Changes...

I have some exciting news... our family is moving beyond failsafe...

I have been looking at healing and have worked over the last few months to change my diet to a GAPS style. I have had great success and am now working at liberalising the children's foods...
 
Accordingly I have started a new section of the website for those interested. You will see it at the top of this page as a new TAB, GRAIN FREE. There will be regular tips and recipes suitable, as well as our story of how we made the change.

I will still be here for all the Failsafers too...

Happy New Year!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog...

This is where I am at with my family and our diets...


We have transitioned from Failsafe to a GAPS style diet.

I am currently on full GAPS and the children are in the process of liberalising their food chemicals...

Read all about this in Our Story to Healing



We have a facebook group you might like to join for support Beyond Failsafe...GAPS



I will be sharing all the recipes we love very soon...

Time Saving Tips

Do we really need to be in the kitchen all day cooking for this style of eating?

Here are some tips to get you started:


Make your broth overnight in slowcooker
then use this as base for soup and casseroles etc all the next day
If only you doing it, then freeze what you don't need
Slow cook lamb shoulders
use that as your meat for your meals and snacks
(you can slow cook it over night on very low or do it for 4 hours in oven on 150)
 
Make chicken broth with half a chicken (I do 2 pots to use the whole chicken)
then you are left with meat and broth
If you are working
have a big day doing lots of broth and meat,
freeze in meal size portions for your work day
 
When baking slices and cakes, bake them in rectangluar tins
cut into cubes and freeze for quick snacks and lunchbox treats

Our story to healing

How we went from Failsafe to GAPS to healing...

Some of you have followed my family's journey on the RPAH Elimination / Failsafe Diet. After 7 years on a low chemical diet, I decided, as did many other mothers, that there must be a cause for these intolerances and set about finding why. This lead me to Biomedicine.

 

BIOMEDICINE and HEALING...

Biomedical doctors look a little deeper than your average GP and seek to correct any imbalances. They use blood and urine tests, as well as symptoms and other things as diagnostic tools. I have found my medical professionals to be invaluable, from RPAH Allergy Unit as well as my biomedical doctor.

Over the last few months, I have seen a dramatic change in myself since starting supplements to correct these imbalances. As I saw improvements I started to challenge with higher chemical foods. Firstly I introduced some salicylates with success. I was reacting to Fodmaps and sulfur, so I chose new foods that were low in those as well. Zuchinni, Carrot and Pumpkin initially. I started with very small amounts every day until I could tolerate a full cup. Amines however were still causing reactions.

As some of you know I am not good with moderation and of course had many blowouts in the excitement of being able to eat something new! When that would happen I would just pull back and then resume the gradual liberalising...  

Part of my biomedical treatment was probiotics. They were a little tough to handle at first but as I started to cope with them, I thought I might try some chicken stock. The amines were previously too high for me. Cooked it very briefly in the beginning and enjoyed the extra flavour very much!

GAPS...

At this point, I realised there needed to be much gut healing. I have previously read the GAPS book but had filed it away as the food required relied very heavily on amines, nuts, eggs, coconut. Seeing as I was tolerating some new food, I thought I would try to introduce some healing foods next.

Coconut was first on my list... I had read it has so many healing qualities and is used in a lot of GAPS baking. To try it, I just added a small amount to my usual gluten free baking.

Broth... as I mentioned before I started to use chicken stock. I increased the time it was cooked every couple of weeks and gradually moved over to lamb broth and bone broth.

Egg was next... I had bought chickens earlier in the year to see if I could eat eggs if they were really fresh. Started by using a small amount of egg in cakes, then gradually was able to tolerate eating an egg cooked on its own.

Nuts... they are not really necessary and aren't recommended to eat daily, but I did work on building tolerance to almonds. Started with just one a day.

Fermented veg... initially I thought these were really gross. A tiny taste made me violently ill (die off is very rapid!) I bought some from Kitsa's Kitchen and started just having a tiny 1/4t of the juice each day and built from there. I now have lots of lovely jars... all different veg and enjoy several tablespoons with meals.

Kefir... also an acquired taste but very healing. Since dairy was not an option initially, I started with coconut and water kefir. It does work quickly and the die off is rapid so I started slowly. Many blowouts with this as I started to enjoy the taste and have found a level suitable for me now.

Kombucha... fermented tea. Having been sugar free for so long, I like things that are not too sweet. This tea is kind of vinegary. If left to ferment too long, that is what you get. If you want to add mango, you get a lovely iced tea. I really enjoy it just as is, and have a glass every morning with breakfast.

It took six months to get to the kefir and fermented veg stage. I didn't remove grains at the start as a lot of people do. There was less than 10 foods for me to choose from and I couldn't think of anything to eat.

GRAIN FREE... really

I often read that GAPS/PALEO diets meant you didn't really need to snack... thought what a load of rubbish! No snacking, how could that be...

At this stage I thought, I think I am ready to be grain free... I had a number of new foods, enough to make satifying meals. So I bit the bullet and made the change.

DAIRY...

When you make yoghurt and ferment it for 24 hours, it is meant to be lower in casein and lactose. So I gave it a go with cows milk... reaction but nothing like I would have before. So I tried goats milk and that has been going well. Just small amounts at this stage each day.

MEALS...

Breakfast can be eggs or meat with kale, mushrooms, zuchinni stir fried in ghee and coconut oil... with some fermented veg, avocado and papaya or mango with broth added to make a soup or just in mug on the side. As well as a glass of kombucha

Morning tea is unusual. If I am out for the morning till after lunch... I will take a few nuts, a slice of grain free cake or some chia pudding with coconut custard. Most of the time, I'm not hungry until mid afternoon.

Lunch can be anything... if I had morning tea, I don't eat it. But if I am home, I will cook some chicken add some fermented veg and a couple of spoonfuls of homemade goats yoghurt. Or have a salad or just have a big mug of broth.

Afternoon tea very rare (I know shocked me too!) If I have made a slow roasted shoulder of lamb, I might have a pick at that. Or have a bit of homemade goats yoghurt and some fruit.

Dinner is roast meat with veg... either made into soup with broth or just by themselves. Could be a stir fry or casserole. Basically meat and veg.

I am a bit of a dessert fiend... so I have made lots of delish puddings, cakes and chocolate treats... Cookies are a bit hit and miss... some I love and then can't stop eating. I have found it easier to not have too many baking snacks on hand. I make cakes and slices and freeze them, then pull one out and stop there.


It has been difficult and die off is really not much fun... but look at the amazing variety I can now enjoy. Food is again my friend!

CHILDREN...

I am now on the mission to heal my children so they too can enjoy this food... my approach is slowly slowly. I am not jumping in the deep end with GAPS intro, but gradually working on liberalising their diet like I did mine, with healing foods. Their first foods have been a few moderate salicylates and coconut oil; small amounts of broth a couple of times a week and half ml every few days of fermented veg juice. Will keep moving them towards grain free as I did.



Good luck with your healing journey... remember we are all individuals and you need to do what is suitable for your family





Disclaimer: I am not a medical practitioner and this website does not constitute medical advice. You should consult your doctor or dietician in relation to food intolerances or allergies and any dietary changes you make.

Christmas Cookies

 

Gingerless Christmas Cookies

These cookies are made like your usual gingerbread, we just need to leave out the spices to be low chemical.

 

 

ingredients

125g Nuttelex
1/2C Brown Sugar
1/2C Golden Syrup
1 1/4C Fine White Rice Flour
1 1/4C Arrowroot or Tapioca Starch
1t Bicarb Soda

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius

 

traditional method

Cream the Nuttelex and the sugar
Add golden syrup and mix
Add dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth dough
(if sticky add a tiny bit of each flour until smooth)

Thermomix method

Add Nuttelex and sugar to the bowl, mix 10 seconds, speed 4
Add Syrup, mix 10 seconds, speed 4
Add dry ingredients, mix 10 seconds, speed 4
Scrape down and repeat if necessary
(if sticky add a tiny bit of each flour until smooth)


Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up
Roll out between sheets of baking paper (add a little dusting of rice flour if necessary)

Cut into desired shapes and bake on baking paper for approx 10 minutes until golden.


Cool and decorate using a simple icing (icing sugar with a tiny bit of water) and white Hopper Sprinkles from Allergy Train.

 

 

Cookie Christmas Tree

This is made with the Vanilla Cookie recipe in my first Recipe Book and a kit I purchased from Kmart.

Add a bit of extra rice flour to the mix to make the dough a little firmer.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes

Roll out between sheets of baking paper (add a little dusting of rice flour if necessary)
Using the cookie cutters in the kit, cut lots of different size stars - using the cutter provided to make holes in the centre of each cookie

Bake as usual and cool

Assemble using the wooden dowel in the kit (they are delicate so handle carefully)

Dust with icing sugar to finish!

Reindeer Cupcakes

These little cuties were a bit hit with my daughter's preschool last year. All recipes for each component can be found in my first Recipe Book.

You will need pretzels, cupcakes and icing...

First you need pretzels for the antlers... instead of piping squiggles, pipe in a V shape (you can use poppy seeds or not in the mix)

The cupcake is my usual gluten, dairy, egg, nut, soy, corn, sugar free mix, made in metalic silver, gold, green and red cases instead of plain. Everything is done as per recipe.

Icing is a simple mix of icing sugar and a small amount of water to make a thick paste. Spread onto cool cupcake and smooth.

The nose and eyes are the same icing with a small amount of carob added for colour. Roll into three small balls and press onto the cupcake face.

While the icing is still setting, insert the antlers carefully.

What your toddlers eyes light up when they see these on the Christmas table...

Christmas Baking

If this is your first Christmas on a restricted diet, either with newly diagnosed allergies/intolerances, following RPAH Elimination or Failsafe diet.... you might be feeling a little disheartened and upset that you will be missing out this year.

True many of the foods you might have enjoyed last Christmas are now off the menu, but there are plenty of delicious goodies to make... you just need to be a little more creative.

Here are a few tips to make this Christmas a special feast for the whole family.







Firstly decoration: We decorate the tree, now we need to lay the table... maybe you could use a Christmas themed dinner set, or a beautiful tablecloth, some bon bons, an amazing centre piece... it is up to your imagination!

Now our table is laid... what to do about the food...

We can't have turkey, but we can have a lovely roast chook, a leg of lamb, some roast beef... For the littlies, they might like some sausage rolls or some chicken schnitzel fingers.

Plenty of salad options, or hot vegies if you prefer.

Last year, I did a warm swede salad, coleslaw and quinoa and lentil salad. We had lots of lettuce and green beans too. Potato salad is still easy to do with the ingredients we have.

Breads - easy to make garlic and parsley or plain foccacia, or some little dinner rolls.

Dessert... Gingerless cookies, cupcakes, pear crumble, pear danish, pear cake, self saucing puddings or carob cake... add some custard and icecream and everyone will enjoy it.

These foods can be prepared free from gluten, corn, dairy, egg, nuts, soy, as well as low in salicylates and amines to be suitable for the most sensitive.



Salads - quinoa and lentil, warm swede, coleslaw

Pear Cake



Reindeer Cupcakes and Cookie Christmas Tree




Gingerless Christmas cookies



 



Most of these recipes are in my recipe books. Others I will be posting soon...

 

Remember to have a look at the Failsafe blogs for lots of ideas on what to serve this year at your Christmas feast!

 

God bless

 

 

New Book is ready!

thirty second baking

some favourites and new creations in thermospeak

All recipes are suitable for RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet
low salicylates, low amines and free from gluten, dairy, egg, nut, soy, corn, sugar

This book is for all the Thermomix fans... some of the recipes in my current book have been converted to thermospeak for you... there is also something new. The recipes focus on baking as there are so many brilliant blogs full of meal ideas for you to follow. Please check the Links tab for details.

To keep the printing cost (and therefore the cost to you) at a minimum, there are no photographs. I have included some images here for you to see what you can create.

Happy Baking!

Cooking Classes

Cooking Classes for December...

Failsafe Thermomix - tips and tricks to help

We will be looking at what the TMX can do to benefit and save us time in the kitchen...
You don't need to be an owner to come, would be a great opportunity to see why you might want one :D


Saturday 8th and Monday 10th December
10.30am - 1pm
Peakhurst, Sydney
$90 per person (all ingredients are included)

50% deposit is required to secure your spot...

places are limited as I will be running these classes in my kitchen :)

 

RSVP with date preferred and your email address please to kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com

NOTE: Class will be suitable for those following RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet.

All cooking will be free from gluten and dairy.

I am not a Thermomix Consultant... just a fan

Printed Books Now Available to Post Overseas

Exciting news!

We are now able to post to New Zealand, UK and USA!
Rates are very reasonable $10 or less

Purchases can be made on the Recipe Book Tab... just click on the appropriate pay now button

Failsafe Picnic

We had a lovely time sharing food and friendship with some failsafe families from our Facebook support groups this week...

Here is the article from our local paper... 'The Leader'

Whoops for the misunderstanding... choko = chocolate (if only lol)

We don't eat chocolate...

Cooking Classes

Cooking Classes for October...

 

Failsafe Thermomix - tips and tricks to help

We will be looking at what the TMX can do to benefit and save us time in the kitchen...
You don't need to be an owner to come, would be a great opportunity to see why you might want one :D


Monday 15th and Saturday 27th
10.30am - 1pm
$90 per person (all ingredients are included)

 

50% deposit is required to secure your spot...

places are limited as I will be running these classes in my kitchen :)

 

If there is something in particular you would like to see done,

please let me know asap so I can slot it into the class plan.

RSVP with date preferred and your email address please to kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com

 

 

 

NOTE: Class will be suitable for those following RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet.

All cooking will be free from gluten and dairy.

I am not a Thermomix Consultant... just a fan

 

 

Hello all Failsafers and those on RPAH Elimination diet...

If you live in the Illawarra NSW area (or want to travel down with me!) and interested in coming to listen to me talk about Failsafe Foods...

You need to book your tickets ASAP to join 

 'Food for Thought'

We will be looking at what is the Failsafe diet, what can it do for me, how to get started, what if I have allergies too...

You can buy tickets from the DPS Canteen or questions regarding ticket sales can be directed to Michelle Briant by facebook or email michelle.briant@yahoo.com.au or for more info about the talk you can email kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com

Tickets go on sale Friday 14th Sept

WHERE

Dapto Public School - Hall
66 Sierra Dr, Horsley

WHEN

Tues 16th October

TIME

6pm-8pm approx

COST

$10.00 pp - Purchase of tickets are only through DPS Canteen

questions regarding ticket sales can be directed to Michelle Briant by facebook or email michelle.briant@yahoo.com.au

Ticket numbers are limited

A light supper will be provided after the talk



 If you are a local failsafer and would like to share your story, please let me know as I think sharing is the best way to encourage others on their journey...

eBook automatic download

We have upgraded our site so when you purchase the eBook you will be able to get it straight away!

An email will be sent to you with a link to download.

Go to the recipe book tab to order your copy now...

Happy Baking!

FAQ videos

If you have a question you would like me to answer relating to any recipes, ingredients or anything else you have concerns about, please comment below...

I am going to upload some YouTube videos to answer them!

Tortillas and Water Buttons

Tortillas

gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, corn free, soy free, sugar free
suitable for RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet

These are great as a bread alternative for breakfast and lunch and for those who are yeast free too.

They are not pliable, so not suitable to use as wraps... see Flatbread (wraps)

We use them as burger buns, sandwiches or just plain in fun shapes.










Some helpful tips to get the best result:

TIP 1
Do not add too much water. Add it slowly and wait for the water to be combined. The gums take a little while to activate... wait until the mix starts to come together

Add water slowly until dough comes together

TIP 2
Once the mix has come together, remove from the bowl and knead until smooth. The dough is very soft and easy to work with.





Tip dough out of machine and then bring together in a ball

Knead until smooth

TIP 3
Roll out using a floured rolling pin and cut into desired shapes. We use a small circle for children's burgers, and a large one for adults.

Roll out and cut shapes using cookie cutters

TIP 4
Cook in a very hot ungreased pan until the surface starts to bubble, flip and cook briefly on the second side.

Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip

TIP 5
Tortillas can be frozen. Defrost on bench or in the microwave.


VARIATIONS
Use different cookie cutters for fun shapes... Use large shapes for best results

Dinosaurs...



This is a small quantity of dough, if you have a large family,

you will need to double or triple the recipe.



Water Buttons

gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, corn free, soy free, sugar free
These are the same recipe as the tortillas, just baked instead of cooking in the pan.

Cut out in whatever shapes you like... sticks are good for dipping or use fun shapes for the kids.















TIP
Do not add too much water. When you add water to biscuits it makes them hard. If you add too much they will be too hard to bite. If you have added all the water the recipe calls for, add some more Nuttelex instead if you need more moisture.

(we use more water when making rusks so babies can't bite through them)

VARIATIONS
Sprinkle with garlic salt before baking...
Mix some poppy seeds into the dough...
Mix some parsley and crushed garlic into the dough...


Happy Baking!



Flatbread (wraps)

Making Flatbread (wraps)

gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, corn free, soy free, sugar free
suitable for RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet

These are really delicious, soft and pliable to make the perfect wrap.



Here are a collection of tips to help you make the best wrap...









TIP 1

Don't be tempted to thin the batter... just add 1 1/4 cups of water. The batter will be very thick and you will need to use a spatula to spread it in the pan. If you add more water the gums will lose stability and the batter will lose its structure.

The batter will be thick and glossy

TIP 2
Spread out the batter in your pan with a spatula. Start in the centre and spread out around your pan... spread it as thinly as you would like it to be. If you want to make 'naan' style bread, leave it nice and thick.

Spread out the batter with your spatula

TIP 3
Use a cold pan to spread the batter. This will stop the batter from instantly cooking and give you time to spread it out to your desired consistency. Cool down your pan in between wraps by rinsing the back under cold water until there is no steam.



Cool the back of the pan under cold water



Leave under the water until there is no more steam

TIP 4
Layer your hot wraps on top of eachother to soften... When they are first cooked they are crispy. If you want to use them as wraps, the steam, when layered, will soften them and make them pliable



Layer your wraps... the steam will soften them

TIP 5
Freeze leftover wraps between layers of baking paper for quick lunches. Defrost on the bench or in the microwave.


Enjoy filled with meat and salad, spread with melted garlic butter to have with your fav curry, wrap it around a sausage or just eat them plain!



What's in the book?

Here are some images to show you what you can create with my recipe book.... this is only a small sample and there is food for all occasions... Everything is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, corn free and sugar free. There is a sugar section for those who can tolerate it. All recipes are suitable during the RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet.

breads and other essentials

Yeasted Bread



Wraps

Tortillas

sweet and savoury snacks




Water Buttons

Pretzels

Millet cookies



Vanilla Cookies and Jam Drops

Cupcakes

Icecream

choko creations





Choko - can be used sweet or savoury... we use it instead of pears

Choko Crumble



choko fruit straps/leather/rollups

Choko Jam

entertaining ideas...

Parties - chicken schnitzel fingers, sausage rolls, burgers

Cookies and Cake Pops

Christmas Baking

This is just a little taste of the goodies you can create... all the recipes suit the most sensitive and are the starting point to all you can imagine

Happy Baking!

recipe index is below... and more images can be found on Facebook in the Photo Albums