Baby's Birthday

Blogging's gone a little bit by the wayside recently, as I've been a wee bit busy. Baby had a birthday, which was the cause of much frantic house activity - so much of our stuff was still in boxes (following our recent move) and urgently needed shifting!! 

The birthday brought a moment of harsh reality for me - it really brought home to me the fact that Baby is not a baby any more. 

It's something I've known for a while really - she's been growing so fast; acquiring new vocabulary and developing new skills so quickly, I can barely keep up! The Hub and I keep looking at each other in astonishment as she surprises us with something new that she can say or do. In fact her height (she must take after The Hub) and language skills have fooled many into thinking she is a year older than she actually is! 

This is all very scary for me, especially as it looks like she will be my only baby - I have no intention of having any other and somehow I can't seem to break the habit of calling her 'Baby'. It's a hard habit to break... but I am trying!! However, for the purposes of this blog, she will  always remain 'Baby'.

We marked Baby's birthday in the usual way - with a party. Having moved, we know few children her own age, so decided to invite her cousins (who she loves to bits and calls her best friends, anyway). 

The theme was not exactly original  (as I discovered when I Googled it online) but an obvious choice (given her love of bears) it was a teddy bears' picnic!

If you go down in the woods today...

In fact the lack of originality, on my part, meant that I was able to borrow plenty of great ideas from other mummies, who had (scarily) gone very much to town on the whole thing. I decided I was not under pressure to conform to their standards and contented myself with the  knowledge that Baby would have a great time anyway, and she did.

It all began with a trip to 'Build a Bear' (an exciting event, in and of itself). This was The Hub's job. I think The Hub may not have been totally sold on this idea, but, as I pointed out, it's easier to do now (with just a few cousins) than when she's eight and wants to invite the whole class!! A well-timed 25%  off voucher certainly sweetened the pill.

Meanwhile, my job was to frantically re-tidy the house (it had been all in order in the morning) and set the scene.

First I set up Baby's bears, with their own little tea party.

Then I arranged some bear activities:

• 'Hunt the Bear' was arranged in the garden - tiny laminated bears were pegged around the garden, signs were set up, and tea lights were set up strategically to light the way (it took place in the dark). Prizes involved chocolate coins for all. Of course, Baby's were dairy free (from Sainsbury's).

• A table was set with gingerbread bears that Baby and I had made earlier in the week (using a really simple recipe, that I'll post soon). Icing and decorations were left out, so the children could decorate them to their hearts' desire.

• Baby's easel was set up, with a big bear picture and a scarf, so that blindfolded participants (including adults, and yes, they did join in) could 'Pin the Heart on the Bear'. 

• We also played 'Musical Bears' (at Baby's request). The children danced with their teddies to the music, until it stopped. After the first round, Baby declared herself the winner. She was much disgusted when the game carried on and refused to participate - as far as she was concerned the game was over!

• 'Pass the Bear' also worked well. We passed a teddy until the music stopped. Whoever had the bear when the music stopped got a chocolate coin - funny how they all ended up with the same amount (thanks Dad)!!

When it came to food, I set out the picnic 'rug' (a disposable tablecloth) for the children on the floor of our living area, set it with plates and filled it with bowls of food.

The dairy free menu included:

• Pom Bears (of course) of the dairy free 'Original' variety.

• Ham sandwiches (made with dairy free bread and spread) cut into Teddy Bear heads (using a cookie cutter). I would have made marmalade sandwiches (a la Paddington) and honey (a la Winnie the Pooh) but a brief of survey of the mummies involved suggested this would be a 'no go' (their kids wouldn't eat it).

• Cupcakes made with Hale and Hearty's 'Classic Vanilla Sponge Cake' (I ran out of time) were decorated with Betty Crocker 'Buttercream Style' vanilla icing and Flossie Crum's raspberry flavoured icing. They were topped off with Winnie the Pooh characters. 

• The children's own decorated gingerbread bears.

Baby's  Gingerbread Bear

There was of course plenty of non-bear food, as well, such as grapes, mini tomatoes, bread sticks etc.

Cheese, for the those who could have it, was placed well out of the reach of Baby on the adult's table  (there were aunts, uncles and grandparents to feed too) but offered to the non dairy free children as well.

There were also Mc Cain's Smiles (smiley potato faces) and Sainsbury's own Free From Chicken Nuggets. Which went down well, with both children and adults alike!

I had planned to do dairy free ice cream in teddy bear cones as well, but actually, the children had plenty of food and needed to save room for the inevitable dairy free teddy bear cake!

We all had a great time. Although hard work, it was  such fun and as I had provided all the food, I had no worries about what food was safe (or not) for us to eat and could put safeguards in place. However, I must admit, I was tempted by the pizza, on the adults table! *sigh* If I'd had time, I could perhaps have made some for me, oh well! Another time!!

BTW for those of you who, like me, are gluten free, word is that Dominoes now do a  pizza with a gluten and dairy free base! However, not sure if I really want mine without cheese... What do you think?

Center Parcs Revisited

We're back! 

S'funny how I feel like a character from C.S.Lewis' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' by saying that. Going to Center Parcs feels a little bit like stepping into another world - quite possibly Narnia, due to the forest location. 

This feeling (of being in another world) was heightened by the fact that our accommodation didn't have WiFi (this time). We had some mobile reception, but not enough to do much on the Internet, so it left us feeling a little bit 'cut off' from the outside world. There was the telly, but somehow it seemed wrong to be watching it - when we could be out and about, or relaxing with our friends.

Morning!

Of course we hadn't gone for long. Previous trips to Center Parcs left us gagging for more, so we opted to return for a slightly shorter weekend slot (term time again, which makes it cheaper). The other advantages (it being Autumn) was a distinct lack of  both mosquitoes and hayfever. When we last visited (in June) I was bitten by wee critters and the wildflower meadow was in full bloom. There was one afternoon, down by the lake, when both The Hub and I suffered terrible hayfever. 

Guests for breakfast.

This time there was definitely an Autumnal nip in the air, as we wandered the site. The fireplace (something we'd not considered using before) definitely came into its own. Thankfully, the chalets were warm, there was sunshine during the day and a subtropical swimming pool 'Paradise' to keep us warm.

There were still the ducks and other wild life clamouring to be fed, including, on the first night, this badger!

Poor quality pic, I'm afraid!

The badger was after the remains of some bread left out for the ducks and came right up to our patio door! Having not seen a badger up close and personal before, I was very excited and couldn't believe how unfazed it was by our presence. Unfortunately, in my excitement, I rushed to take a photo on my new phone, not realising that there was a flash. Of course, the flash went off and scared the poor badger away. It was never to return. Doh!

On previous occasions, we visited local supermarkets, before arriving, to make sure we had all our gluten free and dairy free provisions lined up. However, last time we visited about four* before we got all the things that we thought we needed, so this time, as we were only going for a weekend we decided to try and do without the added supermarket hop. 

We decided to buy as much as we could from the onsite supermarket (otherwise known as the 'Parcmarket'). We still made sure that we took certain essentials: Genius bread (the Parcmaket does stock gluten free bread, but not the one loaf that I can comfortably eat), our long life milks (the Parcmarket sells soya milk and lactofree, neither of which are any use to me), Bolognese sauce, Orgran dried pasta (made with rice), some Dove's gluten free flour, Marigold Bouillion (we use it instead of gravy), our favourite snacks and a few extra cooking utensils. Oh, and some dairy free chocolate of course - they don't sell any at Center Parcs and I couldn't go without! 

As for everything else, I knew we could get Vitalite dairy free margarine in the supermarket on site, and for just a few days, I thought I could forgo my recently found dairy free cheese and yoghurt, after all, I've managed without for quite a while now.

Our confidence in the Parcmarket was dented somewhat by the lack of gluten free sausages and burgers (last time we brought our own, in a cool box) but restored by tasty apples and minced beef and... finding these: 

The more it snows, tiddly pom!

a new limited edition of gluten and dairy free Pom Bear snowmen (for a full list of ingredients, see below**)! 

The flavour was apparently 'Pigs in Blankets'. To be honest, I didn't think they tasted like Pigs in Blankets. Baby didn't like them (too spicy) but I did! Of course not all flavours (of Pom Bears) are dairy free, so I had to double check, and triple check, just to make sure!

Our 'Lodge' being closer to the main Plaza, this time, we didn't eat out as much as we have previously - we were able to return to the lodge for lunch. BUT it was good to know that the option was there, should the need arise... we still enjoyed our post-swim dairy and gluten free chocolate and hazelnut loaf from Starbucks though (said coffee shop is handily located in the reception area). 

Last time we discovered (to my joy) that I could eat one dish at Strada (there's one on site) which was dairy and gluten free! We've also eaten at 'The Sports Cafe,' and  'The Canopy' poolside cafe and bar, where we took a bit of a risk - by selecting dishes that had neither gluten or dairy listed as ingredients. I asked the staff to confirm that they didn't contain gluten/dairy, however, as to how well-trained they were about the need to avoid cross-contamination I've no idea. 

I don't like to take these kind of risks, but sometimes we lost track of time, or found ourselves further away from our accommodation than we thought - minus food and with a hungry little one in tow...

Of course this approach is, not to be recommended if you're at risk of an extreme reaction, such as an anaphylactic shock (Baby is not, and in fact has been okay more recently with tiny traces of cooked milk in her food) or if you're Coeliac (I'm intolerant to wheat/gluten, but not a diagnosed Coeliac). 

Neither of us came to any harm, although at the poolside cafe there wasn't much available for me to eat - just some salted 'Proper Popcorn' (a snack to keep me going, until we left the pool). However, the next time we were there, none of the salted variety of the Popcorn were left, so The Hub ordered me some corn on the cob - specifying no butter. When it arrived it was practically swimming in butter, but as 'no butter' was clearly written on the tab, the staff apologised and replaced it. 

We were far more sensible about exploring what options might be available at 'The Pancake House' - we went when we weren't desperate for food (just in search of a treat). We discovered that the Pancake House had gluten free and vegan options, but couldn't make me a pancake that was both gluten and dairy free - the gluten free mix contained skimmed milk. I was offered an omelette made purely with egg, but I would really have loved a pancake. 'Oh well!' I thought, 'I'll just have to stick to my own for now, then!'

I have to say, all in all, we had a great time (we spent most of our time in the pool, which Baby loved) and the weekend was over far too quickly. Now we're back, I'm already thinking ahead to next time - I'm writing a slightly modified list of essentials!

Homeward bound.

*On our previous visit, we visited the nearest Co-op (which turned out to be too small to stock Free From), Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Tesco at Trowbridge turned out to be the winner for us, as it had most of the items we wanted. 

**Pom Bear Snowmen Ingredients: potato powder, sunflower oil, potato starch, modified starch, salt, sugar, yeast extract emulsifier: soya lecithins, spice, pigs in blankets seasoning: maltodextrin, yeast powder, yeast extract, onion powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder, spices, smoked salt, flavourings, herbs, colour (paprika extract), spice extracts

Update August 2015:

The 'Treats' sweet shop in the Plaza at Longleat Center Parcs now sells dairy free chocolate - you can buy Moo Free, or Kinnerton chocolate lollies. The Parc Market (onsite supermarket) now sell Black Farmer suasages which are dairy and gluten free, but bizarrely these were not placed alongside the other sausages! However, they no longer sell Vitalite or the higher end crisps/popcorn that are dairy/gluten free. AND nowhere sells those lovely Pom Bear snowmen anymore as Pom Bear have discontinued them! :(

Some of the menus in the restaurants/cafes at the site have changed. You can view them online before you go. You can buy dairy OR gluten free pancakes at the Pancake House, but none that are both. The Sport's Cafe at the Jardin du Sports has proved one again to be our best bet when eating out - with many more choices and a free soft play area for little ones! The Sport's cafe menu can be viewed online here. 

The only thing to watch out for are the disclaimers that cross-contamination cannot be guaranteed - hence the 'Gluten Free' menu at the Sport's Cafe has been named the 'Gluten Sensitive' menu. That said, the Canopy Cafe at the swimming pool were able to offer me gluten free fries that had been prepared in a separate fryer and then did warn kitchen staff about my needs. The lady who served me there has been there during our previous visits and was excellent. 

One thing I would like to have seen at the poolside cafe was some pre-packaged safe snacks as even the crisps were Walkers - which 'may contain' just about everything you could wish to avoid!

Previous Post:

We're all going on a... dairy free summer holiday

Pom Bears go Dairy Free!

OK, so this won't be news to those of you who have joined us on Facebook or Twitter, but  as far as I'm concerned, it's still worth celebrating!

Beloved of kiddies - the Original Pom Bears!

It would be hard to find a child to whom these cheeky little bears wouldn't appeal. Baby is no exception. Unfortunately they seemed to be out of bounds - until quite recently, that is!

It was the end of summer term party, at a local Baby and Toddler group, when I got my first inkling that they might be OK. I went prepared for the worst, as usual - knowing that previously they had provided treats for the children, at the end of term. 

Sighing inwardly, at the sight of Pom Bears on the table, I had to prevent Baby from helping herself (just like all the other children) when one of the organisers told me she should be fine. Unable to believe what I was hearing, I examined the packet that she gave me, and sure enough, no mention of milk! 'Funny!' I thought, 'I'm sure that they had milk in them.'

Confusion reigned on Face Book, when I shared the news, so, in the interests of clarity, I emailed the manufacturers and was pleasantly surprised by their swift and courteous response, which was as follows:

The Pom-Bear base recipe was changed in December 2011 to remove the milk content. Since then Pom-Bear Original (ready salted) no longer contains milk. However, the flavoured versions of Pom-Bear such as Cheese + Onion still contain milk which is in the seasonings used.

During the changeover period some of the packaging which still had the previous allergy warning on has been used in conjunction with packaging featuring the new declaration. I apologise for the confusion and concern this may have caused.

It is difficult to say when all the new packaging will be into the system due to stocks held in customers’ warehouses. Also Pom-Bear has a 6 months shelf life so it is feasible that some packs with the milk recipe could still be on sale till June.

If the pack you have does not declare the milk allergen then it is safe to eat for those with a milk allergy otherwise I recommend caution and avoid eating the product.

Yippee! 

So the news is, yes! The Ready Salted flavoured Pom Bears are dairy free - just don't be tempted to eat the other flavours!! 

For those of you with other dietary restrictions to consider, the packet states that they are gluten free but that they contain soya. However, this is in the form of lecithin - which, as I understand it, is safe for most of us who can't usually tolerate soya, but do, of course, check with your medical advisor, if you're unsure.

The ingredients list (ready salted) is as follows:

Potato Powder

Sunflower Oil

Potato Starch

Modified Starch

Salt (0.6g per 100g)

Sugar

Yeast Extract

Soya Lecithin

Spice

Isn't it great to know that although manufacturers can (and do) change products' ingredients for the worse, they can also change them for the better? Let's hope more take note of this more positive example and follow the lead!

Related Post:

Allergic to soya as well as milk? What should you avoid?