Things have been a bit quiet on the blog this week! Trying to organise myself for problogger, buy the big items for the kitchen like appliances, the sink and tiles since kitchen rip out is in 14 days (but who is counting!), helping keira with her poster on chinese paper folding (oh the facts I could share with you), keeping an eye on emerson who is into everything at the moment, I’ve got 19 tunics to hem tonight for school, pack for our holiday and just keep the house running. Yep, we are busy. But I managed to squeeze in a dr’s visit and haircut for finn this afternoon so I am feeling kind of organised.
Anyway, I had wanted to review a few of my latest book purchases and today (and tomorrow) thought I’d share two of my favourites from the order. These are the ones that just really jumped out at me and had me taking notes of ingredients that I would need to get into the kitchen. This is my 4th week gluten free and almost dairy free. The gluten free is definitely easier than the dairy free for me and contrary to what someone wrote on my facebook page – a gluten free diet can be healthy. I never thought it couldn’t be healthy for you. I’m eating better, watching what I eat, clothes are fitting fabulously, my dry itchy scalp has disappeared and I just feel great. Oh did I say that already? Well I am and I’m waking up earlier and not so tired in the morning. And I’m supposed to be doing this diet for elodie’s benefit but I’m the one feeling so fabulous.
Ok so Against All Grain is a new book from a blogger but I hadn’t read the blog before I bought it, I just read the fabulous reviews on amazon (I always read the reviews on amazon because they are so honest!). And there is so much I want to make from this book. The section on breakfast started with a delicious smoked salmon and eggs benedict and had some great choices for breakfast. At the moment I’m having either fruit, eggs, some bacon or gluten free toast for breakfast so looking forward to a bit of variety with this book. Oh and yes I want that cardigan.
It’s beautifully styled and photographed by the author and if you like reading food blogs and pinterest then the pretty pictures will be your thing too. Oh and there is a photo of each and every recipe. I love that. Oh the disappointment when you buy a book and there are hardly any photos. I need photos!
Now this book is actually paleo and I’m not paleo – so this recipe here with the cauliflower rice – yep I’d be doing some nice white rice in there but I might try the cauliflower. Never say never.
There is even a section with kid friendly recipes and I can’t wait to make a few things from this section too like cookies with frosting, chicken zoodle soup, granola bars, roll ups, coated chicken and vegetable curry to name a few.
I prefer the baking recipes in this book compared to the spunky coconut as there is no stevia! Sweeteners are usually honey and I like honey and maple syrup so they work for me. There are some great sweet recipes like brownies, double chocolate macaroons, mint chip ice cream, ganache tart with toasted hazelnuts, chocolate layer cake and snickerdoodle cupcakes (what is a snickerdoodle btw?).
Even retro daddy who usually just flips through a cookbook was reading out a couple of recipes to me which is saying something. And there is a basics section of the book towards the end with 19 recipes for basics like a pastry crust, pizza base, almond milk and a variety of preserves and tomato sauce.
All in all a book that is very good value for money considering you get 368 pages, beautiful styling and photos and delicious recipes that are family friendly. Nothing too fancy or OTT but recipes that I know the kids will enjoy as well as retro daddy.
Maybe you are wheat intolerant Corrie….apparently a lot of us are due to a super high wheat diet…glad your feeling good…what a bonus! But did you know you can make dairy free caramel sauce with coconut in place of cream….mmmmmm perfect for a pudding and don’t forget ice cream options can be fruit gelati instead of soy ice cream…going to get me that book 😉
yes I’ve gone wheat free before and felt great and have never been able to have wholewheat products before. Wow that caramel sauce sounds fabulous! I’m looking forward to gelato when I’m in noosa (the dairy free ones)!
this book is really good!!!!
Think I might also have a look at this one, so my thx :0) Sincerely I don’t know how you do it – running your house, running your business, 5 kids & the list goes on. I admire you big time. Do you have a cleaner, nanny etc..?
Kindest regards,
Mel
I do have some help come in on the days keira has her after school activities – it just means I’m not taking all the kids out with me and waiting around for keira and for the swimming lessons too. They also fold my washing and take it up to bedrooms! big help:)
Thanks
Corrie:)
Hi Corrie,
Do you order your books through Amazon? Do they ship to Australia? This one looks great!
yes I do! the prices are so good and I tend to order a few together, order the middle postage which is a bit more expensive but I get them quickly! this book is such good value at $20 and that many pages and recipes! the other books that I’ll share are nice but this is the clear winner:)
Snickerdoodles are yum! They’re American cookies with a crackly sugar and cinnamon crust. Quite delicious and impossible to eat only one.
oh wow! for some reason I was thinking chocolate like snickers!!! I was wrong! thank you, I’m sure I’d eat a whole pack!
Oh snap! I just got home to find this book waiting on the doorstep for me
It is an absolutely beautiful cookbook and the recipes look easy and super delicious!
I told my husband today that this will be our ‘day to day’ cookbook and he had a flick through and agreed, so that’s saying something!
I can’t wait to get straight into trying these recipes
how good is it! really great recipes that you want to make and so many! so much choice! so glad you like it too, I’m just loving it
I’m a huge cookbook collector anyway, but this one is really something special.
I’m taking it into work with me today to share with my friend who is gluten free. Hoping she loves it too!
Lucky You! I’ve been stalking this blog for a while and I love it. I’ve been eating low carb as part of a healthy approach to diabetes and am cooking a lot of Paleo recipes. Cauliflower rice is amazing – my children didn’t even realise they weren’t eating rice.
xx
no way! you fooled them! I must say I have a real thing for hot sushi rice, I can’t say no! I need to read back through her blog as I really love the book:)
Apart from rice if having Thai or Indian, I haven’t eaten gluten for months & I do feel much better. My allergies haven’t been playing up, sinus is much better. The test will be through spring perhaps. I also went easy on the dairy but eat around 200g of Barambah natural yoghurt each day plus I’m back on the lattes. Full cream all the way. None of this trim rubbish full of sugar. Have you tried Agave Syrup? Sooooo sweet. I think you’d like it. Have never tried stevia but most people I’ve talke to say it’s yuk.
oh no not the agave! I made these agave nectar cupcakes! no one ate them, weird taste!!!!! I do think it helps with all allergies and my skin is just great too
I’d love to keep a bit of dairy in because i have a real thing for vintage cheddar:)
Corrie:)
Yum – that book looks divine Corrie – will add it to my growing amazon order!!! I recently bought Sprouted Kitchen and Small Plates, Sweet Treats form Amazon – both are fabulous and the former is all about whole food while the latter is all gf. Two fb pages you might like too are Quirky Cooking and Alexx Stuart – both provide recipes that are gf and df – and both have amazing alts for caramel w/o dairy so you can easily whip up a divine caramel slice!!!! Quirky Jo is an amazing thermomixer and Alexx has just ought one so is converting her recipes – you’ll love both of them!
ohhhh that sounds good! Great to see a fellow amazon orderer:)
I love Jo’s recipes and she was the first thermomix blog I ever followed but I’ll have to check out alex as that’s a new one to me – oh is it Alexx! interesting:)
Corrie:)
Hi Corrie,
This is my favourite food blog. We’ve been mostly paleo in our household this year. Trying lots of things with coconut and almond flours. We have Danielle’s paleo pancakes most mornings. Sweetened with a banana, no grains, no dairy. They’re fabulous and also work well in a waffle maker. You’ll have to try them. Not sure if they’re in her book as my copy hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t buy any processed breakfast cereals anymore.
oh I love coconut flour! wow it’s so good!!!! I love the blog too now, I didn’t realise you were almost paleo and at first it was all a bit out there for me and seemed like hard work but I’m enjoying it and the kids are happy so that’s a win
I might have to get a waffle maker for the new kitchen:)
Corrie:)
Cauliflower rice is good and I don’t even like cauliflower.
Think you would be able to fool the kids.
ohhhhh then I might try it! I’ve done mashed cauli before and loved it!
Agree with you about stevia it’s revolting
oh yes! have you tried agave – bleurgh! awful!
Check out tania hubbard’s blog and her book ‘gluten free grain free food we love’. I just use raw sugar where a recipe calls for sugar and normal cocoa instead of raw.
ohhh I will! thank you! never heard of her before
corrie:)
Do you need a thermomix for the recipes Corrie? It looks great!
It’s not a thermomix book, so you can make absolutely everything without one!
The book does suggest a few appliances, such as food processor, blender etc
nope! thanks aly for answering so quickly, love that:)
Corrie, snickerdoodles are a sugar cookie with cream of tartar. The dough is shaped in small balls, rolled in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, then baked.
yum yum! they sound like my kind of cookie! I bet they are delicious at christmas
Hi Corrie just want to let you the know the cauliflower instead of rice is great. I used it to try and get my kids eating more veg
oh fab! I need to try it! and not tell them it’s cauli
Oh Corrie this looks fabulous…I’m gluten intolerant and JoJo is lactose intolerant so this will work really well! And I do love my breakfasts as well as Mr Armchair just has cereal on work days while we are having what you are having….Ihave discovered organic baked beans and love them! I really should try and make them one day! I’like you…can’t give up the milk in coffee nor the cheese…what the heck I love ’em!
oh the cheese! and I’m not a soft cheese person or brie or anything but a good vintage cheddar! so good
this book really is great, I’ve been raving to everyone about it
Yes, I need photo’s in recipe books too or how am I suppose to know what it’s meant to look like at the end? Anyway, I should try eating more cleaner foods as well. I’ve been doing a bit of the soup thing and it’s only working out for lunch but it’s a start. I don’t know if I could go gluten free but if it works for you then that’s a step in the right direction. If they kids eat it, well even better!!! Good luck.
I feel great and I thought it was a bit out there but it’s just fabulous and I feel so great. The gluten free for me is much easier than dairy free and the combo of gluten and dairy free is a bit full on but I”m loving the gf! the kids never notice until I use a dodgy gluten free pasta
Corrie:)
I love the sound of this book Corrie. A Paleo diet is very popular with a lot of my friends at the moment and a lot of the recipes are appealing, not because they are Paleo, but because they sound and look so yummy. And I’m always up for trying something new, even if I don’t intend converting completely. Haven’t you heard of Snickerdoodle’s? They’re a fabulous cookie, but I make a Snickerdoodle Muffin that makes my kids beg for more. Not at all Paleo though! And as for the Coast, my husband was on the Gold Coast today and the weather was perfect, so you can expect the same at The Sunshine Coast. It’s my dream to move there in years to come.
oh I would love to move sunshine coast! just gorgeous up there, such warm weather, beautiful food and fresh produce and so green:)
wow a snickerdoodle muffin has my name all over it with a cute name to match
Corrie:)
Hi Corrie. I made your brownie recipe recently using gluten free flour (white wings) and they were so delicious. Unfortunately everyone in the family loved them except my son with Coeliac Disease! I am loving all your new recipes, and look forward to more book reviews as I am on the look out for more gluten free cookbooks.
oh don’t you love that!!!!!!! hilarious!
I find the gluten free flour is a pretty great substitute but a bit gritty so someone told me to double sift…going to try it
plenty more reviews to come:)
corrie:)
Hi. I’m just new to this blog so maybe you have reviewed this book before but I am reading Brain Grain by Dr Perlmutter. It is def food for thought. Pardon the pun!
Vicki
ohhhhh that sounds good! thank you! I’m going to look into that one