My new obsession with Krissy Cela

Don't you just love being inspired? That feeling of excitement that makes you want to jump up and down and rush out to try [insert new thing here]?

Admittedly, it doesn't happen that often for me. But it did when Krissy Cela brought out a new book.

I'd been really pleased to find Krissy Cela on Instagram. She seemed fun and had a really healthy attitude. And the more I saw her videos and posts, the more I liked her.

So on Saturday I treated myself to her new book, Happy Healthy Strong. It's got a ton of gluten-free recipes in there (and those that aren't are easily adaptable*) and within 2 days I'd tried three of them.

First up was her version of French Toast, which involves a dollop of coconut cream and yummy berries. Admittedly, it's not a looker, but who cares when it tastes so good?

I reckon my plate doesn't look too dissimilar from hers!

Plus, it went down very down very well with the family, and when I asked the next day what they wanted for breakfast my daughter said, "that bread thing". (Translation: high praise from a 4 year old.)

I'm confident there'll be no hesitation over eating this!

The bread I used was a gluten-free seeded loaf I'd made in the breadmaker two days earlier. Krissy recommends you use stale bread so this was perfect.

Because of the success of the French Toast, I immediately set my eyes on another dish: banoffee pie. And it was so delicious I didn't actually make time to take a photo (it got eaten by all in a flash). Plus it didn't really look as amazing as Krissy's (hmmm, possibly need to work on my presentation skills!).

Come Monday, I was craving another fun breakfast, so I made a Shakshuka (my first ever!) with excellent results. I have to say, I'd possibly leave this for a weekend next time as it took a while for the veg to simmer (tomatoes, onion & pepper, since you ask). But it was well worth the wait. The eggs were divine!

I added a slice of Tesco gluten-free seeded bread to my plate for extra carbs. And a drizzle of oil that went horribly wrong and looks like a worm travelled across it. (Tasted good, though.)

The other thing I like about the book is the balance she brings to food (as well as exercise - another obsession of mine). She explains why it's best not to look at foods as good or bad but instead embrace what they do for our health. It's probably the best explanation I've seen of why food labelling can lead to a toxic relationship with eating (and I know too well how this can be exacerbated when you have to avoid gluten as a coeliac).

So what's next? I've got my sights set on her salted caramel squares, which look AMAZING and involve a toffee sauce made from coconut milk and dates. I'm pretty confident they'll go down well with the little people, too. I'll be sure to let you know!

Is it worth getting a breadmaker for gluten-free bread? Read on...