Newcomer to dairyfree, but long-time dairy free eater

[Nic]

Hi!

I've just discovered dairyfree, and its exciting to find somewhere with lots of tips about substitutes etc that I haven't heard of. I thought that, after 15 years dairy free, I'd found them all! So I'm really looking forward to learning lots.

I've got a cows milk allergy which causes eczema, and now that I eat so little dairy I also seem to get stomach aches if I have any by mistake. I worked out that dairy was a problem about 15 years ago, but it took me until my early twenties (and several really nasty bouts of eczema) to decide that it was worth being strict about it. So I'll have things with less than 1% or so skimmed milk powder or casein, but not much above that. Luckily I have a very well-trained husband who is now really good at dairy-free shopping and ordering in restaurants. :)

I've recently found some non-dairy double cream in my local health food shop (in Tooting, London) if anyone is interested. Its also available on veganstore.co.uk, though they do tend to run out of things rather fast.

I've also got some nice non-dairy recipes for things like macaroni cheese and chocolate cheesecake, which I've worked out over the years.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Nic

[rebecca c]

Wow - those recipes sound good....:drool:

Welcome to the site Nic. I took a while too to go dairy free and have become more sensitive since I have but its definitely worth it. I dread to think what state I'd have been in if I'd carried on.

[matt]

don't play with us. get those receipes posted!!!


welcome to the site.

[Broxine]

:bwelcome: I'm looking forward to those recipes!!!!

[Copper]

Welcome to the site. I am looking forward to the recipes too - anything with chocolate in has to be good. I am lactose intolerant and have been on and off since birth. Sadly nobody knew why I was such a sickly child until in my 40s I took some tablets that contained lactose and then I worked it out. I still have to convince my GP though :(

[ellsie]

:bwelcome: Hi Nic! I also have an allergy to milk protein but with anaphalactic shock and not eczema! It's very rare for an adult to have a milk allergy so I have been told so we are few and far between. Most people here have trouble with the lactose and have a range of symptoms from that. Looking forward to macaroni cheese recipe!:drool:

[zoefruitcake]

Hello, I'm in the same boat as you, with the same outcome.

And please post the recipes, we can't wait! :drool:

[Nic]

I'm just about to post the recipes in the recipes bit - didn't realise they would be so popular. I assumed it would be old hat for all you experienced non-dairy people. :)

Nic

[cnc]

Its always interesting to read about new ideas for meals, especially desserts. I'm slightly obsessed with food, and will eat some rather odd combinations of food, so anything new is always good!!
Any more recipes??
"I assumed it would be old hat for all you experienced non-dairy people." We're not all experienced, some of us are learning rapidly though :)

[Nic]

Claire - I do have some more recipes, but they involve going through my recipe stack and digging them out, so perhaps a rainy Sunday afternoon. I've been dairy free so long that actually I usually just adapt, rather than doing anything special. The other good source is my grandma, as she keeps kosher (meaning that she doesn't mix milk and meat, among other things) and so has a range of fantastic non-dairy puddings to go with meat meals. Her home-made After Eight ice-cream is to die for! I've never managed to make it come out right though - I think it takes 80 years of practice for those of us who don't have ice-cream makers.:)

By the way, I remember that the health food shop in Cambridge near Books Etc did individual non-dairy ice-creams, which I used to collect and go and eat while watching people in punts fall in at the low bridge in Trinity. If its still there, I highly recommend that on a summer's afteroon.

Nic

[cnc]

I do tend to just replace the various ingredients- it makes things easier for my parents when I go home, things just tend to get cooked using dairy free and the rest of the family don't tend to notice!!

I know the shop you mean, it's still there, I don't know if it does the individual ones, but it does the normal tubs (I have been known to use those as individual ice creams, before now!!). Theres also a really nice shop that does dairy free truffles not far from there :drool: I've never been in a punt (I spend too much time rowing :D )

[Nic]

Claire,

I've got a dairy allergic friend doing a PhD in Cambridge, so could you tell me where the shop is and what its called? She'd love to know, and so would I for when I'm next there.

Thanks.

Nicola

[cnc]

Its called Bellinas House of Chocolate. If you're heading towards the Health food shop near Books etc, coming from Sainsburys, theres a little alleyway on your left hand side (pretty much opposite halfords) and its just down there, theres normally a stand outside the alley for it. Its got a lot of dark chocolate treats as well, and marzipan ones :)
Theres also one near the Grafton Centre- if you come up the main walkway, and turn right just before the entrance and then somewhere down there on your right is another branch (not sure what that one is like, I've not been in it....yet!!)
Hope this helps