Allergen Dad is One Year Old!
Well, technically he’s well into his thirties but Allergen Dad the persona has been going for a year! Actually, I’d missed this milestone. I only noticed once I was invoiced for the annual web-hosting cost but it still seems worth celebrating. One year: It seems like nothing and an eternity all in one. Little Piglet…
Rare window
Short of being a bad pun on one of my favourite Hitchcock films, it’s simply just been rare to find a window to do any blogging recently. The last month has been relentless. Granted, not all of it bad – we had a holiday, camping in Normandy, France, of which there are definitely some experiences…
To my wife…
Today is the 26th July, 2019. That means that exactly 7 years ago, I was marrying (or getting very stressed about preparing to marry) my beautiful wife. 26th July 2012. A hot summer’s day. A very hot summer’s day. Really not the kind of day to be wearing a woollen 3-piece-suit. It was so hot…
Allergy Disclaimers
A bit of new experience for me: We spent much of Saturday in Guildford and planned to have dinner out before driving home to put Piglet to bed. We hadn’t planned to eat anywhere in particular but knew there were a few of our reliable regulars to fall back on. That said I didn’t really…
We’re all going on a Summer Holiday
Woo-hoo! It’s official. We’re all going on a summer holiday. Although, when I say “all”, I kind of mean the three of us: me, my wife and Piglet. You’re welcome to come along as well if you want though. You just need a tent, an eager embrace of the outdoors and the flexibility to do…
Hello Dark-roast my old friend…
So I revisited an old friend this week. Not a full-on re-acquaintance by any means; more like trying something new with one that wears the same aroma as one who used to be very close. I made sure to reduce the temptations – nothing too sweet. Certainly not the hardcore buzz or hit I used…
Dag Nam It!
It’s gone, again. Kaputt. Adios. Farewell. A good nine months after I first injured it, my leg is back to being a swollen, immobile, useless limb. The cause: football (again). The damage (physically): not as bad as when I first did it. The damage (emotionally): huge. There is no extensive bruising, no crying and fainting…
A new soya sauce alternative
Hold the press! Saucy revelations below… Fancy something oriental but can’t eat wheat or soya? Well fear not… Ok – you get the message. That’s probably the most cringe-worthy introduction I’ve written to a post but I couldn’t resist. You’ve probably already worked this out from the blog title and the vague opening but we’ve…
CED: Clutter, endometriosis and diet
All change… Regular visitors to this website will have noticed that, baring the last post on cycling, this is my first post for a good few weeks. We’ve been busy; life admin seems to have been getting in the way of basic tasks recently. But, also, things are changing. There are three things going on…
Cycling
Wheezing, forcing air in and out through gritted teeth, I swing my right leg over the back of the bike and stand there with my fingers squeezed on the back brake for stability; looking out over the panoramic view ahead of me. The dreaming spires of Oxford arrange themselves asthetically in the centre of the…
Flora spread
Just a point of interest rather than an entire blog post… Unless I can link in some tenuous back-story before I get to the main part. Or at least a pun… perhaps not. I fear I’ve spread myself too thinly on this story. (Groan…) Anyway, the point is that Flora have decided to only use…
Easter: Camping, Piglet’s Birthday and sunshine – Part 2
I last left you in a forest campsite, weakly lighting a log fire and rejuvenated under a bucket shower. The smell of fresh wood smoke bristling in the nostrils, the early sun breaking through the gaps in the trees. Piglet stirs slightly in his sleeping bag and wakes with a giggle. “Daddy Grizzle!”, he yelps…
Easter: Camping, Piglet’s birthday and sunshine – Part 1
So much to write about… The last few weeks have been BUSY! There is still so much to cover. I’ve taken a smattering of days of annual leave over the last two weeks. I covered our trip to Whipsnade Zoo (and River Cottage) in my last post (here). For the Easter weekend itself we went…
Whipsnade Zoo and River Cottage
I’ve taken some time off over the Easter holidays to do some family stuff. A combination of basic life-admin to try and get some of the inexcusable must-do tasks completed but also some down time and quality family time. I’ll be honest, I struggled to ease myself into it. Wednesday I think I drove my…
Easter
Easter eggs are always a disappointment, historically. While dairy-free, soya-free chocolate bars are reasonably easy to find – limited items like Easter eggs are much less prevalent. Well, usually anyway… This year there seem to be a sudden surge in suitable options. I’ve managed to get my hands on a few different eggs already and…
DEFRA consultation
I was given the opportunity recently to contribute towards a group response to a DEFRA consultation, specifically around allergy information on food that is pre-packaged for sale. In effect, this is designed to help form what has been called ‘Natasha’s Law’ in response to the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the 15 year old girl…
Poorly
It’s been probably the longest gap between blog posts since I started doing this. Partly due to just struggling to find time but also having been wiped out by some sort of a virus. One that I’m still feeling the after effects of a good week after it first kicked in. Interestingly, I’m still getting…
Birdworld and Roast Dinners
Apologies for the delay in blog posts. Life in its usual time-consuming habit seems to have just got in the way. It’s funny, some weeks seem really productive while others seem to be just firefighting to get from one day to the next. I’m not complaining at anything other than my own lack of efficiency.…
The boy with the chilli sauce
On the back of one of the comments by Alex on my last blog post (link here, if you’re interested), I realise that I’ve turned a bit of a blind eye to the benefits of Asian food in being milk-free. In the interests of shameless self promotion, here is the guest blog about aforementioned Alex…
A Beginner’s Guide to going Dairy-Free
One of Piglet’s toddler friends has just had a new little brother join their family. After a few months, and well before getting to introducing food, it seems likely that the new arrival might be allergic to milk. It’s prompted a few conversations in the style of the ‘the idiot’s guide to…’ going milk-free. I…