Mango Ice Cream

As everyone who knows me will agree, I like a challenge! So when Tots100 challenged Bloggers to come up with a healthy summer recipe for kids, I decided to find one which was safe for MY kids, many of my readers and would be delicious for any who wanted to try, with or without allergies.

This is what I came up with!

My children much prefer the creamier texture of ice cream (albeit "Free From") to sorbet, and certainly an ice cream texture is more filling than the sugary watery mixture that is sorbet. But without an ice cream maker, I wasn't sure I could achieve this. I have tried unsuccessfully to use milks, it always goes runny. Then I had a lightbulb moment and decided to try RICE CREAM!

There are a few types available in Health Food Stores now, I have tried a few but my favourite is the Isola Rice Cream as it is really thick. You can buy it online too. Because it is thick, a little goes a long way - although it also means it needs a little more mixing in. it ALSO meant it was perfect for "ice cream"!

You could use Oatly cream if gluten is not a problem, soya cream if tolerated, coconut cream - you choose. And equally you could use a variety of fruit -supermarkets this year are selling bags of frozen fruit chunks and my chest freezer is full of them!

Ingredients

• Rice Cream or your choice of alternative. I used 100mls for half a bag to test, so it would be 200ml for one whole bag of frozen fruit.
• Frozen fruit of your choice! 

Tip - needs to be frozen or it will be a mushy mess in your food processor before it's whizzed up properly!

Method

• Place both ingredients in the food processor and keep blending until it is mixed!
• Transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze! 
• Serve as desired :)

Free From "Mini Milk" Lollies

I was fortunate enough to "bump into" the lovely Nia from "Carrots and Maple Syrup" on Twitter via #AllergyHour. (Thursdays 8.30-9.30pm if you are interested!) Nia has worked with Julia from Alimentary Bites (Julia is a dietician) and Hailey from Allergy Adventures recently, so her profile is rising! Check out their substitutions sheet, it's really good.

Nia is amazing, a self taught cook she suffers from multiple allergies herself. That's a nightmare for anyone but for a young person just setting out into the world independently it's REALLY tough. Nia is the most INNOVATIVE baker/cook I have come across, she is 100% self taught and creates all her own recipes. 

Knowing that summer is coming, I asked her to create a recipe for The Recipe Resource. Knowing that it is a site mainly catering for children she came up with these delicious free from "Mini Milk" Lollies! 

Makes 10 - you can buy these little lolly makers everywhere, even in Poundland!

Ingredients

• 150 ml cream (millet, coconut, soya, almond, dairy, oat)
• 560 g yogurt (pea, soya, coconut, rice, greek)
• 3 1/2 tbsp sugar (honey or agave would do)
• 125 g pureed strawberries or cooled melted chocolate (such as Moo Free, Kinnerton, Plamil, Sweet William, Enjoy Life)

Method

So easy!

• Mix together in a bowl and pour into ice lolly moulds
• Freeze for 4 hours

New discoveries!

I was in Woodbridge, Suffolk yesterday, near Ipswich where we live and discovered Rainbow Apothecary . Whilst I am not personally keen on crystals and alternative therapies the shop had me so excited since Jules, the owner, has THE most amazing stock of free from foods and as a medical nutritionist and herbalist has plenty of advice to offer.

Jules is a parent of a child who suffers from non IgE gut allergies and completely understands the importance of careful food sourcing and retailing. I have yet to find another shop with such a unique variety and made several new discoveries.

Fun in the Sun!

Summer would seem to have finally arrived, and even if there is a temporary downturn in temperatures forecast for the rest of this week I am hoping, along with so many other EGID parents, that the summer season will herald a period of good health for our children. Obviously the summer presents its own difficulties for allergic kids, the pollen count remains high over much of the summer, but the reduction in colds and similar maladies is a very definite improvement.



I posted last summer about the amazing Bessant and Drury ice creams, but they are pretty expensive and it's nice to find some alternative. But finding summer treats which are free from the main food allergens can be tough, but my scouts have been hard at work and there have been several posts in our Facebook Group which I thought I would share on here.


Tesco have scored highly this week with two discoveries there.
"Strawberry Helter Skelters" are made with coconut milk and are MEWS free. (Milk, Egg, Soy and Wheat) Ingredients are below:-

Also from Tesco are the two finds here --------->
Free From "Banana Smoothies" also made with coconut milk, great for lunch boxes . Unfortunately my fussy pair didn't like them but then they are not huge banana fans.

"Flips" are a new type of crisp/snack.

Lastly one inventive mum has made some smoothie/ice cream (the latter if you freeze it!) from strawberry puree and oatly cream.

Tastes delicious although difficult to scoop into a cone!

Free from ice cream

I tend to buy Bessant and Drury ice cream if I can get hold of it, but some have ice cream makers and this appeared on the Facebook group page.

Free From Ice Cream

(requires ice cream maker)

Ingredients
1 carton coconut cream
250mls rice milk
150g sugar
2 tablespoons thick and easy (recipe says arrowroot but this is often better tolerated)
20g cocoa powder
a bar of zero zebra chocolate
few drops of vanilla essence

Method
Place all ingredients in a pot and melt altogether, let it cool in a fridge til cold then transfer to an ice cream maker.

Gorgeous luxury tasting ice cream!

If you need cones - these are lovely, but check they are not broken in the box!