Pretty Tasty Gluten-Free!

If you have been searching high and low for tasty gluten-free baked goods, then search no longer as the perfect spot has just opened in Dublin’s city centre. 

Antoinette’s Bakery is the brainchild of Sinead Vaughan, who has been developing her own gluten-free recipes for some time now.  There are six people employed in the bakery/coffee shop – three of whom are bakers. 

The staff are warm, friendly and informative and one girl explains how each cake requires a slightly different mix of flour in order to give it a light and airy texture.  She invites us to try the chocolate brownie and we have to agree that it is impossible to identify it as a gluten-free product.  It is light, moist and chocolaty with a soft, smooth texture – no graininess or grittiness that might sometimes be associated with this type of product. 

Being coeliac herself, the staff member states that she has never before had so much choice in baked goods – Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, Lemon Drizzle Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cupcakes, Mince Pies, Christmas Pudding, the list goes on!  There are also delicious looking Soda Breads on display as well as several products that are Dairy, Egg and Sugar Free. 

The entire shop is gluten-free – staff aren't even allowed to bring in lunch that might contain gluten, lest it contaminates anything in the kitchen.

The whole store screams sustainability, but in a pretty tea-shop fashion – the décor is pink and floral with compostable coffee cups to takeaway coffee.  The coffee is sourced from a company called Mojo in Wexford and it’s delicious and great value (€2 for an Americano).

Antoinette’s is taking orders for cakes on an ongoing basis and for Christmas products up to December 16^th.

Check out Antoinette’s Bakery, 6 Kevin Street Lower, Dublin 8, Twitter @Antoinettesbake and facebook.com/antoinettesbakery.

Lakrids - A Danish Love Affair

Having worked hard on my fitness over the last few months, I felt it important to keep to my healthy eating plan.  Not so easy with the season that’s in it, dinners, lunches, drinks….  So when my husband brought home a very classy advent calendar, I was torn.  Should I open it and eat what was inside?  The smooth black box with a gold band advertising ’24 Little Black Secrets’ was very much aimed at an adult market, so I didn't want to open it in case I couldn't stop at just one sweet.
I resisted until Saturday, the 7^th December, at which point I opened up the box for December 1^st.  The sweets were AMAZING!  Small chocolate balls, covering a small piece of delicious liquorice.  The chocolate was the best I have ever eaten – and I have eaten a lot of chocolate!  It melts at just the right rate and all of the flavours invade your whole mouth.  After the chocolate melts, you’re left with a delicious piece of liquorice to chew. 

I quickly finished the two pieces and opened the box for December 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th.  Each sweet was as delicious as the last and there was also a jar of liquorice syrup to use on day 6.  

I was a little confused about how to use the syrup, however, on looking at the inside of the numbers, there was a message or an instruction to follow for each day, including a link to a website that outlined recipes for the syrup. 

There were tasks such as posting liquorice inspired photos on Instagram and seeing them posted on the FB page for Lakrids by Johan Bülow.  Other tasks involved writing slogans and suggesting interesting things to do with the liquorice syrup.  The level of thought that had gone into planning this level of customer interaction on social media platforms was impressive.  I was immediately drawn in and it was an excellent way to increase consumer contact.  As I was a little behind on the tasks, I didn't interact immediately, but I did tweet about what a fantastic product it was, putting a liquorice-loving friend on to the secret I’d discovered. 

I had to admit I was hooked.  Obsessing about the flavours and the varieties available, I worked through the 8^th to the 10^th of December, eating the sweets for each date and making myself walk away without trying to open any other dates.  I was impressed with my willpower.

However, last night, my husband arrived home with a tube containing three 160g jars of Lakrids by Johan Bülow. 

I don’t know whether my screams were of delight or fear – I could happily munch my way through the three jars without help from anyone else.  There was a jar of Christmas Chocolate Coated sweets – Liquorice pieces in Belgian White Chocolate and rolled in edible gold stardust – a jar of Belgian Chocolate Coated sweets – Liquorice in Belgian Milk Chocolate, rolled in cocoa – and a jar of White Chocolate & Passion Coated sweets – Liquorice in Belgian White Chocolate & Passion Fruit.  Having tried one of each, I couldn’t decide which my favourite was, so I went back and ate two more of each type! 

On reading the story behind the brand on their website, it is clear that there is huge passion behind the product and a great team working hard to make it the success it is.  It is a very upmarket, elegant brand and this comes through in everything the company does – its packaging, design, marketing and in the outlets to which it sells.  You won’t find this product in supermarkets; Lakrids by Johan Bülow is only available in high end stores and in their own stores.  In this way, they can ensure that the same passion with which the product was created by Johan initially can filter through to the end user at every interaction.

The product is also extremely high quality – only the very best ingredients are used to create the unique taste.  Lakrids by Johan Bülow use gluten-free flour to create their liquorice, which is great news given the high numbers of people who are gluten intolerant or coeliac.

I am a fan of healthy food and I try not to eat too many sweets or desserts, however, when I do treat myself I believe it should be worth it.  The product should be high quality and I like to know exactly what I’m eating.  With Lakrids by Johan Bülow, you get just this.  It is a great product that is really worth treating yourself for.

I've decided that these sweets would make a fantastic Christmas present for my family and friends in Ireland where they are not yet available and I know that once they taste them, I will be inundated with requests to replenish their supply in the New Year!

Lakrids by Johan Bülow are available in Denmark – in Copenhagen Airport, at Magasin Kogens Nytorv, Lyngby, Odense and in Tivoli Gardens.  They are also in the UK in Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Masons in London aswell as in Chelsea Market Basket in New York.

You can buy online at http://liquorice.nu/.  Beware – you too might get hooked!

Delightful Dentistry!

I've just had the most pleasant experience at the dentist!  Granted, I wasn't being treated, but it was my two-year old son so it could have been very different.

Having registered in Denmark, we were automatically put into the Healthcare system.  We were all called for various health checks and our two-year old was called to visit the dentist.  I was surprised as he was so young, given that in Ireland children are not seen until much later.

Childhood dentists are something with which I’m very familiar.  Two years ago, I noticed a chip in my five-year old daughter’s tooth.  It turned out to be an advanced cavity, of which she had four.  We were devastated.  We eat well and clean our children’s teeth, how could this have happened? 

I brought her to the HSE dentist, who ordinarily doesn't see children until they are eight years old.  I was told that we should leave the cavities to develop until such a time as they needed to be removed, at which time we could have the extractions done free of charge in St James’ Hospital, under general anaesthetic. 

I was horrified.  We will allow children to damage their teeth to such an extent as to need extractions before we will intervene on the public system?  Luckily, we were in a position to avail of a private dentist, but we hoped to claim back some of the treatment cost from our Health Insurer.  This turned out not to be possible.  There is an obvious hole in the healthcare system when it comes to paediatric dentistry. 

We visited Castleknock Orthodontics, who had a wonderful Paediatric Dentist at the time (she has since joined Crumlin Hospital to treat patients there).  My daughter was made to feel welcome and comfortable before any treatment was attempted.  In order to treat her four cavities, she would need two extractions - as the cavities were too advanced to treat – one filling and the other cavity was in her front milk tooth that would soon fall out.  Ironically, the waiting list for our dentist to take a place in a private hospital to carry out the extractions was so long that we were better going to St James’ Hospital on the public system.

I remember the morning we travelled there by bus.  My daughter was nervous, but not overwhelmingly so.  We arrived into the hospital, where there was already a queue of parents with their children.  During the time we waited, patients were being brought into the treatment room very quickly, with no child in there longer than four or five minutes.  The doctors and nurses were well used to performing these extractions and made the children feel very comfortable.  But what was shocking to me was the numbers of children being treated.  There must have been about thirty children being treated that morning.

On discussing this with our dentist, she recalled a two-year old patient on which twenty extractions had to be carried out – every single tooth that the child had was so decayed that they could not be saved.

So what is wrong with our dental system?  Firstly, not seeing children until they are eight years old is too late.  Bad practices have had so long to develop that it is almost impossible to correct any damage done.  In countries such as the US and Denmark, children are seen from birth, in order to educate children and parents, therefore reducing the need for treatment.  People’s teeth are so good in these countries and it makes such a huge difference to their appearance.  Have you seen the clever Colgate campaign? http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/01/colgate-dental-floss-ad-campaign.html

Secondly, the education for parents regarding care of their children’s teeth is almost non-existent.  Every now and again there might be a poster outlining a key point with regard to teeth care, but nothing substantial.

I learned so much about teeth care through our experience with my daughter –

Cavities develop at the rate of about 1mm per year – in our case, the dentist could tell that the damage had occurred to my daughter’s molars at about eighteen months.  It was done by falling asleep with a bottle.  Leaving a coating of milk on teeth overnight is as bad as sucking a hard sweet through the whole night!  She also loved raisins, which are notorious for damaging teeth.

Toothpaste with a fluoride count of less than 1450ppm (parts per million) will not be effective in cleaning and protecting teeth – this information is written in small print on the back of the toothpaste tube.

Children should not be allowed to brush their own teeth up to the age of eight.  It’s OK to allow them to brush their teeth, but then lay them down with their head on your lap (it’s easier to see into their mouths this way) and gently brush all faces of their teeth.  Lift their lips out of the way to get to their molars.

There appears to be a complete lack of focus on children’s teeth which is leading to misunderstandings, even within the dental profession.  When my daughter was one, I brought her along to my own checkup.  I expressed concern that it was difficult to clean her teeth as she didn't enjoy having it done and cried a lot when I tried.  I was told that it was not important to clean her teeth very well, that it was more important not to turn her off brushing.  My experiences since then have shown me that although it is important that children enjoy brushing, it is more important that their teeth are cleaned properly, especially in the evening.  Small children do not like having their teeth brushed, so laying them down to do it may make it easier. 

Playing games and telling stories about ‘who can we see inside your mouth’ may also help. 

Let them have their own brush that they can chew and wave about, but also have a brush that you can use to clean properly.

Here in Denmark, entering the dentist’s office was like going into a nursery.  Everyone smiled and chatted to my son and there were toys everywhere.  Everything was focused on helping the child feel at ease and he played and sat on my knee during the entire process, right up until he was handed a bag of small toys and stickers to take away with him!  We were given lots of practical advice about his teeth and my son got to choose a new toothbrush to take away with him. 

It really gives you food for thought, when you imagine the HSE clinics in Dublin, with mildew on the walls, staff trying their best to be happy and help people in pretty poor working conditions….

These are a few of my favourite foods.....

I decided to revisit my healthy eating phase having visited my sister-in-law in Cornwall and eaten my weight in Pasties, Chips and Cream Teas!  Nice as it was to let go for a week, my body did not thank me upon my return…  My tongue was sore and cracked and I felt tired and sapped of all energy. 

Being vegetarian, I’ve always loved vegetables (which comes in handy!) and I love fruit, seeds, nuts, pulses and other weird and wonderful things that some people find strange.  However, it has to taste good.  Having cut down on refined carbohydrates, especially sugar, I feel much better and have more energy.

Try this sundried tomato pesto http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sun-dried-tomato-pesto/ - fabby and really easy to make once you gather the ingredients.

Sourcing ingredients doesn't have to be expensive.  Aldi and Lidl offer a fantastic selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, upon which they pride themselves.  Their meat and fish is Irish, and allows people to eat Free Range/Organic/Line Caught produce rather than the cheaper, farmed alternatives that are detrimental to animal and human health.  Lidl have a staff policy of taking offsale anything ‘that you would not buy yourself’.  This gives a very high standard of quality produce available to consumers, at a very reasonable price.  
Cooking from scratch is now easier than ever - I find online programmes/apps and books fantastic for quick and easy meals.  Jamie Oliver’s recipes are excellent – they’re simple, tasty and they always work!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/books/jamie-s-15-minute-meals

Give batch cooking a go at the weekend (or when the kids are napping) and freeze in single portions for use when time is sparse.  This means that there's always a healthy home-cooked meal available.  

My all-time favourite recipe books are from the Avoca kitchen.  Real food that tastes amazing - try the broccoli salad with feta,cherry tomatoes and hazelnuts.....Their books are available here - http://avoca.ie/home/products/?mid=17&__pg_pg=1&__pg_ps=12. 

Although I like healthy foods, I LOVE desserts and like to make sure that I bake as often as possible to make sure I know what's going into the treats we eat.  Try to use the best possible ingredients when baking.  It doesn’t have to be expensive, however, as Aldi and Lidl carry baking ranges that provide lots of store cupboard elements to create fantastic home baked goods.  The only problem is that sometimes availability is an issue so the same products aren't always available.  More specialised ingredients are often on special offer in healthfood stores, such as Nature’s Way or Holland and Barrett.  

My favourite cake to back is Red Velvet - light and airy, it gives just the right amount of chocolate without being too rich.  The best Red Velvet Cake recipe is available from JoyofBaking.com, but I generally cut the sugar down by about half - http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html.
The icing here is delicious and colours easily if necessary, but I find that the kids don’t like it as much as grownups, so I use Betty Crocker (readymade) Vanilla Icing 450g – covers & fills an 8” cake or 32 cupcakes, also available in Chocolate and Chocolate Fudge.  The Chocolate Fudge is a little heavy, so it’s only for diehard chocolate fans :)

Apologies for the lack of photos, hopefully I can update with photos later....
Would love your suggestions and comments on your favourite foods :)

Death and Social Media

People have always held a fascination for death – think of your grandmother reading the obituaries every day or people rubbernecking at the scene of an accident.  However, never more than today have people’s lives been more accessible to us to investigate.  No longer is it kept to the wake for people to reminisce with their friends and family about the last days and minutes of their loved one’s life. 

At the click of a button or the swipe of a screen we can see everything that the person has done up to the point at which they died.  Social media displays photos and messages to and from the person and may even include photos related to their death. 

This was never as apparent as this week with the death of Paul Walker.  Huffpost today published photos of the car after the crash m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4372431?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 and we previously saw photos of Paul standing at the Porsche moments before he left in it with his friend Roger Rodas.  Doing a quick search of Twitter for ‘Paul Walker’, his profile appears at the top of the results.  

It’s almost eerie that we can view photos and opinions from people posthumously, especially in an edited fashion as appears on Facebook.  Who doesn't examine every photo they’re tagged in online to ensure they appear in the best light to all of their contacts online?  People often ‘check in’ to venues before they order a drink or search for their friends!  In this way, the life we create for ourselves on Facebook is often the very best of us, our happy memories and pretty pictures.  That’s what makes viewing a profile posthumously so strange.  It’s almost as if the person is still there, alive, happy, smiling and enjoying life.  In some regards, it’s nice to see people at their best, but does it make it all the harder to let go?

However, nothing could have prepared us for the case of the twenty-three year old charged with the violent murder of a seventeen year old girl in the UK, of which he produced his own photographic evidence -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516804/Georgia-Williams-murder-Jamie-Reynolds-admits-killing-girl-strangling-her.html.  Having wooed her and been rebuked, he then lured her to his home with the promise of producing pictures for a modelling portfolio.  After taking some photos, he then strangled her and continued to take photos post-mortem.  He has pleaded guilty to the murder, saving the family the distress of a trial, and the post-mortem photos taken by the accused will be shown only to the judge when he hands down the sentence.

How has social media and information accessibility influenced the way in which we conduct ourselves when in public?  The case in Slane on 20 August really proved how easily photos are shared in social media, a point reiterated by the fifth grade teacher who has posted a photo on Facebook to prove how quickly photos are shared and manipulated - http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/a-fifth-grade-teacher-wanted-to-show-her-students-what-happe.

Inappropriate and violent behaviour has been around since the beginning of humanity, but social media has made it easier for like-minded people to connect and share sometimes dangerous images and ideas that would otherwise only be shared if they met in person.