I am afraid that my usual weekend blogging time has been entirely taken over this weekend by writing press releases and ‘the speech’ for the FreeFrom Food Awards presentation on Tuesday evening. There are seventeen categories in the awards so it does go on a bit!!

So just to show that we have not quite fallen off the planet – here are links to three other blogs, whose authors are not up to their necks in ‘Commended’ and ‘Highly Commended’ certificates and have had time to hit the airwaves.

First, Ruth at What Allergy? who is letting off very justifiable steam about what a major pain it is to live with allergies. I do think it is really important that, while not banging on endlessly about their problems (‘vell, ve all have problems….’) allergy sufferers do let those of us who are lucky enough not to have allergies, know what a pain it is having to check your every mouthful before you eat it. Ruth is, on the whole, one of the most up beat people I know, so her moan is all the more genuine for that.  See ‘Having allergies sucks – an allergy rant!’

Next a post from Alex at Food Allergy Intolerance and Ink about the unlikely places that you may find gluten. He put out a Twitter question and was amazed by the speed, the number and the bizarreness of the responses he got. This is an area with which we are very familiar having done lengthy lists for our Allergy Catering Manuals some years ago (how on earth can you get gluten into salad dressing, potato crisps  or cream cheese?…..) but one which constantly catches out unsuspecting gluten intolerants who wonder why they are feeling so awful when they have not, to their knowledge, eaten anything that they shouldn’t. See ‘Surprising foods and drinks which may contain gluten.’

Finally, two posts from Alexa at YesNoBananas – a blog that I have only just come across but that I think is great. Alexa’s little boy, Sid, has a raft of severe allergies – including bananas – hence the title of the blog. (Although it looks as though Sid might have grown out of his banana allergy – great news for Sid, but, as Alexa says, will she have to rename her blog?….)

Anyhow, Alexa has a splendidly practical and down to earth approach to allergies and is anxious to share the knowledge that she has gained with other parents faced with the panic-inducing news that their child has multiple, life threatening allergies. Which is why she started the blog – and why she is also involved in the new parent support group set up by St Mary’s in Paddington in London, one of the leading centres for paediatric allergy in the UK. For more on this check ‘Parents need support too… so here it is’.

To read about how Sidney is getting on with his bananas, check here –  ‘Yes, er, yes bananas?‘