Eau De La Fromage

Hi Ya'll, 

So another week and yet again another fail from yours truly. Last week when I made the sorry mistake to not book a flight when it was on sale via Ryanair, and now I have screwed up again. I think I just need to go to bed and rewind to the beginning ... 

There are some people in life that are under the unfortunate affliction of being intolerant to substances used in food production including gluten, most commonly found in bread and other carbohydrates, nuts and lactose, the sugar found in milk and other dairy product. It would appear that for years even decades, but these sort of intolerance's and allergies were overlooked by food manufacturers and supermarkets in general with alternatives for these sort of products to be sourced in local and rather expensive health food stores that outside of London would be very hard to find on the High Street. 

In some circumstances babies and young children would be prescribed be advised alternative such as baby milk and or celiac specified food items. However with the NHS in the UK under crisis and getting worse every winter these luxuries soon stopped and now people with food allergies have to try and find out alternatives elsewhere. This is where the largest supermarkets came into play. Realising that there was a massive hole in the market the supermarkets soon plugged it with all of there versions of safe, free-from products. Everything from the simple and everyday things such as milk, cheese and bread all the way down to more complicated items including biscuits, juice and sauces. Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and others have coined a sweet penny cashing in on peoples allergies and intolerance's. 

But it was not just the immune-sensitive people that had were not able to eat the normal versions of stocked produce. No. Here came the wave of people that will state that eating gluten-free and lactose-free products will help with weight-loss, sleep and all round healthier lifestyle. The health benefits, I feel anyway, just simply don't stand up and by eating a healthy and balanced diet including both meat, vegetables, carbohydrates and all other manner of tasty treats we can live a happy and fulfilled life. Vegetarians and Vegans seem to be the main culprits in this argument for they are always the ones that will state that there is no need to involve animals in the 21st Century way of eating. But I wholly disagree and in actual fact would go as far as to say that they also would be living an unhealthy lifestyle not eating meat, fish and other products that come from animals. The fact that most of these health fanatics that claim eating animals and animal products are barbaric and not necessary are the exact ones who walk around with leather handbags, belts and shoes all manufactured and made using ground up animal cartilage to make the glue. How do they sleep at night? Well probably on an ethically sourced duck feather pillow with matching duvet. But that is for another blog post ... 

Now don't get me wrong this isn't a stab at people that would like to live their life as certain way. Live your life, I don't care and in all fairness there are worse things you could be doing in the world with your time than munching on greenery. I just feel that the supermarkets target those on the other end of the spectrum who are not able to eat the normal products that you or I may consume. In all fairness I actually feel sorry for the fact that those intolerant to wheat, dairy and other food-stuffs, are forced to pay quite a high premium in order to eat what would some consider would be a normal diet. Some of the items for sale in the shop shelves at the moment don't even really tastes like the real thing and as a result the people with intolerance's and allergies will never get a chance to taste exactly what cheese, milk or bread really taste like. Obviously I have focused on dairy and wheat but there are many other alternatives that are simply nowhere near what the original would look, smell or taste like. 

My prime example of this is when I went to Tesco's a few days ago in order to pick up a few bits for home and lunches in the coming days. Heading round to my favourite area of a supermarket, the reduced section, I found some goodies and bargains including bread and ham for sandwiches, Chicken Sushi and 'Free-From' Cheddar Cheese. Now admittedly for 84p I should should not have held my hopes up high for it being the tastiest piece of cheese I had ever eaten, however what it was labelled as gluten-free and dairy-free cheese I assumed that it would taste very similar if not the same as all the other cheeses I had tasted in my life, which to be fair was a lot of cheese. Besides, over the last few years of living by myself and indeed with other people I had tried lots of different products I would not have normally tasted and even discovered products that I like such as milk alternatives such as almond, soya and oat.

However getting it home and laying out for Mr Warehouse to see all the wonderful goodies I had found in the woopsies aisle, my hench boyfriend soon discovered my cheesy secret and explained that he would not be eating or trying any of the 'Free-From' Cheddar. I didn't care though it meant that there was more for me, however, I may have spoken too soon as after Mr. Warehouse had grated some for my dinner of fajita chicken wraps this evening my taste-buds turned against me. Floral, perfumed and pungent fragrances came from both smelling and tasting the cheese. This was not cheese. I'm not entirely sure that there was any cheese flavouring in there at all. I have smelled feet that are cheesier than that cheese in my fridge. Unfortunately I think I will have to put this down to experience and in the end will never, ever buy 'Free-From' Cheddar Cheese again ...

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx

A Move, A Promotion And A Dating Dilemma

Hiya, 

So after last week's fiasco involving the ever-alluring Mr. Cheese, my life in other areas has well surpassed my expectations. 

Ripping myself from my bed sheets I realised horribly that it was a Thursday morning again and not a Friday as I had hoped for. Asking myself what I should wear today I threw on a skirt and shirt combo and headed out the door to my car share. The day itself ticked along nicely until lunch whereby I had planned a lunch-date with my Dad's girlfriend who works just round the corner from me. Almost instantly conversation turned to Mr. Cheese and his disappointing absence from my world. Spending nearly an hour consuming ourselves with men problems I needed to return to my office and so we left. Upon arrival at my desk everything seemed normal. As the time dragged on more people started returning from their own lunch breaks. I thought nothing of it. Then I noticed people gossipping and a slow buzz took over the accounting department as mouths were twitching with a hum of knowledge. Now a few weeks ago it was apparent that our Administrator would be going on maternity leave very shortly to have a bouncy baby boy (well I'm hoping that they don't test him on the bouncy front, pretty sure that would kill the little mite). The company had started interviews for her role and I decided I would apply. Only I was too late. By the time I got to my manager's office to talk to her, the vacancy had been filled. No worries though, I already had a job I loved and would apply for something else if and when it came up. 

Within a few days there was a new face in the office and someone new to share the banter. Nevertheless a fortnight later here I was, at my desks, my fellow workers getting worked up about something. All of a sudden a colleague appeared by my side. Nothing unusual. "Probably some question I could help with" I thought, although I was secretly shitting myself thinking maybe I had done something wrong and that was the end of the line for me! Quite the opposite really. After turning to address the slim-figured women I was asked if I wanted the position of Credit Control Administrator? Stunned I asked why as the position had already been filled. It was then I found out what everyone was nattering about. The lady whom had been taken on in favour of 'yours truly' had disappeared and it was thought that she had simply done a runner on her lunch break, never to return again. As a grin started splitting my face, I knew I had bagged myself that illusive permanent job I had been searching for. Well for a year at least. Over the coming days I was told that the company would match my salary and I would benefit from holiday pay, sick pay and the option to join a pension scheme. Now truth be told most women tend not to return after a baby but even if the mom-to-be does come back I will have been grateful for the experience and appreciative for the opportunities it has given me. Today was my first day shadowing and I now have a further fortnight to gain all knowledge before the labour ward calls on the young-parent. 

So that's the work life, now onto the lurve life! Since the separation from suave Mr. Cheese, I have found myself bombarded with suitors from every angle; Dating websites, apps and just generally meeting people. Just so happens that between moving house, socialising with friends, going out with work, unpacking and bagging myself a career I have also managed to finally squeeze in a date. Whom you may ask? That little fortuitous Mr. Rockclimber. Following a lengthy conversation consisting of messages, SnapChat's and the odd text over the past three-months we finally decided enough was enough and that we needed to meet each other. 

Wrapping up warm and making sure that the new place was clean and tidy I forced myself into the cold, nearly-midnight air of Bedfordshire. "What are you doing?" I thought to myself. Truth be told I didn't know. What I did know was that it was very cold and I was meeting a man who I had been talking to for the past twelve weeks in a pub a short walk from my new flat at a very late hour in the evening. Upon meeting we shared a hug and ventured into the warmth for a beer. Conversation of good sorts followed - Food, the weather, friends and some funny little anecdotes I have also shared with you lot. But I think it was safe to say that I had pretty much made up my mind as soon as we locked eyes. Whilst I yearn to move on from the indecisive Mr. Cheese I am unable to. I wanted so much for Mr. Rockclimber to be a welcome distraction and a new lease of life for my young, wild and lustful intentions. Regardless of this fact he did indeed stay over that night, purely and simply because he was unable to get back home until the following morning. To answer your burning question - Yes we did. Strangely it was everything that I would have asked from a bed-partner; Romantic, hard, rough and yet so unbelievably soft and gentle with his hands that I swooned under his touch. But nothing. Nothing at all. I wanted to feel something. But all this encounter do for me was make me realise that my lactose-intolerance is not cured by finding someone else. Sadly I feel that Mr. Rockclimber and I wont work out. 

In fact, I wonder if I ever will sometimes - Meet the right one that is. Life was so uncomplicated and smooth running with Mr. Cheese it hard to imagine him not in it any more. I wish so hard that I could be simple and just "go with the flow" (Maaaaan) but I can't. I'm a girl. A women. I like cuddles and snuggles and bubbles of the belly variety. Mr. Cheese and I had a love-story to rival Disney; But instead of skipping off happily-ever-after, I'm indulging myself in any possible activity to take my mind off him - Secretly hoping he'll be beneath my window one day.

'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx