NOW CLOSED Talk to Mrs Crimble's about gluten free cooking and shopping and be in with a chance of winning a hamper of goodies

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

We've been asked by Mrs Crimble's to find out what your top tips are for a gluten free diet. We've posted a few questions below to get you started but please feel free to add any other comments/tips you have here too. Mrs Crimble's would also love it if you checked out some of the recipes on their website. Everyone who posts their comments on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a hamper of Mrs Crimble's goodies.

~ If you buy gluten free products, where do you tend to buy them from? Do you ever buy Mrs Crimble's products? If so, which ones and where do you buy them?

~ Do you do lots of gluten free cooking? If so, what are your top tips for knocking up delicious gluten free meals/snacks? Please do share any brilliant recipes you have here - Mrs Crimble's may feature the ones they like the most on their website.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

[Blatherskite]

I'm reading more to get tips than give them as I'm currently being tested for Coeliacs so I might need to go properly gluten free myself soon.

My brother is intolerant and when I have need to cook GF, I've been surprised that it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be as our local supermarket stocks a good range and even some of our local restaurants have menus market with which meals are GF too. Really pleased to hear that Dominos do GF too now as I'd really miss that - and bread! Does anywhere do squidgy soft, white GF bread?

I've never heard of Mrs Crimbles though. I tend to buy Doves Farm when I'm shopping or Black Farmer for sausages.

[Bluebelleswood]

We have two coeliacs in the family. We enjoy Mrs Crimbles products. The individually wrapped varieties can be very useful.
I make a quick upside down trifle with mrs Crimbles chocolate macaroons crumbled on the top. It's very tasty!
Some plainer flavoured snacks for children would be appreciated, as someone earlier posted.
I am always very relieved to spot some mrs Crimbles product in coffee shops etc they are a very welcome change from the ubiquitous gf chocolate brownies.
Keep up the good work Mrs Crimble.

[Punkatheart]

~ If you buy gluten free products, where do you tend to buy them from? Do you ever buy Mrs Crimble's products? If so, which ones and where do you buy them?

I never even noticed gluten-free products until a very good friend found that she had to go gluten-free. Now I buy from Waitrose or one large chemist has a few items. But I have never heard of Mrs Crimble.



~ Do you do lots of gluten free cooking? If so, what are your top tips for knocking up delicious gluten free meals/snacks? Please do share any brilliant recipes you have here - Mrs Crimble's may feature the ones they like the most on their website.


I made a Christmas dinner for my friend and really didn't realise just how many things contained gluten! I checked everything, even the tartare sauce. One good thing - you CAN use cornflour...

[flamingtoaster]

~ If you buy gluten free products, where do you tend to buy them from? Do you ever buy Mrs Crimble's products? If so, which ones and where do you buy them?

I buy from Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco as they all have different brands. Mrs Crimble's macroons are a favourite, as are Sainsbury's Free From Rich Tea Biscuits - useful as they come in small packs so useful for days out or to keep in a bag as an emergency snack. Lazy Day's Tiffin is to die for: www.lazydayfoods.com/engine/shop/product/2/Belgian+Dark+Chocolate+Tiffin (as a treat!).

~ Do you do lots of gluten free cooking? If so, what are your top tips for knocking up delicious gluten free meals/snacks? Please do share any brilliant recipes you have here - Mrs Crimble's may feature the ones they like the most on their website.

Everything is cooked from scratch as both DS and I are allergic to gluten (and we both have other food allergies/intolerances as well). I converted all our favourite recipies to glutenfree. One favourite pudding is:

Grease a pyrex casserole dish.

Put in a thick layer of blackberries (or another favourite berry or fruit). Cover with sliced eating apple (Royal Gala works really well).

Cover with a sponge mixture to which you have added a spice your family like (e.g. cinnamon, ginger).

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 for 35/40 minutes until golden brown.

[DottyDot]

I buy my gf food from a variety of different places - I get my Doves Farm cornflakes from the local health food shop, and my Doves Farm gf flour from Tesco or the health food shop. Other bits and bobs - gf sandwich from time to time at Starbucks and sometimes from M&S depending on what they've got.

No, I never buy Mrs Crimbles products as I can't stand coconut! I don't know to be honest if there are Mrs Crimbles products without coconut but that's what I associate it with so I avoid. Ahem...

Yes, as a coeliac I do lots of gluten-free cooking. we tend to eat gf as a family, apart from when ds's have fishfingers and dp and I will have fish and rice. All our usual meals, e.g. chilli, spag bol, fish pie, steak and potatoes, risotto are all gluten-free anyway. Weekend lunches are usually bacon and eggs on bread for ds's and dp and with a gf pitta from Tesco for me. I bake a lot with Doves Farm flour - I always make my pancakes and scotch pancakes with gf flour for the family - it's one of the few things made with gf flour that you really can't tell the difference on!

[SanityClause]

I have to cook gluten free for two of my DC, but we also have to be egg and dairy free. A lot of GF foods seem to contain egg, as I think it helps simulate the binding effect of gluten.

I use Doves Farm GF flours, but find I need to add extra xanthan gum.

I do buy some ready made cakes, but normally make my own from specialist cook books.

[HavingALittleFaithBaby]

I eat a GF diet because although I'm not coeliac, wheat seems to aggravate my IBS. I love Mrs Crimbles Brownies. A lot of the time all I can get is the macaroons and unfortunately I'm not keen on coconut!

Unfortunately the choice of GF products available locally to me (Lincolnshire) isn't fantastic. My local co-op has started selling more lately though which is great.

I've definitely found I have to cook more from scratch since going GF. I don't mind GF pasta so I cook with that a fair bit. I've found the best nice meal to cook for us is lasagne - I use Tesco GF lasagne sheets and honestly can't tell the difference!

One thing I've never mastered is GF bread, despite buying a bread maker with a GF setting! I'd love a recipe if anyone has one?

[Em3978]

I'm Non-Coeliac Gluten Intolerant which means I don't get any prescription foods, therefore have to buy my own. Consequently I've had to learn to make a lot of things myself to cut down on cost.
I mostly buy my GF products from Morrisons/Tesco/Sainsbury's depending on what I need. I often only buy bread thats been reduced for quick sale and freeze it.

Friends often buy me Mrs Crimbles macaroons, as a treat instead of cake/biscuits that they might provide for someone else. I do find them incredibly sweet, and I've had to learn to like coconut!

Personally I buy packet mixes by Mrs Crimble; breadcrumbs, stuffing mix etc. Storecupboard essentials really!
I'd love to be able to eat some of the dutch fruit loaves that I see on the 'free from' shelves, but sadly they are only wheat free, not gluten free.

As for GF cooking, I tend to just adapt normal recipes (apart from pastry, which my husband has a secret recipe for!) and use GF flour in place of normal. Most of our main meals as a family are GF, as it makes life easier. But you do often have to cook from scratch, which is easy when you get into it. Most meals are based on meat, veg and rice or potato, easy really!

[CheeseStrawWars]

I'm only familiar with the coconut macaroons, which are sold in our local post office, so often grabbed as emergency "guest biscuits". Very sweet, but "safe". My friend is gluten intolerant, so I have tried to add a few GF recipes to my repertoire. Someone on MN pointed me at the Delia Apple & Almond pudding which is delicious and not obviously a "substitute"pudding - I can't claim it as mine though!

I don't find the supermarket (Tesco/Sainsburys) brand/Dove's Farm GF pasta/flour particularly palatable, so tend to stick to 'whole foods' like jacket spud or rice rather than try to recreate non-GF food with alternative ingredients. Vegan GF food would be useful though, I'm a bit lost on the rare occasion I need to accommodate that; there seem to be very few off-the-shelf egg+dairy+gluten free products.

[lottytheladybird]

I put DS1 on a GF diet for a few months to see if it would have any positive effects on him. During that time, I bought all GF foods for him, but did not buy any Mrs Crimble's products, as I didn't think they were that suitable for my 2 year old. However, they did look yummy!

[worriedmum46]

My teenage daughter is wheat/gluten intolerant (coeliac) and has been for about 4 years. Its tough going at the moment - she hit teens - wants to fit in and not really getting on well health wise. We like some shop bought items - she is addicted to macaroons. We buy gf pasta, make bread (Jamie Olivers recipe is good and quick to make - but we add garlic and herbs to it), cookies etc most of the time although she will eat genius if it is toasted. packed lunches are hard, and the school does not have a gf option every day - so flasks of soup etc are in with her at the moment - summer is easier, salads etc

[Floralnomad]

My daughter has coeliacs and I find that the larger Sainsburys seem to have the best selection of GF foods. M and S also do very nice GF pasta . She used to really like the Genius pizzas but we've been unable to source them since Tesco stopped stocking them . My sister does quite a bit of baking and one of my daughters favourites is the chocolate cake recipe from Nadia Sawahlas new book .

[swallowedAfly]

i hear what someone else said about puddings being the issue - i slow roasted plums with spices and served with creme fraiche when i was cooking for a GF guest.

i am on the cusp as in i can tolerate gluten but not without moderate symptoms. i tend to put up with the symptoms rather than go totally gluten free but do try to minimise. i don't eat much bread, maybe once a week, and i avoid things i know are big triggers like cake and yorkshire pudding - for some reason that hits hard.

ii would be interested in these products but tbh had never heard of the company till this thread.

[waitingforgodot]

My son follows a gf diet (he has an autism diagnosis and similar to another poster on here, we read about the success stories of kids with autism being much calmer when gluten was removed from his diet). This is def true in his case. We don't receive any foodstuffs on prescription.
Not familiar with Mrs Crimbles products but will look for them. Tend to stock up in Sainsburys for chicken products, sausage rolls, bread and biscuits. Tesco for bread, rolls and cakes and Asda for fish fingers, corn flakes and flour. I like Aldi as they clearly mark all their products with "gluten free" or "contains gluten" which makes life much easier!

[dotcomlovenest]

We head to sainaburys for my step sons. He is dairy, wheat, gluten and soya intollerent. They usually carry the best range.
I made a brill lemon drizzle cake for his birthday the last couple of years made from potato rather than flour. It was yummy and no one knew what the secret ingredient was and was shocked when I told them.

[NotAnArtist]

Thank you Chopchopbusybusy for that Yorkshire pudding recipe! I could kiss you!
Those, along with toad in the hole, have been the things I've missed most. I just can't get them to rise.
I've been gluten-free for a year, and have missed my normal foods terribly. It's especially hard when I'm out and need to grab something to go - although some supermarkets have started asking gluten-free pre-packaged sandwiches.
I love the dietary specials range, their ciabattas and lunch rolls are perfect and taste like real bread. I've found that Asda has the best own-brand range, especially cakes and biscuits, although I don't buy any other food there so it's a bit of a pain.
Mrs Crimbles was the first gluten-free brand I tried, and I buy the cheese crackers every week, and the almond slices as a treat. I like the chocolate macaroons too.
I bake fab chocolate brownies, and a lovely victoria sponge. It seems cakes are the easiest things to get tasting right!

[smileyhappymummy]

I have coeliac disease. Normal meals are fairly easy I find as we cook from scratch. I get bread and pasta on prescription and do a lot of baking with dove farm flour - find it works well with normal revipes but needs a bit of extra liquid. Love m+s for Christmas bits - sausage, cake, stuffing. Not a big mrs crimbles fan though...

[Pinot]

~ If you buy gluten free products, where do you tend to buy them from? Do you ever buy Mrs Crimble's products? If so, which ones and where do you buy them? I get mine from my local health food store, as a rule. Obviously supermarkets do them too, but they're cheaper in my local store. And they do free tasting sessions :) I've tried quite a few Mrs C products - coconut macaroons were deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelish. They're my faves - with a cup of hot choc, dunked.

~ Do you do lots of gluten free cooking? If so, what are your top tips for knocking up delicious gluten free meals/snacks? Yes - I'm coeliac so I have no choice! Pre-prepared GF food is heinously £££. My tip woudl be to get a decent GF cookbook - it's not teaching you yo suck eggs, but giving you the confidence to take a step into the GF world.

It sounds daft but going GF is a huge deal - all the support is welcomed.

[Chislemum]

~ If you buy gluten free products, where do you tend to buy them from? Do you ever buy Mrs Crimble's products? If so, which ones and where do you buy them?

I have been gluten-free since 1999 as I have a severe intolerance. I buy products from Waitrose, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Holland & Barrett, even some things from Boots. Yes, I buy Mrs Crimble products: macaroons are fantastic, as are the bakewell slices. Ate quite of bit of these in last trimester of pregnancy/

I buy pasta, pizza, chocolate brownies, gf fish fingers (for me!!) etc., as such things that are made for people on a gf diet. I also buy food that is naturally gf.

~ Do you do lots of gluten free cooking? If so, what are your top tips for knocking up delicious gluten free meals/snacks? Please do share any brilliant recipes you have here - Mrs Crimble's may feature the ones they like the most on their website.

Yes, solely. Often you can replace gluten-flour with gf flour or rice flour. I don't feel that I am missing out anymore.

[sittinginthesun]

I am gluten intolerant, as are my brother and sister.

I shop in Waitrose or Sainsburys - usually Genius Bread (although the Waitrose own brand isn't bad, and they do good pitta bread), Dove Farm flour, and Crimbles macaroons (jan rings are a family favourite), and brownie slices.

I make home made cakes. The fruit cakes work well, and banana loaf is as good as a normal one. Crumbles are also particularly good with GF flour.

I do despair of the additives etc in GF food. I cook from scratch normally, and avoid processed food, but it is impossible if you eat GF substitutes. We also tend to eat Indian etc if we eat out, as it is just so much easier.

And I just don't understand why we are so reliant on wheat. The last time I was properly Glutened, was a can of lemonade!!!

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

I love Mrs Crimble's products but didn't realise they were gluten free I often buy them as part of my Tesco online order.

The only gluten free cooking I have done was a flourless cake chocolate (found the recipe online) for a friend who follows a GF diet - if I had realised Mrs Crimle's products were GF I would have served them instead (although the cake was OK)

[HappyTurquoise]

I do gluten free cooking when DD's g.f. friend(s) come round. However, friend is also egg free, dairy free and additive free as well, which narrows things down, especially if any other friends come who don't eat tomatoes/rice/potatoes/salad/fruit and so on. So I usually try to do one or two things for all (a popular side/main or pudding) and then make a choice of things for the rest.

I'd really like to be able to buy (or make) gluten free-dairy free-nut free-orange free-egg free-additive free desserts (either recipes or ready made.)

[fuzzpig]

DH was diagnosed in his late 30s (at the same time as one of his DDs who was 8 at the time) so it's been quite an adjustment.

However I think it has improved our diets as it meant we couldn't rely on so much ready made stuff. We cooked more from scratch.

Shopping can be a bit ridiculous as gluten is in the weirdest things (I have also noticed some bean sprouts with a gluten warning!) - once mum bought us some basics cream cheese which had wheat fibre in!

We tend to be more frustrated by the 'may contain traces of' warning because it seems to be everywhere, like crisps and chocolate which don't actually have or need gluten, but DH still can't eat them.

Baking is not something we've really delved into but I do want to try.

DH adores Mrs Crimbles chocolate macaroons, it's the only GF food available in our local co-op. We have also used the stuffing mix and I think breadcrumbs. Mostly we get tescos own stuff although the Genius bread is the best he's tried. He gets juvela pasta and bread on prescription as we have an exemption card thing.

In terms of cooking we just do more potato/rice based dishes and use gluten free pasta for him. We also use GF pizza bases. But most dinners are naturally GF so no need for separate pots etc.

DH does fantastic Yorkshire puddings and pancakes with GF flour - you really can't tell the difference.

[thebitchbrigade]

My two DDs are coeliac.

~ If you buy gluten free products, where do you tend to buy them from? Do you ever buy Mrs Crimble's products? If so, which ones and where do you buy them?

I mainly shop for general stuff at Tesco. I only buy Genius seeded bread rolls. I also always buy the Crimblesplain large macaroons for me and DH the children. We also had the Crimbles stuffing mix for Christmas, it was lovely actually mainly as it has been so long since I had retro stuffing! GF oats as big porridge fans/flapjack eaters. We have given up with breakfast cereals as they are incredibly expensive and for the most part pretty joyless. I sometimes buy Tesco own brand muffins as a nice toasty treat for the girls. Also pitta breads make fantastic little quick pizzas too.

WRT Cooking. Yes, lots of. My elder DD is diabetic and the amount of sugar in shop bought cakes and stuff is incredible. I tend to adapt stuff as a rule. I do make all birthday cakes, flapjacks (crikey the oats are expensive!!!). Fairy cakes are easy because they are small but need to be eaten quickly (usually not a prob in this house). Pizzas are fine and big cakes tend to be roulades or chocolate (as covers a multitude of sins) and I now have an amazing ganache recipe that is so yummy you could slap it on the worst cake in the world and it would be amazing. I also make a lot of almond macaroons but I cannot master the coconut ones and much prefer the crimbles ones.. I am not good with GF pastry and affordable mixes of this would be very useful for us. There is a frozen one by dietary specials that Tesco have stopped selling. I make pizza bases but never attempt bread as I cannot get that right. Because it is expensive I save all the crusts from genius bread and crumb it when the freezer wont shut anymore periodically and use these to make fish fingers called fish bums in our house and chicken nuggets with chicken breast adding paprika and garlic powder (special blend of herbs and spices....)

Can I say that it is absolutely imperative that you label the carbs in detail. There is often a carbs per 100g figure but more detailed, per item would be great as so many coeliacs have diabetes and almost all diabetics now do carb counting. I have found myself weighing pitta breads (not your brand but important to mention) to work out carb content