Natural deodorant

Ingredients to watch out for are not just in food and medications. What we smell and put on our skin can also contribute to how unwell we are. This deodorant contains only safe ingredients and after two days of using it, I can confirm that I don't smell at all! I use roughly a pea sized amount under each arm, rubbing it in well. Even after a workout, this was more effective for me than the commercial variety.

NATURAL DEODORANT

7 tsp bi-carb soda/baking soda

7tsp tapioca flour

1 tbsp coconut oil

1. Put all ingredients in a small bowl

2. Chop the oil through the dry ingredients with a spoon and then rub them together with your hands

3. If the mixture is too dry, keep adding coconut oil until it comes together like soft play-doh

4. Store in a sealed container. 

Cheap, sustainable and healthy ❤️

Gluten free flatbread

I have tried a few different flours lately (cornflour being the biggest misstep due to the hidden sulphites) and think I might have finally stumbled on a lovely combination! This flatbread tastes best when slightly cooled and is lovely paired with a plate of steamed vegetables. 

I have made this twice now and found that changing the flour ratio to a 50/50 mix produced a chewy and slightly gelatinous bread that some may prefer. I liked both but prefer the ratio listed below. 

GLUTEN FREE FLATBREAD

1 egg yolk

1 tsp chia seeds

2 tsp water

75g/2.6 oz rice flour

25g/.9 oz tapioca flour

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp bi-carb soda/baking soda

125ml/4.2 fl oz coconut milk (or other tolerated milk)

Pinch salt (if tolerated)

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1/8 tsp sweet paprika (not hot or smoked)

1 tsp coconut oil

1. Place yolk, chia seeds and water in a bowl. Stir to combine and leave to sit for 10 minutes

2. Add flours, cream of tartar and baking soda/bi-carb and mix well (a small whisk works well)

3. Add milk, salt (if using), rosemary and sweet paprika. Mix/whisk very well

4. Warm coconut oil in a medium frypan on low-medium heat 

5. Pour mixture into the pan and cover with a lid or large plate

6. Cook until mixture is largely dry - around 15 minutes. 

7. Flip and leave in pan until cooked through. 

Hot tips:

- Use a soft spatula to gently prise the bread from the pan, loosening all around the edges first

- If flipping is difficult, cut the bread into quarters with the edge of a spatula and then flip each piece individually

- I react to all spray oils so using coconut oil from the jar is highly recommended

Enjoy ❤️

Apple blueberry topping

I ate this beautiful topping with the last pancake from the freezer. It was sweet and crunchy and would have been just as good on its own or with a few macadamias thrown in. 

APPLE BLUEBERRY TOPPING

10 blueberries, halved

1 Granny Smith apple, grated

1 tbsp pure Maple syrup

3 tbsp water

1. Tip all ingredients into a saucepan and place over medium heat. 

2. Crush the blueberries with the back of a wooden spoon. 

3. Cook, stirring, until the apple is soft and moisture is absorbed.

Enjoy ❤️

Celery mushroom bake

I think I am in the minority of people who cannot tolerate any salt at all which makes life a fairly flavourless event. For this dish I tried saltbush as a possible substitute and was thrilled with the taste! This was a beautiful accompaniment to the crispy roast chicken I had for dinner but would also be lovely as a quick snack. 

CELERY MUSHROOM BAKE

1 stalk celery - diced

2 white button mushrooms - diced

1 clove garlic - finely diced

Sprig of fresh thyme (or a sprinkle of dried)

Salt (if tolerated) or 1/8 tsp dried saltbush

1-2 tsp coconut oil, melted

1. Tip all ingredients in a bowl and tumble until well combined

2. Transfer to a small ovenproof dish and cover tightly with foil

3. Bake at 220°C/430°F for 20 minutes

4. Remove the thyme (if using fresh sprigs)

Enjoy ❤️

Maple chia pancakes

I have been wanting to create a pancake recipe for some time now and am pleased to report that my first attempt was a winner. I LOVED these and actually polished the first one off while the second was cooking. They have a wonderful texture - slightly crunchy on the outside and with just a hint of crunch throughout from the oh-so-healthy chia seeds.

MAPLE CHIA PANCAKES (Makes 6)

25g/0.9 oz chia seeds

2 tbsp water

1 egg yolk

100g/3.5 oz wholewheat/wholemeal flour

1/4 tsp bi-carbonate soda/baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tbsp pure Maple syrup

250ml/8.5 fl oz coconut milk (I like Coco quench)
2 tsp raw, cold pressed coconut oil (or more if required)

1. Tip yolk, chia and water into a very small bowl. Stir well and leave to sit until the water is absorbed.

2. Tip flour, bi-carb/baking soda and cream of tartar into a jug (or bowl) and stir until well combined.

3. Add yolk mix to flour and combine. It won't come together perfectly yet.

4. Pour in Maple syrup and coconut milk and stir until well combined.

5. Put 1 tsp coconut oil into a small frying pan and set to a touch above medium heat.

6. When oil is hot, pour in batter for the first pancake.

7. Cook until bubbles appear all over the surface and then flip. The second side will cook much more quickly than the first. 

8. Repeat until all pancakes are cooked, adding the second tablespoon of oil when the pan looks dry and repeat with more oil if required.

I can confirm that these are fabulous straight from the pan and don't need topping to be delicious. Any that won't be eaten on the day they are made can be frozen between small pieces of baking paper or rolled up, side-by side in a zip lock so they will break apart easily. 

Enjoy ❤️ (I did!)

Yolk fettuccine

Home-made pasta is absolutely worlds away from the packet variety and I was determined to adapt the recipe I have used forever and a day so that I could still enjoy it as a special treat. I am thrilled to share that not only did I get the pasta to work with only yolks, but it is actually BETTER than the standard version and is also easier to roll! One serve also has only half of the usual amount of flour which is important if, like me, you are on a low carb diet to fight the inflammation that is so common in MCAS. I have a manual pasta machine but this recipe can also be rolled by hand if you have the time and patience. 

YOLK FETTUCCINE

50g/1.7oz  plain flour

 2 egg yolks

1 tbsp salt for the water (if tolerated)

1. Tip the flour into a bowl.

2. Add the yolks and combine until the mixture forms a dough. Use a wooden spoon and then your hands once the yolks are not sloppy.

3. If the mixture is too wet, simply add more flour, a small sprinkle at a time. If it is too dry, wet your hands and massage the dough. Repeat either step if required.  

4. Make a small, fat rectangular shape with the dough.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge/refrigerator for 30 minutes.

6. Prepare your pasta topping. The pasta cooks fast so you will want to have this ready to go.

7. Roll a small section of dough with a pasta machine or by hand. If using a machine, I stop on the second thinnest setting so that it is not too fragile.

8. Hand cut the pasta into strips and hang each strand separately so that it doesn't stick together. Before I had a rack, I used to drape tea-towels and then the pasta over open cupboard doors.

9. Repeat until all of the dough has been rolled and cut.

10. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil (If you can tolerate salt, add a tablespoon to the water).

11. Once you have a rolling boil, add all of the pasta at once. When it has risen to the top (only a couple of minutes) it is cooked!

12. Tip into a colander to drain, then transfer to a bowl and add the topping immediately.

Enjoy ❤️ 

2020

2020 has not been what anybody expected. In Australia, our year started with dreadful bushfires and then we became just another country in the world impacted by COVID-19. Whilst we have been incredibly fortunate to have kept outbreaks to a manageable level, the effect of the economic devastation and pressures on mental health are taking their toll on many. The year has been a very different experience for me. Whilst deeply affected by the strain COVID-19 is having on the world, I am very conscious that the lockdown in Victoria has in some ways protected me. Navigating changes to my health and lifestyle and coming to terms with having a chronic illness has all been managed within the safe confines of our little locked-down home. It has provided my mind with time to catch up with the rollercoaster my body has been on. In addition to working my way through symptoms, copious medical information and a restricted diet, it is the moving goalposts which have been the most difficult to manage.

Until recently, I had started to get my illness well under control with a diet specifically designed for people with mast cell disorders. There were even some good days with only minor symptoms which had me excited beyond words. I was feeling (almost) myself again and most importantly, in control. Unfortunately, recent surgery has thrown an irritating (but not insurmountable) spanner in the works. The surgery itself was minor but it was the cocktail of medications I knew I had a high chance of reacting to that had me worried. I made it through the surgery without a reaction and for that I am definitely grateful. It does however appear that ninety minutes under a general anaesthetic was enough to kick my mast cells back into high gear and as such, my reactions have been slowly escalating ever since.

At first, I didn't think much of it and tried to stick to my safest foods in the hope that things would settle down. Then a couple of  days ago my throat started to close after eating a plate of my safest foods. I have always been warned that people with MCAS should have an EpiPen, even if anaphylaxis had not been a problem in the past. I ignored this advice thinking that I had everything under control and that things could only get better. I was wrong and am now the (not so proud) owner of an EpiPen and importantly, a trainer EpiPen which I plan to practice with until getting the stabbing and injecting parts in the right order without having to think about it. My husband is trained and soon my boys and family will be too. 

I am definitely not writing this post so that anybody will feel sorry for me. I don't even feel sorry for me. I just felt it was important to share my experience with all of the MCAS warriors who are reading this so that they might take things more seriously than I did. And to soften the post (and the photo!) I thought I would share just one of the things I am very grateful for right now which is my beautiful herb garden. It continues to improve the nutritional benefit and flavour of my ever shrinking list of foods and its greenery always makes me smile. The photo is of today's herbs - mint for a smoothie, parsley for a yolk scramble, sage for my tea and rosemary to flavour my lamb for dinner.   

And just to finish on a REALLY positive note, I am also grateful to my gorgeous little family who ride every little bump with me and make me happy every single day. I am also grateful for my virtual MCAS family who are riding similar bumps of their own and who so openly share their own stories so that the strangeness  of my experiences don't feel so strange after all.

 Life could definitely be much worse ❤️