The perfect garden tea party, or is it??

A garden tea party was the perfect way for Sammy to start the holidays with his friends. Tiny sandwiches, little crisps, sausage rolls, fruit juice in the play tea set, and to top it off cakes, cut into tiny pieces.

In reality; A garden tea party was the perfect way for Sammy to start the holidays with his friends. . . .

Tiny sandwiches, (made with wholemeal bread, sourced so that it is completely whole and not half and half, so requested from a bakers. Then free from spread, and ham )

Little crisps, (from the local chemist, made from alternative ingredients,)

Sausage rolls, (well the inside, as the outside contains refined flours and so has to be picked off, and you cant buy them with whole meal pastry. And yes, these could have been handmade, but wholemeal pastry, but they can be rather brick like when I make them!!)

Fruit juice in the play tea set, (sugar free very weak squash, in a play tea set. . . . )

. . . . and to top it off cakes, cut into tiny pieces, (Urmmm, no chance! sometimes a homemade wholemeal, lactose free, sugar free scone, which is palatable when desperate!)

However, Sammy and his friends still had a really great time, but it isn't always as simple as it seems, is it?

Wow, what a cake!

Sammy and his friends are extra excited today, its END OF TERM!!! And to celebrate Sammy decided to bake. He wanted to bake something extra special to share with everyone, something that everyone would enjoy, especially his squirrel friends, a totally yummy, nut free cake!


Its was a HUGE cake.


A cake made of the most delicious carrots that the rabbits could find for him.

A cake mixed with the stickiest honey that the bees had made for him.

A cake piled high with the juiciest berries that the birds had picked for him.

"Wow, what a cake," said all his friends.



From "Sammy the squirrel, the squirrel who couldn't eat nuts," by Jill Latter

A nice juicy apple

Sammy feels very happy today, he's enjoyed a very juicy apple! It may not be what all the other squirrels are eating, but Sammy realised how nice it was to try something different!

Sammy and I are delighted that through our very recently launched twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/JillLatter (admittedly it is a steep learning curve for us both, so bear with us,) we have already found some very encouraging sites, Unfortunately most are American based, where to be fair the awareness and knowledge of food allergies and intolerances is more available and accepted than it is over here. But I've no doubt we have many supporting networks here, just a bit harder to source. Check out http://www.whatallergy.com/ a great site, and http://PeanutAllergy.com, and as I say more links on my blog.

Chin up Sammy!!

Alternative pancakes

Sammy and I both got very excited this weekend, when we made some sugar free, lactose free pancakes, and they actually tasted heavenly! Wholemeal flour, (as low GI,) oaty milk, elmlea, an egg, and the key very good quality vanilla essence! Then a squeeze of lemon, Yum! This is the start of some more experimenting!

Nuts, nuts nuts and even more nuts!

Sammy has been feeling pretty fed up today. Nuts everywhere! All the other squirrels are eating nuts, nuts nuts! Nuts on toast, nut biscuits, nut cakes, nuts on everything.

Like Sammy, I have reached my level of patience today. In need of a heavenly snack, I resorted to some brown bread and butter!!

Let me begin to introduce myself to you too. Sammy was created due to my frustration with my limited diet, my prob being absolutely no sugar of any kind. This also includes all fruits, white refined foods, alcohol, and hidden sugars in cereals etc. So when passing a cake shop, I have to bite my lip and walk very fast past. During the last 4 years I have been diagnosed with having Reactive Hypoglycaemia, which effects me everyday with varying levels of symptoms, and this can only be managed by diet and relaxation! My relaxation comes in the form of a good old cuppa!

Thoughtless service!

If Sammy were ever to eat a nut it would make him very poorly indeed!

Now at the weekend poor Sammy went out with a few squirrel friends for a small snack at a little cafe. He was really looking forward to a nice cup of tea and a chat with his friends, and knew that it was unlikely he would find anything tasty to accompany it, but that was fine, that was usual for Sammy. However when he got there he was thrilled to see some food at the back of the counter that he knew he would be able to eat, wow, this was a huge bonus he thought, how exciting! He politely asked about the food he has spied, (whilst peering longingly at his friends plates filled with nut cake, nut pies and sticky yummy chocolate nut ice cream.) But poor Sammy was abruptly told that it was not policy to serve the other food!!

Sammy had a nice time that day with his friends, but this thoughtless service did not help at all, and as always made Sammy just a little bit sad!!!!

P.S. Sammy's experiences are always very true!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHH its a nut!

Ok, so although this isnt going to be all about a sad squirrel, it must start about why Sammy needed to share this with you. As tempting as they always were to him, and as normal as it should have been for him to eat them, (especially being a squirrel,) Sammy just couldn't eat nuts, he had to avoid them at all costs . . . . . 

So where do I start?

Now gradually I will tell you my story and my reasons for introducing myself to you, but I do not just want this to be about my experiences, if any of you have a connection with a similar issue then please share some thoughts with me!

"Hello"

"I have been waiting to introduce myself to you all, and so have decided that today is the day. As you will see from my title, I am not quite like all the other squirrels, and yes, sometimes this makes me a bit sad, but not today, today is a good day, today Im being a brave squirrel and saying hello!"