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Continue reading →: Gluten free KFC fake-awayOne thing our girl has really missed since her diagnosis, is some really good fried chicken, and while we’ve made it quite a few times, it’s taken us a little while to get the recipe right. And though it’s still not the exact same as KFC, it’s damn good, and…
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Continue reading →: My chat with Ben, from a Gluten Free PodcastI was recently honoured to appear as a guest on “A Gluten Free Podcast”, with Ben Hampton. We chatted about the fight for a proper diagnosis, the emotions that follow, and the toll that coeliac disease takes on the whole family… It was a great chat, and I hope it…
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Continue reading →: Five ingredient gluten free banana bread (with Nutella!)I woke up to three very ripe bananas this morning, and knew they wouldn’t last another day with the humidity in Sydney, so there was only one thing to do – bake banana bread! Now in our house we have one child who loves banana bread, and another who doesn’t,…
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Continue reading →: 5 minute gluten free (microwave) wafflesIf you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’m a fan of any quick and easy gluten free conversion, and these waffles are definitely quick and easy! To make them, we use microwave waffle makers from Aldi (special buy section), but you can get similar ones on Ebay…
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Continue reading →: Gluten free. Gluten friendly. Low gluten. How to decipher hospitality labelling.There are so many different terms and phrases when it comes to listing gluten on restaurant and cafe menus, and they can be very confusing – for even the most seasoned of coeliacs! Gluten free. Gluten Friendly. Low gluten. So what on earth does it all mean? In Australia and…
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Continue reading →: My famous gluten free lazy lasagneA last minute mum version of the traditional comfort dish we all know and love, this lazy lasagne is a great mid-week dinner that the whole family will devour. And with a cooking time of about 20 minutes from start to finish, it’s quick too! I either cook this in…
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Continue reading →: A gluten free weekend away in Terrigal, NSW.Our girl had a dance competition on the NSW Central Coast on the weekend, so we took advantage of the opportunity to go away for a long weekend. After doing lots of research (and calling ALL of the places), I knew we could safely eat out for lunch and dinner,…
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Continue reading →: Did you know there are five types of coeliac disease?Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy or intolerance as many people believe. When gluten enters the body, it triggers an autoimmune response that causes damage to the villi – the small fingerlike structures that line the small intestine. Known as the clinical chameleon, because of the over…
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Continue reading →: Gluten free baked potato piesA good gluten free pie is so hard to make from scratch, the pastry can be fiddly, often cracking, and I find it’s either too dry or too oily. No matter how many times I try, I just can’t get the shortcrust pastry right. These pies though, are the perfect…
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Continue reading →: The five things every coeliac needs to do before visiting a restaurant or cafeGoing out for food is one of the most basic things a person can do. Whether it’s grabbing a take away lunch while at the shops, going out for a celebratory meal with family, or just grabbing coffee and cake while you’re at work, most people don’t have to think…
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Continue reading →: Mixed Berry Breakfast SmoothieOur girl is a big fan of a breakfast on the run (she can be quite a slow mover in the mornings), and while she loves a Dairy Free Up and Go (did you know they’re gluten free!?), I am conscious that they have a very high sugar content, and…
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Continue reading →: The Things I Do To Minimise The Risk of Cross-Contamination When We Buy SushiHubby is out with the boys tonight, so the kids and I decided to do sushi for dinner… Now sushi carries a bit of a risk of cross contamination, so there are a few things we do to try to minimise the risk, as we’re big sushi fans… We don’t…
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Continue reading →: How We Safely Manage A Shared KitchenThe biggest thing I hear new families talk about, is how to manage a shared kitchen. I have to admit, it was nerve wrecking to start with, but now, we don’t even think about it! In our kitchen, the sink sits in the middle of the kitchen, and is the…
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Continue reading →: Japanese Vegetable GyozaI’ve seen these gluten free gyoza floating around on the coeliac pages for a while now, but have never had any luck in spotting them in my local stores, until this week, when I was walking past the asian freezer section, and there they were! Silly me had been looking…
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Continue reading →: Why Your Child Needs A Blood Test BuddyA blood test buddy is a soft, cuddly toy, that your child can carry with them to doctors appointments, and blood tests. This buddy will be there to support them, providing a place to bury their nose when the impending blood test gets a little scary… Someone to cry into,…
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Continue reading →: Gingerbread Folk Gingerbread House KitPossibly one of the most exciting gluten free finds we’ve had so far, is the gluten free gingerbread house kit from the Gingerbread Folk. This little company from the NSW Blue Mountains has created a whole range of gluten, and gluten free seasonal items, but the one that got our…
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Continue reading →: Happy Way Protein PowderWhen I started my plant based journey, I began the hunt for a vegan, gluten free protein powder, and after trying a few, this one has been my favourite (by far!). The vanilla flavour is really quite mild – it isn’t overpowering and doesn’t have a funny aftertaste, which I…
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Continue reading →: 20 Minute Fried RiceIf there is one thing I love, it’s a dinner that can be made in 20 minutes, and that uses up the leftovers in the fridge – and this dish does both. This is also a one pan dish, other than a couple of bowls for ingredients to sit in…
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Continue reading →: Creamy garlic fettuccine with mushroom & broccoliniHere’s a quick, easy and really tasty dish that the whole family will love! This is one for my plant based friends, but I’ll be serving it with grilled chicken on the side for the meat eaters in the house… Prep Time: 5-10 minutesCooking Time: 10-12 minutes Ingredients:San Remo gluten…
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Continue reading →: Gluten Free Bakery Caramel SliceI love a good, easy dessert, and this one is definitely good! The slices are a generous size, the caramel is sweet but not sickly, the biscuit base is light (but doesn’t crumble like some gluten free bases do), and the milk and white marble chocolate top adds a nice…
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Continue reading →: The best gluten free spaghetti bolognaiseLike all kids, mine love a good spaghetti bolognaise, and this one, is so good. I swear the secret is in the mince – it’s a combination of beef and pork, and it just makes the flavour so good. Prep time: Less than 5 minutesCooking time: 10-15 minutes Ingredients:1kg beef…
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Continue reading →: Our Journey to Coeliac DiseaseOur journey to diagnosis, like many others, was a long, painful, drawn out process, that’s resulted in trauma, and anxiety around food. I share our story, and our daily lives, in the hopes that it will educate and empower others to ask questions, and seek help to find answers if…
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Continue reading →: Five ways I use Yumi’s sweet corn frittersYumi’s sweet corn fritters are plant based and gluten free, come in a pack of six, and are delicious! While I use them lots of different ways, here are my top five. 1. First up is the fritters with a salad and avocado. I also added Birch and Waite’s green…
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Continue reading →: Why I’m attempting a plant based diet for the next 12 months8 weeks ago I got the most blood drawn in one go, than I ever have before… Ten vials, and then another four for good measure… I also completed an incredibly detailed gut microbiome test. My new specialist, is all about finding the root causes of chronic illnesses, and I’m…
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Continue reading →: How to cook gluten free ravioli – perfectly!Gluten free ravioli – without a doubt one of the best gluten free alternatives we have found! Cooking it however, has been a real trial and error. When we initially boiled it per instructions on the pack, it all fell apart. When we cooked it for a few minutes less,…
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Continue reading →: Eating Out: Restaurant 317Restaurant 317317 Church St, Parramatta, NSW.The light rail passes right by the front door, or parking can be found 2 minutes walk away, in the Eat St carpark. There really is nothing like the confidence that comes with eating out at a restaurant that is coeliac safe. Sitting down without…
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Continue reading →: Recipe: Chicken CarbonaraStuck for something for dinner tonight? This dish is the ultimate comfort food in our house, and is everyone’s favourite. It’s quite quick as dinners go, the longest part is cooking the chicken and bacon. If i’m in a real rush, I will cook the bacon in the airfryer, while…
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Continue reading →: Kmart Microwave Toastie MakerThere is no better comfort food than a toastie, and thanks to Kmart’s new microwave toastie maker, cross contamination is a thing of the past! I recently saw these online, and grabbed one to try, as cleaning the electric toastie machine between uses is a pain when we’re all having…
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Continue reading →: Hart & Soul Butter ChickenOne thing that I have found in our gluten free journey, is that you should always have an emergency meal in the cupboard – and the Hart and Soul ready meals in the tubs are all currently gluten free (and labelled as such on the front of the tub). Inside…
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Continue reading →: Strawberry + Weet-bix StackThis weet-bix stack is perfect for before or after school, or as a snack before after school sports. It can easily be prepared by a child with supervision (as chopping is required for the fruit), however be warned, the weet-bix does get a little messy when crumbling! Our girl loves…
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Continue reading →: Eating Out: GF Eats BellambiIf you’re feeling like a picnic on the beach, are headed south for the day, or are needing a rest stop on a road trip, GF Eats at Bellambi needs to be on your radar! GF Eats doesn’t only provide fresh, hot, delicious food, they also have the best sweets…
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Continue reading →: Funday SweetsGluten free lollies can be hard to find, but my sister saw these pop up at the cash register at our local Woolworths last week – and decided we had to try them! They were are great texture, a little harder than other lollies, but still chewy. The flavour was…
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Continue reading →: Kckn ChknAnother weekend away filled with gluten free food adventures – this time due to a dance competition on the NSW Central Coast. On our way home we stopped at Kckn Chkn in Gosford, and it was definitely the food highlight of our trip! We girls both had the gluten free…
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Continue reading →: Fake-Away Bacon & Egg McMuffinIf you’re missing the Sunday morning Maccas breakfast experience, we have you covered with a Bacon & Egg Muffin fake-away! Using the Liberate brand of gluten free English muffins, we add Colby cheese slices (they melt really nicely!), a fried egg (with the yolk cracked), bacon, and a little cracked…
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Continue reading →: A story about guilt…Last night was one of those nights. The racing heartbeat woke me multiple times, and the pain in my body had me turning like a rotisserie chicken every 10 minutes. I think I got about 3 hours sleep all up. At about 6.30am, the mind games started. “I can’t go…
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Continue reading →: A Gluten Free Road Trip: Sydney to HuskissonAfter a rough year, we recently found ourselves with an unexpected weekend free of kids sports, and decided we could all do with a couple of nights by the beach… After an afternoon of researching eateries that offered gluten free options, and calling every single one of them to check…
A place for parents and families of people with coeliac disease to access coeliac disease education, gluten free inspiration, and support
On the Blog…
Hi! I’m Jo. Wife to a kiwi, mum to teenagers.
When that diagnosis first comes, it can feel overwhelming and life changing. Suddenly, life as you know it has changed. Spontaneity is replaced by meticulous planning. Take away dinners are swapped for home cooked meals. Familiar brands are substituted with the unknown.
But it doesn’t have to mean the end of joy. Good food, party invites, and family adventures can still be a big part of your life. It just takes a little extra planning, a little support, and a little inspiration!
Enter, the coeliac connection – your one stop shop for gluten free recipes, tips and tricks, as well as coeliac disease education and support.
Are you new to coeliac disease and need a little extra support?
If you’re finding it hard to transition to gluten free life, then you need to join my Facebook group – a place where you can ask me questions, check labels, seek advice about an upcoming event, or just vent after a tough day.
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