OUR FAMILY HAS EXPANDED

Our family has grown once again. Long story too so I will only tell you the short one.

Roy has been wandering in and out of pet shops lately looking for rabbits! Not looking for lost rabbits but wanting to buy some for the children. With a rabbits comes an array of equipment so it was going to cost.

Just so happened that a very nice lady was on freecycle last night giving away her two rabbits, and their hutch. The lady seems very happy that we have taken the rabbits though I cant help feling she wil miss them a little bit.

Anyway one rabbit exchange later .......

Here is Dougal (previously known as Del Boy)



Here is Zebedee (previously Darcy)

Sol isn't so sure about the rabbits

GROOMSPORT BY NIGHT

You would not believe that so many people can squeeze into a tiny little village. Well they can and here is the proof! Groomsport celebrates the 4th of July in real style. The fireworks were awesome and the music was good, it cant get much better than that.

GROOMSPORT BY DAY

BANANA JAM

You can use up all your mushy old brown bananas by turning them into jam.

1kg bananas (between 7 & 12) I simply pro rata the recipe
100ml Lemon juice
750g sugar (warmed opt)

Place all the ingredients in a good heavy pan.
Bring to the boil which happens very quickly.
Keep stirring periodically

turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2o minutes

then Summer for a further 15 - 20 mins

you know the jam is ready when it turns a nice red colour.

remove any scum

Spoon immediately into clean warm jars and seal. Turn upside down for two minutes then back up and leave to cool.

Store in a dark place for 6 - 12 months. Refrigerate after opening.

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 Seb has got his casein allergy from, I know how he feels now.

Sent from my iPhone

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.

SUNDAY STROLL - JUST PHOTOS

Sunday walk with six children.