I've done lots of research the past couple of days and have decided that I definitely want a Ninja Combi 12 in 1 multicooker. My tabletop oven is certainly losing heat, it's just taken over an hour to cook a small 1lb loaf cake that should have taken just 30-35 minutes, I don't want it breaking down when sister is here. Husband has very kindly said he'll buy it, which is very nice of him. One of the things on our Needs/Wants list for this year is a new TV - his choice, it's a want not a need, there's nothing wrong with our current TV. Being a man, he wants a bigger screen and more features - although whether he'll be able to work out what they're all for, and actually use them, remains to be seen! 😉 He says he's happy to put off getting the TV until later in the year though, and agrees the multicooker takes priority over that. We'll be getting it in a couple of weeks, which will give me time to get used to using it before sister comes.
Speaking of sister, she's told me she now cannot eat any dairy produce. Like me, she's been lactose intolerant for years, she takes Lactase tablets for it but says they no longer work, and she cannot put up with the stomach pains and diarrhoea she gets. My intolerance is mainly with cows milk, I've had lactose-free milk for years and am fine with that. I can cope with cheese, yogurt and butter, so long as I don't eat loads of them - to be honest though, I couldn't imagine a life without cheese, it's pretty much my favourite food, so I'd most likely be prepared to put up with a certain amount of pain and toilet visits. Imagine never eating cheese again!! 😮😂 Sis doesn't want to go back to the GP, as she says she's terrified of having to have a camera either down her throat or up her bum - or both. Bless her. I do understand how she feels about that though. So I will have to revise my cooking and baking plans to take account of her dairy-free wishes, which is no big deal really. I'll start buying some dairy-free things like spread and cheese and doing a bit of experimenting. I already buy soya milk for her - I have it sometimes too. If any of you have any recommendations for dairy-free alternatives (Kath and Sue, for example, I know you're both dairy-free), please let me know.
I didn't spend the whole day in the kitchen yesterday, just the morning. I made a chicken & bacon pasta bake and a pineapple and coconut cake, both frozen now, and a feta, cranberry & red pepper rice salad for lunch. In the afternoon I had a chat with my sister, then read for a while.
I can't imagine life without cheese either!
ReplyDeleteI am another one who couldn’t live without cheese. When my stepson came for Christmas, he is vegan, I managed to make quite a few things that were dairy free. So I would look for vegan alternatives, they were mostly, surprisingly, quite tasty. I used vegan Philadelphia cheese spread, vegan butter (flora), vegan cream (alpro) and vegan cheese which is a bit hit or miss. Unfortunately though, it all comes at an increased cost.
ReplyDeleteI do miss cheese, but the effects on my guts just aren't worth it. I tend to have oat milk now. It's creamier and doesn't curdle in my coffee. The best dairy free cheese I've found is Applewood smoked. Not brilliant but it doesn't have the strange after taste that a lot have. I dislike intensely the Violife products for that reason. The Philadelphia dairy free cream cheese is ok, especially if you mix it with something. I sometimes use nutritional yeast flakes to add a cheesy flavour. It's usually near the stock cubes. Hope that helps. xx
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention Swedish Glace if your sister fancies some dairy-free ice-cream. The raspberry one is particularly good. There are vegan Magnums and Cornettos, too, and Galaxy do vegan chocolate (most dark chocolate is dairy free, but the Galaxy one is more like milk chocolate). Got to have a few sweet treats! xx
DeleteMy daughter is vegan and an excellent cook. Our substitutes in the US are overpriced and over processed crap so she has found alternatives like using a potato- carrot blend with nutritional yeast for a "cheese"sauce. She uses soy or almond milk or canned coconut milk. I make a delicious and easy curry like dish that my whole family loves it uses canned coconut milk.
ReplyDeleteThe new Ninja sounds fantastic! I've found Oatly Whippable is lovely for puddings and things like scones.
ReplyDeleteLife without cheese!!! Horrors, though I could say the same thing about milk and yogurt in my case. Sam is right nutritional yeast from my research can be used with other items to make a cheese sauce.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I used to love cheese, yogurt and butter but I now have good substitutes for all of them, so I'm happy. 😀
ReplyDeleteMy favourites are either Alpro or Coconut Collab for yogurts, Naturli soft spread or block for butter, although Flora Buttery is quite good and cheaper and either Applewood Smokey or Cathedral City for cheese. If you want to use Violife cheese the best one ... in my opinion ... is the Cheddarton.
Hope that helps. 💚💚
I found oat milk to be a great substitute. Before I lost my taste for tea I found that It tasted fine and was good on cereal too.
ReplyDeleteI’ve just bought a Ninja 10 in 1 multifunction oven,to replace my smaller Ninja flip,and it’s brilliant.It doesn’t have a slow cooker function but I can bake cakes,cook a whole roast dinner and air fry.On offer at £180 with free bamboo board on Ninja uk.
ReplyDelete