Tag Archives: gluten-free

Rainforest Flapjacks

Now, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that the past 3 weeks have involved little more than baking and eating an array of M-friendly treats.  This week was no exception.  Having attempted the series of lemon recipes as well as the best chocolate cake ever and feeling somewhat delighted with the results, we decided that our next baking efforts were going to be the rather exotically named “Rainforest Flapjacks”.

This recipe came home from school and looked easy enough to adapt for M’s dietary needs.  I will confess right now to having felt a little frustrated by M’s school’s reluctance to cook with him.  The two occasions they have chosen to cook with his class have both conveniently coincided with times when he was away from school.  Do I blame them for not wanting to cope with his complex dietary needs?  Not entirely, but I have had to deal with the fall-out, disappointment and tears at home.

My solution this time round was to suggest to M that he asked for the recipe so that we could attempt it at home.  In due course, the printed sheet made its way into M’s drawer and finally came home in a decent enough state that I could still read the list of ingredients.  Everything was easily substituted for M-friendly alternatives and, in the case of the oats, G-friendly millet flakes.  I had the full complement of ingredients in either the fridge or the cupboard and so we were ready to start.

SAM_1354

As ever, I took my chances and doubled the quantities to make sure I had enough flapjacks to last the week and so we began.  The process was easy, the children loved measuring out the ingredients and the odd bit of a chocolate might have strayed into an open mouth along the way.  We used a bar of the wonderful Moo-free Cranberry and Hazelnuts chocolate which is both soya- and dairy-free, though plain dark chocolate would work just as well.

SAM_1358

The end result was a delight.  Both children devoured the first few pieces without hesitation and the double quantity only just lasted the week.  G even asked if I could make it without the nuts so that she could take a slice for her packed lunches at school from September.

In case you’re wondering what makes them “Rainforest” flapjacks (as Mike asked), my answer is simple.  They contain bananas, chocolate, are perfect for our 2 little monkeys and the name linked in perfectly with M’s topic for school!

SAM_1373

 

This post is an entry into the Foodies100/Schwartz Flavour of Together challenge – you can add your own exotic Flavour story via this link

The Best Chocolate cake in the World

We’ve enjoyed a peaceful weekend away in South Wales.  The weather hasn’t been the idyllic temperatures and sunshine of July, but we had a great time anyway.  The odd rain shower or clap of thunder didn’t stop us celebrating my Uncle’s birthday in style.  We had a BBQ and buffet feast, including my now infamous Lamb and mint burgers and G and M insisted that I made a birthday cake to mark the occasion.

Courtesy of fanpop.com

Courtesy of fanpop.com

Last week’s Lemon drizzle cake was a big success, but I was still not satisfied with the granular nature of the sponge that comes from baking with rice flour.  Since then I have been searching for a recipe to make the perfect rice flour cake and discovered this one that assured me that the granular texture would be a thing of the past.  Having uncovered such a promising recipe, I just needed a reason to bake it and what could have been better timed than a family birthday?

For the first time I ventured into the mystical world of cooking with xanthum gum – a substance much mentioned in gluten-free cooking, but something I had yet to actually use.

SAM_1456

We mixed together the xanthum gum, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and once again watched the chemical reaction between that and the white wine vinegar that the recipe required.  M was enchanted by listening to the ingredients fizz and watching the bubbles of carbon dioxide rise to the top of the mixing bowl – “just like the volcano we made with Daddy”.

I had erred on the side of caution given my previously chronicled inability to bake cakes thatrise and made up one and a half times the quantity of cake mix.  I needn’t have worried.  Perhaps xanthum gum is the answer to my baking issues, I just don’t know, but I had more than enough cake mix to make a double layer cake and a dozen cupcakes too, all of which had a lovely depth to them.

I decided to use the classic flavour combination of chocolate and raspberries and layered the cake with raspberry jam, vanilla butter icing and dried raspberries.  I finished it with a garden-themed decorating scheme and was proud of, at very least, how the cake looked.

20130803_172337

That evening, I nervously cut into the cake and served it to the assorted, gathered family members.  The cake was beautifully moist, the chocolate sweet but not over-powering and, best of all, there was not one single sign of that granular texture I’ve come to loathe when baking with rice flour.  G gave it a resounding 10 out of 10, M stated that it was the “best cake ever, cooked by the best Mummy ever” and even the harshest of critics complimented me on how delicious the cake was. So the conclusion I’ve reached is that this is a cake recipe to treasure and I’ve now just got to work out how to adapt it for as many different versions and occasions as possible.

20130802_234215

A taste of sunshine

The weather may have turned a little grey and damp once again, but at the end of last week, we decided to bring a taste of the sunshine into the house and spent Friday afternoon baking.  I’d been promising the children a baking afternoon for a while and Friday seemed like the perfect opportunity and a great end to the first week of the holidays.

Despite a little active discussion about what we could make, we settled on Lemon Drizzle cake.  I searched for a vegan recipe and found this wonderful one by cookery blogger, Sharon.  I needed to adapt it a little to accommodate M’s wheat- and gluten-free requirements, but most of the hard work (making it egg-free!) was already done.

Courtesy of buyfruit.com.au

Courtesy of buyfruit.com.au

We dashed out to buy the missing ingredients – lemons – and then returned home, rolled up our sleeves and got started.  The children had a wonderful time.  G had the responsibility of reading the recipe and method out loud for M and me to follow, whilst M became chief-mixer.  We watched the “chemical” reaction between the vinegar, lemon juice and sugar and discussed how the frothiness should help make the cake light and delicious.  My adapted recipe can be found here.

SAM_1449

The end result was a great success.  M loved it, though G felt it was too lemony!  Having filled the fridge with lemons, we decided to make the most of them and made lemonade using my pink lemonade recipe without the cranberry juice.  We then used half of the lemonade to make some ice lollies, perfect for the hot weather.

SAM_1365     SAM_1367

All in all, a very successful Friday afternoon!

This post is an entry into the Foodies100/Schwartz Flavour of Together challenge, if you have a great flavour story to share, you can easily do it here

In memoriam

Why is it that, as soon as you find a particular product or brand that meets your needs and that everyone enjoys, it gets discontinued?

discontinued

I’ve experienced this many times in my life from a favourite pair of shoes to G’s blanket, but none of these has been as frustrating as the disappearance of foods that not only taste good, but are also M-friendly.  It’s a hard enough challenge to feed M and G at the best of times, but when facing the prospect of losing a product purely on the whim of a supermarket, it really takes the proverbial (M-friendly) biscuit.

The latest item to disappear from the local shelves has been Tesco’s frozen free-from pizza bases.  These have been a godsend to us as they have been the only pizza bases I have found that are not just wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free, but are egg-free also.  I only discovered them around 8 or 9 months ago, but they were a welcome addition to our monthly groceries.  M enjoyed feeling “normal” again – as normal as you can be when your pizzas can no longer be covered with cheese – and all was well, for a short time at least.  Fast forward 7 months, a quick trip to Tesco to stock up and not only were the shelves bare, but there was not even a hint that these bases had ever existed outside of my very own over-active imagination.

no pizza

I have been assured by Tesco that this product is still in their free-from range, but sadly my local stores disagree.  It may just be that it didn’t sell enough for them to continue to stock it, but I haven’t been able to find it anywhere within a reasonable radius of our house.  Well, it was a great 7 months whilst it lasted.  Thanks Tesco for bringing such joy to our household; and for then snatching it away without a moment’s notice.  I’m back to perfecting my own pizza base recipe, but have lost the opportunity of deciding to have pizza for lunch and having it ready 20 minutes later.

This hasn’t been the first food to disappear without warning from our lives and I doubt it will be the last.  I understand that supermarkets are focussed on their profit margins and that our dietary needs are out of the ordinary, but I am left frustrated when something that is, for us, life-changing, vanishes.

Of course, sometimes there can be a way round the missing item.  It is possible to order a far wider selection of M-friendly foods from on-line shops than I will ever be able to find in my local supermarket, but then I am hit by higher prices as the retailer is dealing with a captive market.  Once you add on postage costs and allow for delivery time, you’re back to a scenario that involves a lot of planning and little spontaneity.  I’ve even encountered an on-line retailer who requires me to order a minimum of 6 refrigerated items to make it cost-effective for them and I understand that, really I do; but seriously, who needs 6 everything-free cheeses when really you just want one to try?

lilies

So, this post is in memoriam of those wonderful treats that are now gone, but not forgotten: the pizza bases, the sausages, 2 types of mayonnaise and the list goes on.

And, if anyone has a recipe for the perfect everything-free pizza base, or even an everything-free mayonnaise, please let me know!

BBQs and Bakewell tarts

bbq

The incredible summer weather that we’ve been enjoying this weekend, can only mean one thing; it’s time for a barbecue.  True to form, by around 5pm on Friday evening, the shelves of all the local supermarkets had been cleared of the sausages, burgers and other BBQ meats, but for once that didn’t spoil our plans.  Most of the BBQ selections available contain wheat, gluten or even soya, which makes them unsuitable for use in our household.

Instead, I took to a recipe that we developed after seeing a similar meal prepared on Canadian TV programme “You’ve gotta eat here“.  For those of you who haven’t seen this series, and I highly recommend that you don’t even attempt to watch it when feeling peckish,  presenter John Catucci tours Canada, searching out exceptional meals found at various cafes, diners and restaurants across the country.  The food featured not only tastes good, but often comes in proportions that defeat even those with the healthiest of appetites.  Whilst the burgers we watched being made were traditional in using beef, I adapted them to use family favourites, Welsh lamb and fresh mint.  You can find the recipe here.

The final recipe is easy and quick to prepare, delicious to eat and best of all, contains nothing that is not M-friendly.  They take around 5 minutes to cook on the BBQ or indeed in the oven and were perfect for a Saturday lunch in the sun.

SAM_1215

One of things that M has been missing, other than the by now famous egg mayonnaise sandwiches, is Bakewell tarts.  Around 12 months ago, we had discovered Costa‘s gluten-free Cherry bakewells and, as they were dairy, soya and wheat-free and M was trialling egg at the time, we were able to try them out as a treat.  M loved them and we had found something he could eat when we popped out for a coffee or were on a road trip.

SAM_1242

However, this January’s decision to tighten up M’s diet meant these had to go back on to his forbidden list.  It was a disappointment as there is so little available when we’re out and about, but we had the hope that the next trial of egg would mean that he might be able to start eating them once again.  Sadly, the current relapse and subsequent medical response means that there is no likelihood of this for the foreseeable future.

M has been hit hard by his current flare-up and so I decided to make a weekend of it and bake some much needed M-friendly treats for both M and G.  I quickly decided to investigate whether there was any possibility of making a M-friendly Bakewell tart. Having never even attempted to make Bakewell tarts in my lifetime, even before all the food allergies hit my kitchen, I looked up a recipe to see if I could adapt it.

I was confident I could make a reasonable everything-free pastry base, having successfully mastered pastry at Christmas for mince pies.  I have quickly learned that vegan recipes are my friends as they don’t contain any animal products and so instantly remove the issue of being dairy- and egg-free.  So, I quickly moved on to the next item on the list, raspberry jam.  Fortunately, M suffers no ill-effects from fruit jams at the moment, so that was an easy tick and on to the final element of the recipe: the frangipane.

This filled me with dread.  Frangipane is an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream which, depending on the particular recipe you decide to follow, contains anywhere between 1 and 3 eggs and I just couldn’t see a way round it.  With little hope and as a somewhat last-ditch attempt, I used that faithful friend, Dr Google, once again to see if someone, somewhere had created a vegan alternative to frangipane.  Imagine my delight on discovering this wonderful recipe from fellow blogger, lucysfriendlyfoods.

I noted the ingredients, checked my store cupboards to see what I already had in stock and drew up my shopping list.  A quick visit to the supermarket and we had everything I needed to bake this masterpiece.  To my delight, every step of this recipe was easy to follow and put together.  40 minutes in the oven and my work was done.

SAM_1240M was thrilled and had to try a slice before it had cooled fully.  The slice I gave him disappeared quickly and his only comment was that he would prefer me to make individual tarts next time.  What’s more, G also tried some and enjoyed it.  All in all, this weekend has been a resounding success, be it the BBQ burgers or the Bakewell tart.

Let them eat cake

I love making cakes.

Actually, to be more accurate, I love creating decorated cakes for my children’s birthdays, but I’ve never been keen, or really that good, at the baking part.  Even when I was allowed to bake “normal” cakes, I could never get them to rise.

The last normal cake I made in our household for G's 2nd

The last normal cake I made in our household for G’s 2nd

When I had to adapt to wheat and dairy-free cakes to allow for G’s allergies, I managed, but still failed to get the things to rise.  Over the years, my cakes have more resembled flat pancakes than respectable sponges.  I have been known to suffer “sponge-envy” when seeing the beautifully rounded Victoria sponges made by friends and colleagues.

My first wheat and dairy cake for G's 3rd and very, very flat

My first wheat and dairy-free cake for G’s 3rd and very, very flat

G's 5th cake and still not much sign of it rising!

G’s 5th cake and still not much sign of it rising!

Ironically, cupcakes have never been a problem.  Whilst my sponge mixes have never made the perfect sponge, they have always made beautiful cupcakes and one year I even resorted to a cupcake tower for G’s birthday cake as something I could be proud to present to the world.

Wheat and dairy free for G, but still contained eggs...and still flat

Wheat and dairy free for G, but still contained eggs…and still flat

M's last almost-normal cake for his 5th

M’s last almost-normal cake for his 5th

Then came along the ultimate challenge.  Not only did my cakes need to be wheat- and dairy-free, but I also had to remove the soya and the eggs.  I’ve tried out very many recipes* for cakes in the last 2 years and have met with varying success.  I’ve attempted baking with baking powder, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda, oil and water and even a mix of cider vinegar, oil, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda…and still those cakes won’t rise.

I’ve tried Doves Farm Gluten free self-raising flour, which is a blend of rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat flours and comes with helpful recipes on the side of the packet and met reasonable success.  I’ve tested Innovative Solutions pure brown rice flour, which works okay, but can taste a little granular as a sponge.  Guess what?  Still my cakes won’t rise.

This year's first attempt, a Lego 7, but still a little flat!

This year’s first attempt, a Lego 7, but still a little flat!

A layered Mini-golf cake for G's 9th

A layered Mini-golf cake for G’s 9th

This year, for M’s 7th birthday, I came to my final conclusion.  If my cakes won’t rise naturally, then I will just have to create the height I crave by stacking layers.  The end result more than exceeded my expectations and what’s more, I had a lot of fun by creating a rainbow inside to wow the group of 6 and 7 year-olds who got to eat it.

This one needed to be higher, so my secret was...

This one needed to be higher, so my secret was…

...to stack the rainbow layers.  Mission accomplished!

…to stack the rainbow layers. Mission accomplished!

I will continue my search for the perfect M-friendly sponge cake recipe that not only tastes good, but would convince even the harshest critics that cakes can be made to meet any dietary requirements.  I will continue to create masterpieces that look pretty good, even if they don’t quite make the taste grade.  And I promise this: that if I find that right combination of ingredients and technique in my quest, I won’t hesitate to communicate it, especially if I finally manage to achieve that elusive thing – a sponge cake that rises!

*all cake recipes attempted are included on my Everything free Recipes page

Eating out

eating out

Unsurprisingly, when you’re having to work with any number of food allergies, it becomes a minefield to negotiate when considering going out for a meal.  As food allergies appear to become more prevalent in our society, more and more of the larger restaurant chains are becoming aware of the need to make provision and adapt their menus to suit a wider audience.  Charities such as Coeliac UK provide their members with a list of “safe” restaurants to eat and offer advice as to what to do when going out for a meal.

For many families like ours, even this information is not enough to guarantee that we can eat out safely. M is our hyper-sensitive, multiple food allergy suffering stumbling block to overcome when we consider eating away from home.  One piece of luck we do have on our side is that M is a complete and utter foodie.  He loves food and is prepared to try almost anything at least once, unlike his big sister, who has become increasingly fussy the older she gets.  He particularly enjoys eating seafood and fish, though he will readily admit that oysters are not a favourite!  And yes, he has tried them, but found them a little too salty for his taste.

However, we have been lucky enough to find a small handful of restaurants that do cater to our needs and that don’t appear to cause a negative reaction in M.  There is no guarantee that these would suit everyone with food allergies, but they may be worth a go.  I would highly recommend contacting the restaurant before your visit to check whether they can confirm if they can accommodate your specific food allergies, taking a look on-line at their allergy-friendly menus and we have found the Dietetics team at GOSH to be extremely knowledgeable too.

nando

  • Nando’s: Whilst there are obvious foods that M can’t eat (the wraps, rolls and breads for a start), the chicken is gluten and wheat free and, so far, M seems able to tolerate the chips.  What’s more, if you’re at all anxious about what the individual ingredients are, each Nando’s restaurant has a Food and Menu specifications book which is readily available.  M loves visiting Nando’s, not least because the children’s menu includes a M-friendly ice lolly as an alternative to the frozen yoghurt offered for dessert.

tgi

  • TGI Friday’s have their “Five Easy Pieces” menu, which provides meal options for those suffering from a gluten or lactose intolerance and includes a child specific selection.  M has enjoyed the steak, the chicken tenders and the hot dog without problem, though it is possible that the hot dog contains soya.  Unfortunately, they are yet to provide any dessert that suits those who struggle with food allergies, but the main courses tend to be large enough to satisfy most appetites in my experience.

bella italia

  • We only recently discovered that Bella Italia has a gluten free option on their menus and have been incredibly impressed with the level of service we’ve had when eating there with M.  He chose a gluten-free pizza base, which the manager confirmed was also soya-, dairy- and egg-free, and topped it with their tomato sauce, ham and olives.  M was in seventh heaven when we discovered this treat and is desperate to go back with the rest of the family in tow.  They also do gluten-free pasta, though we have yet to try that out and were able to provide 2 alternatives for dessert – sorbet or M-friendly ice lolly.

pizza

  • The latest restaurant to jump onto the gluten-free bandwagon is Pizza Express.  Their gluten-free menu went live on 1 May 2013 and they have now updated the information to detail which ingredients on their menu should be avoided because they also contain gluten.  We tried Pizza Express out with the children last weekend when we were at the Allergy Show and were again impressed with the pizzas that arrived.  However, they did mess up the order a little by forgetting to add G’s goat’s cheese on her pizza, but otherwise we were impressed with the meal.  Sadly, another without a dessert that suits those with multiple food allergies and M insists that the Bella Italia pizza was far better and bigger.

There are very many local or specialist restaurants out there who will also accommodate the most complex of dietary needs, but these should be a good starting point for anyone with children with food allergies.  A word of caution to add, these restaurants are not able to guarantee that no cross-contamination will occur within their kitchens, though they work hard to make sure the risk is a minimal as possible.  We have found that by talking to the waiting staff and explaining our needs, we get the best service we could ask for and I would recommend asking them what they can do to make your eating out experience the best one possible.

Exhausted!

It’s been a long, exhausting, but fantastic weekend.  We’ve got so much more from this weekend than we had expected or even hoped we might.

Saturday was a busy day at the Allergy and Free from Show and I really wish we’d had the 2 day visit we’d originally planned.  Just to give you an idea, the photo below is a small part of the hoard of M-friendly goodies we came back with:

SAM_1171

We managed to pick up some of our family favourites at “show” prices, which meant that lots of the products were at half price or less, but also found some new things too, which were either new to the market by some familiar names or simply new products to us.  Amongst the new treats we discovered were

  • Bfree Gluten and wheat free tortilla wraps – perfect for M and G’s lunchboxes
  • Gluten, wheat and egg free spaghetti – the manufacturer assures me it won’t go sticky during cooking like so many other brands do.  This is one that we’ll have to try and see
  • MozzaRisella – a mozzarella-type cheese made from rice and containing no dairy or soya
  • KoKo Strawberry flavoured coconut milk –  not just a new flavour, but now also available as a pack of 3 250ml cartons, perfect for a treat on a day trip

We found that all the stall holders were knowledgeable, informed and friendly.  Nothing was too much trouble for them and they all took their time to talk with not only Mike and me, but M and G also.  We were also lucky enough to meet the wonderful folks of both Fabed and Parentsown and discovered them to be even more delightful and helpful than they are on their respective web forums.  Finally, the children were collared by well-known TV weather girl, Sian Lloyd who had her very own weather map on hand to show the pollen count and problems experienced by hayfever sufferers in the UK.  She spent a long time teaching both G and M how to present the weather, had photos taken with them and chatted to us about M’s condition and why we were visiting the show.

My round-up of the show has to be M’s quote on whether he enjoyed our visit:

“It’s the best show we’ve ever been to, Mummy.  Can we come again?”

Sunday was another great day, although the sunshine we had been hoping for didn’t materialise and the morning was overcast and grey.  We made our way across London and eventually reached Battersea Park to join around 3,996 other people in the 5K RBC Race for the Kids raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.  It may have been a less than sun-filled day, but the number of people taking part was amazing to see and I can’t wait to hear the final figure for the amount of money raised.  We didn’t rush to get to the start early after a late night at Matilda on Saturday – and before I forget, I highly recommend a visit to the Cambridge Theatre to see this awesome show – but we felt the camaraderie and excitement of the walk nevertheless.  As requested by M and G, we had taken along the scooters and they happily led our way as Mike and I followed, alternating between a walk and a gentle jog.

We had some highs and lows along the way with M as expected as he took the occasional tumble from his scooter (we’re still working on the balance issue as he struggles because of the dyspraxia) and minor tantrums as it appeared that G might beat him across the finish line.  However, finish it we did and we collected our medals and goodie bags, completed a quick tour of the entertainment provided for those who took part and even fitted in a play at the fantastic park in Battersea, before heading back across London for lunch and our train back home.

I’m still waiting for a final couple of donations to be made before I can update you on our personal family fundraising total, but, for the interim, here’s a photo of M in his race t-shirt, RBC lion and medal.

SAM_1166

Hyper-sensitive M

lighttunnel

Now many of you might have looked at that title and wondered on the use of “hyper-sensitive” in reference to M.  Over-sensitive may well have seemed reasonable and I’d agree, having seen the wild mood swings and tantrums that sometimes rock my youngest, but hyper-sensitive was a word that I chose deliberately.

You may remember from a blog back in April that I had been awakened by a distressed M in the early hours of the morning.  What I didn’t share back then was that the reason behind his disturbed night was an unexpected allergic reaction to a mint.  Yes, you read that correctly, the humble mint has caused a month of suffering for M and we are only now beginning to see a faint, flickering light at the end of that very dark tunnel.

I have to admit to feeling like a dreadful parent once I realised the cause behind the relapse.  Perhaps the quick scan of the list of ingredients hadn’t been enough?  Perhaps I had missed the warning that said it contained something that M was allergic to?  Perhaps I need to insist that he doesn’t have a treat when with friends, but only ever eats what I’ve provided.  Well, the last point might be valid, but in this case, I’ve discovered that actually there was nothing that I could have done differently and my guilt was unjustified.

The only reason I know that the mint was the culprit is thanks, yet again, to my mighty friend, Dr Google.  The night after that very disturbed one, having seen the consequences of the unexpected relapse throughout the day, I examined in minute detail the food diary we keep for M to see what, if anything, was different about his diet.  As part of the process of discovering exactly what M is allergic to, I keep a daily food record of every item of food that passes his lips as well as noting if he’s been feeling unwell, had a temperature or has had a soiling accident and so I knew that the answer to our puzzle was likely to be found in there.

food diary

The previous afternoon we had met up with a school friend of M and his family for a play and a catch-up away from the playground.  Whilst there, M’s friend B asked if M was allowed to have a Mento mint.  I scanned my eyes over the ingredients quickly and saw nothing to suggest that M couldn’t have one.  I gave my permission and the boys ran off to share the packet between them and their big sisters.  Using Google the following evening, I discovered to my dismay that the glucose syrup contained in Mento mints is derived from wheat, which is not stated anywhere on the packaging itself.

After the exclusion of gluten from his diet back in January, we had seen the disappearance of the last allergic reaction as M finally become fully toilet-trained for the first time in his 7 years.  We celebrated 30 days of being accident-free with a trip to Build-a-Bear workshop and M became much happier and calmer in himself as he no longer needed to worry about whether he was going to get to the toilet on time or not.  Now that had all disappeared.  I couldn’t believe that something so seemingly simple was the cause of a great deal of heartache and frustration for the whole family as M went into relapse and we were back to square 1.

We had an appointment booked at GOSH for the beginning of May and I looked forward to the opportunity to discuss the problem with the team there.  Their initial response was somewhat sceptical, I have to confess, as this product is considered safe by Coeliac UK, who are a respected advisory group to those suffering from wheat and gluten allergies.  However, I knew that these were the only thing that could have caused M’s reaction and was adamant that this was the problem.  Fortunately, my standpoint was further strengthened by the fact that we knew that M reacted to soya lecithin despite being assured that this is usually safe for soya-allergy sufferers.  This we had sadly discovered was not true for M at Easter, when he had a mild reaction each time he ate any of his “everything but soya lecithin free” Easter egg.

The conclusion was simple.  M suffers not only from multiple food allergies, but is considered to be hyper-sensitive to them.  This means that whilst some ridiculously high percentage of wheat- and gluten-allergy sufferers will not react to by-products such as this glucose syrup derived from wheat, and likewise soya-allergy sufferers will not react to soya lecithin, M will do.  He may grow out of these as he gets older, but he might not.  He could develop further allergies, or he could not. There is no simple answer to the problem of having a hyper-sensitive, multiple food allergy suffering child.  I can ensure that as much of the food I buy is as M-friendly as possible and I can attempt to restrict him to only those treats I’ve researched and deemed safe, but there will be times when we might just have to take the chance and I will have to support him and deal with the consequences.

rainbow

The most difficult challenge for us now is taking M anywhere.  The risk we have to consider is whether M will be okay with a food if we don’t know categorically what it contains and are certain it’s safe.  That immediately restricts the restaurants we can take him to on the occasional day out and means that I am going to be paranoid and become “that Mum” who is over-anxious about what their child is being fed in anyone else’s home.  The truth is I don’t mind being labelled as a fussy Mum, I’m sure I’ve been called much worse, if it ensures that we get M back to the road to recovery and keep him there for a few months at very least.

Frugal and allergy-friendly?

coins

Nowadays, we are often encouraged to live a frugal life due to increasing food prices and uncertain incomes, but, as I discovered very early on, that’s just not possible when you’re catering for multiple food-allergies.  One of the most noticeable impacts of the last week has been on our bank account.

We do get a very few items on prescription for M because of his allergies, but the list is limited.  Every month, in addition to the medicines M needs, we get 4 loaves of gluten-free brown rice bread, 2 packets of vanilla wafer biscuits, 2 500g boxes of gluten-free pasta and 1kg rice flour.  This is enough for the month and allows me to bake a few treats or desserts for the children.

However, this just about covers the gluten-free aspect of the diet, but doesn’t allow for the dairy, egg and soya free parts.  Every month, we have to buy cereal, margarine, mayonnaise, milk, corn thins or crispbreads, coconut cream, sausages, fish finger or fillets, chicken nuggets, yoghurts, peanut butter, stock cubes, date bars, cereal bars and fruit snacks; all of which have to be gluten, wheat, egg, soya and dairy free.  Occasionally I invest in dairy and soya free chocolate treats, ice cream or chocolate spread, but the cost of those is phenomenally high.  Imagine spending £7 on a small box of just 9 truffles or £7.50 for a 500ml tub of ice-cream just for the children! My monthly shop is predominantly filled with food for M and G and rarely sees change from £100 for their food alone.  That, of course, does not take into consideration my weekly shop for fresh produce: fruit, vegetables, meats and fish, nor the bits and pieces for Mike and me.

I read, with awe, the forums on Martin Lewis’s website, Moneysavingexpert as hoards of savvy shoppers talk about spending no more than £50 a week to feed a family of 4 and frequently speak in terms of a monthly spend of between £150 and £200.  If I had children without allergies, I have no doubt that I could do that, or at very least have a good try, and we would all still eat well, but with the dietary requirements I have to accommodate, that just isn’t possible.

I cook from scratch when I can, not only to be frugal, but also to know what the children are eating and that the food is M-friendly, I shop cannily and have gone down a brand as Martin Lewis suggests, but I’ve yet to discover any major answers as to how to be frugal and allergy-friendly.