New and appreciating all suggestions....

[lyndamc]

Hello I'm just starting out on seriously giving up dairy products. Have been tinkering with dairy free diet for the last four years or so. Recently had food intolerance testing at holland and barratt and discovered that i'm dairy, beef, tomato and monosodium glutamate intolerant!
Struggling with filling myself up!! Glad i found your website, will be trying out lots of recipes especially those involving chocolate!!!
Is it true that After Eights are dairy free?
I've also just bought some goats milk and cheese, but a little unsure whether to use them after reading other comments. Might be better waiting until my ezcema has calmed down.
Luckily for me my hubby and children don't mind eating dairy free so at least i won't have to cook two different meals every day!
I note that someone tried yorkshire puds with soya milk, i made them at the weekend with vanilla rice dream and they were fine, couldn't tell the difference!
I make a wickedly rich rice pudding with soya dream - bit expensive compared to how i used to make it with evaporated milk!
Another thing i used to make with evaporated milk was a mousse using a jelly, will be experimenting to see if it works with soya dream!

[Pam]

Hi Lynda, welcome to our group.

Yes, After Eights are usually dairy free (in plain or orange versions) but you must read the ingredients as some of the European production lines use butterfat in their recipe.

I'd like your recipe for rice pudding please, I haven't had any for years and prior to going dairy free I used to eat it straight from the tin regularly and also make my own in the oven occasionally.

I love rice milk for its flavour but find it a bit thin for cooking with and it is also more expensive than soya so I don't buy it very often. I'm probably setting myself up for a soya intolerance by doing a direct substitute!

I've been dairy free (more by choice than necessity) for 2 1/2 years but had a major lapse about a month ago when I received milk chocolate for my birthday. I am now suffering with what appears to be eczema all over my body, particularly on my arms, chest and judging by the itchiness, on my scalp. Can you recommend any shampoo that won't make it worse?

I'm looking forward to your new foodie ideas, you sound very creative!

Pam

[lyndamc]

Hi Pam
I used to suffer with terrible ezcema in my scalp, fortunatly it moved on, unfortunatly it moved on to my face! I have tried every shampoo going over the years. For years I swore by nutralia, but I can't find it anymore. You need to experiment I'm afraid, I spent pounds on all the ones reccomended for dry itchy scalps and none helped. I seem to need the mildest, least smelly, clear shampoos. At the moment I'm using a product by Herbalife, who also do a conditioner (not available in the shops - my friend is a herbalife distributer).
On your out-break of ezcema, you haven't changed anything you use? ie soap, washing powder, clothes conditioner?
My rice pudding is thrown together!! I put pudding rice on one side of an ovenproof dish (I use a bit less than the serving reccomendation on the pack) then I pour in light brown sugar in a pile opposite, if you like it sweet match the pile of rice, but I use less. Add two cartons of soya dream, fill both cartons with water and pour into dish, then it's just a case of looking and deciding whether theres enough in the bowl to feed 2 adults and 2 children, so i just add more water if needed. Stir well. Add a knob of Pure (or similar) and some ground nutmeg. I put mine in a rayburn, so it cooks slowly over 2 - 2 1/2 hours, but i guess i would put it in the oven at about 160 - 170c for 1 1/2 hours. Next time I make it i'm going to try replacing one soya dream with vanilla rice dream and maybe not so much water!!

[Lan]

Hi Pam,

Have you tried asking in a health shop about shampoos? Sorry to go all herbal, but camomile shampoo would be a good start as it is soothing. Or maybe tea tree would be worth a try.

It must be the season for eczema as I am having an outbreak at the minute on my legs and arms.

Sympathies all round.

Kind Regards,



Leanne.

:D

[matt]

you could try cocnut milk for the rice pudding.

a quick way to make: saucepan, add rice some sugar and the tin of coconut milk and simmer just like you would for normal savoury rice until soft.

then to make it fancy put it into ramikins sprinkle some brown sugar over top and grill it for a couple of mins till you get a nice topping.

obviously if it starts to dty out during simmering just add a little water.

[Pam]

I might have to have a go at rice pudding, I do miss it.

I bought some T-gel shampoo last night (£5 for 125ml!!!!) and I know from using this before that it helps but it makes your hair feel really yucky. I can't use tea tree shampoos when my scalp is good never mind when it is itchy and sensitive. If the t-gel doesn't help then I will have to go for something very plain and with as little perfume as possible. I think central heating and the change in weather is the biggest culprit as my skin gets noticably drier at this time of year anyway, but eating milk chocolate when it was my birthday probably sparked a worse attack off. That'll teach me! I haven't changed washing powder or fabric conditioner, though since we had a shower installed I have been using shower gel on an almost daily basis (but not on my scalp), maybe this is the culprit.

[Lan]

Hi Pam,

I use dove shampoo and find this helps. Forgot to mention it in the earlier post. Still have the occasional itch, but seems to work in the long run. It retails at about £2.50, so less expensive than the T-Gel. It also makes my hair feel lovely and soft.

Kind Regards,


Lan. :D

[Copper]

Maybe baby shampoos would be ok. My youngest daughter has problems with her scalp too and has found really expensive shampoos are ok. I can't ask her which as she is about to sit her accountancy exams. She will be home at the end of next week so I can ask her then.

I have very sensitive and dry skin and use E45 shower cream. I have to use E45 or Boots skin therapy wash (cheaper) to wash my hands at all times (contact dermatitis if I don't) I even wash my hair wearing gloves - not rubber as allergic to them too.

[linny]

I suffer with psoriasis, in most usual places but severely on my scalp. I use Capasal shampoo (prescribed) and pantene conditioner, being careful that it doesn't touch my scalp. I've had psoriasis (on skin) for 21 years and have tried numerous shampoos and creams. Have you had a doctor's opinion? (I'm sure you have!!) I was treated for sebbhoeric dermititis (I can't spell it!) for years until I saw a Bupa skin specialist. My daughter now has a nasty rash in her hair and I was told to try T-gel, after no result she's going to see our GP on Thursday. I'm praying it's not psoriasis! The hairdresser says it looks like an allergy - oh dear! If the medicated shampoos are no use it's best to stick to Simple or any non- perfumed, some shops do their own brand.
Aquaous cream is good you can ask at a pharmacy for it.

We all use Dove toiletries and non-bio and unperfumed everything!!!!
Good luck, Linny.

[Pam]

Thanks. I've been using aqueous cream on my body and after a week it finally seems to be improving. I haven't gone to the doctors yet, as I'm hoping it is a temporary reaction to eating milk and the change in weather. If it doesn't improve soon I will have to go though.

Lynda, I'm sorry for hi-jacking your original thread. Do ask more questions if you have any.

[lyndamc]

No worries Pam! It is all trial and error with products and unfortunately a lot of money wasted in the process!
One question, will soya dream whip up and stay whipped?

[ellsie]

I am fine with shampoo but the only soap I can use is Dove extra sensitive. My skin is also poor at yhe mo.I think the cold weather is the main culprit.
Very festive pages, looks great .

[matt]

yeah it's the weather. i really suffer on my hands. always use atrixo intensive. does work and it soaks in quick.

i get it on the back of the scalp aswell. tend to use dove but have used johnsons baby shampoo, don't find it works though.

keep the hair cut very short tends to help. not really an option for all though and means you need to wear a hat as your head gets bloomin cold!:D

[Pam]

Matt, I have always been told that baby shampoo is actually quite harsh and drying, so Dove is a better option but it does contain quite a lot of perfume. I awoke this morning panicking that something had spilled in the bedroom (dh keeps a lot of his tools and stuff in there) but then I realised the "chemical" type smell was the T Gel on my hair from yesterday. Coal tar..... mmmmmmmm!!! Yuck!

Lynda, unfortunately soya dream does not stay whipped like whipping or double cream, I've tried adding oil and all sorts to get it to thicken, though I think there may be a recipe going back a year or so on here that I did not try using gelatine. If you add a little lemon juice to it you can get it to stay in a froth but it is a very light froth and has not got any substance. Another member found a thick cream made by Rich or Riches that she was able to buy in a jewish shop. Because jews don't combine dairy and meat (?) they have a lot of dairy free foods, these are usually marked up as parve.

[linny]

Pam, I saw some Neutralia shampoo in Boots (but Dartford is a huge branch) and also a selection in 'Savers', I don't know if you have one near you, it's a bit like Superdrug but cheaper!!

[Pam]

I suppose I ought to give Tgel a go first to clear my scalp a bit, then I'll have a go with Neutralia. Thanks.

[matt]

i just have to avoid too much sugar and stress to get mine to clear up. well not clear up but become bearable, dove does work for me though thankfully. can't stand the smell of the other ones.