So since last dairy-free journey post, this post is more a reflection on new things I have tried, as well as a reminder on something I had as a kid but forgot I could have now, as someone on a dairy-free journey.
Although I continue to write my posts as dairy-free, there have been times I allowed a bit of dairy in.
Those regular reading will know it might have been a pie, which the pastry contained milk. Another time was when I have had a chicken roast dinner, as it contained a scoop of mash and a Yorkshire pudding on my plate. At these times was when I was eating out, so allowing it in then is not often. But at home, I don’t allow. Having those items did not affect me. The only thing I don’t have when eating out with me finding it did, was when I was at a cafe and I had a chicken and mushroom pie. The creamy sauce making me feel like I needed to keep clearing my throat later.
I learnt that having Cadbury’s Original drinking chocolate that says “swirl into hot milk” and Tesco’s Coco Powder is ok for me. (Cadbury’s Original was what I drank as a kid.) There’re also ok for vegans, I read on a vegan website. They don’t label them vegan though, due to being handled on the same site where there are other products containing dairy are also produced. So I am now enjoying hot chocolate, using soya milk. There’s nothing like a comforting hot chocolate on a winters day. Although I like to drink it at other times too.
Although I had both a Tesco and Cadbury’s ones, I will stick with Tesco’s from now on, due to less sugar. I add honey to sweeten.
I also learnt that a supermarket brand Bourbon biscuits do not contain milk. In fact this particular brand I had was suitable for vegans. Now this surprised me because I expected them containing milk. I thought I picked up a pack once where some contained milk. But maybe I am wrong on this. So it’s nice to know. Although when younger, I wasn’t a complete fan on them. Now, I like them, but again, I am not crazy about them. So at least they will last in my biscuit tin. 😁
Discovered I like avocado, as I have blogged about in earlier posts, after accidentally having a feeling there was some on my plate, when eating out. I forgot to mention about leaving it off on this ocassion, because I once tried some at home and I did not like it. But I thought I had nothing to lose, so I tried it. I discovered I liked it and told a staff member who served me this, because they know from before I would usually request to leave that off. This inspired me to get my own avocado’s again and I looked up how to tell when ripe and ways to use one. I had my own first avocado on toast.
Lessons learnt after trying again, I now know when I tried the first time, that you always add something of flavour to it, because it’s bland on it’s own.
I also learnt that when I first would have tried one, that it wouldn’t have been ripe.
I’ve now had quite a few since.
I like just a few little things when it comes to coconut. But I am not a fan.
I do not like coconut, which I have been like this since a child. Bounty was my first memory of not liking. But I could eat Nice biscuits.
I tried Koko dairy-free yogurt last year, which does have coconut milk in it. So with liking this and one time liking a Costa iced type drink that also contained coconut, I thought maybe my tastebuds had changed. So I tried a dairy-free milk that contained coconut on my cereals. I discovered I did not like it. So I am not a 100% fan when it comes to coconut. I won’t be trying anything else containing coconut, than having what I already know that I like. So I have found where my limits lie.
I have tried Polenta. I made as instructions on packet, until I had the consistency of how I wanted it. I mixed some dry mixed herbs into it, at the start of cooking.
Once cooked, I added a small knob of dairy-free butter to it, before serving it on my plate, adding mushrooms and sweetcorn on top. I also grated a bit of dairy-free cheese on top, but I felt that was a bit too much, which afterwards, when reading online about it, I was reading how it can be too rich having it like that: butter and cheese. It made a quick meal though. But once my pack has gone whether I will buy anymore, I don’t know.
Have you ever tried Polenta? If so, how did you have yours?
So as you can see and as I found, just by going dairy-free, it encouraged me to try new foods again.
I will carry on doing what I am doing, cutting out a majority of dairy-free products and using alternatives in their place, like soya.
When I am eating out and the aim will be to cut out dairy, but at times like say having a chicken roast dinner, I am not going to worry about a scoop of mash on my plate and a yorkshire pudding, because this isn’t going to be a regular weekly event anyway.
I am going to make this my last dairy-free post, but I hope what I have shared in today’s and past posts, that it has helped you in some way.
If I ever chat about dairy-free again, it will more likely be mentioned in a chit-chat post, with it just being a chat, than a long post on the subject.
© Elizabeth Fisher and My Wellbeing and Learning Journey.
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