Gluten-Free Cheese Biscuits

It's a little well-known secret in our household that Christmas always includes a family baking session. Every year, mother and I get together to bake some festive treats for the holidays—and cheese biscuits are always top of the list.

After being diagnosed with celiac disease, I had some trepidation about making cheese biscuits this year because we'd already perfected the wheat recipe...and I was worried gluten-free cheese biscuits wouldn't be quite as tasty. Thankfully, the gluten-free recipe we have created makes delicious biscuits, too.


Ingredients:

225g (8oz) plain gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp of xanthan gum
1 small egg
175g (6oz) of butter
175g (6oz) of grated strong or extra mature cheese (Taw Valley Tickler Cheddar from Morrisons is fantastic for this recipe)
A pinch of dry mustard and cayenne pepper

Method

1) Preheat oven to 230°C (or 450°F), gas mark 8.
2) Put flour, xanthan gum, grated cheese, cayenne pepper, mustard and butter into blender and mix.
3) When the mixture starts to look like breadcrumbs, slowly add in the egg until dough is formed. (It's important that you do this slowly, as the mixture can become quite runny so you may not need to add all of the egg!)
4) Place sheet of baking paper onto tray
5) Take a strip of cling film and place across work space to stop the dough from sticking
6) Roll dough out to roughly 6mm in thickness
7) Cut dough into roughly 5cm rounds and place on tray 
8) Put in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden.

We also used some of the dough and rolled it out into mini sausages so that we could have thick cheese straws. They tasted incredible when they came out of the oven.

Happy Christmas Eve! x

Getting in the Mood for Christmas: Of Christmas Songs and Island Voices...

With only a few days until Christmas is upon us, I wanted to share with you a good technique to get excited about Christmas. Every year, if my mood is sinking slightly, I find that one of the best ways to pep up my Christmas spirit is listening to a good dose of festive music.

Living on the Isle of Wight makes Christmas quite special.  Not to sound like Yoda, but the community vibe is strong with the Island...and there's always so many exciting events held around December time.

One of these events is Carols at Quarr, which is the annual carol service held inside Quarr Abbey's serene chapel. (For anyone who doesn't live on the Isle of Wight, Quarr Abbey, originally founded in 1132, is a working monastery which is home to a small group of Benedictine monks.) Tranquil gardens surround the architecturally stunning Abbey, which remains opens to members of the public most of the year.

On Sunday, led by Linda Filby-Borrett, the Voices of the Isle of Wight held their annual Christmas concert at Quarr Abbey. The fundraising event reportedly went extremely well and the group raised a whopping £860 in collections! Even better, all proceeds went towards maintaining the beautiful and historical Abbey.

After hearing such wonderful feedback from friends about the concert, I was extremely anxious to hear Voices of the Isle of Wight perform their Christmas showcase. Thankfully, as part of a fundraising initiative, Linda Filby-Borrett had produced a CD containing 23 different Christmas tunes—and featuring both the Voices of the Isle of Wight and the monks of Quarr Abbey.

I received my copy of An Island Christmas this morning and have been listening to the CD on a loop ever since. The music is hauntingly beautiful and sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to the talented choir. In particular, O, Holy Night and In the Bleak Midwinter were favourites, eliciting goosebumps and almost moving me to tears. Special mention should be given to Emily Scotcher, whose stunning voice shone out chillingly during her solo piece In the Bleak Midwinter.

I've always had a soft spot for Gaudete and the Voices of the Isle of Wight definitely did the song justice, raising a smile and stirring fresh feelings of excitement towards Christmas. The sensitive orchestral accompaniment throughout each song perfectly balanced the truly magnificent singing from the choir. I was also impressed with Nancy Borrett, the violinist for Away in a Manger, who delivered an exceptionally beautiful instrumental.

Truly, this sort of music is perfect for those in need of a little Christmas spirit. If anyone reading this blog wants a boost, it's worth purchasing a digital download of some uplifting Christmas hymns—or even attending a local carol concert. 

Christmas is for everyone...and so is happiness. May your Christmas be a joyeous one.

F x

N.B. An Island Christmas CD can be purchased for £12 (including postage) from their website. All proceeds go towards maintaining the Grade I listed church at Quarr Abbey.

A Festive Meal - with ALL the Trimmings!

On Monday the 14th of December, as part of our yearly tradition, my friends and I enjoyed a Christmas feast at a local pub! For years, we've been gathering every December to exchange presents and share in a little holiday spirit with each other (before inevitably stuffing our faces with delicious goodies).

Organising the event this year was a little rocky in places, with some last minute cancellations from friends causing a few issues, but I'm pleased to say that the meal was still great fun anyway!

We went to Table Table (Medina Quay) in Newport for our Christmas meal and we weren't let down! The staff at Table Table were extremely kind and understanding about the last minute changes to table numbers and bent over backwards to make us feel at home.

Em and I—it's not Chrismas without a festive photo of us together!

The portion sizes were incredible and the food was excellent value for the price. I wasn't able to try the set Christmas meal, due to having celiac disease, but the staff worked really hard to offer me a meal which was just as appetising—and looked just as festive!

My celiac-friendly chips, peas and cauliflower cheese!

Table, Table outdid themselves with portion sizes, presenting thick cheesecake slices, which looked like door stop wedges, and large plates filled to the brim with tantalisingly tasty treats. Amazingly, we were able to get three whole courses, with generously-sized portions, for just £15.99! For anyone with smaller appetites, two-course meals were also available for just £12.99. I would definitely consider going there again next year as the staff made the whole process so easy and were so friendly!

Domi with her delicious cheesecake!

For anyone looking to jazz up their Christmas meal, I'd also recommend the use of photobooth props. We were kept entertained for ages with fake beards and elf ears, as you can see from the photos below!

Of course, you need to be a certain level of 'silly' to use the photo props kit...but thankfully, my friends are only happy to pull funny faces in front of the camera in the name of fun!

When all else fails, turn your beard into a beak...

We used the 'Elf Yourself' Photo Props Kit, which was £4 and included elf hats, beards, ears, spectacles, holding sticks, a picture frame and even one bald elf head! It's worth shopping around to see what else is on the market though, as you never know what gems you might find for a bargain!

Whatever you're doing to celebrate Christmas this year, I hope it's magical and fun—with just a hint of 'silly'.

F x

Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival

 Every December, for the past nineteen years, Brighstone has held its special Christmas Tree Festival and welcomed guests in from near and far to view the spectular assortment of Christmas trees. Over the course of the past nineteen years, over £90,000 has been raised for various charities because of this superb event—and nothing gets me in the mood for Christmas more than the festivities held around the little village of Brighstone!

With carol concerts, musical ensembles, nativities, bands, festive food and much more, Brighstone Christmas Tree Festival is never short of festive fun. This year, there were over 190 decorated Christmas trees placed around the seven different venues (located in Brighstone and the neighbouring village of Mottistone).

Last Friday, Domi and I wandered across to Brighstone for another one of our random adventures. We were just in time to catch the IW Village Society performing some crackin' Christmas tunes at the Wilberforce Hall. It did not take us long to spot the festive food and drinks stall—nor did it take long for Domi to snag a small slice of stollen for an afternoon snack!




Whilst we were eating, the IW Village Society sang a host of the traditional favourites and encouraged audience participation.

There's something rather warming about singing along to carols with other cheerful members of the public, and it reminds me of how lucky I am to live on the Isle of Wight. Our quaint little diamond-shaped island is so friendly and homely, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to live.



After we had finished belting out carols, Domi and I got a chance to look at some of the beautifully decorated trees. People had gone to such trouble to decorate their trees, so it really was a joy to visit the different venues and look at each painstakingly adorned tree.

Please excuse the picture quality—my mobile phone doesn't take great photos!

There were lots of different trees to view; however, I've just posted up a couple of favourites so that you can get a flavour of the experience. I don't know if you have ever visited similar festivals but I think it's a lovely way of bringing the community together— and I'd definitely recommend the event for anyone visiting the Isle of Wight next year!

Domi next to her favourite Christmas tree in the Wilberforce Hall

I particularly loved the 'Minions' tree, which had been decorated by Brighstone and Shorwell Brownies!

 

 

 

Finally, Domi and I took a walk around the village of Brighstone, admiring all of the pretty Christmas lights outside the houses and shops. Everywhere looked so beautiful and we couldn't help but smile at the magical setting.

I plan to post a few more blog posts in the run-up to Christmas—but, in the mean time, please accept my warmest wishes for the Christmas period. May your Christmas be blessed with lots of happiness and laughter!

F x

December, Hope, and an Overdue Blog Update!

In all the hustle and bustle of work and writing for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I'm afraid I've somewhat neglected this blog over the past month. I'm really sorry for not blogging in a while but I will do my best to post more frequently over the next few weeks.

The good news is that NaNoWriMo is finished for the year! The bad news is that I've got an extensive editing job on my hands before I decide what to do with my newest work of fiction. I'm not going to lie, a part of me wants to tidy this one up and publish it because I think a lot people would identify with the content—even if, at times, the story makes for slightly uncomfortable reading!

Anyway, I have a lot of exciting blogs planned for the pre-Christmas run-up and I hope you'll enjoy them! There's gluten-free recipes, a list of the best festive films, ideas for Christmassy events, tales of festive frolics...and much more on the way to you so stay tuned!

Also, for anyone who wasn't following me last year, feel free to check out some of my old festive blogs: Top Ten Festive Quotes, Christmas Spirit: The Non-Boozy Kind, A Little Christmas Hope and Love and Christmas Magic.

In the mean time, though, I shall leave you with a festive quote and a little message of hope. Wherever you are, no matter how bleak things seem sometimes, there will always be a flicker of a flame which will help guide you out of that dark tunnel. That flame belongs inside of you and is your own inner strength. You're stronger than you think and you can achieve your dreams. Part of that strength is about remembering that you can ask for help, too—whether from friends, family, or by drawing on your own faith. Often the most successful people become that way from simply believing that they can do it. You can do it, too.

Happy December to all of my wonderful readers!

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."

—Calvin Coolidge
F x

Autumnal Walks and Neolithic Stones...

Yesterday, I took a lovely stroll across the countryside with one of my closest friends, Domi. Domi and I have known each other since primary school so there's something very special about our friendship. She's seen me at my worst, comforted me through the sad times, berated me during the silly times, and stuck beside me for all of the fun times. There's never a dull moment with her and we both enjoy being outdoors around nature.

The Isle of Wight has some of the loveliest walks you could imagine. The air is so fresh and you cannot help but feel rejuvenated when you trek through the forests, listening to the sound of copper leaves crunching beneath your boots.

I've always been a country girl and I find walking extremely soothing. On this particular occasion, our aim was to reach the Long Stone in Mottistone, which is on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight.

The only thing about undertaking walking adventures with me is that I tend to stray off the path sometimes...and this has varying degrees of success. For example Domi was not too thrilled by the fact that—after I'd taken something of a detour from the path—she was faced with no other alternative than to slide down this hill.

The lovely thing about walks around the Isle of Wight is that you can have a panoramic view of forests and bracken one side of you, whilst also having stunning views of the sea on the other side.

Of course, as is the usual way, Domi and I decided to do some outdoor yoga exercises. I have to say, doing yoga in jeans is very unforgiving and I don't recommend it! However, I was able to do a few simple positions.

When we were finished with the yoga, we attempted to do a few jumping photos. Our timing was off - and I can't work out whether my photographer for this was either good or terrible as a result! Either way, Domi and I had a good laugh at our attempts to take some 'cool' photos.

We eventually reached our destination for this particular adventure: Mottistone Long Stone. The walks up to the Long Stone are fantastic and there's something rather mysterious about this Neothilic stone. No one exactly knows what it was for or how it was used—but we do know that it's the oldest stone recorded on the Isle of Wight. The Long Stone sort of reminds me of the Isle of Wight's equivelant to Stone Henge and I think it's quite special that we have something which is 6,000 years old so close our homes.

According to legends, St. Catherine and the Devil once had a contest to see who would have control over the Isle of Wight. The tallest segment of the Long Stone, which stands impressively at over 4 metres high, was said to have been thrown with great stamina by St. Catherine all the way from the eastern Down. In contrast, the Devil's stone, which measured just 2.9 metres high, fell short and he subsequently lost. As a result, the two stones came to rest in their current positions, with St. Catherine's standing regal and proud above the Devil's meagre stone. It is said that this is symbolic of goodness triumphing over evil.

Sadly, the area surrounding the stone has been damaged over the years and it's thought that the stone was moved from its original resting place during the Saxon times.

People believe the stone was used for gatherings during the Saxon period. Apparently, the Saxon word for meeting was 'moot' so many people think that the village of Mottistone's name was actually derived from the term 'meeting stone'.

The Long Stone is said to have been built on a ley line, which apparently means it has special energies surrounding it. Being around a ley line is meant to be uplifting and very positive—so I had a touch of the Long Stone to see if I could feel any energy pulsing from it.

Of course, whilst we out and about around the Long Stone, we also couldn't resist basking in all of the autumnal beauty surrounding us—and having a little fun with all of the fallen leaves!

Thank-you, as ever, to all of the wonderful people who have taken the time to read this post. May your day be as magical as mine was yesterday.

Seasonal Frights and Terrifying Bumps in the Night: Thorpe Park - Fright Nights

Last Sunday, on what has become something of an annual tradition, I took a trip with a few friends to experience Thorpe Park's famous Fright Nights for the fourth year running. Although this meant another early morning and a long journey, I was extremely excited by the prospect of facing two new horror mazes: Containment and The Big Top.

(Fright Night selfie - I am the diddy one on the right)

Since none of the horror mazes opened until 3pm, we spent the morning going on as many different rollercoaster rides as possible. My friends weren't particularly keen on the water rides but I managed to get them on the Rumba Rapids, as you can see below!

 

(Marie, Jason, Rob, Em and I posing for the camera - our boat got stuck in a very convenient place!)

As soon as 3pm hit, we lined up and mentally prepared ourselves for Containment—which was one of Thorpe Park's newest horror mazes. The premise of Containment is that you and your group have to race against the clock to solve various puzzles which are locked in four different rooms. If you solve all of the puzzles, you stop the virus from spreading and are 'cured'. It's not quite that simple, though, as you are joined by live actors throughout the maze—and they do not want you to crack the codes!

The actors in Containment were just brilliant, especially the crazy dentist who immediately picked out my friend, Em, and sent her to the corner of the room. As we got into deciphering numbers, the dentist was soon dragging me off to his 'chair' for an inspection because I was "doing too well" at cracking the codes. Sadly, he got to us before we could finish inputting the numbers.

 Em sporting her 'Outbreak' band after her dentist ordeal

Containment was a good maze on the whole but I would have liked things to be hammed up more. For example, when we didn't finish cracking the code in the final room, it would have been awesome if red lights and alarms had gone off—and we'd been ushered into a 'decontamination' room. The maze needed something extra at the end as it was a little anti-climactic when we were immediately released.

However, we did like the fact that the 'Outbreak' bands meant that other actors around the park were more likely to single us out and pick on us! We'd paid extra money to go in Containment and the added interactions made it worth it!

NB: Containment is limited capacity. We had to book a slot and pay in advance—but this is fairly simple to add on to your ticket if you're paying online! 

After Containment, we queued up for The Big Top. At first, upon entering, I have to say my expectations were not particularly high for this horror maze. After watching several families leave the first tent laughing, I can't say that I thought it was going to be particularly frightening. The Big Top is deceptively clever though and there are a few excellent twists and hidden scares lurking within the abandoned carnival!  I really enjoyed this maze...and the final tent definitely had me running anxiously towards the exit! Deliciously disorientating and disturbing, The Big Top far exceeded expectations!

Unfortunately, being clumsy and only 4 ft 9 in height, I did manage to do myself an injury whilst running out of The Big Top. During the final section of the maze, I managed to face-plant a plastic door sheet which bruised my nose and forehead. It's not really a proper Fright Night until I've done something graceless...but at least I didn't lose a shoe this year! (There's something very wrong about having to approach a chainsaw-wielding maniac to collect your shoe from them...)

Since The Blair Witch Project didn't open until 7pm, we decided to head for Cabin in the Woods next. Although I've experienced this maze twice before, I still think Cabin in the Woods is one of the scariest horror mazes at Thorpe Park. There's something quite terrifying about being told that whichever door you choose will determine what fate you face within the maze. I also like the fact that there are several different doors and rooms to choose from—as it keeps the maze interesting. This year, to my credit, I only hid behind my companions a few times during the jumpiest parts...

As soon as it was dark enough, we queued for 'The Blair Witch Project' horror maze. This maze, unlike any of the others, is set outside in a small pocket of woodland. As with every other maze, there are live actors who are ready to jump out and terrify anyone who dares trek through the pathways and creepy cabins! There's one or two surprises along the way and this maze is definitely a favourite. Although it was only given a 'two' on the scare-factor scale, it actually seemed more realistic to me than any of the other horror mazes. It's easy to believe that horrors are close by when you're stumbling through the forest in the dark—and my overactive imagination had a field day!

Sadly, I was too ill to enjoy My Bloody Valentine this year and couldn't manage the 60 minute long queue. Whilst my friends endured all the terrors which lurked within that scare maze, Marie and I found a nice stone area to perch ourselves on whilst I recovered. The hour we spent waiting went quickly, with highlights which included a group of men stopping by to call us 'beautiful'—and, of course, a mini-trek to get Marie some much-needed coffee. 

Although I didn't experience it this year, I've been told that My Bloody Valentine was extremely impressive—particularly for my friend, Em, who was singled out and separated from everyone else in her group. She was forced down terrifying tunnels and had to endure the maze completely on her own. (Inevitably, at some point during our annual trips, Em finds herself targeted by live actors—usually because she has a tendency to laugh, dance or sing at them when nervous!)

I wish I could have joined my friends for more frights last Sunday but I was just in too much pain to attempt the Saw Horror Maze. This time, when my friends disappeared into the crowd of people queueing, I went on a mission to find some paracetamol. Although this was not the most successful mission I have ever undertaken, the staff were extremely helpful and did their absolute best to make me feel comfortable. It's the little touches, with friendly and caring members of staff, which make all the difference. I have to offer a heartfelt thank-you to the kind members of staff at Thorpe Park for being so supportive.

Overall, I couldn't fault the staff or actors at Thorpe Park. The actors in each maze stayed in character, playing their part with a terrifying menace, and the rollercoasters at Thorpe Park never fail to impress. We were also really lucky and didn't experience any long queues this year, which meant that we had time to fully enjoy all of our favourite rides.

If I could put one item down on the wish list, though, it would be that Thorpe Park's restaurants and fast food chains included more menu choices for celiacs. I enjoyed the jacket potato from 'Peckish' but it would have been nice if other food places within the park had also had celiac-friendly options.

On the whole, I would definitely recommend Thorpe Park's Fright Nights to anyone over the age of thirteen who wants a chillingly spooky Halloween treat! The money spent is well worth it. Another excellent year, Thorpe Park. Well done.

(Also, a big thanks to my friend, Rob, who kindly allowed me to use the pictures he'd taken of Thorpe Park for this blog.)

Homemade Gluten and Dairy Free Apple Crumble

It's late afternoon over here and the sun is lost behind a mass of thick charcoal clouds which deliver a menacing promise of more rain. It's on these rainy days that I feel inspired to enter the kitchen to create something warm and homely to line my stomach. There are very few things which I enjoy more than cooking tasty treats with my mum on a damp, blustery day—and I hope you find this recipe just as fun (and tasty) to try!

This recipe is perfect for anyone who has celiac disease and wants a warming treat on a winter's evening. The added benefit is that it's also suitable for vegans.

Ingredients: 

Serves 4

For the topping: 

6oz gluten free plain white flour (I used Dove's Gluten Free Plain White Flour)
1oz ground oats (I ground up Juvela's Gluten Free Rolled Oats but any gluten free oats are good)
1oz ground almonds
3oz dairy free sunflower spread (Pure Sunflower Spread works well)
4oz unrefined muscovado sugar

For the filling:

2 medium/large sized cooking apples
1 tbsp of water
2oz of muscovado sugar or honey


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Place flour and sugar into a bowl with ground oats and almonds.
3. Rub in the margarine lightly with your fingertips, until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
4. Peel and slice apples into a saucepan, adding water and a little sugar (depending on personal preference—I like my apples tart so I added 1oz).
5. Stew apples on a medium heat before spooning onto the bottom of a baking dish.
6. Place the mixture on top of the stewed apple, spreading across evenly until all of the fruit filling is covered.
7. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crumble is crisp and the apple is hot.

The End of Summer

I must apologise to you guys for the delay in updating. There's just been so much going on recently that I've been a little overwhelmed, to be perfectly honest! Unfortunately, this summer—alongside gifting the UK with an abnormally rainy August—has dealt a fair whack of bad news to the household. I've handled the problems but there were a few hairy moments along the way—and I was definitely forced to follow the advice I gave out in these blogs!

The good news is that I should have some fun and interesting blogs coming up! I've got lots of exciting trips planned and I'll update you on those over the next few months, as I embark on a variety of interesting new adventures!

I'm also going to continue posting more self-help articles. I always feel like I'm preaching a little bit with those—but I only post things which have positively helped me or friends. I know there’s always going to be things on my blog that people don’t agree with, for whatever reason, because everyone has their own beliefs and thoughts, but hopefully there will be some helpful tips here.

I see life as an empty book where we can write our beliefs and make our own choices—and sometimes we might find a spark of an idea which resonates so strongly within us that we are compelled to ‘magpie’ it, as we create our own life story. There’s so much potential in all of us and each fresh chapter brings with it exciting new experiences for us to try. It is never too late to scribble out old ideas and start again on a fresh blank page.

Since being diagnosed with coeliac disease, I have been on a mission to find delicious gluten-free food and will be adding a few gluten-free recipes to the blog, too. Truthfully, the first few months felt like a prison sentence had been issued (and anyone who says gluten-free bread tastes nice is definitely lying) but things do get easier as your body adjusts to the different tastes.

Note: If anyone has recently been diagnosed and would like extra support, I'm happy to post up advice and helpful tips. Whether you have coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, you don't have to suffer alone!

I've also been dipping into the gaming world again recently. My days of playing Dota 2 on Steam are few and far between now but I've loved indulging in spending more time on the X-Box 360, especially on RPG games (Mass Effect is my newest love since finishing Dragon Age). I can’t pretend to be amazing at any of the games but I definitely enjoy them.

For a while, I've been toying over whether or not to upload some poetry that I've been working on—but I might leave that for now. I've spent the last few months, in between working lots, editing a novel. I’ll probably never submit it to a publishing house (I'm shy when it comes to sharing prose or poetry work—and struggle even with close friends) but I'm proud of myself for sticking with this story. The demon writer’s block has caused so many face-palming moments that I never dreamed I'd get this far. On the bright side, I can tick this off the bucket list for 2015 now!

Anyway, I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday! I'm off to sit by the bay and watch the last rays of summer glisten over the sloshing salty sea waves. Have a lovely weekend!

If you'd like to, feel free to follow me on Twitter (@Alexagirl07).

F. x