Treasure Hunt... for new Dairy Free Co Yo Morello Cherry Yoghurt

Important update (21/02/18):

Due to a problem with a supplier, Co-yo has just announced a small amount of dairy has been found in one of their products. Please check out their Face Book page for further details, to see if any Co-yo you have bought has been affected. They have now cancelled this supplier.

'Stop the clock!'

Today, I'm Anneka Rice... and I've been hunting for treasure - dairy free of course!

Remember Anneka? Blonde, clad in (tight) bright jumpsuits, leaping from helicopters, following clues, in search of treasure, on behalf of studio-bound contestants. She was a presenter on that eighties TV programme - Treasure Hunt!!

Well, OK, I'm not blonde, clad in jumpsuit, enviable figure etc. and there's definitely no helicopter in sight, but I've found some treasure!

'What?' You may well be wondering...

It's this: 

My treasure!

For me, personally (and you may not agree with me), it is one of those 'Holy Grail' products - you know, akin to one you used to LOVE and haven't been able to eat ever since you've made the change (gone dairy free I mean - not the menopause, just in case you're wondering)!

My absolute fave yoghurt of all time in my pre dairy free days was a Morello Cherry Muller Fruit Corner. Have you ever tried one??

I didn't have it all the time - but now and again, I would allow myself one as a treat.

Well, now I have found my dairy free equivalent - the Morello Cherry version of Co Yo. It's thick and it's creamy with the delicious sweet, yet slightly tart, compote of cherry layered beneath.

Yummy!

I've enjoyed plain Co Yo for some time, and not just as a yoghurt. I love using it in place of sour cream in fajitas, or as an accompaniment to apple crumble, or some other fruit dessert, in place of cream or custard.

BUT this Morello Cherry Co Yo I can enjoy just for being itself, and believe me, all 125g of it can disappear pretty fast!

Now you know I rate it for flavour, what else might you need to know?

What's in it?

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk (87%), Morello Cherry (12%) (Cherries, Natural Fruit Etracts of Apple, Grape and Carob), Tapioca starch, Live Vegan Cultures.

And, crucially for me - what's not in it is: dairy, gluten and soya. The fact that there's no added sugar is a bonus!

What I would like to see in it is some added calcium - it's one of those things that dairy free peeps could really do with!

Where can I get it?

I first came across it at The Allergy and Free From Show in London, but obviously that's once a year and I couldn't transport any home with me, as I couldn't keep it cool. Although plain Co Yo is now available in  larger branches of Tesco, along with a few others, the cherry version has not yet made it onto the shelves. However, I gather that pretty soon it might become available through Ocado. 

For the time being, I've managed to persuade my nearest Health Food Shop to stock it - they're good like that - they're very open to suggestions. It seems to have paid off for them already, because it's been flying off the shelves of their fridge!! Consequently, I've had to wait a few weeks to get my hands on some, but today... today I managed it!!

If you want to get hold of some, I suggest you try the same!


How much is it?

This is the bit that is the hardest to talk about - especially with other Free From mums, who, I know, are trying to balance the budget. We all know, from experience, that Free From products come at a price. 

BUT, back to the actual cost... in my Health Food Shop it's £1.99 for 125g. I'm guessing this is probably more or less what you'd be charged elsewhere too!

It's true that Co Yo is a lot more expensive than 'normal' yoghurt, but bear in mind that this is the dairy free yoghurt equivalent of artisan bread or chocolate - it's not produced on the same commercial scale as 'normal' yoghurt, so it's going to cost!!

Co Yo is, in fact, the only completely dairy free fresh coconut probiotic yoghurt, that I know of, in the UK. Another firm makes coconut yoghurt that claims to be dairy free, but they produce their yoghurt in a factory where products made from cow's milk are also made. My daughter, being so sensitive to dairy, is unable to have this other yoghurt - it does NOT work for us! I have been assured that this is not so with Co Yo. 

So I reckon I'm paying for peace of mind - that there's no risk of cross-contamination. 

As a special dairy free treat... I think it's worth it!


Related Post:




Heaven in a mouthful? Co Yo Coconut Yoghurt

Why we're all stirred up about... The Coconut Collaborative 'Dairy Free' Yoghurt

Cue drum roll!!

Ta da!

Here it is, the long-awaited Coconut Collaborative, coconut-based dairy and soya free yoghurt.

'Woo hoo!' Thought I, when first I heard, 'another string to the dairy free, soya free bow!'

Ta da!

Whaddya think, then?

Must admit, it's a real departure for the firm behind this yoghurt. Originally known as Bessant and Drury, I first came across this company at the Allergy Show and immediately fell in love with their ice cream, which I reviewed here. I particularly loved their packaging, which really seemed so much better than most free from branding. Just recently, Bessant and Drury have rebranded themselves as The Coconut Collaborative, complete with a groovy new website, see here. I love the look of the website, but so far it's pretty light on information - you'll find out more by looking at their Face Book page. 

As for the re-branded packaging, it's no doubt funky and groovy, I'm not so in love with their new packaging, but you can't judge a book by it's cover, so let's move on!

The yoghurt retails at £1.49 for a 120g pot, in some branches of Waitrose. The list of stores can be found on their Face Book page. 

The Waitrose I visited sold two flavours: natural and natural with a raspberry compote. There are two other flavours, one which comes with a packet of berries and seeds and the other with a compote of mango and passionfruit.

The yoghurts come in a plain pot, which is about the right size for a lunchbox. They are completely plain - all the decorative element is in the cardboard sleeve.

The Natural


Ingredients:
Live coconut milk: coconut milk (96%), natural thickeners (starch,tara gum), water, selected dairy-free cultures.

This yoghurt is smooth, thick and creamy in consistency - in fact so thick that you can pretty much stand your spoon up in it. Like all natural yoghurts it has a certain tartness to it. It is certainly an acceptable alternative to natural dairy yoghurt. For this reason, it may be suited more to adult tastes.

Thick and creamy

Personally, although I love natural yoghurt, perhaps because of the thickness, I found one whole pot a bit much for me. The rest ended up going back in the fridge for later!

As for the other...

The Raspberry

Ingredients:
Live coconut milk: coconut milk (96%), natural thickeners (starch,tara gum), water, selected dairy-free cultures. Raspberry compote: raspberry (19%), grape extract, water, corn flour, raspberry juice concentrate (2%) citric acid, natural colour (anthocyanins, from grapes).

As you can see, the yoghurt and compote come in two distinct layers.

Voila!

It didn't stay that way for long! 'Baby' couldn't wait to open up the pot and give it all a good stir!

Stirred up!

Just before she did get her spoon in, I did just about manage to get a spoon in edge ways and give 'Baby' a quick taste of the top layer, but she wasn't too keen. She much preferred it with the raspberry all mixed in... that was until she realised there were pips in it! 

'Baby' doesn't like 'pipsies'!

Brought up on my Dad's home made jam, pips don't bother me! So maybe this is another one for me, then!

In fact I must admit, for someone whose favourite yoghurt used to be Muller Fruit Corners, the raspberry added a lovely flavour to the yoghurt. I really loved it! 

In fact, I demolished the whole of the rest of the pot in one go!

The packaging states that it is 'dairy free'

Will I be buying it again? 

Well, it's still a lot more expensive than 'normal' yoghurt, so it wouldn't be a regular purchase, especially as I had to go out of my way and make a special trip to buy it. I can get Co-yo yoghurt much more easily from Ocado and from my local health food store.

However...

More importantly, the packaging states boldly on the front that it is dairy free. In fact it states it on the top too!

BUT, in smaller writing, near the ingredients, well, actually nearer their contact details, to be precise, I note a small statement:

'Allergy advice: Made in a factory that uses dairy ingredients.'

'Oh! Hang on!' I gasped, when I spotted this, 'wait a minute! I thought you said 'dairy free'?????'

You may be surprised, and I was, but now I've thought about it, I am now not so surprised, although I am certainly disappointed. 

To put it in context, I suddenly remembered that the brand that created this yoghurt was originally created by people who were concerned with natural healthy alternatives, rather than allergies. 

Now I don't know where you stand on this, but personally if some thing says 'free' boldly all over it, then I expect it to be absolutely free. I think it is mis-leading to later add in small print a statement that says that it might not be as dairy free as I thought!

After all, as I have a little one who is, or certainly has been (we really need to conduct another controlled challenge, I think), susceptible to the slightest traces, I need to be careful and would not have bought it, had I known.

What I am is confused! I was under the impression (from something I was told, a while back) that 'dairy free' is a legal statement.

I'm also confused - as I'm not sure just how dairy free this yoghurt is now. It's something I need to check out, especially as 'Baby' is susceptible to the tiniest traces, and she did have a bit of tummy ache, a little while after her taster... when I say a 'bit' I mean painful enough for her to make a fuss about it, in the way that she does when she has mistakenly been given something that 'may contain'.

Was it a taste of dairy?? I can't be 100% sure, BUT I will not be taking the risk again, as I am pretty certain. There was no other likely cause of her having a tummy ache that day.

They claim their equipment is cleaned and the product batch-tested, BUT I know that not all parts of machinery can be cleaned as thoroughly because they are in hard to reach places. AND allergenic proteins are notoriously sticky!

I am also aware of a few other people who have reactions to another product that claims that it is safe because it is batch-tested, so I am not convinced of the thoroughness of batch-testing - especially as only a tiny amount of a batch is tested.

Something else, of which to be aware is that although there are a lot of claims on the sleeve of the yoghurt, regarding the health benefits of coconuts, I am aware of at least one dietitian who has cautioned against eating too much coconut based yoghurt. 

Despite all the 'healthy fat' claims of people who love the properties of coconut, it does contain a lot of saturated fat. I have been advised to partake sparingly. So it may not be as healthy as we thought.

Also, please note, that unlike some other dairy free yogurts, it does not have any added calcium, so it will not provide a great deal of your daily calcium requirements - except perhaps a little from any 'added nuts'.

Let's be clear - I'm not saying don't eat it...   

Just be careful, is all I'm saying...


Update July 2014:

The Coconut Collaborative are still assertively marketing their product as 'dairy free' despite the cautionary note about the factory. They say (sic):

feedback welcomed. Let us host you at our producers you will 100% be reassured as all our retailers are.

For those of you who are aware that since I wrote this post, 'Baby' has been undergoing a 'baked milk challenge,' I still would not buy her this yogurt. Anyone who has seen a copy of the Milk Ladder which covers the reintroduction of milk will know that baked milk is safer than unbaked milk and that the dose and length of time the milk is baked also has a bearing on how well tolerated the milk may be.

In fact, on a similar thread, I was interested to hear from registered Dietitian, Julia Marriott (@AlimentaryBites on Twitter) that if a product is not heated above 180 degrees, then it is not suitable for anyone undergoing a baked milk challenge. This information was provided in relation to a conversation on Twitter regarding ice lollies with 'may contain' warnings.

Update November 2014:

Interesting article about food allergy labelling and traceable amounts of allergens detected in foods here: Do foods with precautionary labels really contain allergens?

The above article was based on this report by the FSA: Survey on 'May Contain' labelling


Stay safe and be well!


Related Posts:


Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!



Xotic - another dairy and soya free yoghurt



Heaven in a mouthful - Co-yo Coconut Yoghurt



Are you getting enough... calcium??

Getting enough... Vitamin D for you and me!

Xotic - another dairy and soya free yoghurt!

Have you heard of Xotic before?

Dairy free and soya free!

When I first heard of Xotic desserts, I wasn't too sure that I'd like them. Veganoo's review wasn't exactly glowing!!

However, a dairy free dessert that was also gluten and soya free (coconut based) seemed too good to miss, especially once I heard about the calcium content - 120mg per 100g (each pot 125g, so 160mg per pot). It's not as much as Wot no dairy? but is better than Co-yo.

A quick search soon threw up the fact that I could order them from an online vegan store that I've used a few times, now - Alternative Stores. Alternative Stores are reliable traders, in my experience, so I wasted no time in ordering the Summer Berry flavour. BUT, it was not cheap - 70p (plus postage costs) is a wee bit expensive for a small pot of yoghurt!!

So how was it?

'Baby' as ever, demanded to try some of the Xotic dessert, but lost interest quite quickly - she really ISN'T a fan of yoghurt! No surprise there, then!!

As someone who used to love thick and creamy Muller fruit corners, in her dairy eating days, it wasn't the best yoghurt I had ever tasted, but neither was it the worst. It was fairly similar, I think, to the Wot no dairy? desserts that I have reviewed in the past, Although not as thick, the flavour is similar. I know that some people love the Wot no dairy? desserts, whereas I prefer something more natural and creamy like Co-yo. Of course, not everyone loves Co-yo, either. So much is down to personal taste.

There's a bit more colour to them than Wot no dairy?

It was, as Veganoo said, not terribly thick, or luxurious. I can certainly see why Veganoo objected to the word 'Deluxe' on the label, but I thought I could detect a creamy flavour to the yoghurt and it wasn't as thin as I thought it would be.

Like Wot no dairy? Xotic desserts contain a lot of ingredients that I can't pronounce, but then, a lot of free from foods are the same - especially if they are long life. The advantage of this, though, is that they don't go out of date quickly, so can be taken in packed lunches and kept in the cupboard for a while without the fear of them going off, and they could even be taken on holiday.

SO what's in them?

Ingredients: 
Summer Berry Flavour Ingredients: Water, Coconut Cream (21%), Summer Berry Fruit Preparation (Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Strawberries (15%), Blueberries (15%), Raspberries (15%), Water, Tapioca Starch, Citric Acid, Natural Flavouring, Anthocyanins, Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum)), D-ionised Grape Juice from Concentrate, Stabilisers (Modified Starch, Guar Gum) Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Emulsifier (Vegetable Mono Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Tri Calcium Phosphate, Natural Flavourings, Natural Colour (Anthocyanins), Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12


And what's more... 
The manufacturers have been kind enough to confirm that these desserts are made in a nut free environment with 'completely nut free ingredients'!

Related posts:

Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!

Co-yo - Heaven in a mouthful?

An alternative to cheese and Alternative Stores

Which milk? When? Where?

The Creme de la Dairy Free Creme

Baking Dairy Free

Loyal long-term followers of this blog will know full well that I've never claimed to be Nigella - in fact quite the opposite! And, if the newer followers among you take time to flick through the few recipes on this blog, I'm sure it won't take you very long to agree. However, I can actually follow a recipe (well, usually, anyway) and in the few years that I've been doing this dairy free thing, I've learned a thing or two that might help out those of you who are completely new to this game and want to do some baking.

I love the philosophy on this tin

I wonder if, when you were first faced with the prospect of going dairy free you felt the same way as I did?

I was devastated. 

I loved dairy and without it in my life, I felt like eating was never going to be quite the same again - for as long as it lasted, anyway! For a while my food was certainly restricted. I well remember my first dairy free Christmas. Although The Hub did a marvellous job with the turkey, and potatoes dinner was rather dry minus gravy (did you know chicken gravy is made with milk?) and lacked a dessert. 

I eventually came to the conclusion that the way to deal with this - to bring yumminess back into my life, was to return to baking, so I started looking for recipes. However, I learned that you don't necessarily need to acquire a whole new repertoire of recipes - although you can if you like. You can actually bake many of the recipes that you used to - using dairy free alternatives instead. You just need to find some and experiment a bit, to find out what suits you. 

These days there are lots of dairy free substitutes that really can do the job. Here are some that we like to use:

Dairy free milk

Perhaps the most important aspect of going dairy free is choosing the right milk substitute. Some may be unsuitable for dietary reasons (like nut allergies) or because of age (rice milk is unsuitable for children under five, soya for children under six months - at the very least). The following post outlines some of the most common dairy free milk substitutes and shares some of the ways in which we have used them:

Which milk? When? Where?

Dairy free fats

Okay, butter it certainly 'aint, but there are a number of acceptable alternatives for margarine. 

Pure also have recipes online

We started off with Pure as a spread and Stork margarine (the block variety) for baking. You can read more about Pure here. Since then, we have also used Vitalite. All of these have worked well in cakes and scones etc. and are available in major supermarkets (who also now have their own brand dairy free margarines). 

Having said that, I've yet to really get to grips with pastry making, so don't shoot me, if it doesn't work quite as well, for that!

Flora Cuisine is a liquid form of baking fat, which my sister favours - she reckons she gets really good results with it, but it's no good for me, as it contains soya. See this for information about conversion for use in recipes and recipe ideas.

Trex is a vegetable-based shortening, that is also suitable to use. 

Vegetable cooking oil can also be used as a substitute, but requires a little more experience to adapt (in my humble opinion). Advice on using this, can be found here.

A newer form of fat, that has become quite trendy, is coconut oil, which can be bought from most health food stores. I've yet to get to grips with this one, I've ony used it for frying pancakes, so far, but really want to try it out more.

Dairy free cream

Scone without cream, anyone?

If you're going to get in to dairy free baking, at some point you're going to require a form of cream - even if it's just to accompany your scones. If you're okay with soya, then Alpro probably have you covered and you can find their products quite easily in most supermarkets. If not, or if you'd like to see what else is out there, then look no further than this post:

The Creme de la dairy free Creme

Dairy free yoghurt
If you're okay with soya, as before, Alpro seem to have this one covered. I've not used any of these in baking just yet, but as I'm unable to tolerate soya, I have tried the following dairy and soya free yoghurts:

Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!

Heaven in a mouthful

Dairy free cheese

Now, if your taste is for something more savoury, such as 'cheese scones', these posts might come in handy:

Cheese Please! What are the dairy free alternatives?

More 'Cheese please!' More dairy free alternatives to cheese

New cheese on the block - meet Mozzarisella!

Since posting these, I've come across even more 'cheeses' available from the Alternative Stores - an online Vegan store. So there's plenty of choice!

Dairy free chocolate

Mmm! Chocolate!

Yes, well, those of you that know me well, will know that I'd have to bring the subject of chocolate up sooner or later! Sometimes, chocolate is called for in baking - especially if I'm the one who's baking!


In terms of a bar of chocolate, I usually use dairy, egg and gluten free Kinnerton's dark chocolate. If chocolate chips are called for, I tend to use Plamil's. They're a bit pricey, but work really well. That said, I'm sure most dairy free chocolates would work fine.

If you'd like to know what else is out there, see this post, here: Oo! Ah! Chocolat!


Dairy free baking cheats

If you can't bake... cheat!

Ok, so some times, life, time, energy run short and some baking help may be required! Some ready mixes in the supermarkets are, quite surprisingly, dairy free! However, personally, being gluten free, I turn to Hale and Hearty or Mrs Crimble's packet mixes. They've always worked well for me. You can buy these in the Free From sections of the larger supermarkets, online and also in good health food shops. 

There are others, made by Orgran and Glebe Farm, which are available from health food shops.

Other dairy free baking 'cheats' can be found in this post:

How to cheat at baking dairy free

And for icing cheats: The icing on the cake


Dairy free recipes

Now, having said all I have about not needing recipes that are specifically dairy free, it's still nice to know where to look if you need one. There are loads out there that are absolutely brilliant, but here are a few bloggers that I've picked out for your attention. Some of these are specifically for allergies, others are Vegan, which means that they're dairy and egg free - as well as meat, of course!

Pig in the Kitchen

The Intolerant Gourmet

i bake without

Queen Bee Allergy Free

Azelia's Kitchen

Oh she glows

Deliciously Ella

Chloe Coscarelli

If, after all that I've left anything off this list, then please come back to me and ask! 

Adios amigos - 'til next time! Meanwhile, enjoy your baking!!

Update: Dec. 2013
I have added a link to an American blog which has since created a similar page, with American products. It also has some other useful tips which I am sure could come in useful.

Some cunning allergy free baking substitutes via Pinterest!

Just seen this article on Veganising cakes - Amazeballs!

Heaven in a mouthful? Co-yo Coconut Yoghurt

Important update (21/02/18):

Due to a problem with a supplier, Co-yo has just announced a small amount of dairy has been found in one of their products. Please check out their Face Book page for further details, to see if any Co-yo you have bought has been affected. They have now cancelled this supplier.

Well, the inscription on the lid proclaims it: 'Heaven in a Mouthful'. Wow! That's  a bold statement isn't it? I actually didn't need that statement to persuade me to dive in. I've been after this stuff for a good few months now - ever since I got wind of it somewhere online. 

Thick and creamy - yum!

Originating, in Australia, I was overjoyed to discover that Co-yo  coconut milk yoghurt had made it over here, but getting hold of it has been somewhat trickier than I imagined!

No supermarket over here seems to sell it yet (now widely available see update below). Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose etc. you're missing a treat! Ocado doesn't have it listed... yet - I'm going to suggest this one! Goodness Direct had it listed, but it wasn't in stock when I ordered it. I finally got my hands on it the other day, however, when I paid a visit to the Whole Foods Market in Clapham Junction (there's another in Kensington).

They had four flavours, in stock: natural, mixed berry, pineapple and some kind of chocolate version. Now, if you know me well, you'll know how much I love chocolate, but on this occasion, I passed that over and (mindful of The Hub's wallet) I chose just the first two. This was partly because I wasn't sure that this much anticipated concoction was going to taste just as wonderful as it made out, and I didn't want to waste money on it if it wasn't up to much.

Having now sampled, in fact, demolished both tubs, I can report the following:

I thought it was delicious! It's one of the tastes I've been missing since going dairy free and I'm delighted to have found it.

If you like the flavour of natural yoghurt (and I do) this is the nearest I have come to it - bear in mind that I can't tolerate soya milk, so I've no idea whether there are any soya yoghurts out there that can compare. However, unlike many natural yoghurts, it is not quite as sour (good in my opinion) but every bit as creamy!! There is a hint of coconut in the flavour (not as obvious in the mixed berry flavour) more so, than in coconut milk, but I like the taste of coconut, so that's fine by me!

I enjoyed both flavours, but the mixed berry was my favourite - a fine layer of blueberries  and blackberries nestle at the bottom of the tub, under a thick blanket of coconut yoghurt. The sweetness tempers the tartness of the yoghurt really well, without being sickly, or cloying, in any way.

Now I know that many of you will be wanting to know, what's in it. The ingredients list is refreshingly short. It contains:

Coconut milk (98%)

Tapioca Starch

Vegan probiotic cultures

So, it's dairy free (therefore lactose free), soya free, gluten free and contains no added sugar. There are also no added flavours or colours, yet, if not actually my idea of 'Heaven in a Mouthful,' it does come pretty close!

Yippee! 

I'm definitely going to get some more! However, at £1.99 for a tub (125 g) it is rather pricey, so I might not be eating it everyday!

Updates: 

Ocado does now sell Co-yo and it is now also sold in selected branches of Waitrose and Tesco!

Plain Co-yo also works great as a replacement for sour cream!


New Flavours: 
I've since tried the Chocolate flavour of Co-yo and I'm afraid I'm not a fan. I'm not sure how I expected it to taste, you may think differently, but it didn't work for me. 

I've also tried the Mango flavour. The layer of mango purée was fairly runny - it could perhaps have benefited from a few lumps of actual fruit, but... it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely buy that one again!

A new Morello Cherry flavour came to the market (see here), which I absolutely loved! Sadly I've only seen it in health food stores. I've not seen it recently and I miss it!

There's a new Vanilla flavour and a Salted Caramel flavour around, both yummy, but the vanilla is my fave!

If you found this post helpful, you may also be interested in the following posts:

There are alternatives - dairy substitutes

Have you tried Hemp?

Happy with Hazelnut?

Anyone for Almond Milk?

There are alternatives, but it's certainly not butter!

Wot no dairy! Wot no soya!

Ice - a - cream - oh!

Bessant and Drury's Dairy Free Ice Cream

Ice, Ice Baby

Are you getting enough... Calcium? 

Getting enough? Vitamin D for you and me.

Keeping my cool!

Wow! What a change there has been in the weather! Rain, rain, rain, rain and more rain, then HOT! Now if you're one of those who loves to lie in the sun and catch yourself a tan, you may not be complaining, but me, I'm not so keen to damage my skin these days and I really don't like getting hot and sticky and HOT and sticky we have been! 

In our (current) humble abode, the sun come in one side in the morning, moves around the neighbour's side during midday and comes back in the other side in the evening. So we heat up all morning and get even hotter in the afternoon. Risks of pollen and flies stop me opening the windows too much. Usually, I stick a fan on, to try and create some cooling breeze.

Yesterday, the temperature went up to at least thirty degrees in here - too much for The Hub. Used to his air-conditioned office at work, he soon switched the air con on, now why didn't I think of that? Well I had, but it needed a bit of brute force and fiddling to get it set up, so...

I must admit, I would have liked to have been sat in the shade, in a garden, with my feet dangling into a paddling pool, whilst Baby splashed about. However, not having a garden and paddling pool to hand, I have been thinking up my own ways of keeping cool - some more successful than others!

Inspired by Dietitian UK, who was challenging her followers on Twitter to have fruit with their breakfast, I started with this:

A lovely little bowl of fruit for breakfast, to which (as it was already high twenties, by the time I got 'round to breakfast) I was going to add my little tub of dairy free and soya free yoghurt, which I had stuck in the freezer the day before. 

It was the first time I had tried this little trick - inspired by a recent shopping trip, during which I noticed a stall selling frozen yoghurt. However, the yoghurt now looked like this:

It was frozen solid!! Oops! Even after five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes, it was still quite solid! So I gave up, ate the fruit, and gradually chipped away at the frozen yoghurt with a spoon. Then I ate some toast - by now, my stomach needed some carbs!

'Hmm!' I thought to myself, 'maybe it just needed a few hours in the freezer, not twenty four!'


By this point, I was wishing I'd stuck some banana in the freezer too. It was a suggestion I'd come across on Mumsnet. One mum freezes bananas and mashes them with a little dairy free milk, to make her own 'ice cream'. It does sound good. 'How long does she stick them in the freezer for,' I wonder.


Fortunately, I did have something in the freezer that was just right.

And this, (adopting a French accent here) was my Piece de resistance:

It's what I'd like to call it a cornetto. The Hub had one the other day, which inspired this creation. So simple to make:

1. Take one gluten free, and dairy free ice cream cone (mine's Eskal, Barkat will do).

2. Add a couple of scoops of dairy free ice cream (Bessant and Drury's from Tesco, in this instance).

3. Place some pistachios in a small plastic bag. Bash them up, with the end of a rolling pin. Sprinkle the crushed pistachios over your ice cream.

4. Hey presto, one home made cornetto!

Yummy!

Baby's version obviously omitted the nuts, although, I did plaster the top of hers with Moo Free dairy free chocolate buttons (available in Waitrose and Holland & Barratt or, if you prefer to shop online, at Love Lactose Free Life)! Moo Free are ideal for this kind of thing, as they're much smaller than other chocolate buttons. Must remember to do that with mine next time!

I'd like to add, that I could of course have made it more authentic by adding some vanilla dairy free ice cream as well and dribbling some ice cream sauce on the top (some seem to be dairy free) but as these thoughts only came to me later, they missed the photo -op! ;)

So what about you, how have you been keeping your cool?

Related posts:

Wot no dairy! Wot no soya! 

Ice - a - cream - oh!

Bessant and Drury's Dairy Free Ice Cream

Ice, Ice Baby