Sharabelle bakes

10 dairy free ways to cook  with Nuts & Seeds It's at this time of year that us Scots get a little bit more nutty. Perhaps it's a Cultural phenomenon but we do seem to eat a lot more nuts.    Bags of shelled peanuts appears beside  Sweets, Candy and toffee apples for Halloween. Then at Christmas the bags of mixed nuts come out to nibble along side the seasonal drinks. Boxes of chocolate's are bought as gifts for friends and family, which always contains  a few nutty ones.   While  nuts and seeds are Delicious Au natural, there is a lot more that you can do with them.   They are full of protein, minerals and vitamins making them a great ingredient to add to a dairy free diet.   1. Condiments - Mustard Seeds I have recently just discovered mustard seeds, there now one of my favourite cooking ingredients. Creole Mustard Apple & Raisin Chutney Basil Pine nut pesto How to make Nut Butter - Cinnamon walnut b

Bananas about Bananas I wasn't feeling too hot last Friday.  I either had a cold bug or I had done too much again and run myself down.  Either way even my favourite blog post on Banana's couldn't pep me up. So this Friday I'm thankful it's not last Friday...... Wholemeal Banana & sultana scones First Experiment: It's Scone time again..... With my varied shifts I don't really have a normal eating pattern.  So I like to start my day with a healthy breakfast.  While my Porridge is cooking slowly on the hob, I have a mug of peppermint tea and a scone. I made these using my  Basic Soda Bread Scone Recipe  .  I adjusted the recipe by using half white flour and half wholemeal flour.  I added 1 large mashed banana into a jug, then topped with soya milk till it measured 200ml.  Finally I mixed in 2 oz of Sultana's.   These are great for breakfast, as they are filling and tasty.  They also make a great snack for travelling to a

Oatmeal and raisin cookies I'm a comfort eater, whenever I was upset or depressed I would eat.  Im 5ft 2in and at my heaviest I weighed 13 1/2 stone.   I'm now a healthy 9 1/2 stone, a weight that makes my IBS much easier to control.  I tried dieting for years and none worked.  Over ten years ago I was diagnosed with depression and was lucky enough to get a great counsellor.   It wasn't till after I started the counselling that the light bulb went off in my head, and switching to healthy eating became easier.  I realised that since I didn't feel good about myself inside, this reflected on my weight on the outside. One of the things that helped me then was snacking on fresh fruit, it filled me up and was a wonderfully sweet treat.   As my IBS gets worse the older I get and with sugar one of the foods I can not really eat a lot of, healthy snacks are just as important to me now.     Raw fruit, seed & nut truffles I've attempted to find

Bananas about Bananas Still on late shifts this week so desperate for a healthy snack to eat before work.  When I leave home it's not quite lunch time yet, however I need to eat something since I won't again till I get home after 6pm.   When most mum's visit they bring biscuits or cakes, my mum brings me peppermint teabags, Free from fish fingers and recently mixed seeds.  Do you know how hard it is to get Fish fingers Free from yeast!!!!! (I'm not totally mad....They use it in the breadcrumb coating) The idea of making a brunch breakfast bar originated with a way to bake with my mixed seeds. Seeds, grains and fruit are all great slow energy release foods, making them perfect for eating before work.    First Experiment: Banana & Marmalade Breakfast Bar I'm not on a health kick, I just genuinely love the majority of healthy food.  Which is just as well, since due to my IBS triggers am intolerant to most of the unhealthy ones.  

DRIED FRUIT Cooking Dairy free is easy, so why pay premium prices for Free from Products when you can make your own.   I love dried fruit in both savoury and sweet dishes.  During the summer I love making carrot and raisin couscous salad.  I love added them to cakes and cookies, there sweetness lets me reduce the sugar in the recipes.  As someone with IBS and food intolerance's, my digestive system is a lot happier with the sweetness of dried fruit rather than sugar.   Have I mentioned I love dried fruit!!!!! All these recipes are dairy free, or easy to make dairy free by substituting your favourite free from milk and spread.   1. On the Side Adding dried fruit to side dishes just makes them look more special.   Dried Fruit Salsa Berry Beer Baked Beans Roasted Green beans with cranberries Red Cabbage with Raisins 2. Salads Carrot & Raisin Couscous I love making Couscous salad, the tiny grains of past

Dental Dilemmas Not really that thankful this Friday, having one of my rare self pity sessions today.  Just got back from the Dentist after learning what I thought was a mouth ulcer, was in fact a small abscess.   I'm now on a course of Antibiotics for 5 days, which I know from previous experience, is going to set of my IBS.  I hate taking Antibiotics and avoid them as much as possible, as there not great if you have digestive problems.   I have also had to make an emergency appointment for the Dental Hospital, for next Monday.  I just started a new job over 3 months ago, and the appointment is during my shift.   I just hate mucking people about.   In an attempt to avoid the side effects of the Antibiotics for those of us with IBS, I asked for a liquid solution instead of tablet form.  (I'm lactose intolerant, and lactose is a  common ingredient used to bulk out pills) They must normally prescribe it too kids.  I've just taken my first dose, it'