Just Love Food Company's nut-free cupcakes!

I have been meaning to write this blog for a few weeks now but due to being really busy with things I have not gotten around to it.

In my last blog I wrote about my experience with the amazing company 'Just Love Food Company' (if you haven't read that blog and would like to here is the link: http://adifferentsortoflife.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/just-love-food-company.html). Just to write a short summary of what 'Just Love Food Company' are: they are a company which supply nut free cakes which can be bought in supermarkets as well as directly from them and can be personalised. After writing this blog I shared it with the companies facebook page and not only did they post it on their page for their followers to see but they offered to send me some of their nut free cupcakes for me to review! I happily accepted their offer and the cakes arrived a few days later.

I got them delivered to my student accommodation and was expecting 12 cupcakes at the most but I was given 48 in total! There were 4 boxes in total with 12 cupcakes in each. There were 6 with red icing on the top and 6 with yellow icing on the top. I decided I could not eat 48 cupcakes to myself so decided to share them with others. My mum and her fiancée got a box of 12, I left a box of 12 in my flat's kitchen for my flat mates to eat and gave some to my boyfriend's parents and his sister. My boyfriend helped me with the remaining ones I had.

One of the 4 boxes of 12 cupcakes!

On first inspection of them they looked lovely. They were nicely presented in a box in rows of red and yellow (see picture to left). The colours were very vibrant and they looked yummy.








On opening the box each cupcake was wrapped in it's own individual packaging which would be greatly suited to parents looking for something for their child's lunch box. I also noticed the best before date on the box was nearly a month later which is great for having something that lasts a while. The cupcakes can also be frozen which means they last even longer! As soon as I received them I was eager to try one of each colour.

An example of a red cupcake

I first tried one of the red cupcakes. They smelled delicious and looked even better! There is a sponge on the bottom of each with some lovely cream in the middle and to top it all off some lovely red icing. The cupcake was amazing! I personally would say it was one of the best tasting cupcakes I've ever encountered. The sponge was very fluffy and moist and it tasted lovely. The icing tasted similar to the red icing used in their Angry Birds cake (see my original blog posted above). I found it to not be too sickly and was "finger-licking good"!

An example of a yellow cupcake

Next I moved onto the yellow cupcake and alike the red it smelled great and tasted even better! The icing tasted different but was still as mouth-wateringly good. Like the red cupcake the sponge was very light and fluffy.









It's not just me who thinks the cakes taste great! My mum wrote on 'Just Love Food Company' facebook page:

"They are absolutely fantastic really yummy, light and fluffy and make a wonderful alternative to a standard cupcake. I shall definitely purchase more of your products. It's really nice to see cakes suitable for allergy sufferers as I have struggled in the past to find manufacturers who produce nut free goods. Thank you and I look forward to tasting some off you're other creations." 


These cupcakes can be bought in batches of 12, 24, 48 etc. They are priced at £20 for 48 cupcakes but they are amazing value for money! They taste great, last long and are 100% nut free guaranteed. I would highly recommend this company. I give their cupcakes a 10/10.

If you would like to see more of their creations check out their:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Love-Food-Company/144224115622608?fref=ts
Website: http://www.justlovefoodcompany.com/

Just Love Food Company

A major issue for those suffering with nut allergies is that so many desserts are off the menu. Although this can do wonders for the waist line it is always lovely to have a treat now and then. I have suffered with a nut allergy for the best part of 5 years now and the most difficult thing about it has been the transition of going from eating anything sweet I wanted to being extremely limited within my diet.

This blog post is dedicated to an amazing company I have found. Most companies cannot guarantee that their food is nut free. This is due to them using nuts within the same factory so there is a risk, all be it small, of cross contamination from food that has nuts used within it to food that is supposedly "nut free". Before it used to always be about 'Fabulous Baking Boys'. They were completely nut free and did not use any nuts within their foods so it was a safe haven for nut allergy sufferers and their families. However late last year they delivered a blow which would change the way that nut allergic people could eat. They were changing their products and were going to begin to produce nut products. This in turn meant that their nut free no longer would exist. Since this happening the company 'Just Love Food Company' has become really popular amongst nut allergy sufferers. They have been around for a while but it has only been lately that they have become more prevalent and known about. Just Love Food Company ensure nut free. They do not use nuts in their factory, they also source ingredients which are 100% nut free. So despite Fabulous Baking Boys introducing a nut line all is not lost.

Just Love Food Company provide nut free birthday cakes. They also have began to start providing cakes for other occasions as well as cup cakes so those with nut allergies do not have to lose out. They make a range of different products to serve the ever-growing population of nut allergy sufferers. There are cakes designed for children but also cakes suitable for adults.

I have personally tried out two of their birthday cakes and I have no other word but fantastic to describe them.

The first is the 'Angry Birds Cake'. The cake contains 16 servings and is great for birthday parties of children and adults alike. The cake was served to not only me but all the family and friends whom were present at the particular birthday party. They all loved it and couldn't believe it was nut free. I think people believe that if something is 'free-from' it will taste horrible but this cake is far from it. It has a lovely light and fluffy sponge with jam and cream filling that tastes like any other cake on the market so there is defiantly no missing out. The icing is very tasty too and is not too sweet or sickly. This particular cake can be found in the following supermarkets: Tesco, Nisa, Asda and Tesco (Wales).


The second is the 'Happy Birthday Cake'. The cake is smaller than the 'Angry Birds Cake' as it contains 8 servings but it still tastes as fantastic! It again has a lovely jam and cream filling and the icing is not too sickly or sweet. It was recently my 21st Birthday and I ended up having 3 of these cakes over a period of a week (not all to myself though haha). I had one when I went out with my parents for a meal and they had some too and found it very yummy. The next day I had another with some friends I went out for a meal with and they also had some and thought it tasted great. The third I had at my birthday party. A Costco cake was bought for everyone else and I had this cake. I personally feel that Costco cakes are very sickly (I think it's the icing that's the problem) so I was more than happy to have a nut-free cake. I enjoyed the cake very much and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a yummy nut-free cake. This particular cake can be found in the following supermarkets: Tesco, Nisa and Tesco (Wales).


Just Love Food Company do deliveries on their products.
They also do personalised cakes for any occasion with people's names, ages and different designs.

Their website can be found at: http://www.justlovefoodcompany.com/
Their facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Love-Food-Company/144224115622608?fref=ts

Just Love Food Company is an amazing company who are dedicated to making the lives of nut allergy sufferers easier. Although they are getting better known they still do not, in my opinion, have the ultimate coverage they deserve. I would give this company a 5 star rating as they are an amazing and very caring company that truly do go the extra mile. I really could not recommend them more.

Travelling with allergies

Travelling is a stressful prospect at the best of times. People always look forward to their holiday but when it gets closer it's the worry of forgetting last minute things such as sun-tan lotion or extra underwear. For an allergic person it's a lot more complicated than that. It's the worry of going to another country where they may speak a different language altogether or allergies may not be as widely known about. It's the worry of "what if" and the stress of making sure that there is enough medication to last the holiday. Here's some useful tips on travelling for those with allergies.

1. Make sure you have a supply of medication
Particularly if you are travelling on a plane this is important. The rule I usually follow is have 2 lots of medication. So for example 4 epi-pens instead of the usual 2. The reason for the 2 sets is in case something were to go wrong and you misplaced one set. Particularly where epi-pens are concerned, if they're left in heat past a certain temperature they may not work as efficiently so it's always good to have an extra supply.

2. Have adequate travel insurance
If travelling somewhere within the EU (European Union) or the USA it is vital to have travel insurance. I think a lot of people assume allergies don't need to be covered by insurance but you don't want to be caught out in the unfortunate incident of ending up requiring medical care and potentially ending up with a large medical bill. When travelling within the EU it is a good idea to get a EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). These are free to get as long as you do not need them fast tracked and entitle you to free or reduced cost health care within most European Union countries. When travelling to the USA there are many companies offering health insurance, it is a good idea to shop around.

3. Have a note of your details
An idea is to have a note of your details written on either card or a piece of paper in case of an emergency. If you are going to another country a good idea would be to have this written in not only English but the country's language too. Due to one of the symptoms of anaphylaxis often being difficulty in breathing and/or speaking it can often be great for the emergency services and other people when trying to convey necessary information across. Ideas of things to write down are:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Address 
• GP name and address
• Next of Kin contact
• Medication
• Allergies

You could also put a note of things like any consultants you are under as well as how your allergies affect you (such as anaphylaxis, rash, vomiting etc.)

4. Have a doctor's letter
This is particularly important if you are travelling on a plane somewhere. Sometimes airlines can be very picky about letting people take medication on board if there is no doctor's letter stating you need it, in particular if it needs to be carried in hand luggage. Due to the ban on liquids over 100ml being in place on a lot of flights airlines are reluctant to let people carry liquid medication if it's over 100ml. An example of this would be liquid piriton.

5. Have an emergency plan
No one wants to be caught in an emergency situation, particularly on holiday, but it's always a good idea to have a plan in place if anything were to happen. Have a note of what the local emergency services number is (you can find this on google). Another good idea is to know where the nearest medical centre is (in case you need medical help but it's not a dire emergency) as well as the nearest hospital with an emergency department.

6. If going to a country with a different language get translation cards
It can be difficult enough to communicate in a foreign country if you don't have allergies but allergies make it a whole lot more difficult. An idea would be to get translation cards with the chosen language on them to make portraying important information across. It would be good to have what you're allergic to written in that language as well as what to do if you were to have a reaction (for example call the emergency services).

7. Plan ahead for eating
If possible try to get somewhere self-catering, this really helps out when it comes to allergies as you know exactly what would be going in to the food you are consuming and cooking. If this is not possible then make the place you are staying in aware of your dietary requirements. Make sure the remind the waiting staff at every meal so as to make sure nothing that will cause a problem comes in to contact with foods. Look up well-known food places within the country you are going to be staying and find out the locations of them. Making a list of safe places can be a really good idea. Seeking advice from other's who are well-known to allergies via social media (facebook, forums etc.) is also a good idea.

Other people's reactions to allergies and anaphylaxis

As mentioned in my previous blogs I have only been suffering from anaphylaxis for just over 4 years. However, those 4 years have been one massive learning curve. I quickly learned that people can be extremely insensitive. Sometimes they try to give you advice about your allergies, thinking it is helping you, but the reality is it is only making things worse for you. Most of the time people do not mean to not understand they just find it exceptionally difficult.

I did not grow up with anaphylaxis so from the word go really I was in charge of my own condition rather than my parents. I was the one who had to make others aware of my diagnosis and try to get them to understand. It has truly not been easy and even now, 4 years later, it is hard to get people to truly take it seriously.

I think one of the main issues people have is they think it is a simple case of just avoiding food that has the allergen in it, Whilst this is a major part of stopping allergic reactions from happening it is not the full picture. People often fail to realise that even trace amounts of the food can cause issues. People also can not seem to get their heads around the fact that it is not just ingesting the allergen that is a problem, but often people have the issue of their allergy being airborne or a contact allergy where simply touching something or even breathing in the allergen itself can cause major issues.

If I were to think about what the hardest part of living with allergies has been, in my personal opinion it would have to be the lack of understanding others have. A lot of the time they truly think I am just plain over-exaggerating when I look at the packaging on something and say "I cannot eat that as it may contain nuts". Trying to explain it is more than not like talking to a brick wall, or it will go in one ear and straight back out the other. It gets extremely frustrating as we are not talking about a simple reaction that involves a rash, we are talking about a reaction which if not treated properly could have dire consequences.

Just the other day I was at in my boyfriend's flat. Like me he lives in student accommodation and shares with 6 other people. We were in his kitchen/living room and 2 of his flat mates as well as one of their friends were their. We were all having a drink together and one of his flat mates had asked someone to go to the shops to buy him peanuts. I said to him could he refrain from buying peanuts as I have a severe allergy to them. I went away for 20 minutes and came back to him eating a bag of peanuts. I stayed well away from him and made sure not to touch things he had come into contact with.

I think one of the problems with trying to make people aware is anaphylaxis as a condition is not very well known. For the most part people know allergies exist however more often than not they associate an allergic reaction as being an itchy rash or even as hayfever. Whilst these are both annoying they are not considered to be life threatening.

25 Gift Ideas for someone with allergies

I asked the allergy community on new ideas for blog posts as I love other people's input when it comes to something which is set out to help other people. One of the suggestions that arose was "gift buying for people with allergies". I know the struggle it is for other people to buy me gifts. They find that "normal" items to buy people such as chocolates, flowers, make-up, cosmetics etc. are off limits. Here's some ideas on things to buy. Of course it does all depend on the gender as well as the age of the person. It also depends on the person's personality and likes and dislikes. If you were going to buy the person something edible or a cosmetic product then it would be best to ask the person what they know they are safe with so as to ensure their safety.

1. Chocolates/Sweets the person can eat
2. Handbag/rucksack
3. Purse/wallet
4. Book
5. Diary
6. Game console game/computer game
7. Cosmetics they can use
8. Bed wear (e.g. pyjama's, slippers, woolly socks, dressing gown, onesie etc.)
9. Underwear
10. Socks
11. A gift voucher for a shop they like
12. Money
13. Photo frame/photo album
14. Headphones
15. Board game
16. A toy
17. A cup/mug
18. Personalised things (such as things with their name on it, their date of birth, their wedding day etc.)
19. A subscription to an online game they play
20. A DVD/CD
21. Jewellery
22. Duvet cover, bed sheets, pillow cases etc.
23. Alcohol
24. A trip to somewhere special (such as a theme park, a theatre trip, a tour of somewhere etc.)
25. Shoes/clothes

Allergy induced bullying

Bullying is a very unfortunate part of life that happens to the majority of us at some point or other. That does not mean it is acceptable but in today's reality it happens more often than I would care to think about. Like so many others, growing up I suffered bullying for many years. It was mainly emotional bullying that would focus on my appearance. My weight was openly criticised by so many people around me as well as other things I found myself being very self concious about. One thing I never thought someone would bully me about was my health issues, in particular my allergies. How wrong I was. It has happened more times than I even want to remember but I remember every incident so vividly like it's a tape re-playing constantly in my head. It made me isolate myself. It began to make me feel so ashamed of my conditions. I just wanted to fit in so I began to become careless with my allergies. I would not bother looking at labels when amongst company my own age because I did not want to seem strange to others, I did not want others to comment. It took a few years for me to finally realise that the people who truly matter are the ones who know about your conditions but do not comment negatively about them. They are the people who take notice and look out for you.

I remember my first incident of bullying due to my allergies. I was in my 2nd year at high school. This was before I developed severe allergies but still suffered annoying allergies to food colourings which would make me come out in massive blotches which in turn would leave me scratching my skin, sometimes to the point where it would bleed. A boy in my class at school knew about my allergies. There was a bottle of blue food colouring sitting on a shelf. He grabbed hold of it, opened it and tipped it over my hand when I was not looking in his direction. I automatically turned around and on realising what had happened I asked why he just did what he did. He laughed at me and that encouraged others in the class to laugh too. He looked at me and said "you're a liar. Nobody has allergies to food colouring. Stop being such an attention seeker". I tried to get on with class when the bell rang however within 30 minutes I had to ask to be excused to the school office. My hand had swelled up and my body was covered in my usual itchy, blotchy rash. I was sent home from school and after a lot of antihistamine I began to feel better.

Other instances have occurred that are not commonly thought of as bullying. I remember dating a boy who had a best friend who also liked me. I would frequently end up in hospital due to not only my allergies but my severe asthma too. I would have to cancel going out with the boy I was dating because I was too unwell. I would receive phone calls off his best friend shouting at me down the phone, telling me that I was faking it for attention. He would say I was just being over dramatic and nobody is that sick. When I would end up in hospital he would laugh at me and tell me I was just being a drama queen. I remember going out to eat with the two of them. Before ordering my food I let the waitress know about my severe allergies. She left and the boy said to me that I was an embarrassment. It is just a peanut it is not going to do anything to me and I should stop being so stupid. I remember being constantly upset because off all the comments he would make. At the time I felt so helpless and like I did not know what to do. Looking back I realise what I should have done. I should have just walked away from the situation. I should have let him know that he cannot treat me like that.

I am now nearly 21 years old and I look back on the years with my health conditions. I used to hide them away like I was ashamed off them. I used to fear people knowing about things. Now I look at it all like "these are a part of my life that are not going away". If people treat me in a negative manner because of my health issues then they do not deserve to be part of my life. I did not choose this lifestyle, but I have learned to live my life around it all. Everyone deserves to be treated nicely. Nobody deserves to be isolated and made to feel like they are any less of a person because of a condition which is out with their control. The stronger person is the one who can admit that yes they may not have the life of others their age but they are not different, they are still a person. Food allergies are a major annoyance. They can be a massive inconvenience to your life but you are still a person and don't deserve people to be horrible to you.

Eating out with food allergies

December 13th 2014 marked a rather large milestone when looking at food allergies and anaphylaxis. A new legislation was introduced which primarily means that places serving food have to provide information about their food and any potential food allergens. This blog post shall be focusing on something which is a very difficult challenge when dealing with food allergies, and has been made slightly easier with the new legislation in place, eating out.

Eating out is something which is considered a treat in the majority of people's lives, however for someone with a food allergy it's often more hard work than it's worth so many people with food allergies avoid eating out however, this does not have to be the case. It is more difficult trying to find somewhere classified as "safe" when eating out but this does not mean that you have to avoid it altogether. Over time you learn where is good to eat and where you should probably avoid. I quickly learned that a simple meal out with food allergies is no simple task. After being diagnosed with a severe nut allergy places like: Chinese, Indian, Thai were completely off the menu as for the majority these food outlets use nut oil to cook their food in. Even places like McDonald's could potentially prove a risk due to their desserts. Here are some of my top tips when dealing with eating out and a food allergy.

1. Make sure to carry all medication
I think is this probably the most important advice I could give regarding this subject. It's one thing to find somewhere safe but it's another to be carrying medication. Even if you know somewhere is safe for you to eat you need to carry medication with you because the reality is you are better being safe than sorry. You do not want to end up in a situation where you need your medication but it is at home or in the car.

2. Check allergy advice 
I have found that even though sometimes staff within food outlets can be clueless regarding allergies for the most part food places will have some sort of allergy advice. This may be online or in the form of a folder/booklet in the place itself. It's important to always check this advice even if you have eaten something before as eating places can change their suppliers or the way they cook something without warning and there might not be any outward sign of this so it is a really good idea to double check the ingredients. This can often seem like a very tedious task, particular when you are a young adult as you do not want to seem different. I often viewed it this way when I was first diagnosed with allergies however I soon came to realise that I would much rather prefer spending a few minutes checking allergy advice than having to go through calling 999 to a restaurant.

3. Make sure anyone you're eating out with is aware of your allergies
In case anything were to happen it is a good idea to prior warn those you are eating out with about your allergies. You do not have to go into massive detail about it as the idea is not to scare the other person/people but to bring awareness to them. This is particularly important if you struggle with contact allergies as it lets the other person/people know to avoid your allergen at all costs to help you to hopefully stop an allergic reaction occurring.

4. Ask for your meal to be made first
When out and about I always ask if my meal can be made before other people's. This is not because I feel I am a priority in receiving my food it is to try and avoid my allergens at all costs. I have found that eating places seem okay with this (for the most part this is in actual restaurants rather than fast food places).

5. Let your server know about your allergies
Explain to the waiting staff that you have allergies and what they are. This is another good step in helping stay away from any potential problems. Often the person will write it down and make the kitchen staff aware. I have also had occasions where they have had the chef come out and speak to me in order to try and make sure everything is clear and I am okay with what they are doing. This also makes the staff aware that washing their hands before preparing your food or cooking it away from everything else if possible may be a good idea.

6. Have medic alert jewellery
No one wants to be in a life threatening situation however this can be a serious life-saver if one unfortunately occurs. It can often do the speaking if you are unable to. Some medic alert warnings come with wallet cards where you can go into more detail about things such as your next of kin, address, date of birth, allergies and medication. This can seriously help medical staff when treating you as often allergic reactions can cause throat swelling and/or breathing issues which makes it difficult to talk. Even when others are with you it can be hard to rely on them to relay all the information to emergency staff as people panic and may not be able to remember everything.