Which milk, when, where?

Once upon a time, there was only soya milk - which is no good for me - I'm intolerant to soya milk. It causes me considerable stomach pain. Then there was rice milk I don't drink rice milk, because I'm still breastfeeding and so was advised not to, by the dietitian*.  

Fortunately for me, there are now so many dairy free milk substitutes out there, that I'm not constricted to just soya or rice milk. In fact there's so many out there now, that (if you're not allergic to nuts) it's difficult to know how/where to start. This post is about the ones we prefer and why.

I say 'ones,' as I don't have just one milk substitute. I used to think that was the way to go - I would find my replacement for milk and just stick with it. At that stage I was using Oatly - which is what we were recommended, by the paediatrician. I liked it (although you had to give it a really good shake before using it) but, made of oats, it wasn't low enough in gluten, when I developed my more recent problems, so I had to drop it and look for something else. But, eventually I came to the conclusion that the differing qualities, of each kind of milk, lent themselves to different things. So here (taking you through my daily routine) is how I prefer to go about it, now:

Coffee

Coffee is my way to start the day. No one should get between me and my morning cup of coffee - it's probably the only one I'll have all day (after all, I don't want Baby to stay awake all night) and for that reason it's precious to me. I'm so used to having my coffee black now (an Americano starts my day) that no milk is required. However, if I'm so inclined, it has to be hazelnut!

Breakfast - Porridge

Most days, I start the day with gluten free porridge, in which I quite like coconut milk. I like almond milk even more, but really, I prefer hazelnut milk, in my porridge, the most. It's creamier and as it is sweet enough (for me) as it is, I don't feel the need to add sugar. Bonus!!

Brunch - Pancakes

Well, I don't have pancakes everyday, in fact, hardly ever, but sometimes the need arises. Coconut and almond both work for me in pancakes. I can't decide which I prefer.

Time for a Cuppa 

These days, no milk is required in my tea - I actually prefer it black. In my opinion, flavoured milks do nothing for tea and there's no getting away from the nutty tastes in my favourite milks, which tend to go better with coffee.

Baking - Bread

I used to use Almond milk, but I've now discovered the unsweetened version and decided that in bread, it's the best. Sweetened milks make the bread sweet, which I hate. If I couldn't have the unsweetened almond, I'd use coconut milk, instead.

Lunch - Scrambled Egg

No milk is required whatsoever - I normally just make it with sunflower dairy free spread! However, I have also used a splash of almond milk and that works too.

A Dessert - Custard

Coconut milk carries the blandest flavour, so works best for me in custard. I quite liked the sweetened almond version, but my sister (who didn't even like the coconut much - she has the luxury of being able to have dairy) really drew the line at that one. I only make custard when we have people round - we don't usually do pudding - so I haven't yet tried hazelnut, although I'm tempted!

A Night Time Drink - Hot Chocolate

Baby's choice

I've tried a few of the ready mixed hot chocolates - Kara's coconut and Blue Diamond's almond, but I find them too syrupy sweet for my tooth. 

Baby likes a little of the Blue Diamond version but I prefer making my own - preferably with Hazelnut milk, Green and Black's Cocoa powder and half a teaspoon of sugar. Topped with a splurt of Soyatoo spray 'cream,' and/or a couple of marshmallows, it's... Delish!!

Baby's Milk

I've been trying to get Baby in to hot chocolate, (despite the horrendous sugar content) as she seems to have fallen out of love with her usual soya milk and I'm trying to get some more calcium in. 

Up to now, she has been happy with Alpro Plus 1 soya milk - it's specially formulated to meet the requirements of a young child, from the age of one (with the correct amount of calories and the same added vitamins that you'd find in a toddler's follow-on milk).

Baby's 'Giraffe' milk

The problem is that, to be quite honest, I can be a bit of a worrier and, left to myself, I wouldn't have given her any soya at all, once I became aware of the potential concerns associated with this legume. 

The concerns arise from the worry that the phyto-oestrogens in soya might not be suitable to young children - boys in particular. This is because oestrogen, is of course related to female sexuality, and the worry is that it might affect boys' future fertility.

Such concerns have led the BDA** (British Dietetic Association) to recommend that soya milk should not be used for children under the age of six months. Above that age, they say that soya can be included  as part of a balanced diet, but should not be over relied on.

Of course many Vegans have been using soya milk for years and do not seem too worried by this, but the seed of doubt planted in my mind, by this advice, caused me some worry. It's why I let  Baby continue to breastfeed - so she didn't rely too much on soya milk. 

However, I have come to the decision that as Baby can't have cow's milk and this milk is the one our dietitian recommended - due to the correct calorie content and added vitamins, and as I'm expecting this stage of Baby's life to be temporary, then we just have to go along with it. Now that she is older though, and is not lacking in calories and is seemingly okay with almond milk, I'm happy to let her have some of that on occasion, instead. Hence in her hot chocolate!

And Finally - Out and about

Small is beautiful too!

When out and about, or away for the weekend, you don't want to be carting around a whole litre of dairy free milk, which is why I love these smaller cartons by Kara (more recently re-branded as 'Koko'). They are the perfect size for making a portion of porridge and also come with a straw. You can buy them singly, or in packs of three.

I've heard of people sending their primary age kids into school, with these to drink - instead of the usual cow's milk (which the schools supply). I can see us letting Baby have these, in years to come, when she goes to school (should they be required) as long as she likes them , of course!

In Conclusion
Funny how what seemed like a negative (not being able to have cow's milk) has turned into something quite positive. I don't think that I would ever have experimented with all these different milks, if Baby had been fine with cow's milk. Now, I wonder if, when I am free to go back to dairy, I might actually be happier with my dairy free milks, after all, or whether I'll find myself continuing to experiment with dairy free milks. After all, porridge with hazelnut milk is sooo delicious!

How about you? What milks do you prefer, and when?

Update: Kara (or 'Koko,' as they're now called) have recently brought out their mini cartons in strawberry and chocolate flavour. These are now available through Holland and Barrett, Ocado and some health food shops.

*In recent years, there has been concern over the levels of arsenic in rice. Babies being less able to cope with toxins in their body are therefore supposed to be steered clear of rice milk. If you're breastfeeding, the worry is that the arsenic could pass through one's system and into the baby. Personally, I don't like rice milk anyway. The little I have tasted didn't appeal to me, although I know it does to others.

However, if rice milk is all you can have, due to other allergies/intolerances, then that it what you have to use. I was interested to read an article about the concerns over arsenic in rice, the other day, which I think could prove helpful for anyone battling with these concerns.

*Arsenic in your Rice? A clinical Nutrition Report (US)
*Arsenic in Rice Drinks (FSA - UK)

**Food Fact Sheet - Suitable Milks for Children with Cow's Milk Allergy by the BDA.

Update 2: I'm very sorry, but the above link does not appear to be working. Meanwhile, this one (also by the BDA) does seem to work: Soya and Health


Related Posts:

There are alternatives - milk substitutes
Happy with Hazelnut?


Anyone for Almond Milk?
Have you tried Hemp?

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?

Oo! Ah! Christmas Chocolat!

I think The Hub is pretty amazing anyway, but tonight, as far as I'm concerned, he surpassed himself. Knowing that I had been feeling pretty awful earlier in the day (I'll spare you the sob story) he brought me home some chocolate, and not just any chocolate - he'd been to Hotel Chocolat. As if that were not enough, he'd brought me home not just a little something, but actually quite a supply!

First there was a little something - the mini buche (which I've already mentioned in a previous post about dairy free chocolate - Oo! Ah! Chocolat!) then there were these:

One for the grown-ups!

An Advent calendar. 

Not just any advent calendar, but a classy, smooth, sophisticated calendar. Definitely one for the grown-ups, it contains: '24 fabulous Christmas sculptures!!' There's a price to pay for this quality of chocolate though - it's £12.00, which is far more than you'd pay for most advent calendars that I've come across!

There are, of course, other cheaper Advent calendars out there. Moo Free Advent calendars can be found in 200 of Waitrose stores, but are also sold in various Health Food shops and online, at Love Lactose Free Life.

Meanwhile, Celtic Chocolates 'Choices' Advent calendar can be found in Sainsbury's and Holland and Barrett (who also have some boxes of chocolate, specially for Christmas) as well.

The next item the Hub produced, this evening, was a box of these:

At Easter, Hotel Chocolat produced some 'Tiddly Chicks,' but for Christmas, here we have some Tiddly Penguins. Personally, I think they look a little bit like the scary penguin in the Wallace and Grommit film, The Wrong Trousers, but Baby seemed quite taken with this little chap. Mind you, he was made of chocolate!!

There were eight little penguins in the box, which cost £5.00. There's not eight any more of course - Baby had one and I've also attacked the box, but there are still some left.

Finally, there was this jolly chap!

Rudolph?

This chocolate lolly is obviously for Baby - though possibly not all at once, as he's quite big - for a lolly!! This 'Dark Dasher Lick' cost The Hub £1.95. Quite possibly, he'd make a good stocking filler, although as it happens, I've already bought her one of these:

A Moo Free chocolate Santa. Moo Free chocolate, by the way, is definitely free from all dairy and wheat/gluten. It is not made with soya, but may contain traces of soya.

So, it seems that Christmas has arrived at Hotel Chocolat, which is great news for the dairy free - just so long as you are okay with the following:

• There may be traces of milk (we've never had a problem, but not everyone can afford to take that risk).
• The chocolate is made with soya lecithin (most people allergic to soya are okay with soya lecithin, but not all).
• Their chocolate may contain traces of tree nuts and peanuts.

Quelle surprise!

The Christmas chocolate range available at Hotel Chocolat is actually more extensive than what has been shown here, but The Hub (not wishing to be selfish) didn't buy out the entire shop. If you wish to peruse the rest of their selection, click here.

Now, all that's left to say (in the words of Hotel Chocolat) is, 'Let the gorgeousness countdown begin!' 

How long is it 'til Advent? 'Cos I'm not sure that I can wait that long!

Remember, remember the fifth of November...

"Remember, remember the fifth of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason, why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot."

I vividly remember writing these verses, as handwriting practice, when I was a child and learning all about Guy Fawkes, who plotted to blow up the English Parliament of his day, and was put to death, as a result. 

One year, my brother and I made a lopsided 'Guy' but of course, the only thing I used to really think about on November the fifth was not so much Guy Fawkes, his religion, politics or Gunpowder Plot, but fireworks! 

The fun of fireworks in the back garden!

'Bonfire Night' was one of the highlights of my childhood! I loved the lighting of the bonfire and the makeshift fireworks display that my Dad would fire off in the back garden. Of course they didn't always work properly, but there was still something magical about them.

It being chilly, in November, in this little part of the globe, winter warmers were required, both during and after our little displays.

Tomato soup was a family favourite, along with hot dogs. 

These days, the politics behind the Gunpowder Plot are largely forgotten and my tastes have, shall we say... (ahem) matured! Mulled wine would go down very nicely, but as I am still breastfeeding, I'll be giving that one a miss. 

So, I think that this year, I'll be looking at sampling some of the following:

Well, soup is still an option!

Soup of the month - hope it sticks around!

I love tomato, but these days I also love butternut soup. Being no Nigella, I'm reluctant to make my own, but often find that many soups are made with wheat or cream or are canned (I avoid canned food, due to the rash it causes on my face). Recently however, I tracked down this soup, by Covent Garden, which I think will hit all the right buttons for me.

Failing that, this Morrocan Tagine, by Clive's Pies, would be a delicious and hearty alternative. The gentle spices in this tagine, are just right for warming one up, on a cold autumnal night.

A hearty alternative to soup.

Bangers are still definitely an option too!

These days, I love The Black Farmer's sausages, or even The Black Farmer's Daughters. They are gluten and dairy free and taste great! They're not soya free, but don't seem to affect me, for some reason. I also love Rankin's, but those are soya free. Other sausages I like are by Jamie, Jimmy's farm and Debbie and Andrew - all available at major supermarkets.

Black Farmer's are yummy!

As for a gluten and a dairy free bread roll, to go with my banger, Warburton's work for me - all be they a little bit on the dry and crumbly side!

Should I opt for a burger, Laverstock Park Farm make some gorgeous organic Buffalo burgers! These will be sandwiched neatly, within an Antoinette Saville gluten free bread roll. Both of these products can be obtained from Waitrose. 

For a side, I would love some sweet potato fries. Even I can bake these!

An ideal dessert would be a lovely baked apple, made with dairy free margarine, rather than butter and packed with a few dates. These would be great accompanied by a splodge of custard - made with coconut milk, Bird's custard powder and a generous helping of golden syrup! Either that, or some Bessant and Drury dairy free vanilla ice cream.

Topping off the evening for me, would be a mug of hot chocolate! My current fave is made with hazelnut milk, that' been heated, then mixed with Green and Black's cocoa powder and half a teaspoon of sugar. If I can get hold, of it a splurt of Soyatoo 'cream,' on the top, would really help it go down nicely. Failing that, a few gluten free marshmallows might do the trick!

One for Baby and one for me!

Now that's my ideal menu, but since The Hub and Baby have very different tastes to mine, I'll probably just end up with a few bangers and some hot chocolate! 

Now let's just hope Baby enjoys the fireworks too!

What about you? What food will you be having?

Of course whatever you do, stay safe (see below)!! If you'd like to see the animated version of this guide please visit Bonfire-Night-Safety.co.uk.If you'd like a free printable version of this cheat sheet to use as a teaching aid, visit the child development resource PDF

The Icing On The Cake

So it was The Hub's birthday and, with a little help from Baby, I made him a cake. 

A Panda Cake!

This is not news, exactly, but following an enquiry from someone on Facebook, concerning the icing I used, I've put this post together.

Really, I should make my own icing. I know how, but lack of cooperation from a certain little person that day, eventually put paid to that one!

I don't have a recipe that I use as such. Usually, I just put some icing sugar in a bowl and mash in dairy free margarine, first with a fork and then with a spatula, until there is a fairly stiff mixture. Then I add a dash of warm water from the kettle to make it spreadable. 

The food colouring I meant to use!

Cocoa goes in at the icing sugar stage (if needed) and food colouring just before the water stage. I don't want too much liquid added, as the mixture can soon become too soft. Dr Oetker Food Colouring is usually my food colouring of choice.

On this occasion, being short of time, I opted to use a tub of Vanilla Flavoured Butter Cream Style Icing by Betty Crocker (I try to keep one in the cupboard at all times, just in case) for the white bits of the Panda and a tube of Silver Spoon Designer Icing for the black bits.

Note the word 'Style'.

Now the Betty Crocker icing I have mentioned before, but I think it is worth mentioning again, that Betty Crocker have two Buttercream products, which are sold in almost identical tubs. If you want one that's dairy free, you need to select the 'Style' version.

Usually, I just spread it on and use a fork to create a furry effect - when I'm making a bear cake, but this time I elect to try using an icing squeezy bottle. Unfortunately, the nozzle kept coming loose when I was near the end and it was difficult to clean out the bottle, so I'm not sure I would use it again, in a hurry!

This is the white version, bought (but never used) for a previous project!

The Silver Spoon Designer Icing was a product that I'd not tried before. Unfortunately the label said that it may contain wheat and gluten, so it's not exactly suitable for me, but I was pushed for time and decided I could avoid those bits of the cake!

I was hoping that the icing tube would be easier to use. The three nozzles were a good idea and stayed in place, but the icing seemed very firm and so I failed to get a good result. In the end, I just blobbed it out and then spread it over the areas that I wanted to be black, with a palette knife. I was lucky, in that I had just enough icing, in the tube!

Following that, I emptied some Moo Free Chocolate buttons and some Humdinger chocolate buttons into a bowl and got baby to help me place them in the appropriate places.  The bigger, Humdinger, buttons were used for the pads on the Panda's paws and the nose. The smaller, Moo Free, buttons were ideal for the smaller pads and the eyes. Of course not all the buttons ended up on the cake. I'll leave you to decide what happened to those! ;)

The next stage was to draw the mouth on the Panda, using Silver Spoon Writing Icing. Again this may contain wheat and gluten (can't believe I missed this before).

Ideal for an emergency!

The Writing Icing can be a little stiff to use, but is slightly easier than the Designer Icing. Before long, our Panda had a cute smile. And then all he needed was a pack of birthday candles (again Dr Oetker) to finish him off!

Et Voilà! C'est finis!

From that moment on, all Baby wanted to do was eat the cake!!

One further product to mention is Renshaw's Cool Coloured Sugardough. This useful for any modelling work you want to do.

In Tesco

It comes in a pack of four colours: the primary colours and green. It's not a bad product, but takes a little bit of practice. I'm used to working with clay, but I found it quite tricky. The main thing is that you have to be careful not to let it get too warm, in your hands.

This icing came in very handy when I made a cake for Baby's birthday, last year. No piccie, unfortunately, but probably just as well!!

If you're on Twitter, and you want to see work by someone who's both dairy free and much more accomplished at this decorating game than I am, look out for Nicola@N1C79. She's really good!!

Now, anyone know where I can get a mould for my next project - a guinea-pig cake?

Related Posts:

Best Buttons for Baking

Baking with Baby 6 - Chocolate and Beetroot

How to cheat at baking dairy free

How does this look? Not bad huh?

If it wasn't for the box, who'd have known?

'I want a chocolate cake - with icing on it,' wailed Baby, the other week.

To begin with, I did what I know all mothers should do and try to distract her or ignore her, but she was more determined than I. She kept up her assault on my nerves and before long I would have bought her the moon if she asked for it - just to get some peace and quiet. Now I know I shouldn't have, but despite my best instincts I gave in - sort of!

Now I didn't have any cake in the cupboard, nor did I have time to bake any. I did what I thought was the next best thing, though - I took her to Tesco. Please note. I didn't take her to Tesco just because she hollered, I was going there anyway, but her shenanigans  certainly hastened my departure!

The only problem was that Tesco didn't have any dairy free chocolate cake, with icing on. Yes, there was a gluten free one but that had dairy in. Instead, I showed her an iced carrot cake and that seemed acceptable to her so off we went, happy as Larry.

Some days, I don't about you, but I just don't have time to be the Mary Berry of the dairy free world. So then... (shock, horror) I cheat!!!

I have a few weapons up my sleeve.

In the Free From section of many supermarkets you can find mixes that are gluten free and dairy free. Betty Crimble's Muffin and Sponge Mix is pretty good (especially with chocolate chip buttons). Hale and Hearty's Classic Chocolate Cake Mix is  very scrummy but it doesn't make much cake - we made just six large muffins from one pack (maybe that's just as well though).

Would six of these do for you?

There are times however, when I don't even have time for that, which is when Honeyrose's Carrot Cake (which I can get from the big Sainos near me) comes into its own.

Now it's not quite as good as my home made carrot cake, obviously, but... actually, it's not bad at all!

It's organic, gluten free and dairy free, but, sadly, un-iced. Step forward Betty Crocker!

Betty Crocker is my all time favourite baking cheat! It comes in chocolate and vanilla 'buttercream' style and now in new 'cream cheese' style! You have to watch out if you're sensitive to milk though - it may contain milk ingredients. Intolerant, rather than allergic, Baby's been fine with it so far...

This'll go well with my carrot cake.

If you're happy with that, then Bob's your Uncle! You can transform any dairy free cake instantly. Once the tub is open it can be kept in the fridge for about a month, so you don't have to use it all at once.

If I don't have time for that, and can do without cake myself, then the aforementioned carrot cake I bought for Baby is completely ready made, complete with icing. You can get it from the 'normal' cake aisle (it's usually sat next to a banana cake, which is also dairy free). It's dairy free, soya free and organic, but sadly does contain gluten! Heigh ho! Better for my waistline :)

Lookee here!

If you're interested in baking, you might like to read the following posts:

Baking with Baby - Flapjacks

Baking with Baby 2 - Banana Bread

Baking with Baby 4 - Right Royal Rocks!

Baking with Baby 5 - Carrot Cake

Baking with Baby 6 - Chocolate and Beetroot

Baking with Baby 7 - Alien Cookies

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!

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