The Good Life: June 2009

Friday, 19 June 2009

EXCUSE THE LAYOUT

Please be patient with me - I am trying out a new layout! If my blog does not look right this is the reason why.

Got rice milk to try this morning ...

Just now I am hovering over a cup of raspberry tea. Although raspberry tea sounds nice I am going to have to get used to not drinking 'real' tea in the morning.

I shall update on the milk situation.

Thursday, 18 June 2009

HUNGER PANGS

I am hungry.

I am cross with myself for two reasons, first is having these tests (not really), second is waiting so long to have these tests.

I have always had allergies and intolerances to since I was born. These allergies were not properly diagnosed till I was grown up. My parents struggled to find food that I would eat so took it upon themselves to hold me down and force feed me. This in turn made me very ill and have given me some serious food phobias.

All my adult life I have enjoyed preparing food but not eating it. I can't eat out as a rule, I am very particular so it would take me to really trust the chef in order to eat. I can however manage a curry made specially by the chef for me at the Phoenix in Bangor!

So here my food journey continues. Discovering what I previously thought were food phobias are actually allergies and realising this is my body's built in safety mechanism is a good start. Thattogether with my already known allergies I can move on and get healthy.

I have been asked in the past "why don't you just eat ...?" when faced with a meal, but at least now I can answer with confidence that I can't eat that food.

Back to now, I am starving! Can't eat cheese, can't eat ham, need to go cook some chicken to keep for my lunch. Breakfast is a tricky one too, can't have milk for cereal, don't like soya milk (it's rotten, have you ever tried it?). Need to find some nice tea you can drink without milk. I did manage a cereal bar this morning, of which we had two in the house (probably out of date!), I didnt enjoy the bar and struggled to swallow it so there is no way I am going to be able to eat one of those every morning.

This also explains where Ellis has got his casein allergy from, I know how he feels now.

Sent from my iPhone

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Food Allergies!

I have to post this as it is so weird.

I always knew I had certain food allergies, I am badly allergic to nuts, fish, onions among other things. Well the last while has been a struggle, yeah sure I am over weight and all that so it is prove I DO actually eat. My problem is I have never been able to eat food unless I have prepared it myself as I would always end up so ill. I have had so many highs and lows lately with regard to food I decided to get some allergy testing done.

Some of the results in part were not a surprise, but some things were a shock to me. With this information I hope I can adapt my lifestyle and diet to improve my health, and with a bit of luck speed up my weight loss in the process.

The results ...

Cow's milk
Cheese
Turkey
Salmon
Sardine
Prawn
Plaice (apparently Tuna is okay but I don't like Tuna)
Onion
Beetroot
Kiwi fruit
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Beer
Red Wine

Oh and some food additives
E102 Tartrazine
E251 Sodium nitrate (which is the preserve found in bacon, ham, sausages, processed meats)

Just wondering what I CAN eat now ... looks like BBQs are out then. On a serious note I am hoping that cutting all the foods out that make me ill can help improve my health. With some of the less allergic foods I will be able to reintroduce them at a later date.

Monday, 15 June 2009

SUNDAY STROLL - JUST PHOTOS

Sunday walk with six children.

BURNT OFFERINGS & BUNNY CHILDREN

Last week where we live the weather was very pleasant indeed. This fair weather unusual for our area, last year we had two good weeks of nice weather in May then it rained virtually every single day until October! So when the sun shines we tend to take advantage of it.

We got ourselves a new picnic table - both our old ones had seen better days.

This meant we didn't have to sit on the ground to eat our burnt food!
My husband's cooking, kidding, actually not kidding he cooked it but technically it wasn't his fault (so he says) the sausages got burnt! (And I believe him too!)

My bunny rabbit children!

Sunday, 14 June 2009

Photo Time

Just messing around with the camera today!

My new hair!

I got red in my hair though you cant really make it out in the photos! Anyways this is what I look like now.

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Let Me Eat Please! - June 10th

I was sittng at our very nice, very new out door table at lunch time today with some salad. The same 10 seater table we bought from IKEA less than 24 hours ago. You would think that a bowl of salad was not very interesting but yet I had 4 children leaning over the table, and my bowl begging. One wanted tomato, one cucumber, one did not care what they got and yet put a salad on their plates and listen to the noises of disdain that follow.

I fobbed them all off with a promise of ice cream this evening if they left me alone to eat. We just got an ice cream maker so far its a big hit.

Thursday, 4 June 2009

ULSTER AMERICAN FOLK PARK

Yesterday we took a trip to the Ulster American Folk Park over near Omagh. It was a long day for us all but certainly worth it.
"The museum tells the story of emigration from Ulster to America in the 18th & 19th centuries and provides visitors with a "living history" experience on its outdoor site. Costumed demonstrators go about their everyday tasks in the traditional manner in authentically furnished Old and New World buildings." exert from http://www.folkpark.com/

The museum is well laid out, you follow the path through the Irish side where you get to look in period houses and see how the people of Ireland used to live. In each house there was a character who talked to the children and explained what their jobs were and how they lived. The children were amazed with the stories they were told, and got to try various things all hands on. I even signed Ashley up for a seven year apprenticeship with a blacksmith!

When you finish with the Irish side you go to the docks, step on a ship ... this 'ship' takes you to America. You step off the other side of the ship where you can explore America! The photos I took were from both the Irish side and the American side.