friends Liz's wedding, which I was heartbroken to miss.
It annoys the crap out of me that my illness dictates so much of my life, and its all very well for people on the outside looking in to say 'well you shouldn't let it dictate your life' but with all the will in the world I cannot make my body behave just because I want it too.

Anyway. I have tonnes of recipes and interviews and all sorts of nice things in the the pipeline for you lovely lot.
Just starting uni? Head on over to Saara's blog The Gluten Free Student Cookbook for tips, advice and recipes on being a Coeliac student. Saara's lovely, and I've had a chance to get to know her a bit better through Twitter and she's a diamond so go check out her blog.
Skye posted an absolutely yummy looking cake recipe on her blog at the weekend, which I cannot wait to try. Skye has been an amazing friend to me over the past year and now that shes moved to Brighton I can't wait to spend some time with her.

Buckets of peppermint tea in my favourite mug have been keeping me going.

Filling in my pretty recipe file that Steve's mum bought me for my birthday this year.

My Dad and I are in love with Delicious mag at the moment

The super cute cupcake cross stitch that Skye sent me

Cosy new winter jammies.

Ludicrously Lovely Lemon Syrup Cake

 

We all know by now that I am a total lemon slut. I love anything with/near/like lemon and as a result I perhaps post more lemon recipes than any other. I had promised that I wouldn't do anymore lemon containing recipes for a while, but after I converted this one from the The Hummingbird Bakery book I knew it was far too yummy not to post it on here (despite it being a doppelganger of one I posted last year) 

The original recipe contains poppy seeds, but since I neither like poppy seeds nor had any in my house at the time the recipe is without them, but if you fancy popping them in I'll give the measurements for them. 

Handily my mother had squirreled away a bagel shaped baking tin which the recipe uses but feel free to use any shaped tin of the same dimensions. I often get asked what products I use so in the brackets are the types of ingredients and the brands that I use (where applicable).

Ingredients

• 90g Butter (take it out the fridge 10minutes before you start baking to let it soften)
• 250g Caster sugar
• 3 Large egg whites (Free Range)
• 170ml Milk-whole or semi skimmed
• Grated zest of two small lemons
• 240g Plain Flour (Doves Farm)
• 2 Tsp's Gluten-free baking powder  (Dr Oetkar)
• 1/2 Tsp Xanthan gum (Doves Farm)
• 1/2 Table salt
• 20g Poppy seeds if you choose to add them

Lemon Syrup

• Zest and juice of one large lemon
• 50g Caster Sugar

I used a lemon glaze but if the thought of all that sugar is setting your teeth on edge rest assured the lemon syrup is plenty to keep the sponge from drying out. Below are the amounts for the glaze.

Lemon Glaze

• Juice from one large lemon
• 250g Icing sugar

Extras

• Ring mould (24cm) or the equivalent
• Food mixer
• Whisk (hand or electric)
• Saucepan

Method

• Pop the oven on at Gas mark 3 and get down to greasing and flouring your baking tin. It's far too much of a ball ache to line with baking parchment especially if your using a ring tin.
• In you food mixer throw in the butter, sugar, lemon zest and the poppy seeds if your including them. Give it all a big whizz together until its well mixed.
• Add the milk a wee bit at a time with the mixer still running, until the whole lot is well mixed. At this point it may slightly split, but don't panic this will be remedied soon.
• In a large bowl sift in your flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt and give it all a big stir.
• Next add the flour mix into the butter, add a few heaped tablespoons at a time, making sure its all well mixed and combined. Keep mixing until the mixture goes from split to fluffy. (Told you not to panic!)
• In another bowl separate your egg whites and if your pathetic like me whisk with an electric whisk, if your made of hardier stuff have a go with a hand whisk. You need the whites to be stiff peaks and shiny.
• Stiffened and peaked, spoon the whites into the cake mix (I like to tip the cake mix into a separate bowl or the paddle gets in the way and hinders the white folding process) and fold them into the mixture, you don't want to fanny around to much folding them in but don't overdo it either because you don't want the mixture over mixed.
• Pour or spoon the combined mixture into your tin, give the sides of the tin a bang with the heel of your hand and this should level out the mixture. 
• Pop it in the oven for around 30-40 minutes.
• While the sponge is baking away you can get on with other things like making the glaze and syrup. 
• First the syrup. Put all the syrup ingredients into a small saucepan with 100ml's of water and over a low heat bring to the boil. Your looking to reduce the mixture by half, so once its reached boiling point turn the heat up a bit more. Your aiming for a thin syrup consistency, (too thick and it won't pour well). Set aside until the cake is baked.
• The sponge will rise but will stay pale maybe going slightly golden on top. Use the poke test and insert a knife or skewer in, if it comes away clean your good to go, with mixture on, it needs a few more minutes. The sponge should be firm and bounce back when you prod it.
• Leaving the sponge in the tin for a moment, pour the syrup all over the top of the cake. Leave the cake to cool for a few minutes or so and then turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Or at least until you won't risk third degree burns to your throat eating it.
• To distract yourself from the maddening smell and to resist diving head first into the cake get on with making the glaze.
• In a small bowl mix the icing sugar and lemon juice until its lump free, smooth and pourable. If you find it's too thick to pour add a little bit of water, if it's too thin add more icing sugar, you know the drill. 
• Cool and ready for glazing, pop the cake on a stand or plate and drizzle with the glaze. You can throw a few poppy seeds over it for decoration at this point if you fancy.
• Of a generous nature? Cut into slices and serve to friends and family. Greedy? Run for the hills with your lemon delight and don't look back. I said don't look back!

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!

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!

Cheeky Cranberry and Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

• 100g Cream cheese (Philadelphia)
• 200g Plus x2 25g caster sugar 
• 175g Cranberries (I used frozen cranberries defrosted )
• 1 Tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Eggs
• 2 1/2fl Sunflower oil (don't be tempted to use olive oil,it will make the muffins taste vile!)
• 200g Plain flour (Doves Farm,Glutafin)
• 2 Tsps Gluten-Free Baking Powder

Makes 12


Extras

• 12 Muffins cases
• 12 Hole muffin tray
• Small pan

Method

• Pop the oven up to Gas mark 5 and get on with beating 25g of sugar into a bowl with the cream cheese, mix well until its all combined and whack it in the fridge until you need it later.
• Throw the cranberries and another 25g of caster sugar into a small pan over a low heat. Warm the cranberries through until they start to pop and the sugar has dissolved. Take it off the heat and give them a little mash up with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Get yourself a big bowl and sift in the flour,baking powder and the 200g of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt and give it all a quick stir. 
• Crack in the eggs, pour in the oil and add the vanilla extract along with the mashed cranberries and give it a big old stir until everything is combined and well mixed. It won't be smooth like a normal muffin/cake mix because of the cranberries so don't panic.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and dollop a spoonful of the cream cheese mix in the middle of the cranberry muffin mix.
• Pop in the oven for 25minutes, they should be golden and lovely and slightly oozing on the top where the cream cheese is. Leave to cool, sit back and prepare to be popular!

I Want To Be A Millionaire Shortbread

Millionaires shortbread seems like one of those things that should be super duper hard to make, but this recipe is actually surprisingly easy. The recipe is in part inspired by a Phil Vickery recipe, but the rest I've tweaked and changed to make it easier and even more yummy (if I do say so myself).

Ingredients

• 120g Butter
• 60g Golden caster sugar
• 160g Plain flour mix (Doves Farm, Glutafin)
• 397g Tin Carnation Caramel (Nestle)
• 200g Milk chocolate
• 100g White chocolate
• A few drops of vanilla extract

Extras

• Baking parchment
• 20cm Tin (I used a round tin)

Method

• Pop the oven up to Gas mark 4. Grease the tin with butter and line with baking parchment.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl then add the vanilla extract. Sieve in the flour and run into the butter flour mix with your finger tips until it looks a bit like breadcrumbs.
• Pop the mixture into your lined tin and press down with your fingers or the back of a metal spoon until even.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25minutes. Take it out of the oven and leave to cool.
• When the base is cool pour the caramel over the base spreading evenly and pop in the fridge. The caramel won't set completely but will harden slightly.
• Melt the milk and white chocolate in separate bowls, either in the microwave or over simmering water. Pour the milk chocolate over the caramel until its completely covered. Use the white chocolate to drizzle over the milk chocolate to create a marbling effect.
• Pop back in the fridge when the chocolate has cooled. When the chocolate has set, slice into pieces. Stuff your pockets full and run for the hills.

Teenage Dream

Hello my Katie-Boo Babes!
Long time no see. I've been a bad blogger again. Although for good reasons this time other than The Other Bowel Problems (which are more bain of my life than mere problem at the moment.
Did anyone see a certain Miss Katie-Boo in the Dietary Special's e-newsletter last week? I got a mention for my Dietary Specials/Co-Op post that I did last week. It was quite exciting seeing my name in print(ish).
I've been out and about, despite feeling rough, visiting a few restaurants for another project coming up soon, and I've been rushing around with a Biro in my top knot screaming 'I've got a deadline!' to an  audience of my 3 cats and dog.
There have been some paranormal happenings happening at casa de Kate. Gary the Ghost has morphed from a mild mannered Casper like chap into a raging violent poltergeist. Pictures and the like have been flying off the wall and smashing, and I've taken to sleeping with my hardback copy of Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince under my pillow as its the closest thing to a weapon I have.
Wednesday was mine and Stevie's (The Boyf's) 6 year anniversary. I really have him to thank/blame for my fairly recent interest in food and baking, after feeding and cooking for me for three years at uni he graduated, leaving me to fend for myself thus forcing me to cook (direct any hate mail his way!). He's also put up with many a gluten-free induced tantrum over the years and has trudged around various cities and towns with me to find places to eat while I've wailed, 'I can't eat another jacket potatoooooooe!'. He really should be nominated for the New Years honour list.
I'm in the process of making 'labels' which will be on all my recipes to indicate whether they're gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian or low fat. I was also thinking of putting easy to hard ratings on all the recipes too, what do you guys think? I've also been having a rethink about the photos that accompany the recipes, would you like to see pictures of recipes in stages? I like to think my recipes are pretty straight forward but I'm more than happy to do photos of the process as well as the finished product, I just worry it would make for a rather picture heavy post. Let me know your thoughts on it.
Tomorrows recipe is a cracker, I know I say this about every recipe but this one is an all round winner, plus it'd be something Mum's up and down the country would appreciate come Mothers Day, so stay tuned.
I'll leave you for now with a few pictures of me and The Boyf through the years. Baking related it ain't..vomit inducing it could quite possibly be.

L-R 2007, 2007, 2005, 2010, 2006.

"I'm ready for my close up Mr De Mille"

Alright my lovers?
I have yet again been in another Other Bowel Problem's induced blogging hiatus. With all the appointments, procedures, medications and jabs I've been feeling rather uninspired and 'A Girl's Guide..' has suffered considerably as a result. So, many apologies and air kisses for the absence.
Nothing particularly exciting has happened since the last time I posted, apart from my turning 26. Luckily I look like a cabbage patch doll and haven't aged a day since the age of 13 so turning 26 is nothing but a number to me since I get asked ID for lottery tickets and can get cheap fare on the bus thanks to my doughy cheeks and woefully ignorant bus drivers in the South. Thank-you for all the birthday messages and tweets I had a lov-er-ly day and was spoilt rotten.
The day after Valentines day I had to go to hospital for another colonoscopy (which to those not in the know, is a camera on the end of a glorified hose pipe that they put where the sun doesn't shine) so my consultant could have an up close and personal butchers at The Other Bowel Problems.
So Valentines day was spent drinking bowel prep with is a nice way of saying Super-Duper strength laxative.
Along with The Tweenies, Westlife and that scary Evian advert with the babies on roller skates, Picolax (the official name for the bowel prep I have) can be categorised under the heading of The Work of the Devil. Although admittedly it wasn't as bad this time round as it has been previously.
Typically I'm never lucky enough to have a marginally OK Picolax experience and get away with it and I knew my body would compensate me by making it nigh on impossible to get an IV in.  Two nurses tried and then sent in the big guns in the form of Gavin the gastro registrar and even he was flummoxed (poor devil). He fannied about for a while, digging around in my hands and arms like he was looking for The Lost Treasure of Atlantis, pausing every now and then to wipe his brow and sip a Red Bull. Finally he went in the underside of my wrist, which even though I'm not scared of needles or being cannulated made me want to be sick in his lap. As he was poised needle in one hand my wrist gripped in the other, it was all I could do not to leg it out of the endoscopy unit, hospital gown flapping in the wind and my bare bum exposed to all and sundry.
Thankfully after my cocktail of pethidine and an unspecified sedative (neither shaken nor stirred) I had a fairly good doze only waking up a couple of times as Dr D wove the Kodak Camera From Hell round my colon.
Moving on.
Everyone in my household forgot that it was pancake day on Tuesday and when we remembered none of us could muster up the enthusiasm to cook them, so we had our pancake day this morning. A few people have asked me what pancake recipe I use and to be honest in the past I've always used an old recipe from Good Housekeeping with a few of the ingredients tweaked for my G/F purposes. However I found a yummy sounding recipe in Delicious magazine that I wanted to try.
Now, I believe that you are either a good pancake maker or not, there's no in between. While I consider myself a good pancake maker, I'm not a very good tosser (ahem) I do admire people who have the knack of tossing pancakes but the reality is if I attempted such showmanship I'd end up with red hot oil in my face and 3rd degree burns. I know this recipe is a bit belated,but I think it's good to have a few basic recipes in your arsenal that you can use whatever the occasion.
Glutafin have invited me Gluten Free World Days in Southampton in June, I've never been to a gluten-free food/trade type show before so I'm quite looking foward to it, I'm also very excited about meeting my pal Becky from D/S at last. Is anyone else going? Let me know, I'd love to meet any and all of my blogging lovelies!
I'll leave you with a few pics from the past couple of weeks. I've decided to give up on my 365 project and just post pictures in general posts instead of under a separate link. I can never seem to find something different to take a photo of everyday and I more often then not totally forget to take my picture for that day.
Hope you all had a lovely jubbly weekend!

The Pain In The Arse IV. 2 seconds after this was taken my Dad got a gob full from a jobsworth nurse who told him off for taking a picture, 'for confidentiality reasons'..its MY hand lady!

My much hyped new electric blanket.Oh yeah.

Pretty cupcake notelets.

The big 2-6.

My pretty new bed. Thanks Grandad ;) x

Birthday cake

Pretty birthday roses from Tasha

New bedding (H&M home) and pretty Rose garland (Sass&Belle via Amazon).