Coping with gluten allergies and going dairy free

We often have guests who warn me in advance of their gluten intollerance and I’m more than happy to accommodate their requirements.  There have been more alarming allergies I’ve been warned about too – peanuts, which can lead to fatal consequences.  Recently I’ve been subject to some of these restrictions in my life too, but it’s really not the end of the world.

Years ago when I was at university I wrote my dissertation on the impact of peanut allergies on the catering industry; in doing so I gained some knowledge about anaphylaxic shocks.  This in turn saved my life when I had an shock as a consequence of a couple of bee stings.  And so what I’m trying to say is I know how dangerous and frightening it is to have a massive allergy.

More recently I’ve had a few months of being dairy and gluten free, and am now back enjoying a ‘normal’ diet.  I learnt to adapt and tweek our menus to the changes and was surprised at how delicious many of the alternatives are.  Up at the top of the list has to be soya based yogurt with coconut, followed closely by Eat Natural granola and museli, these alternatives to wheat and dairy based cereals and yogurt remain a big part of my mornings. Most brands of sausages are now free from gluten meaning cooked breakfasts don’t have to be denied to anyone and gluten free bread, provided it’s toasted, is fine to put under eggs; the only breakfast that I can’t provide in my usual list is Eggs Benedict.

The change has been good for me at lunch too, instead of falling for an easy option of a sandwich I now give things a bit more thought and make myself a salad.  Cakes are the hardest thing to adapt and flapjacks tend to be all that came to mind, and then I discovered the great Harry Eastwood and her great book Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache and even teatime became easy.  I really don’t think my husband noticed that our diet changed; and for myself I’m now able to tollerate bread and dairy products but now eat them in moderation.

If you’re planning a stay here and have any dietry requirements please just let me know and I’ll happily do all I can to accommodate you.

 

 

 

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