Gluten Confusion
I have many people ask me how to go about removing gluten from the diet. It is really simple. You can eat everything, except cereal grains. Cereal grains are grasses and only cereal grains contain gluten. They include wheat, barley, rye and spelt. Oats have another type of gluten which some people can tolerate and some cannot. (Read more below)
March Workshops
Everyday Gluten Free for Everyone
Dates to be announced soon! Register your interest by replying to this email
Sourdough.…Nearly full.
Go straight to the booking sheet for dates and to add your email address. Click here for more info. on my sourdough workshops.
Amazing value for $45.
Why not organise a sourdough workshops for your birthday (or other special celebration), or for someone else’s? I am happy to fit in with your required dates. You arrange 7 people to come, and the birthday person (8th) comes for free!
_____________________________________________
GaSP home shop opening times:
Thursday afternoons 2pm – 6pm
+ Friday mornings 9am – 12 noon
+ by request
4 Winns Rd., Cygnet
By request means that you are welcome to ring me or send me an email to arrange an alternative time to suit you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gluten Unleashed!
The diagram below shows you that gluten is part of every grain of wheat. It is a certain kind of protein which exists in all cereal grains, not just wheat. A gluten free diet always focuses on the removal of wheat, rye, barley, spelt (and sometimes oats). People often feel that the rug has been pulled out from under their lives as processed foods so often contain one or other of the cereal grains.
Don’t worry! You can eat everything else in the entire world, including rice, quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, chick peas, meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds!
Breakfast is often the biggest problem. When you look at the cereal isle in the shops you can see why… and it IS called the CEREAL isle, which tells you exactly what you’ll find there; cereal grains and therefore gluten!
I believe it is best not to eat too much gluten, even if you do not have a gluten problem, as it can be irritating to the human gut and lead to future problems. Sourdough bread has less gluten that bread made with commercial yeast because of the fermenting process that uses up some of the gluten. Oats can be tolerated by most people but it is best not to always have the same thing every day or you may develop problems with it.
I often start the day with congee (recipe below) and / or a kefir and fruit smoothie. Some days I have quinoa and buckwheat pancakes with fruit, maple syrup and yoghurt. For a savoury start, try chickpea flour pancakes with tomatoes and mushrooms or tahini and avocado. One of my favourite breakfasts uses cooked greens in place of toast, and is topped with a fried egg and mushrooms or smoked salmon.
There is no need to fret over a gluten free diet. Stay away from packaged foods altogether and most of your battle is over. I have lots of delicious and simple breakfast, lunch, dinner, cake, biscuit and dessert recipes the whole family will love that use ingredients from The Garden Shed and Pantry’s range of organic, Australian wholefoods and ingredients, most of which are gluten free.
________________________________________________________________________________
Products and Prices online
You can always find up-date (mostly!!) GaSP products and prices on the products page of my website.
________________________________________________________________________________
Sprouting
Don’t forget to buy organic seeds to sprout as most supermarket stuff is irradiated on entry to Australia and is dead so will not sprout.
You will find $5 packs of several organic seeds at The Garden Shed and Pantry home shop and market stall.
More sprouters have just arrived! Get one soon!
________________________________________________________________________________
Bamboo gardening gloves are made from a wonderful, breathable fabric for summer gardening. Hard wearing and a sustainable product too. Lovely gift for the earth-wise gardener.
________________________________________________________________________________
Congee
This beautiful, slow cooked rice porridge dish is common in China. Its benefits come in the long, slow cooking, in much more liquid than you normally use for rice. It is easily digested and a perfect start to the day. Only one extra ingredient should be added, to give your gut the full nutritional benefits and not bombard it with too much work first thing in the morning. Fragrant brown rice is best but any brown rice will be great. I use the long grain, rain-fed, organic, Australian brown rice I sell (but am currently awaiting the new season’s crop in April).
Place into a slow cooker overnight:
1 cup brown rice
6 – 7 cups tepid water
Lots of thinly sliced fennel bulb or celery
Heat on high for a while so the water is hot by the time you go to bed. Don’t be tempted to pour boiling water over the rice as it is best if heated slowly. Turn to low and leave until breakfast time. Scoop into bowls and eat while sitting quietly. ***Be sure to put left overs into the fridge asap as cooked rice should never be left at room temperature for long***
_____________________________________________________________________
Australian Permaculture
Magazine
Issue 3 arrived today!
Only at GaSP
$9.50
Absolutely lovely!
The Garden Shed and Pantry 