Easter!

With school out for the holidays, I'm finally turning my attention to Easter! 

There seem to be more opportunities than ever this year to find free from treats for our children, finally manufacturers are catching on!

Here is a selection of suggestions from our Facebook Support Group. The Lindt dark bunnies have soya lecithin in (the highly purified oil, not ok for everyone but many tolerate it) but are otherwise soya, dairy and gluten free. This is pretty much true of all the other treats pictured below, most are available from supermarkets or high street stores like Holland and Barrett.

Personally, my vote would go for the Choices "Celtic" egg which is 60% cocoa solids, and unlike many others has few additives. This is the one my youngest two have for Easter! Holland and Barrett have a fabulous selection of treats here.

Although time is running out one of the best online supplier for children's Easter treats is "Free From For Kids" which has a lovely selection of pre-wrapped gifts and treats.

My children are getting something slightly different this year though - real bunnies!!! We are adopting some rabbits that a friend is unable to care for since she has arthritis. I have to say, that whilst it is important that our children don't feel they miss out due to allergies and health conditions, I am acutely aware that a restricted diet is often too high in simple sugars and usually attempt to find non-food alternatives anyway. I often buy little craft gifts, or inexpensive (small) Easter toys instead of chocolate -for my non-allergic children as well. This year it seems I have managed to come up trumps, you can't beat real life rabbits!

Mews free chocolate cake shapes

"These are a new favourite for my two boys" says Katrina Jansa from our Facebook support group. "The size and shapes seem to appeal to their little fingers and little appetites (although they manage to eat loads in one go!)."

Ingredients

• 150g pure sunflower spread
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g doves self raising flour
• 3 eggs worth of egg replacer
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1tsp baking powder
• 5 tbsp chocolate oat milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 packets moo free chocolate drops

Method

• Mix all the ingredients together in a magi mix.
• Pour the mixture into a silicon cake pop assorted mould (fill them to the brim and then pop the top   mould on).
• I put the cake moulds on an oven tray.
• Pour remaining mixture into cup cake cases, I made 7 with the remaining mixture
• Bake at 180 fan for 20mins
• Wait until completely cooled to turn them out
• Enjoy!

Cookies

This is a MEWS free and common allergen free recipe for cookies from our Facebook group. I would imagine you can easily halve the quantity if you wanted to make fewer cookies.


Dairy free, wheat free, gluten free, corn free, egg free

Ingredients

• 1lb 2 oz gf flour
• 8oz stork dairy free
• 8oz maple syrup
• 8oz caster sugar
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2tsp baking powder

Method

Mix with hands or dough hook need until it comes together without being madly sticky so I usually add more flour if it feels like it needs it. It was adapted from a normal recipe.

You can add 4 oz df chocolate chips or chocolate chips if you fancy. And if you want to make them it chocolate cookies take out two tsp of flour and add two tsp of coco.

Tip:- Rest dough for couple of hours in fridge. You don't have to do this but I have found they taste nicer.

You can serve them in two ways, roll them into squash ball size spheres and place on baking sheet. I always uses that plastic baking sheet stuff too to stop them sticking and baking for 8mins at 180. They should be golden brown and squishy inside if you can watch them through the door it's good.

Or add a little more flour until the doughs quite stiff and then you can roll it between two sheets of cling film and use cutters on it. I find it's best to do this in small batches on the tray as they are quite easy to break. Bake as above and decorate with icing.

The icing I use is 2tsp egg replacer, two tbs water mixed with 8oz icing sugar and 1/2 baking soda. Add any colours that you wish. I use gel colours but if you use liquid ones you might need to add more sugar.

If you would like to join our Facebook group, we share lots of support and free from recipes!

An explanation of Food Allergies for Children

Healthy Eating - What it means for us

Dorothy's friends Katherine and Alfie are eight years old. They suffer from food allergies, in their case “gut allergies” called non IgE allergies which you can’t test for.

IgE allergies are the ones which bring an instant reaction, and extreme forms can cause anaphylaxis.
Do you know anyone who carries an Epipen? They contain medicine for that sort of allergy. You can test for those - which makes identifying your trigger foods a little easier, although food allergies are never easy!

"There are different types of food allergies. We have Eosinophilic Disease, when the body gets confused and thinks some foods are like germs and need attacking. The problem is this attack can end up hurting your body too! Eating those foods make your throat, tummy or bowel red and sore and stops them working properly. If you are not careful then things we all take for granted like eating, swallowing and digesting food don’t happen properly. Going to the toilet can be painful, take a long time and be really difficult. Like any other food allergy you must stop eating the food your body is reacting to.

Some people react in a quick, dangerous way to foods. This can be life threatening. Others react more slowly but the long term effect can be very serious. All our bodies like to be cared for, letting them get red, sore and swollen for long periods of time can damage them. Our bodies work best when they are properly cared for. We all try and look after our teeth by not eating too many sweets! If you have a food allergy you look after your body by avoiding those foods your body reacts to.

Sometimes that means you cannot eat foods which have important things in them for growing. That can mean you need to find those important things in other foods, or in a special formula drink, and take medicines to keep healthy."

Food still needs to be fun though - Katherine and Alfie do lots of baking and cooking with their mum. You can substitute most foods to make delicious recipes.

Katherine says "Getting enough energy is really important - we use a lot of it in school! So sometimes food you might think is less healthy is just right for us! Healthy Eating is really important. It is about looking after your body. But most of all it is about eating in a way to take care of your own body in the best way possible for you."

Want more information on food allergies? 
For “classic” IgE food allergies Our Allergy Adventures is a great site for kids. Lots of activities and useful child-friendly information.
For general info on allergies for kids www.allergykids.co.uk/
Or if your parents want to read more about allergies and intolerances, or more specifically Gut Allergies.

Yet another muffin recipe!

Must be "Muffin Season"!!

I bought some blackberries, intending to make a blackberry and apple crumble (I know, I know, out of season) and they were SO sour I had to opt for a Plan B. This is what I came up with. I attempted to substitute the buttermilk in my recipe for rice cream and a banana puree fruit pot (adds a raising agent) and it worked quite well.

Free from dairy, soya, wheat, gluten. Could be egg free but I was nervous as I had already made a big substitution with the buttermilk.

Ingredients

• 175g/6oz Doves Farm gluten free SR flour or your choice and raising agent if required
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 175ml/6fl oz total consisting of rice cream, (Oatly cream or soya cream if tolerated) and one banana puree (fine if it has apple in) fruit pot
• 1 medium egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 40g/1 1/2oz melted butter
• 150g blackberries/blueberries 

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4
• Sift flour and baking powder (if using) together. Add sugar
• Add fruit pot and rice cream to make the 6fl oz in a separate bowl
• beat in the egg and add the vanilla essence
• add in the cooled melted butter
• stir the "wet" ingredients into the dry bowl
• Fold in the berries
• Spoon into muffin cases. Back for 20-25 minutes until soft and springy.

TIP If your berries are very soft/ripe you would need to reduce the rice cream/puree mix by at least 1 oz. If you put the puree in the bowl first, it's easy to add the cream to the right amount.

They were really tasty, very delicious although slightly too moist inside. I suspect the recipe needs a little tweaking but they were enjoyed here fresh and half have gone in the freezer for packed lunches.

Blueberry and Lemon Muffins

Dairy free, soya free (depending on flour used), wheat free, gluten free, could be egg free

These are delicious iced but are equally good "plain". I guarantee these won't last long either, best fresh from the oven!

Ingredients 

• 100 g Sunflower Oil (NOT olive oil, this is too heavy)
• 100 g Caster Sugar 
• 1 Egg (or equivalent egg replacer)
• 150 g Self Raising Dove's Farm Gluten Free Flour 
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum (if tolerated)
• 100 g Fresh Blueberries 
• 6 Paper Muffin Cases (or 10 smaller cupcake cases)
• 1 lemon
• small quantity of icing sugar

Method

• Beat together the oil, sugar and egg. 
• Add the rind of the lemon (finely grated) and half its juice
• Mix in the flour. 
• Mix in the blueberries. 
• Spoon into paper muffin cases standing on a baking tray. 
• Bake in a pre heated oven for 20/25 minutes.
• Mix the remaining lemon juice with the icing sugar and drizzle on top once cool.

You could vary the ingredients in these too (raisins?) or make them without blueberries if desired.

Cherry Scones

Free from Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Soya

This was never intended to be a Blog post - indeed, I am so used to my futile attempts at creating a "free from" scone recipe that a) rises and b) stays moist that I only gave in and tried once more at the pleas of my scone loving 12 year old. He's only been gluten free a short while (under hospital instructions) and misses them terribly.

So, there was none of that "ok, this is a Blog post so let's get organised, take a photo etc" type of planning. Which if you listen to my husband is probably why it worked.... (in a Shrödinger's Cat if you observe it you change reality kind of way.)

So. Here you go, this is how I made them:-