Category: Dairy Free

Allergies, Allergy Free, Children, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating

Allergy Friendly Pancakes

by thejoyoffive3 Comments on Allergy Friendly Pancakes

 
 Shrove Tuesday is alway one of our favourite days, from the pancake flipping to stacking them high and all of us tucking in to piles of them covered in lemon and sugar!

So that number four is not left out we always make him some allergy friendly ones to enjoy.

This recipe is the closest we have got to the real thing and to be honest it’s really hard to tell the difference!

Allergy Friendly Pancakes

  • 250g Plain white wheat free flour
  • 2tsp Baking powder
  • 300ml Oat milk
  • Egg replacer, equivalent of two eggs
  • Oil for frying
  1. Place the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
  2. Add the egg replaced and slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth batter.
  3. Allow to stand for a while whilst heating the oil in a pan.
  4. Once hot place a ladle full of the batter and cook for about 30 secs until cooked on the underside.
  5. Either turn the pancake over or if you are feeling brave give it a flip!
  6. Once cooked serve with a topping of your choice.  I always go for traditional sugar and lemon but go ahead and use your imagination.
Allergy Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating

Coconut Rice Pudding 

by thejoyoffive5 Comments on Coconut Rice Pudding 

  

We are midway through the month and some of us may still be going strong with our New Year healthy eating plans and some of us may have already fallen off the wagon.  Whatever boat you are in this yummy pudding is the perfect sweet treat without to much guilt!

Coconut Rice Pudding

Serves 4/6

  • 400g pudding rice
  • 1 litre oat/almond/rice milk
  • 2 tbsp honey/agave syrup 
  • 100g desiccated coconut
  • Sprinkling of seeds of soft fruit to serve
  1.  Place the rice, milk, syrup/honey and 200ml water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
  2. Simmer for around 30 mins stirring regularly to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Serve straight away with some seed of soft fruit and a dusting of desiccated coconut.
Allergy Free, Children, Dairy Free, Diet, Egg Free, Food, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free

Spicy Mince With Cauliflower Rice

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Spicy Mince With Cauliflower Rice

One of my biggest pitfalls when it comes to eating a healthy balanced diet is portion control and my love of all things stodgy!  Bread, pasta and rice in abundance are my love and something I need to try and get under control.

I had seen a few recipes for cauliflower rice in the past but had not tried it until today and I was very presently surprised.  It’s light cous cous like texture was the perfect accompaniment to my spicy mince.

Spicy Mince And Cauliflower Rice

  • 1 cauliflower
  • 500g turkey/beef mince
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 thumb sized piece of garlic
  • 2 red chilli
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 100ml stock
  • 1 onion
  • Half a bag of kale
  1. Chop the onion and garlic and fry with a little olive oil until softened.
  2. Add the mince and cook until browned.
  3. Add the grated ginger, chopped chilli, soy sauce and stock.
  4. Simmer for 15/20 mins and add a little water if it begins to dry out.
  5. For the last 5 mins add the kale and cook until it is wilted.
  6. Whilst the mince is cooking take the heads from the cauliflower and place into a food processor and pulse until it is the consitincy of cous cous.
  7. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film and pierce a couple of times.
  8. Cook in high for 7mins.
  9. Serve together with the mince.
Allergy Free, Dairy Free, Diet, Egg Free, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes

Sticky Asian Salmon

by thejoyoffive4 Comments on Sticky Asian Salmon

Along with most people after the indulgences of Christmas, New Year is the perfect time to get healthy eating regimes back on track.  In my experience as a personal trainer most people fall off the wagon due to unrealistic goals and being to strict with themselves.

The word diet immediately puts fear into people’s heads and food plans that are not suited to your personal choice means that they stop before they even really begin.

I am a food lover and find that if I keep my meals flavoursome and varied I am much more likely to stick to them.

A favourite in this house is my sticky Asian salmon that we serve with rice noodles and stir fry veg but is equally as yummy with rice or simply on its own.

Sticky Asian Salmon

  • 3tbsp runny honey
  • 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • Thumb sized amount of grated ginger
  • 2tbsp soy sauce
  • Half a side of salmon
  1. Line a baking tray with enough foil to sit the salmon on and cover over the top.
  2. Mix together all the above ingredients and cover the salmon
  3. Leave to marinade in the fridge for 30 mins or overnight if you can
  4. Cover and place in a preheated oven 180 C/gas mark 6 for 20 mins
  5. Cook uncovered for a further 5 mins and then serve
Allergies, Allergy Free, Baking, Cakes, Children, Dairy Free, Diet, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

Super Yummy Banana Cake

by thejoyoffive7 Comments on Super Yummy Banana Cake

Who doesn’t have those few browning bananas left in the fruit bowl that nobody really wants but it is always such a shame to throw away.

What better way to use them up than to make a super yummy banana cake that the whole family will enjoy.

I came across this recipe on Cerea’s Kitchen blog  and jiggled it around a little so it was also perfect for my little allergy boy too.

Banana Cake

  • 5 bananas
  • 50ml maple syrup
  • 130g rolled oats 
  • 150g wheat free flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 75g coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 60ml melted coconut oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 360F or 180C and lightly grease a square baking tin with coconut oil.
  2. In a large bowl mash the bananas and add the coconut oil, sugar, vanilla extract, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.   
  3. Next mix in the oats, flour and baking soda.
  4. Finally add the mixture to the tin and cake for around 35-40mins.   

  

   
  

  

Allergies, Allergy Free, Baking, Children, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating, Kid Bloggers, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

Allergy Friendly Pizzas

by thejoyoffive22 Comments on Allergy Friendly Pizzas

Saturday nights should be about rubbish food and easy watching TV with the family. 

With number four’s allergies the biggest no no is pizza so instead of ordering a big greasy takeaway we love to get the kids involved and make our own pizzas so that number four doesn’t get to miss out on the fun.

This allergy friendly pizza crust recipe is fine for the whole family but to be honest the others prefer a normal base.

We let the children chose which topping they like and let them get on and get creative.

   
 

Here is my pizza crust recipe if you fancy giving it a go:

Allergy Friendly Pizza Crust

  • 450g Wheat Free Flour
  • 3/4tsp Xanthan Gum
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2tsp Baking Powder
  • 1tsp Sugar
  • 1tbsp Yeast
  • 360ml Warm Water
  • 1tbsp Olive Oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C 160CFan or gas Mark 5.
  2. Combine half the water with the yeast and leave for about five minutes.  Add the sugar after the first few minutes.
  3. In another bowl add the flour and baking powder and mix well.
  4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture, oil and the rest of the water.  Stir well with a wooden spoon.
  5. Take the dough and place onto a floured surface and form your pizza base.  Place into a lightly greased tray and cook for around 30mins.
  6. Remove from the oven and cover with a tomato sauce base and your favourite ingredients.
  7. Place back into the oven and cook for another 20 mins.

    

We had a selection of cheese, ham, pepperoni, sweetcorn, olives and peppers.

   
 

The children loved the whole process and cleared their plates.

What is your favourite pizza topping?
  

  

  

Allergies, Allergy Free, Dairy Free, Diet, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

Allergy Free Cottage Pie

by thejoyoffive4 Comments on Allergy Free Cottage Pie

  
With the colder weather and darker nights drawing in a firm family favourite has appeared back on our menu…cottage pie goes down well with all of the children and this recipe makes it safe for number four too.

Allergy Free Cottage Pie

  • 1kg Minced Beef
  • 2 Chopped Onions
  • 3 Sliced Carrots
  • 2 Cloves Chopped Garlic
  • 3 tbsp Wheat Free Flour
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 850ml Wheat Free Beef Stock
  • Sprigs Of Thyme
  • 1 1/2kg Chopped Potatoes
  • 220ml Oat Milk
  • 25g Dairy Free Margarine


  1. Heat a little oil in a large pan and brown the mince.  Next add the vegetables and cook for around twenty minutes.  Add the puree, flour and garlic and cook for another few minutes.  Add the stock and herbs and cook uncovered for about 45 minutes.
  2. Place the potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook until soft. Once ready drain and mash together with the milk and margarine.
  3. Lastly spoon the meat into a large ovenproof dish and spoon the mash potato into the top. Score all over with a fork and cook for 30 minutes in the oven at Gas Mark 7, 220C/200 Fan.
  4. Once bubbling and golden it will be ready to serve.

There is always a big debate in this house as to how it is served.  My favourite is fresh green vegetables and the the others favour baked beans.  What is your favourite accompaniment?
  

Allergy Free, Birthdays, Blogging, Cafes, Cakes, Children, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Kid Bloggers, Kids Days Out, Nut Free, Parents, Photography, Reviews, Wheat Free

Our Very First Blogging Event

by thejoyoffive23 Comments on Our Very First Blogging Event

Since starting blogging just over six months ago I have been completely taken in by everything the blogging world has to offer.  I love meeting new people through social media, getting inspiration from other people’s great blogs and trying out new things that I can then review and pass on mine and the children’s thoughts to others.

As silly as I probably seem I was thrilled to receive an email the other day inviting us to a blogging event at Centrale Croydon.

On reading the email it sounded like a real fun packed day that the kids would love and I would love writing about.  Then the fear set in!  What would I wear? Would the children behave? Does this now make me a ‘real’ blogger? 

My fears we quashed as soon as I made my way to the Build A Bear Workshop where our day was starting.  I was greeted by some other lovely bloggers and their great children and just knew from then on I was going to love the day.

   
 

An exited group of children made their way inside the brightly coloured shop and were met by the super friendly, bubbly staff.  Name labels were given out and they were then sent off to pick their very own bear from a huge range that would cover any child’s taste.

  
We settled for a minion, fluffy bunny and a rainbow coloured teddy.  The children were then allowed to go up one at a time to help stuff their bears whilst taking part in lots of fun games to keep them amused.

   
       

Number three and four had a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anybody.  Number five on the other hand decided to fulfill my fear of badly behaved children and cried and moaned through the whole experience!  The staff were not fazed in the slightest and tried their best to involve him in the fun.

   
 

From here they had all worked up a good appetite so we made our way round the corner to an ice cream parlour called Gelatos.  

Again we were greeted with a smile and seated in the funky purple booths, where we chose our lunch from a vast selection of hot and cold food, hot and cold drinks and lots of supper scrummy waffles, sundaes and milkshakes.

   
     

Normally places like this are off limits to us due to number fours allergies; here they were not a problem and they catered for everything.  They managed to find a suitable lunch for him that was then finished off with a yummy sorbet.  Number two and five had a delicious panini, a big scoop of icecream and a georgous Oreo milkshake.

  

  

  

Our last port of call was to go and take a look around the beauty and photography studio Hello Georgous.  Number three who is a complete diva was thrilled with everything she saw and was looking on in awe of the girls there having their nails done and waiting for their special photo shoots.

We have been booked in for a mother and daughter manicure and can’t wait to let you all know how our day goes.

All in all apart from the tantruming toddler we all had a fantastic day and loved every minute of our experience. Any element of the day would have made a brilliant birthday party or special treat for your little ones.  The teddies have already been on a trip away with us and we will be booking in our girly day very soon, which I’m sure we will finish off with another trip to have a sneaky ice cream!

  
   
 

  

  

  

Allergy Free, Dairy Free, Diet, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free

Spicy Pork And Rice

by thejoyoffive17 Comments on Spicy Pork And Rice

I posted a picture of my dinner on Instagram the other night and had a lot of my followers ask for the recipe.

It’s a real family favourite and actually the only meal the whole family enjoy.  It’s from the ‘Hairy Dieters Eat For Life‘ book which is full of lots of great food that is good for the waistline which is always a bonus!

Spicy Pork And Rice

  • 2 tsp olive oil 
  • 1 medium onion sliced into wedges
  • 500g pork tenderloin cut into 1cm slices
  • 50g chorizo sausage cut into 5mm slices
  • 2cloves thinly sliced garlic
  • 100g green beans trimmed and cut into small pieces
  • 1tsp ground cumin 
  • 1 tsp ground ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
  • 1 red and orange pepper deseeded and sliced
  • 750ml chicken stock

In a large frying pan fry the onions until softened and lightly browned.  Stirring regularly.

Add the pork to the pan and fry for another 2 mins until browned. Add the chorizo, garlic, peppers, and beans and stir fry together for another 2mins.  Sprinkle over the spices and stir in the rice, pour over the stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20mins, stirring regularly until the rice has been absorbed and the pork is tender.

We serve ours with a small green salad and sometimes some crusty bread if the children are really hungry.

 

   

  

Allergy Free, Cakes, Children, Dairy Free, Education, Families, Family Life, Food, Gifts, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

End Of Term Pressies

by thejoyoffive5 Comments on End Of Term Pressies

At the end of term we always like to say a big thank you to the teachers by making them something homemade.

This year I used a recipe from Life Currents that I had originally set aside for number four as it is allergy free; but it seemed something nice and easy for number three to prepare herself.

Coconut Bites

  • 200g Shredded Coconut
  • 230ml Coconut Oil
  • 2tbsp Maple Syrup
  • Half tsp Vanilla Extract
  1. In a saucepan mix together the coconut, coconut oil and the syrup and heat for about 5mins until some oil is absorbed.
  2. Remove from the heat and pack firmly into a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and refrigerate for around an hour.
  3. Once hardened remove from the tin and cut into 21 small pieces.

  

I found some lovely jam jars in our local kitchen suppliers The Art Of Living which were perfect to home our handmade gifts.

  
Number three then cut a gift tag from some coloured paper and added her own message.

To finish the gift off she tied her gift tag to the jar with some string.

   
 

Hopefully her teachers will be pleased with the gifts and have a great summer holiday.

What gifts do you normally chose for your children’s teachers?