Being Defective... Coping with Allergies on a Daily Basis

As someone who has had allergies since a very small child, I have grown used to them as they come and go and have learnt over the years to tackle the problems they cause. I developed a dairy allergy in my mid teens which really affected the way I viewed myself and my peers and when my wonderful sister-in-law was diagnosed with coeliac around two years ago I knew I would do anything I could to help her through the rough transitional period between diagnosis and acceptance. My hope for this piece is that I can help at least one person going through this transition and perhaps raise awareness of the struggles faced by people with allergies, its not just 'all in our heads'.

A small allergy mark on my arm, this is quite dull and wasn't a bad one at all. 

Of my many allergies, my first manifested in toddler-hood with angry blotches on my skin covering my torso. My mum was degraded by the local doctor who informed her that she must be 'an unfit mother' and that we had bedbugs. Being a mum, and mothers do sometimes know best, she persevered and I was eventually diagnosed with Urticaria Pigmentosa, a relatively rare condition that leaves me with painful, itchy and unsightly marks over my entire body and face. These marks tend to come and go and are sometimes rationally triggered when I do/eat something I know I shouldn't but other times they just like to be a real arse and pop up to remind me I'm defective!

This allergy affected me externally first and foremost, but as I grew older and more image conscious, the appearance of odd marks caused derision amongst my peers and as a teen I would have done anything to hide them or for them to go away. Now in my mid twenties, I can accept the marks as part of what makes me 'ME' but the insecurities embedded by looking 'different' sometimes still manifest.

As a teen, I suddenly and violent became sick often several times a day for several months. After a while I suddenly realised that the common factor was that I was always sick after a meal, and being vegetarian, my meals almost always contained some form of dairy as a source of protein. The difficulty with being vegetarian was that most options contained either dairy or eggs (which I've always been intolerant to) and the vegan revolution was yet to begin .

Being an awkward and socially inept teenager, the struggle of going round to peoples houses or out for meals and having to explain what I couldn't eat meant I kept eating dairy even though it made me violent unwell for far longer than I should have. I have been so sick that I have vomited blood, and burst blood vessels in my eye balls. And people told me it was all in my head, it was 'just a phase'.

Now I am lucky enough to be confident in my own skin and to have an incredible support network through both my friends and family who are incredible in their care to prepare food I can eat. The rise in awareness of allergies and food preferences has also had an incredible impact on my quality of life. My allergies have cause me to cancel plans, bail on dates and be scared to travel, to explore new places but with research and patience anything is possible.

I wish someone could have told me as a teenager that I would be able to manage my allergies, and that I would find people that would support and nurture me rather than degrade me. Allergies now are not the stigma they were even five years ago but awareness is still limited and support is often only found through those who have been through a similar experience.

I wanted to share a few of the things I have learnt over the years, the main being listen to your own body. If you're being sick, bloated, suffer from headaches or have nearly shite yourself in public; then theres a problem! I used process of elimination to figure out whats affecting me but many health food shops offer allergy testing as will your doctors.

I always now carry a packet of mints, they both help to settle my stomach and also help freshen my breath if I am sick. Checking where the nearest bathroom is tends to be a good idea, mercy dashes have happened to me all to often and the last thing you want is to be scrabbling trying to find it.

I often take food with me to peoples homes, either something I can share with the table or something I can pop in the microwave to save the host. Also be prepared to be firm but polite about your allergies, its amazing what people assume. Cross contamination can be a major risk, especially when eating in peoples homes and without training, friends and family can't be expected to know.

When thinking about eating away from home, most places have menus online now if you know you are going somewhere in advance I always try to call and prepare them for my awkwardness! This doesn't always work but restaurants are often more than willing to prepare a little something extra but don't be surprised if you end up with a tapas style meal out of side dishes!

Another big one for me is reading labels, after a while the words just jump out and it takes seconds but to start with, spending that little bit of extra time is so worth the effort. My friends and family are now brilliant at this and have found food for me I didn't think I would be able to have. Hidden ingredients can be a nightmare, like fruit juices with milk powder in to bulk them out. Crisps are another mine-field, especially at parties where they are so often laid out in bowls all nice and ready. I make my wonderful other half try all of them and if there seems to be plain ones, I stick to them.

I have found fantastic support from online forums and Facebook groups as well as from friends and like-minded acquaintances. My hope is that this can reach out to even one person feeling lost and alone at the beginning of their allergy journey and let them know that there is hope.

Yes, I still make mistakes; and yes, I still sometimes poison myself but I have gone from being sick up to 4 times a day every day for over a year to being sick once in a year over the course of the last ten years so I consider it progress. My allergies encouraged my love of cooking which in turn encouraged me to start this blog; so allergies, I thank you.

Apologies for the lack of pictures in this blog, I realise its a bit wordy but for the first time in perhaps forever I have only had one allergy mark since I decided to write this blog! I wanted to use photos of my own skin as an example, the marks are often really bright, red and angry looking and itch like nothing on earth. A bad one can cover my entire back and feels like nettle stings have had an acid party. I have been known to be driven so mad by them that I scratch them so much I have drawn blood (although I try not to) and these marks can manifest ANYWHERE on my body.

Please share this blog to help raise awareness, allergies have a habit of making people feel very excluded and alone and I hope this can make at least one person feel a little less 'defective'.
#diaryofadefectivehousewife

The Ultimate Brunch Sandwich

I came up with this combination on a day off when Tesco had most of the ingredients on offer and I fancied a more decadent breakfast. Relatively quick to make, this sandwich seriously hits the spot and could be eaten at any time of day. This recipe makes 2 sandwiches. Please excuse the slightly messy picture but this is messy to eat and it smelt so good I didn't want to waste time making it look all pretty!

Ingredients:
1 large ripe avocado
4 balls of sweetfire beetroot (depending on size)
1 small box of chestnut mushrooms
handful of fresh chives
1 clove of garlic
4 slices of your favourite bread (I love tigerbread)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Clean and chop all of the mushrooms into thick slices, there will seem to be a lot but mushrooms shrink massively when cooked and this sandwich should be bursting. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add in the mushrooms. Peal and crush the garlic into the pan and finely chop the chives in too. Add a generous helping of salt and pepper and leave to sizzle for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are golden brown.

While the mushrooms are cooking, slice the beetroot into relatively thick pieces. Mash the avocado and season to taste with salt and pepper. I don't tend to toast the bread but if using older bread you certainly could. Spread the avocado on two of the slices of bread in a thick layer and top with the beetroot. Place the mushrooms on top and sandwich it all with the other slices of bread.

I love to eat this with a bucket of tea and a good book on a day off. When you make it please tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Fresh and Easy Pasta Two Ways

I threw together this pasta dish recently to use up leftovers and make a quick and tasty dinner. It turned out fantastically with my other half making his happy food noises! I made this with chicken and bacon through his and marinated tofu through mine. The touch of greens and sun-dried tomatoes keeps this fresh. This serves three less hungry people or two with decent appetites! 

Chicken and Bacon Pasta 

Ingredients:

Half a bag of pasta

1 jar of sun-dried tomatoes including the oil

1 large bag of fresh spinach

1 bag sugar snap peas

1 box marinated tofu

1 chicken breast 

4 bacon medallions

butter 

salt and pepper to taste

Tofu Pasta 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190c and place the chicken breast on a large piece of tin foil with a knob of butter. Wrap the chicken in the foil and bake for roughly 25 minutes until there is no pink left inside. 

While the chicken is cooking, place a large pan over a medium heat and bring half a pan of water to the boil. Add in the pasta and cook as per the instructions on the packet. Chop the sugar snap peas to bite sized pieces and add into the pasta along with the spinach just before the pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta and vegetables and place back over the heat adding in the sun-dried tomatoes (roughly chopped) and around 2 tbsp of the oil from the jar. Stir to make sure everything is well coated and leave on a low heat stirring occasionally. Season to taste. 

Place a frying pan over a high heat and chop the bacon into small pieces. Fry the bacon until almost crispy and then add in the chicken diced up as well as a tbsp of the oil from the tomatoes and fry until everything has a nice golden colour. 

Place the pasta and vegetables in large bowls and top with your choice of additions. This recipe would be ideal for lunch or dinner and could be made in large quantities for a party as well and tastes good hot or cold. 

When you make this please take a picture and tag me #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Banana Bread

Ideal for using up those bananas that got forgotten at the back of the fruit bowl, this recipe can be eaten on the go for breakfast or served hot and slathered in cream as a desert. I have previously munched my way through slices laden with chocolate spread or thrown a pack of chocolate chips into the mix for added indulgence. Best made with over ripe bananas, this can be made with any that you can mash. Also, apologies for the poor photos, I got overexcited to eat this and forgot about them. OOPSIES!

Ingredients:

140g butter
140g self-raising flour
140g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 mashed bananas

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a loaf tin, I recently bought loaf tin liners and they are a revelation - worth every penny. Peel and mash the bananas using a fork and place in a large bowl with all of the other ingredients. Using an electric whisk (or do this in a mixer), beat everything together until the mixture becomes smooth and semi thick.

Pour into the loaf tin and bake for around 45-50 minutes until no jiggle is visible and a skewer comes out clean. Place the tin on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes and the take the cake out and leave to cool completely if you want to slice it. To serve hot, take it out of the oven and pile in! I would recommend leaving it for a few minutes otherwise it'll be a crumbling mess but if that happens then its a good excuse to accidentally sample all the crumbs.

Well wrapped, this cake will keep for at least a week, although i find it disappears long before then.


So easy, this recipe takes less than an hour from start to finish and is a real crowd pleaser. When you make this please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife.