How living with food allergies can be a most wonderful thing...

Yep, another one about food because not only have I royally stuffed myself since arriving in Bourton-on-the-Water (exhibits A - G for your perusal), but today I had my first ever scone and therefore my first ever Cream Tea 😄 Apparently I inadvertently favoured the Devonshire style of scone by going 'cream' (or in this case, Vitalite) first. Either way, all the cheers, Green and Pleasant!

This is one of the nicest things I've ever had. Seriously, holycrapYUM. I fully plan to get another one tomorrow before we head to Heathrow and have already found places back home that do vegan scones and vegan high teas so we're all in for a treat, my loves, because you are all getting dragged.

A funny thing - Ma was taken aback by the awe, which is fair enough considering surely someone has come up with vegan scones by now and surely it's not hard to make them yourselves with the right substitutes, but thinking about it, when you've had allergies spanning 3 decades (oh waah, I know, but hear me out), you've pretty much erased certain foods from possibility. It doesn't occur to you to even think of alternatives until someone presents the very thing right to you. The chocolate and a bunch of cakes, biscuits and other previously unthought of treats have thankfully made their way into my brain over the last decade (all thanks to a random Easter present, by the way) but new stuff will inevitably keep coming - like scones. After years of being told they're off limits, you write them off and the thought of having one simply doesnt occur to you till some bloke in a village in the Cotswolds says, 'I make vegan scones here'.

Then you eat, grin, gush (if you're me) because holycrapdeliciousthankyou and add it to the growing list of new awesome foods that you previously assumed you'd never have and had practically 'forgotten'. Long story short, it's pretty much why I'll never stop getting so freaking excited about food and it's a fun ride along with those of you who get just as excited for me 😃❤

#greenandpleasanttearooms #bourtononthewater #cotswolds #allthefood #allthesweets #allthestepsfromthisholiday #happilynegated #😊

My scones - carefully made and stored separately from the other goods in the cafe.

Lemon Drizzle Cake.

This steak fell somewhere in the middle of the final rankings of the Battle of the Steaks. Lovely bruschetta, though.

My amazing breakfast, courtesy of the amazing Katie at the Red House East B&B. Go there! She is an absolute gem of a human being. Not only was she a great host, she took my allergy info and made that gorgeous plate of food. My love is eternal.

Apple Puff Pastry Pies from the Bourton Co-op. These weren't even labeled vegan, they were just free from dairy and eggs. Amazing.

Me and my vegies from the Co-op.

Visiting Downton Abbey, er, I mean, Highclere Castle

Hello, Highclere. Yes, the tune played in my head the second the house came into view 😅

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos inside the house (where I experienced many a dopey Downton fan moment as I walked through familiar rooms, passages and staircases) but it really is something. The gardens are amazing too, even on a gloomy day like today. Atop that, however, the Egyptian Exhibit was actually really interesting. Lord Carnarvon's (as in Carter and Carnarvon) descendants live here, a fact I of course only found out after looking up the place because of Downton.

#cheerstv #highclerecastle #hampshire #happydowntondork

Life can be pretty sweet sometimes, literally, figuratively...

... either way, this is the first ever proper dairy free chocolate box I've ever seen. Not in any way disregarding the chocolate blocks, biscuits, eggs or amazing, amazing truffles that friends have made me over the last decade or so, but there's something about little firsts like this.

My first taste of chocolate since the late 80s was in 2006 and since then, these really awesome firsts just keep on coming and I will never not be grateful that something that continues to cause me so much bother simultaneously acts as this continuing source of moments like this.

Cheers, life.

#ohandcheersm&s #thesaltedcarameldiscisbomb #gettingmistyoverchocolate #whatafreakinggirl

St Michael's Mount, Marazion, Cornwall - I adore this place. I absolutely recommend visiting.

One of our first views of the Mount from our First Kernow bus.

After reading about how difficult walking about on the mount was, I was almost put off, especially as I have some joint issues, but in the end, we decided to take the bus out from Penzance and I couldn't be gladder. Yes, it is a bit tough to walk, particularly up to the castle, but if you can and do the castle first - which was so interesting to visit and had incredible views of the coast - then walking the gardens and the soft grass is a treat. 

Admittedly, it was the gardens that got me. Really beautiful. Despite many other tourists being out and about, the place was so lovely and tranquil. I found a particular spot on one of the hills, looking out on the shore and was able to just sit there for a while, soaking it in and watching the waves crash against the mount. Lovely place to visit even on a cloudy, windy day, I can only imagine what it's like when it's sunny and blue. There are boats that take you across for 2 GBP per person when the tide is high and that's how we got across. There is an interesting little free exhibit that gives information about the history and life on the island for those few island dwellers (who I'd not realised existed!). If you aren't up for paying to see the castle or gardens, you can walk about the pier and visit the cafes and relax on the grass just before the path up to the garden and the views of the coast are still lovely, but if you can manage the walks, I would highly recommend visiting the castle and gardens.

Riding the boat to the Mount. We missed low tide so couldn't make the walk across, but honestly the boat rides in and out were a treat. The guy manning our boat was a resident of the mount and that revelation surprised me so much as he was talking.

The row of houses for the 35 or so people who live on the mount. 

Yummy little Vegan Caponata wrap from the Island Cafe on the mount.

My own little spot on the mount. I was hear for a beautiful, beautiful while.

Writing while waiting for Steak Bakes to bake...

Ah geez, how cute is this little guy?? I said, minutes before biting his tiny grinning head off.

I've actually been pretty spoiled for food over here (food-filled photos below). Loads of vegan options for the fake vegans among us and fairly stringent allergy laws have meant eating has mostly gone down a treat. Also the Battle of the Steaks rages on with the Devonshire Arms in Baslow still well in the lead, Morelands Grill in Dublin battling it out with the Bank Tavern in Keswick for second place and Lolanda (aka Gristle City) in Paris a distant last.

Oh and I'm now obsessed with Steak Bakes. If we have anything similar to them anywhere in Sydney, I'm in big trouble.

No points for guessing what's on my mind. Dinner will be ready in a half hour so here were 100 words on steak.

#mmmmmmm

This was my first cake in the UK - Vegan Carrot Cake! Cheers to Kat's Kitchen in Keswick!

Also from Kat's Kitchen - nice little vegan version of a Victoria Sponge. 

Mother's Day lunching at the Bank Tavern in Keswick, in the Lake District.

Me and my capsicums, even on holiday!

Steak Bake! I am still trying to locate something similar to this here.

Irish Stew in Killarney! Amazing! They used thickener instead of cream so I could eat it and it was perfect - hearty, delicious and warming on what was becoming an increasingly cold and windy day in the Ring of Kerry.

Chicken wings at Old Mill, in Temple Bar. Oh man, was I missing chicken by that point!

Amazing vegan doughnuts from The Rolling Donut on O'Connell Street Lower - Lemon and Poppyseed, Chocolate and Jam with Icing Sugar. Not pictured: Vanilla Icing already wolfed down. Seriously, Sydney, pick up your vegan/allergy game! I think I'm going to have to do something about this... yes, that is a threat that I may attempt to start a vegan doughnut business.

Morelands Red Quinoa Salad - avocado, pear, toasted cashews, tender stem broccoli, overnight tomatoes, virgin olive oil and grapefruit dressing. My official conversion to quinoa is complete.

We decided to go fancy for our last dinner in Dublin and ended up at Morelands. 

Our first little 'homemade' dinner in Penzance - steak bakes, spring rolls, veggies, salad and chilli con carne.