(Very holey gluten-free bread) God I miss bread. I forget what it is actually like until I smell a freshly baked loaf or make a sandwich for my husband (the only non-tricky eater in the family). Buttering the slices is pure torture – it tries to seduce you with its soft, light texture. I realise […]

Well, I’ve had a puzzling start to 2017, health-wise. Following on from last year’s post-Christmas blog (Not your average Christmas bloat), this year has been better… in terms of my stomach. I’ve been continuously bloated but I’ve had no other major problems. No more than usual, anyway. Instead, I have been having strange skin issues […]

I had planned the festive season with military precision to protect myself from any food contamination issues. But with 101 family members all in the kitchen, touching, tweaking and tasting dishes, it was a case of too many cooks spoil the broth – and the inevitable allergy flare up happened. All was well on the […]

Tricky eater Jemma Woolley feeds us some of her favourite festive recipes that will keep tums very merry at this time of year.

So I was wondering, what do people actually think of me when I tell them I have coeliac disease and lactose intolerance? Before I was diagnosed, I remember sometimes thinking these things were in people’s heads and I would never ever be a tricky eater. How wrong I was. I am one of the worst. […]

Our eyes met over the gluten-free Hobnobs and there was an instant connection. See, the supermarket free-from aisle is a magical place. You can fill your trolley with stuff you never thought you needed, drain most of the weekly budget on chocolate biscuits and meet like-minded (and physically broken) people. Where else can you so […]

I headed over to Liverpool the weekend before last for the Allergy and Free From Show North. I was really excited to see who was there and what new goodies I could find, and it didn’t disappoint. There were the usual big players with amazing stands… Good ol’ Genius were showing off their wealth of […]

I’m just back from the Allergy and Free From Show North, where I met Nina Modak from Eat Allergy Safe. She had a great idea – she was asking kiddies there in Liverpool to write down their allergy “wins”. I don’t have an allergy, but I do have coeliac disease and lactose intolerance and must follow a […]

So festival season is well and truly over – but we went to some brilliant ones this year. The last one was OnRoundhay, which was an amazing new little festival in Leeds. It is meant to be returning next year so try to come if you can. It is well worth a visit – great bands and […]

I’m in the unenviable position of being coeliac… and having two young daughters who are in the same club. But the way my two mini coeliacs are getting their heads around it is wildly different. My four-year-old, Megan, is fantastic with her food. She is well aware of what she can and can’t eat and always […]

As you may know from my Safer Eating Facebook posts and a recent blog… Cheese don’t go! Don’t go… don’t go away. Cheese don’t go, I have suddenly started reacting to lactose-free products. I’m gutted. So my latest mission has been to find a dairy-free milk… that I actually like. A few years ago, I tried […]

 left – Jemma, right – Kay (the accidental lupin supplier) Just when you think you are on the right track and have your diet and allergies cracked, life (or a fellow tricky eater) can throw you a curve ball. A few years ago, I totally eliminated wheat from my diet. Self-inflicted tests on my body […]