Scrambled eggs and mashed bananas blog

WE’VE MOVED!

2018-12-20T08:50:00.002+00:00

This blog has now been retired! Please head over to https://allergymumofgirls.home.blog/ for our shiny new blog! All of the posts on this site have been moved across, so don’t worry you won’t miss out on any of the tried and tested recipes that were previously on this blog.

Beef and Guinness stew with dumplings

2018-12-19T11:38:00.000+00:00

A few people have asked me for the recipe for this stew. This is one of my “crap I don’t know what to make tonight, Chuck it all in the slow cooker” go to recipes, and my husband’s favourite. It’s egg, dairy and soya free (nut free too I think!).

Ingredients:
a pack of casserole beef
a bottle of Guinness
1 beef stock cube
chopped onion, carrot and swede (I used frozen casserole veg mix but you can also use fresh)

For the dumplings:
50g Atora beef suet
100g plain flour
Pinch of salt
5tbsp cold water

Dump all the stew ingredients in to the slow cooker (literally I just chuck it all in, give it a stir, no browning the meat etc) and put it on high for 3-4 hours. Then 20-30 mins before you want to eat, make the dumplings according to the packet on the Atora beef suet pack (100g self raising flour, 50g suet, 5tbsp water and salt, mixed to a dough and rolled in to 6 dumplings and placed in the stew to cook for 20 mins before serving) 👍🏻

Free from berry crumble

2018-12-16T20:51:00.000+00:00

Hi! I'm a mum of 2 wonderful little girls, who suffer from multiple intolerances and allergies. Meals and food have caused a multitude of anxieties and issues for both me and my kids, and we're only now beginning to come out the other side. Now that SY is getting a bit older and adventurous, I've been experimenting with different recipes that I'd love her to try. As it's Sunday, I figured a fruit crumble might be nice! The crumble itself isn't an issue as it's easy to make a dairy free crumble topping using plain flour, @vitalite and sugar, but custard without eggs or cornflour is a challenge! But as you just can't have crumble without custard or cream (and she cant have oats or soya so oatly and alpro single cream alternatives are out the window!) I figured I'd try making some "fake" custard using a roux. It turned out surpringly well! So here's my free from berry crumble with "custard" recipe.... For the crumble: 200g plain flour 100g vitalite or any other dairy free margarine 100g sugar Frozen berries Defrost the berries and place in a oven proof dish. Sprinkle with a spoon of plain flour and a tablespoon of sugar. In another bowl, sift the flour and add the vitalite. Rub the fat in to the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. If it looks more like dough, add more flour. Stir in the sugar and sprinkle over your berries until they're covered. Bake in a preheated oven at around gas mark 6 for 30-40 minutes until the top looks brown and crunchy. For the "custard" 1 tbsp plain flour 1 tbsp vitalite 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 cup koko or dairy free alternative milk Add the flour and vitalite to a saucepan and stir on a low heat until you have a dough ball. Add a tbsp of koko milk and stir until absorbed. Repeat and stir not adding too much liquid too quickly until you have a custard like mixture. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until dissolved! #allergykids #freefromrecipes #allergy #allergymom #freefrom #dairyfree #eggfree #nutfree #soyafree #cornfree #recipes #allergymumofgirls

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Oct 8, 2017 at 9:53am PDT

Tear and share dairy free christmas tree

2018-12-15T20:44:00.000+00:00

#Repost of my earlier Christmas puff pastry pesto tree, as we all need allergy safe snacks at Christmas!! 🎄 ・・・ T E A R A N D S H A R E T R E E 🎄🎄🎄 . . . Halloween is over... so the count down to Christmas has started!! WHOOP WHOOP! So that means compiling lists of dairy, egg and soya free treats that we can all share on Christmas Day in our household. So here's one which I love! You can make this sweet or savoury and it's dairy, egg and soya free! Hurrah! It also looks pretty :) . . Ingredients @jus_rol puff pastry Della Nonna pesto (Or if you're making a sweet version, @bionaorganic chocolate coconut cocobella spread!) . . . Roll out the pastry and smear della nonna dairy free pesto over half of it. Fold the pastry in half, and place on a baking tray on some baking parchment. Cut out a tree shape. Slice horizontally to create branches, leaving a central "trunk". Twist the branches. If you're making a sweet version, replace the pesto with the biona chocolate spread, and sprinkle the whole thing with sugar. Bake at 180c for 25 mins. Tadaa! #dairyfree #soyafree #eggfree #nutfree #christmasrecipes #christmastree #allergyrecipes #allergyfriendly #allergymumofgirls #allergykid

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Dec 13, 2017 at 12:27am PST

Paleo brownies

2018-12-01T20:50:00.000+00:00

P A L E O B R O W N I E S . . . SY's allergies mean she misses out on a lot of treats other kids have all the time, so a brownie recipe that's dairy free and relatively healthy is a big bonus! This recipe is wheat, dairy, nut and gluten free (but does contain egg). They're going to be a big hit if the joy on her face as she licked the spoon is anything to go by! If you want to make these extra yummy (and a little less healthy!) add some @moo_free_chocolates baking drops!!! Yummmmmm... it is chocolate week after all 😉 . . Ingredients 50g / 1/2 cup minus 1 Tbs. coconut flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder - substitute carob powder if there is a chocolate sensitivity 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. melted coconut oil or @vitalite 3 eggs, at room temperature (egg substitutes will not work) 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. honey or maple syrup 1 tsp. vanilla extract, optional Instructions . . . Preheat the oven to 300 and grease a glass baking dish with oil (8x8 or 9x9). Mix together all ingredients. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting or removing from the pan. These store well at room temperature or in the fridge for a few days. Make sure you keep them in an airtight container. #chocolateweek #chocolateweek #allergykids #allergymumofgirls #brownies #paleo #paleorecipes #allergy #freefrom #freefromrecipes

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Oct 10, 2017 at 12:33am PDT

Dairy free fudge

2018-11-24T20:49:00.000+00:00

D A I R Y F R E E F U D G E⠀ .⠀ .⠀ I've had a fudge craving ever since I went dairy free... I have to say this is a pretty good substitute. The texture is dense and fudgy and they taste really chocolatey! ⠀ ⠀ Ingredients:⠀ ⠀ 240g cashew butter (I used @meridianfoods cashew butter)⠀ 80ml coconut oil, melted⠀ 4 tbsp raw unsweetened cacao powder⠀ ½ tsp mixed spice⠀ 4 tbsp maple syrup⠀ 1 tsp vanilla extract⠀ 1 tbsp orange zest and juice⠀ 3 x @nakdwholefoods cocoa orange bars ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ I blitzed the bars in my nutribullet first then tipped the crumbs into a mixing bowl. Then I blitzed everything else and spooned the gooey mixture into the bowl with the nakd bar crumbs. I then lined a tray with cling film, spread the mixture evenly and froze for an hour. Take it out, cut it up and voila! Chocolatey fudgy goodness! #chocolateweek #dairyfree #allergy #freefrom #allergymumofgirls

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Oct 11, 2017 at 3:57am PDT

No knead soya free homemade bread

2018-11-17T20:49:00.000+00:00

N O K N E A D B R E A D⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ My kids LOVE bread... which is great except when you have one who can't have soya, meaning 99% of shop bought loaves go out the window. I never realised how much bread contains soya flour! Thank god for my dad who gave me this stupid quick and easy all in one method no knead bread recipe! It takes me minutes to prep and leave to prove, meaning I can make a fresh loaf every weekend. I've also tested this recipe using @wessexmill flavoured flours and it works well! My favourites are the malt loaf and the Mediterranean flour mixes! ⠀ ⠀ Ingredients:⠀ 6 cups strong white bread flour⠀ 1 tsp quick acting yeast⠀ 1/2 tsp salt⠀ 3 cups lukewarm water ⠀ ⠀ Mix all your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Add your warm water and mix until you have a loose dough. Cover the bowl with clingfish and leave the dough to prove (I tend to leave this for 3-4 hours). Knock all the air out of the dough with a wooden spoon and cover and leave to prove for another 2 hours. Your dough should double in size. If it hasn't, leave it to prove longer in a warm place. Preheat your oven to 450f and place a cast iron pot in the oven to heat up. Take your cast iron pot out of the oven, grease it with oil (I use coconut) and pour your dough in to the pot. Cover with the lid and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 30 mins, then take the lid off and bake for a further 15 minutes. Then take your loaf out the oven and leave to cool. I tend to slice the whole loaf up once it's cold and store half in the freezer separating each slice with some baking paper. As the loaf has no preservatives it'll go off quite quickly in a warm house, but stores well frozen.⠀ ⠀ #soyafree #soyafreebread #crustyloaf #breadrecipe #allergymumofgirls #freefrom #freefromrecipes #dairyfree #milkfree #dairyfreerecipes #crusty #bread #loaf #cobloaf #lecreuset #nokneadbread #homemadebread

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Oct 13, 2017 at 12:01am PDT

Easy dairy free avocado chocolate mousse

2018-11-03T20:48:00.000+00:00

A V O C A D O C H O C M O U S S E 🥑🥑🥑🍫🍫🍫 . . With a carb obsessed pre-schooler, any way I can sneak fruit and veggies in to my kids is a win... and this healthy chocolate avocado mousse is a life saver! I can usually get D to willingly eat 1/4 of a large ripe avocado! Result! Recipe below... just scale up to make more! I made mine in my nutribullet but any blender will do. You could even use a fork if you don't mind the inevitable lumps! Ingredients 1/2 a ripe avocado (top tip use Tesco frozen avocado halves and avoid having to play avocado roulette to get a ripe one!) 1 tsp of vanilla essence 2 tsp of honey 1 tbsp of cocoa powder 2-3 tbsp of coconut milk (depending on how thick you want the mousse) Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. You can add more honey if you prefer it sweeter. That's it! It's stupidly easy and makes a fantastic dessert for kids! Great if they're having weight gain issues too (as a lot of allergy/dairy free kids do) as the avocado is packed with good fats! #avocadolove #chocolateweek #freefromdesserts #dairyfree #eggfree #chocolatemousse #allergyfriendly #freefromdairy #freefrom #allergymumofgirls #allergykids #recipes

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Oct 14, 2017 at 4:00am PDT

Chia coconut pudding

2018-10-27T20:47:00.000+01:00

C H I A P U D D I N G . . This recipe is fantastic as breakfast or dessert! I'm currently having a bowl after my mammoth sushi burrito! Protein packed and no added sugar, just a touch of honey and some fruit. Fingers crossed the kids like it tomorrow at breakfast! Chia seed coconut blueberry pudding 1 serving Ingredients: 3 tablespoons milled chia seeds (you can use whole seeds if you want a more tapioca like pudding) 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons honey 3/4 cup blueberries (I used frozen but fresh is better) In a bowl (I made this in a sistema soup lunch pot so I could take it to work to eat) stir together all the ingredients. Let sit for 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight, and chia seeds will expand, soften, and absorb liquid. Then ENJOY! So easy peasy! Can be eaten for breakfast or as a dessert. YUM. #paleo #paleodiet #paleodessert #chiapudding #dairyfree #dairyfreedessert #freefrom #freefromdairy #freefromrecipes #wheatfree #grainfree

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Oct 14, 2017 at 12:59pm PDT

Dairy egg and soya free chicken nuggets

2018-10-27T20:46:00.000+01:00

C H I C K E N N U G G E T S . . . A few of you have asked me to post the recipe for the homemade chicken nuggets I posted last night, so here's what I did to make them! . Ingredients Panko breadcrumbs Chicken thighs deboned Cornflour Salt and pepper . . Chop the chicken thighs into small chunks about 5cm big. In a bowl, mix 2-3 tbsp of cornflour with the same amount of water and mix. In another bowl, tip out half a pack of panko and season well with salt and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken in the cornflour, then dip it in the panko breadcrumbs and make sure it's coated well and covered. You can skip the cornflour mixture if you're allergic to corn and just coat the chicken in panko but it may not stick as well! Place the breaded chicken on a greased baking tray and bake at gas mark 6 for about 20-30 minutes or until they're golden brown and cooked through. I served mine with oven baked sweet potato wedges and boiled sprouts! #freefromrecipes #freefromdairy #dairyfree #soyafree #nutfree #chickennuggets #easydinner #allergy #allergymom #allergymumofgirls #allergykid

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Nov 2, 2017 at 6:32am PDT

Creamy vegan kale pesto

2018-10-20T20:46:00.000+01:00

C R E A M Y V E G A N K A L E P E S T O . . . (Excuse the crappy photo!) This pesto is SO good for you and has a bite to it with the raw garlic. Tastes amazing and works well with other nuts if you don't want to use almonds! I reckon cashews would be brilliant in this recipe too. Plus the raw garlic is great for kicking colds and bugs!! Anti viral, anti fungal and anti bacterial! It's dairy and egg free too :) . . Ingredients 1/3 of a pack of raw kale 2 large peeled garlic cloves 1 cup of olive oil 1/2 cup of raw almonds (you could soak these) Juice of 1/2 a lemon Pinch of salt to taste . . Shove it all in your blender (I used my @nutribulletuk) and blitz until smooth... spoon on to cooked pasta. That's it! It's stupid easy!! #allergyrecipes #dairyfree #milkfree #eggfree #allergymumofgirls #allergykids #dairyfreepesto #kale #veganfood #vegan #veganpesto #rawfood #antiviralfoods #fightthecold

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Nov 15, 2017 at 12:59am PST

Egg & soya free sweet & sour chicken

2018-10-13T20:45:00.000+01:00

S W E E T & S O U R C H I C K E N . . . You asked for it so here it is! My sweet and sour chicken recipe. The chicken coating is soya and egg free 👍🏻 . . . Ingredients For the chicken: 4 chicken thighs, deboned and chopped in to cubes 1/2 packet of panko breadcrumbs (or blitz some stale bread in a food processor) Tbsp of cornflour Salt Pepper For the sauce: Tin of pineapple in juice 1/2 carton of tomato passata 1 red pepper 1 onion 2 tbsp of vinegar (I used apple vinegar) 1 tbsp of sugar 1 tbsp of cornflour . . . Mix the cornflour, salt and pepper with a tbsp or two of cold water to make a single cream consistency. Pour it over the chicken and toss to coat it well. Pour the panko on a plate and one by one coat the cornflour coated chicken in the panko and place it in a greased frying pan. Fry the panko coated chicken pieces until they're golden brown and cooked through. Set aside. Chop the onion and stir fry in oil in a wok. Dice the pepper and add to the onion. Chop the pineapple and add it to the onion and pepper. Add the tomato passata (or 1/2 tin of tomatoes if that's what you have to hand) and juice from the pineapple. Add the vinegar and sugar. Stir and simmer until the pepper is tender. You can add more sugar or vinegar depending on your taste. Stir the cornflour with some water and add to the wok and stir to thicken the sauce. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Serve with boiled rice. #allergyrecipes #allergymumofgirls #milkfree #allergykid #dairyfree #soyafree #sweetandsour

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Nov 19, 2017 at 9:17am PST

2 ingredient pizza dough

2018-10-06T20:43:00.000+01:00

2 I N G R E D I E N T P I Z Z A D O U G H 🍕 . . . This recipe is super simple and quick! Pour 200g self raising flour and 150g of dairy free yoghurt (I used Alpro plain yoghurt but any dairy free alternative works fine) in a mixing bowl. Combine with a spoon then get your hands in and knead the dough, adding more flour if it’s too sticky. Once it’s a nice ball, cover and let it rest for an hour. On a floured surface, roll it out thinly, dusting with flour to stop it sticking. Then transfer to a floured baking tray and top with tomato sauce and your choice of toppings and dairy free cheese (I used mozerella flavour @violife_foods !). Bake at gas mark 6 for 30 mins and voila! Pizza time! #dairyfree #eggfree #dairyfreepizza #allergyfriendly #allergyfriendlyrecipes #pizzatime #allergymumofgirls

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Jan 18, 2018 at 12:36pm PST

Rainbow unicorn rice

2018-09-29T20:40:00.000+01:00

🌈🦄 U N I C O R N R I C E 🦄🌈 . . . A lot of people have asked me for the recipe for my rainbow unicorn rice I posted at the weekend, so here's the recipe! I'm still to find a veg to colour rice green.... so watch this space! INGREDIENTS Purple cabbage Beetroot Tumeric Rice Get 3 separate sauce pans and lids. Chop the purple cabbage (about 1/4) and wash and place in one pan to boil until tender. Peel and dice the beetroot and place in the second pan to boil. In the third pan, place 1/2 cup of rice, wash until the water is clear, and then add 1 cup of water. Add 1 tsp of tumeric. Set to boil, then turn right down to low and cover with the lid to simmer until the water is almost all absorbed, then turn off and leave to absorb the remaining water. When the cabbage is cooked, place a jug in the sink and put a colander on top. Pour the cabbage water through the colander in to the jug and set the cooked cabbage aside. In the empty pan, place 1/2 cup of rice and wash it. Place 1 cup of purple cabbage water in a bowl, add some of the cooked cabbage and blend. Then add this to the washed rice, set to boil and then turn the heat to low and cover until partially cooked and then switch off to finish cooking. Repeat the same thing with the beetroot in the third pan. Once all the rice is cooked, spoon a spoon of each in a bowl and stir! #unicornfood #dairyfree #soyafree #allergyfriendly #allergykids #allergymumofgirls #colouredrice #sneaktheveggies #veganrecipes #funfoodforkids

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Jul 23, 2018 at 12:59am PDT

Dairy & egg free Anna cake

2018-09-22T20:41:00.000+01:00

So a few people have asked for the recipe for this cake, so I’m going to post the ingredients and method below. You can switch out ingredients to make it allergy friendly for you, as well as add things like cocoa powder or choc chips. . . . 225g Plain flour (or use Self-raising flour and reduce the Baking powder to 2 heaped tsp) 3 heaped tsp Baking powder 100g sugar 2 large over ripe bananas, mashed 75g Vegetable, coconut or Sunflower oil (weight) . . . Combine the bananas (mashed) with the sugar and oil. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in. You can use a drop of Koko milk to loosen the mixture if it’s too stiff. Put the mixture in a greased lined loaf tin (I lined with strips of baking parchment and vegetable oil) and bake at 200c for an hour (I covered the cake with foil to stop the top burning). . Once the cake is cool, cut a hole down the middle of the cake. Wrap the dolls legs in icing and create the bodice using ready roll icing. Roll out a large piece of blue icing, paint the cake with melted jam and drape the icing over the cake. Cut the hole in the top to reveal the hole in the cake. Slot the doll in and cover any joins with more icing. Decorate however you want and you're done! #recipe #veganrecipes #vegancake #dairyfree #soyafree #eggfree #eggallergy #dairyallergy #cmpa #nutfree #nutallergy #soyaallergy #veganbirthdaycake #allergyfriendly #allergymumofgirls #allergykids #allergybirthday

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Jun 14, 2018 at 11:22pm PDT

6 years on... year 1 of reflux and CMPA

2018-09-21T11:37:00.001+01:00

Browsing all my saved note on my phone today and found this. I can’t lie it brings a lump to my throat when I think about the lack of support I got and how long SY suffered from both reflux and CMPA before anyone took notice and listened to what I was saying... 6 years later and she’s happy healthy and eats massive portions! There’s light at the end of the tunnel! But when you’re a first time mum and you don’t know what’s “normal”, go with your gut. The instincts of a new mother are surprisingly accurate. Advocate for your child, be that pushy parent and don’t take no.

I hope by posting this a new mum may identify the signs of CMPA and silent reflux and it’ll empower some of you to get help for your babies sooner. ❤️

Birth 30/8: wouldn't bf, screamed, arched back and head, raspy breath.

23/10: started vomiting forcefully

5/11: Hv clinic visit. Explained taking up to 1 hour to feed each bottle, expressed concern re fighting at every feed and concern re silent reflux. Asked how much she should be drinking. Was told "I could give you the calculation but she'll drink what she wants to drink".

13/11: hv clinic visit. Expressed concerns again re refusal to feed/ refusal to drink more than half a bottle and vomiting. Mentioned raspy breath/chesty phlegm. Was told "I have no magic answers" re refusal to feed.

20/11: hv clinic visit. Again expressed concerns re refusal to feed. Was told to see GP if I was concerned.

24/11: self diagnosed silent reflux. Started her on Aptamil anti reflux milk.

10/12: GP visit. Told to continue Aptamil anti reflux and carry on what I'm currently doing. Prescribed movicol and suppositories for constipation.

11/12: hv clinic visit. Weight gain dropping. No advice given re refusal to feed.

10/1: hv clinic visit. Slow weight gain, dropped a percentile. Hv advised she's having 5-10oz a day less than she should and to review weight gain in a month.

23/1: GP visit. Prescribed gaviscon.

24/1: hv clinic. Again raised concerns re reluctance to feed. Weight gain plateaued on 2nd centile. Referred to dietician and GP requested to prescribe nutramigen.

26/1: started exclusively feeding asleep as refusing to drink anything awake

30/1: GP app. GP prescribed nutramigen.
refused to drink between 11am and 8:30pm

1/2: started nutramigen/Aptamil mix. Stopped gaviscon.

8/2: dietician app. Told to continue with nutramigen. Started giving just nutramigen, no Aptamil.

11/2: hv home visit. Advised to see doctor re depression.

13/2: dietician call. Explained nutramigen not helping. Still exclusively feeding asleep and getting harder to get her to drink. Advised will ask GP to prescribe Neocate.

15/2: doctor prescribed neocate

20/2: dr appointment - dr boateng said she would refer to paed allergist at Guys

Vegan green tea cake

2018-09-15T20:39:00.000+01:00

🍵 G R E E N T E A C A K E 🍵 . This year I didn’t want to make my mum another plain banana cake so I googled vegan cakes and came across this recipe by @makingthymeforhealth. It sounded amazing so gave it a try and it tastes fantastic too! Free from egg, soya, dairy and nuts as I adapted it slightly. . INGREDIENTS: FOR THE CAKE 2 cups plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons matcha powder 1 ripe mashed banana 1/3 cup melted coconut oil 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons organic sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons @kokodairyfree 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest FOR THE VANILLA LEMON CREAM FROSTING 1 can full fat coconut milk 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup pinch salt 3 tablespoons agar agar flakes 1 teaspoon vanilla extract juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup) Method: Prepare the frosting: Combine all of the ingredients (except for the lemon juice and vanilla extract/paste) in a medium size sauce pan. Whisk together then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until agar flakes dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once the frosting is firm, scoop it out into a food processor and then blend until smooth. Transfer the frosting from the processor back to the bowl and refrigerate again for at least 1-2 hours. Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch round (or 9-inch square) cake pan. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate medium size bowl, mash the banana along with the maple syrup, sugar, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Add the koko milk and lemon zest and whisk until smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry then fold together until combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan then bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until you can prick the center with a fork and it comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. Once cake is properly cooled, spread the frosting on top. #matcha #vegan #dairyfree #soyafree

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Jul 28, 2018 at 9:29am PDT

home made allergy friendly lip balm

2018-09-08T20:39:00.000+01:00

🐝 H O M E M A D E L I P B A L M 🐝 . . Today we made homemade lip balm! The kids had various freebie lip balms from magazines which I had to keep confiscating as they had no ingredients and smelled horrific! These were super easy, I just scraped out the old lip balm and used the tubes. 4tbsp organic coconut oil 2tbsp organic shea butter 4tbsp organic beeswax 20-30 drops lavender essential oil I melted everything over a pan of water in a bowl, then syringed the liquid wax in to the empty lip balm tubes. Any left over I poured in to a pot. I put them all in the fridge for 15 mins and they were ready to use! Super easy and now I can let the kids use them as much as they want! #beeswax #lipbalm #beeswaxlipbalm #sheabutter #lavender #organic #dairyfree #soyafree #allergyfriendly #allergymumofgirls

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Jul 30, 2018 at 6:19am PDT

Vegan mug cake

2018-08-29T14:00:00.000+01:00

V E G A N M U G C A K E . . . This cake literally takes less than 10 minutes to whip up and there’s a million variations you could make adding fruit, marshmallows or cocoa powder! 3 tbsp dairy-free milk 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp sunflower oil 4 tbsp self-raising flour 2 tbsp caster sugar 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp Moo free choc chips Add the df milk and lemon juice to a mug and let it stand for 2 mins. Then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix with a fork. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes on high. DONE! #mugcake #eggfree #dairyfree #soyafree #nutfree #cmpa #microwavecake #5minutedessert #allergykids #allergymumofgirls

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Aug 17, 2018 at 8:57am PDT

6th birthday - allergy bakes

2018-08-26T20:37:00.004+01:00

BIRTHDAY BAKING! I’ve been baking all day and still have a birthday cake to make! But it’s all worth it as every single thing at SY’s party tomorrow both her and her sister will be able to eat! 🎂 #dairyfree #eggfree #soyafree #cornfree #allergymumofgirls #allergykids

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Aug 26, 2018 at 3:50am PDT

I can’t believe my baby is going to be 6! No character cake this year. This year she was VERY specific about wanting a chocolate cake, with chocolate in the middle, icing on top, with lolly pops all around the top and marshmallows in the middle and a 6 candle.... so that is what you shall have my darling ❤️ whole thing is dairy, egg, soya, nut, legume, oat, corn and apple free, which is a feat in itself! Thank god for @haribogb charmallows (no corn flour!) and @chupachupsuk lollies! Plus @bettycrockeruk icing! 🙌🏻 #dairyfree #eggfree #soyafree #nutfree #allergykids #allergymumofgirls #6thbirthday #8hoursofbaking #shattered

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Aug 26, 2018 at 11:16am PDT

Sugar biscuits!

2018-08-26T20:28:00.002+01:00

S U G A R B I S C U I T S . . I've been busy baking all day today for my daughters 6th birthday party. This is the recipe I used for the sugar biscuits I baked. They're dairy egg soya and nut free. 3 1/4 cups plain flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup margarine like vitalite 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 cup coconut or any alternative milk I creamed the sugar and marge together, then added the vanilla and coconut milk. Then i sieved the flour, salt and baking powder in and mixed until it was combined. I did add extra flour as the dough was too sticky. Once your dough is combined, wrap in clingfilm and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. Then bring it out, put it on a floured surface and roll it out to 1/2cm thick and cut out shapes. Place them on grease proof paper and bake at gas Mark 5 for 10-20 minutes depending on your oven. The edges should just begin to brown. They'll still be soft when you take them out the oven but they'll harden as they cool. #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree #allergyfriendly #partyfood #sugarbiscuits #cmpa #allergykids #allergymumofgirls

A post shared by Erin & her girls (@allergy_mum_of_girls) on Aug 26, 2018 at 12:19pm PDT

Post dinner sexism

2017-12-18T09:08:00.003+00:00

Take a look at this photo. Looks pretty cool right? Pretty amazing for a Christmas party! Great venue. Glitzy decor. Lovely music. Amazing entertainment. Ladies in champagne glasses... yeah I thought so too. Until I posted it on my personal Facebook account and a friend was horrified.

"I cannot believe they had women in champagne glasses! Objectifying much?!"

Now to be honest I hadn't given it a second thought. But it did make me think. Is it really appropriate entertainment for a black tie dinner? She asked me what my husband thought and his comments opened my eyes even further...

"Yeah but you can't really have men dancing in champagne glasses can you? It'd be weird!"

Very true. You wouldn't would you. A lightbulb went off in my head. It clicked. I pointed out to him that that was entirely the point. Why is it socially accepted that it's absolutely fine and dandy to have scantily clad women dancing in giant champagne glasses while everyone sits at their tables enjoying a 5* meal, but it would be completely inappropriate and perceived as weird, tasteless and tacky to have half naked men dancing about the stage at a classy evening do?

Everyday sexism is so ingrained in society that as a woman, I didn't even bat an eyelid when the ladies came out to perform. I did however cringe at the whoops and barks of the men at the party when their female colleagues went up to collect awards and planted kisses on cheeks of the directors, and wondered if it bothered or made them feel uncomfortable. As someone who hopes and feels that she's a feminist, socially inclusive and liberal, it shocked me to think that the thought that the evenings entertainment was sexist didn't even enter my mind, and shows how we have a long way to go before things are truly equal.

Why am I posting this? Because every day sexism needs calling out. It needs to be pointed out. If we don't, how do we educate both ourselves and others what is appropriate and what is not?

Next time I attend a function and the entertainment isn't appropriate, I won't be taking photos for posterity. But I may use it as a conversation starter at dinner.

Dealing with PND

2017-12-16T15:22:00.001+00:00

Risking being told "I over share" and "make myself seem vulnerable" blah blah but frankly I feel this stuff NEEDS to be shared and said, so that other women who are going through the same things know that they're not alone, it's really common, they're not bad mums and they need to ask for support.

A woman on my local mums group posted this. This was me when I was on maternity leave with SY. Except I think I was worse. I even experienced this with Daisy on mat leave to a lesser extent. I hated it. I regretted having a baby. I cried and cried in the mornings (and all day) under the duvet and couldn't get up. I cried through feeds. I cried through meals. I couldn't wait to go back to work and hand her to someone else to deal with. I felt like I had no bond with her for a long time (even though I loved her). I felt like I was a terrible mum. I was wracked with guilt for hating being a mum and maternity leave felt like an endless black hole of counting minutes between feeds. I didn't get professional help. I blundered through with the amazing help from my mum. But I should have spoken to my GP. Because I didn't I still suffer from anxiety taking my kids out or doing anything with them and I still have feelings of being a rubbish mum. A couple of weeks ago on a Friday was the FIRST time I spent the day with daisy and took her out just the two of us and ENJOYED it. She's 2.5 years old.

My point is... if you're feeling this way...

- you're not alone. There's a lot of us like you.

- you're not a bad mum. You're suffering from post partum depression.

- it's ok to admit it and ask for help. Professional help.

- you're not mad. You're not insane.

- don't feel guilty.

To all the mums who struggle, I salute you. Medical problems, sleeping problems, no problems, whatever your situation is, it's HARD being a mum. Be kind to yourself and ask for help. Xxx

Ho ho humbug!

2017-12-06T13:55:00.003+00:00

Things not to do at Christmas when you have kids. Learn from my mistakes people. You'll thank me for it.

Elf on the shelf. You're setting yourself up for years of having to move the damn elf and endless searching on Pinterest for more elf ideas. And if your kids are really smart, increasingly inventive ideas of elf antics as you can't sodding use the antics from the year before.
Or if you insist on doing elf on the shelf, forgetting to move sodding goddamn elf the night before (resulting in mad dash downstairs in a panic before kids come down and having to think of last minute antics including copious amounts of sodding flour, bog roll or sticky tape).
Lego advent calendars. They seem like a cute idea until it's 7:55am and you need to leave at 8am and your 5 year old is standing at the door refusing to put her coat and shoes on because she didn't get to open today's goddamn door because she spent the whole morning stood staring at the tv with a mouthful of cereal in her sodding vest and tights while you shouted "eat your breakfast and get dressed" over and over and over like a record stuck on repeat.
Also don't get a lego advent calendar as your evenings will be spent looking for missing bits of said lego because they insisted on playing with the bits and now Stuart the minion's eyes are sodding missing and your 2 year old MUST have him or she just can't go to sleep.
Forget to write the RETURN ADDRESS on the letter to santa your 5 year old wrote (yes I'm an idiot), meaning you have to fake the reply and dash to the front door and shove it through the letter box before your kids walk down the front path.
Pay £15 for them to meet Santa in some 45 minute "magical experience" only for them to be terrified by the big man himself and spend the entire time begging to leave. Save your money and go visit the free budget santa at the shopping center! They don't care or know the difference.
Spend all year being organised buying stuff "for christmas" for the kids and shoving them in a wardrobe., only to realise in December that your kids now have enough presents to fill a large hatch back, half of which they would have loved in January and now couldn't give a crap about because times move quickly when you're 5 and peppa pig is "so for babies". *face palm*

Free from crumble and custard

2017-10-08T16:51:00.001+01:00

Now that SY is getting a bit older and adventurous, I've been experimenting with different recipes that I'd love her to try. Today as it's Sunday, I figured a fruit crumble might be nice! The crumble itself isn't an issue as it's easy to make a dairy free crumble topping using plain flour, vitalite and sugar, but custard without eggs or cornflour is a challenge! But as you just can't have crumble without custard or cream (and she cant have oats or soya so oatly and alpro single cream alternatives are out the window!) I figured I'd try making some "fake" custard using a roux. It turned out surpringly well! So here's my free from berry crumble with "custard" recipe....

For the crumble:
200g plain flour
100g vitalite or any other dairy free margarine
100g sugar
Frozen berries

Defrost the berries and place in a oven proof dish. Sprinkle with a spoon of plain flour and a tablespoon of sugar. In another bowl, sift the flour and add the vitalite. Rub the fat in to the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. If it looks more like dough, add more flour. Stir in the sugar and sprinkle over your berries until they're covered. Bake in a preheated oven at around gas mark 6 for 30-40 minutes until the top looks brown and crunchy.

For the "custard"
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp vitalite
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup koko or dairy free alternative milk

Add the flour and vitalite to a saucepan and stir on a low heat until you have a dough ball. Add a tbsp of koko milk and stir until absorbed. Repeat and stir not adding too much liquid too quickly until you have a custard like mixture. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until dissolved!