Anyone can travel, all you need to do is……
This is the theme for this month’s group writing project. Well, one of my biggest difficulties with travelling is diet. I have three coeliac children, and we also avoid dairy food. We typically find gluten free, dairy free foods are more expensive, and can be harder to source. Driving through remotes parts of Australia there just aren’t gluten free options on the shelves of the roadhouses. The cost of rice milk and soy milk are often ridiculous, if they are even available.
We were discussing that we have lived in remote areas before as we prepare to head up north next month to the Kimberley region in far north-western Australia for six months of work. Susan’s comment,
“Oh, it’s easy to live in remote desert regions if you have enough food stored under your couch. I guess not everyone has a hollow couch for storing things in, though.”
I purchased a bread maker a year ago when we were in Andamooka, in remote north-east South Australia. The kids spent a term at the school there, while Jarrad worked on the mines. Bread seemed like an easy way to send lunch to school with the kids. Every night, Susan and I would make a loaf together. The next day, the kids would eat the entire loaf. The problem? Sourcing potato flour, soy flour, sticky rice flour, brown rice flour, and xanthan gum to actually make the bread.
I found an online shop in Sydney that would ship me enough flour to bake 50 loaves of gluten free bread (using this recipe for gluten free bread). $180 all up. Recently, I needed to get more flour. I emailed the same place again. They were again really helpful, and were able to source all my ingredients for me. But postage this time was a killer. Apparently, to send the flour across the Nullabour to a capital city was more expensive than to send the flour to a small, remote town. Luckily, my very helpful cousin found a place for me in Perth where it could be purchased from directly. The flours were more expensive, but being able to pick it up meant that I still only paid $180.
Online Sydney business to Andamooka, S.A.: Flours $120. Postage $60. Total: $180
Online Sydney business to Perth, W.A. Flours $120. Postage $100. Total $220.
Pick up from Perth: Flours: $180. Total $180.
So, I’m happy. I get to give the kids a 1.25kg loaf of truly delicious gluten free bread, that can actually be used for sandwiches. And it only costs $3.60 for a loaf of bread. It’s not exactly budget eating, but it is helpful for eating gluten free.
Gluten Free Bread Recipe
coconut milk 400ml
oil 3 tablespoons (I have tried avacado, olive and macadamia. They are all nice)
3 eggs
balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon
sticky rice flour 1 cup (160g)
brown rice flour 1 cup (160g)
potato flour (not potato starch) 1.25cups (220g)
soy flour 1/3 cup (50g)
tapioca flour 1/2 cup (75g)
sugar 1/4 cup
salt 1.5 teaspoons
xanthan gum 1 tablespoon
tandaco yeast 2 teaspoons.
I combine the wet ingredients and mix the dry ingredients. I then mix them all together and put it in the breadmaker, selecting the gluten free setting. The gluten-free setting has a shorter rising time and a higher baking temperature than normal wheat bread.
It is actually suitable for making sandwiches with. We have also used it on the dough setting for pizza dough. The breadmaker beeps at a certain point if requested to add in extra ingredients. I have used this basic recipe to make olive and pesto bread, chocolate bread, and fruit bread.
Dairy Free
We are also dairy free. I have soy milk in my coffee or if I am having a chai tea. We have recently started to make our own soy milk. The following recipe will make approximately 2L.
Soy Milk Recipe
- 250g hulled soy beans soaked for about 10 hours in water.
- Heat them up after this time (if you are in a house you can use a microwave, we use the stovetop).
- Discard the water that they’ve been soaking in.
- Add 2L of fresh drinking water.
- Use a blender to ‘puree’ the mixture.
- Strain it (preferably using something very fine like a cheesecloth)
- Bring the liquid to the boil and continue boiling for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate and use for the next three days.
Or our own rice milk, as this is expensive and hard to get in a lot of places. This is the kids’ main drink other than water, and we have it on our porridge every morning, too. I’m not expecting it to be available at a reasonable price in the Kimberley region, and unlike cows milk, it is not available at every road house or service station.
Rice Milk Recipe
- Wash 1 cup uncooked brown rice.
- Bring 2L water to the boil.
- Add the rice, cover the pot and simmer on a low heat for three hours.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt.
- Use the blender to puree it until very fine.
- Put it through a fine strainer twice.
- Drink or store.
These have cut down on our expenses. It is also an awful lot lighter and easier to carry brown rice or soy beans than it is to carry an extra 20 L of milk.
Anyone can travel, all you need to do is……
Read more ideas, thoughts and opinions on this topic …
If Anyone Can Travel Why Don’t You?
Anyone Can Travel, Just Let Go
Don’t Be Jealous of Our Travels! Be Happy for Us and Know That You Can Make it Happen Too !
Anyone Can Travel…Just Find Your Way
Pity, Envy, and why anyone can travel
You Have to Be Special Like Us to Travel
Our Path to becoming Lucky enough to Travel
Only the Very Special, Lucky, Rich, and Perfect (Like Me) Can Travel
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It’s funny because the gluten-free bread you make actually ends up being cheaper than most of the loaves I can get of wheat bread in our local grocery store. I bet yours tastes 10xs better too. You are one resourceful lady though and I know many families will be so thrilled to hear how you make travel work even with some dietary restrictions. Thanks for sharing!!
Twitter: livinontheroad
says:
It actually does taste pretty good, which is odd, because most gluten free breads that I’ve bought taste terrible and crumble as soon as you cut them. This one holds together.
Hi Amy have you found the Angry Almond in Perth? We got stuff shipped all over the state for $3-50. Im pretty sure they will stock most of what you need, and lentils and nuts as well.
http://www.2brothersfoods.com/
I’ve just checked. Its still $3-50 anywhere in WA. And they now ship to other states too. They have a whole section for gluten free
cheers
Jill
Twitter: livinontheroad
says:
Thanks for the link. I’ve had a look at them. They don’t have the specific things I need for the bread, but they’ll be good while we are stationed in the Kimberleys for six months!
Nice! I loved this article! It was nice to hear a perspective from someone in our group who has to consider special dietary needs!! I have often (mis)placed our family into a special category of ‘difficulty traveling’ because we’re dairy-free vegetarians. Its so hard to fly when you can’t take fresh food with you crossing borders – what are you supposed to eat on the plane? All the more reason for slow travel, as I see it. Maybe it takes a bit of extra research, to be sure, but I guess its possible and for some reason it helps me feel less frustrated knowing someone else is willing – and able!
Twitter: livinontheroad
says:
It’s true, you have to dump a lot of food at the borders. Even crossing many borders within Australia (particularly into Western Australia) you have to dump a lot of food. There is more information here http://www.quarantinedomestic.gov.au/
Having dietary restrictions means that it often needs a bit more planning, or a little different…but it does not preclude travel.
Twitter: 2andahalftravel
says:
I really enjoyed reading your post – our daughter has a peanut allergy that we carry an epipen for, and asthma, she is only just starting to eat dairy in certain forms (cooked in things etc) and was wheat free for around nine months too, so I really know where you are coming from. People who know her medical history looked at me like I was mad when I told them that we were going travelling, but actually it has all been surprisingly easy. We have managed to buy oat milk in most places, or else stocked up and taken it with us, and I’m thankful to say that the epipen hasn’t been required yet either. I love your rice milk recipe – I had no idea it was so easy, and rice milk is our substitute option, so I’ll keep it in mind for the future!
Twitter: newlifeonroad
says:
Hi Amy,
That is incredible how much recipes you are able to make so that your children can travel and eat safely.
We also do not drink Milk, and one of our sons is Gluten Free. It sure is interesting trying to find places with food that our boys can eat…our family can not eat anything with preservatives or colours in their food!
Great tips on how to travel with Coeliac.
Cheers
Lisa
I dont have a bread maker, but would love to start making our own bread. We eat mostly fresh produce and are always up for a growers market. We cant eat fish in our home as my son has a severe allergy.. nothing should stop families travelling
Thanks for the recipes. I’m traveling the world gluten-free and it’s not without it’s challenges. SEA and India were easy, but the last week in Turkey has been a nightmare. Now I shall go not he hunt for some of these ingredients!
Recipes wow !! I really like to eat and I think I should try Rice Milk Recipe as I haven’t experienced to eat. Can you please post some more recipes ?
A nice and healthy idea to make your own bread. No additives you don’t want.. hmm
You are absolutely right that diet shouldn’t be compromised when you’re traveling but you are absolutely awesome with your recipes and as I can see your kids enjoy cooking too. I can’t imagine how hard it is when you can’t find the ingredients when you are in a remote areas. Anyway, I must try your recipe because it’s tempting and the taste somehow is a kid friendly. Thanks!