nut free – the joy of five

Allergies, Allergy Free, Baking, Cakes, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

Allergy Friendly Strawberry Cupcakes

February 11, 2016February 11, 2016by thejoyoffive2 Comments

Valentines Day is fastly become a big celebration in the UK with it being a day not just for couples but something that the children now join in with.

My older children all attend Valentines discos at school and the younger ones have made some beautiful cards at school.

To be honest for me it should be something special left for couples to enjoy but im going with the flow and letting the kids join in with the celebrations too!

Number four wanted to do some baking this week so we went with a pink theme and made some strawberry flavoured cupcakes that were suitable for his allergies.

Strawberry Flavoured Cupcakes

Cake Mixture

110g self raising wheat free flour
110g dairy free margarine
110g caster sugar
Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs
1 tsp strawberry flavouring
1tsp red colouring

Buttercream Frosting

140g dairy free margarine
250c icing sugar
Few drops red colouring
Strawberry flavoured sparkles

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and lay out 12 cake cases ready for filling.
Best the butter and sugar together, add the egg replacer, flavouring and food colouring.
Fold in the flour until completely mixed. Then transfer to cake cases.
Cook for 10 mins then place in a wire rack to cool.
Make up the buttercream by combining the margarine with the sugar and then mixing in the food colouring.
Once the cakes are cooled place the butter cream on top and pull a fork over the top to create a rough surface and then sprinkle over the strawberry sparkles.

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

Allergy Friendly Pancakes

February 8, 2016by thejoyoffive3 Comments

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

Place the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Add the egg replaced and slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth batter.
Allow to stand for a while whilst heating the oil in a pan.
Once hot place a ladle full of the batter and cook for about 30 secs until cooked on the underside.
Either turn the pancake over or if you are feeling brave give it a flip!
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

January 19, 2016January 19, 2016by thejoyoffive5 Comments

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

Place the rice, milk, syrup/honey and 200ml water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
Simmer for around 30 mins stirring regularly to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Serve straight away with some seed of soft fruit and a dusting of desiccated coconut.

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

October 5, 2015October 5, 2015by thejoyoffive7 Comments

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

Preheat the oven to 360F or 180C and lightly grease a square baking tin with coconut oil.
In a large bowl mash the bananas and add the coconut oil, sugar, vanilla extract, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.
Next mix in the oats, flour and baking soda.
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

September 5, 2015September 17, 2015by thejoyoffive22 Comments

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

Preheat the oven to 180C 160CFan or gas Mark 5.
Combine half the water with the yeast and leave for about five minutes. Add the sugar after the first few minutes.
In another bowl add the flour and baking powder and mix well.
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.
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.
Remove from the oven and cover with a tomato sauce base and your favourite ingredients.
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, Antenatal Exercise, Baking, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Food, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

Allergy Free Apple, Blackberry And Rhubarb Crumble

September 3, 2015September 4, 2015by thejoyoffive4 Comments

I love nothing more than saving a few pennies on the food shop so today we headed into town to pick up some bargains from the butchers and the greengrocer. On the way back we stopped and picked a few handfuls of blackberries that are still around.

During the summer I very rarely make any puddings so as the weather is now on the turn I thought tonight would be great to have a yummy crumble.

This recipe is great if you suffer with food allergies but can easily be converted to your usual ingredients.

Allergy Free Apple, Blackberry And Rhubarb Crumble

120 wheat free flour
60g caster sugar
60g dairy free spread
150g cooking apples
30g demerara sugar
30g dairy free spread
100g blackberries
150grhubarb
1/4 tsp all spice

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan or Gas Mark 5.
Add 60g dairy free spread, sugar and flour to a bowl a drub together making a breadcrumb like mixture.
Next put the 30g of dairy free spread and demerara sugar onto a saucepan and melt together for a few minutes. Stir in the rhubarb and apple along with the cinnamon and cook for a few minutes. Add the blackberries and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and place into a deep gratin dish.
Lastly poor the crumble mixture over the top and place in the oven for around twenty minutes.

Sadly we forgot the custard so had it served by itself. I think we might have to get some for the leftovers tomorrow!

What is your favourite fruit to add to a crumble?

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

August 30, 2015August 30, 2015by thejoyoffive4 Comments

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

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.
Place the potatoes into a pan of boiling water and cook until soft. Once ready drain and mash together with the milk and margarine.
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.
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, Cakes, Children, Dairy Free, Education, Families, Family Life, Food, Gifts, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes, Soya Free, Wheat Free

End Of Term Pressies

July 16, 2015July 20, 2015by thejoyoffive5 Comments

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

In a saucepan mix together the coconut, coconut oil and the syrup and heat for about 5mins until some oil is absorbed.
Remove from the heat and pack firmly into a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and refrigerate for around an hour.
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?

Children, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Food, Nut Free, Photography, Recipes, Wheat Free

Chocolate Bowl Recipe Fail

July 10, 2015July 10, 2015by thejoyoffive2 Comments

As many of you know number four has multiple allergies and because of this I always try to find different things to make for him to make up for all the yummy things he misses out on.

Ice cream is always a no no when we are out and he only has the option of ice lollies.

This summer I have made it my mission to create some different ice cream recipes for him.

Ice cream cones always contain wheat, so as he is a chocolate lover I thought I could make a chocolate bowl covered with sprinkles to put his favourite mango sorbet in.

I greased a small bowl and spread melted chocolate over the inside and covered in sprinkles. Whilst the kids were licking out the bowl I put it into the fridge to set.

I removed the bowl from the fridge with every hope that I was going to be able to easily remove the chocolate shell from the bowl.

How wrong could I be! It was welded in with no hope of moving! I still served the sorbet and fruit and number four was occupied for ages trying to gouge the chocolate out of the bowl.

So my image of this delicate chocolate bowl covered with sprinkles was shattered; but the fact it took so long to remove the chocolate gave me a bit of peace and quiet to tidy up!!

Allergy Free, Chocolate, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Families, Family Life, Fathers Day, Food, Nut Free, Photography, Recipes, Wheat Free

Allergy Free Chocolate Plops

June 21, 2015August 31, 2015by thejoyoffive3 Comments

With Fathers Day celebrations happening this weekend I knew there would be lots of treats flying around that number four would not be able to join in with; so whilst the older children made chocolate muffins for their Dad we set to making some super easy chocolate plops.

All that is need is a large bar of dairy free chocolate and some cake decoration sprinkles. There are lots available so you can be as creative as you like with your decoration.

Firstly get a chopping board that will be able to lay flat in your fridge and cover with a layer a cling film.

Then melt your chocolate in a bowl I’ve some boiling water, take a teaspoon and put a 5cm drop of chocolate onto your covered board. Then add your sprinkles to each plop.