Finally, the UK seems to have managed to get hold of some decent weather. And it has actually stuck around for more than just 48hrs! This is some sort of minor miracle! Ok, I jest slightly, but when you get more than a few days of sunshine and temperatures higher than 22c in the UK, it’s something to get excited about, believe me!

Everyone walks around with a smile on their faces, the mood everywhere is happier, and people just start to appreciate life and what they have.

With the warm, and lovely weather, comes the usual ‘summer’ expectations, the paddling pools come out, the BBQs are started up, and the ice cream van does its rounds touting for business by playing it’s tinny tunes (and no, we’re not one of the ‘cruel’ parents who say that when it plays music it means its run out!) :)

However, with each of these milestones for summer, comes obstacles that need to be addressed for children with allergies. Yup, nothing is simple with an atopic child!

You desperately want to make sure that they don’t miss out, so try to cover all eventualities. Which can prove challenging, very challenging!

For example, Chloe wanted to get the paddling pool out last weekend, and have a BBQ for tea with ice-cream for pudding.

Great idea!

Lots of fun, giggles and a wonderful way to cool them down!

Now for all the things to consider….

• Sun cream – will Callum react to it? (We actually use 'Aloha' which seems to be ok for him, if we plaster moisturiser as a barrier first!)
• Water – causes issues with eczema, so need to make sure Callum doesn’t stay in the water for long periods
• Drying off – wrapping in a towel and leaving to ‘air’ dry because ‘rubbing dry’ will cause the skin to become more irritated, especially if in the middle of a flare up
• Pollen – high levels will irritate the skin no matter what you do, and having a child run around butt naked means that the body is fully exposed to a strong allergen and likely to cause a major problem
• BBQs – making sure what ever you cook doesn’t cause any reactions, and that all sauces used are totally safe for Callum so no cross-contamination occurs. This can be very hard if at someone else's house for a BBQ, and I would usually bring Callum’s own food to ensure absolute safety at all times
• Ice cream van – it is utterly cruel to say no to your child when they ask for ice cream, especially on a hot summers day. But I have to! I can’t say yes to Chloe having a Mr Whippy, and then have a devastated Callum watch her eat it.

So, one solution to the dilemma, create your own ice cream/ sorbet!

This recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free and soya-free! It is so simple to do, but tastes utterly divine, and is a massive hit in our house!

You will need:

• 1 punnet of strawberries, washed and hulled
• 1 banana
• 1 carton of Oatly cream
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup

Method:

Freeze the fruit for 1hr, leave the banana in it's skin for this part of the process!

Remove the fruit from the freezer, peel the banana, and add the fruit to a magimix or blender, along with the carton of Oatly cream and the golden syrup.

Blend until smooth – this will take 2-3 minutes to ensure all the lumps have gone.

Return the mixture to the freezer in a suitable container for around 45 minutes - 1hr.

Serve either in a bowl with fresh fruit on top or in an ice cream cone.

Enjoy!