Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies!

I had the urge to bake yesterday, so I did! But I decided to do a bit of an experiment, and it worked! 

Presenting, Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies!

What you will need:

225g Plain Flour

115g Rice Flour

115g Caster Sugar

1 pinch Salt

225g Butter (Room Temperature)

1 bag Sweet William Chocolate Chips

How you will create them!

1. Sift Plain Flour, Rice Flour and Caster Sugar into a bowl

2. Add Salt and Stir

3. Rub in butter until it resembles breadcrumbs

4. Knead until a smooth dough forms

5. Add Choc Chips and knead them into the dough

6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and shape into cookies!

7. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until lightly golden brown!

Sit back and enjoy your cookies once cooled!

Delicious Tip: If you are looking for an interesting way to eat your cookie, place a marshmallow on top and microwave for approx 10 seconds or until the marshmallow is slightly melted! It makes a delicious treat! 

Eczema on the Scalp

Good Morning Everyone!

Today I would like to talk about getting eczema on the scalp.

We all know that eczema can affect the entire body, from head to toe, but nobody really talks about it!

I personally have eczema on my scalp, which can be very frustrating!

With other pa6rts of the body, you can treat the eczema with creams and other treatments, but on the scalp, its a lot harder.

You cannot really moisturise your scalp twice a day with sorbolene or use steroid creams on your scalp, especially because of your hair.

It has been a long trial and error of different products, but I have come up with three that have personally worked wonders!

1) A Bit Hippy

This is a company worth celebrating! I love their shampoo and conditioner which effectively reduces itching and scaling on the scalp! The link to their online store and stockists: http://abithippy.com.au

Worth looking into!

2) Bi-Carb

Okay so I know you are looking at your screen like "Is she crazy?" Well yes, but thats a different story! :P

Bi- Carb balances the PH levels on the skin, so it is great in a  bath for eczema, but you can also use it as a shampoo!

Simply mix some into a paste with water and add to wet hair! It feels very gross but when you wash it out and dry your hair, its very soft!

3) This one may be a little harder to find!

I^ found that Dr Michaels Scalp and Body Cleansing Gel works extremely well at stopping the itching and really reduces the scaling on the scalp! I used this for a few weeks and I was almost eczema free!

Link to online shop: http://www.psoriasisandskinclinic.com/prod_display.php?p_id=11


Remember everyone; all these treatments may have worked for me, but that might not mean it will work for you! Consult with your doctor before use :)

I hope this may have helped you out, have a great day and I will see you all tomorrow!

Friday Postives: Eczema as a talking point

Good Morning! Its finally friday and that means it's another installment of positive things about eczema!

When I started this blog I said that I wanted to educate people about eczema and allergies, as though they are common, it is not something that is common knowledge.

What I have found is that eczema is a great talking point in conversations and can help you to meet some amazing people.

Here is an example:

The other day I was at work and chatting to one of my customers, who remarked on how nice my skin looked. The past few days my face and neck have been in flare, so this compliment was nice and brightened my day!

This lovely lady was purchasing a rather large amount of product, so we had some time to chat. We ended up talking about eczema and allergies and she told me that her niece had eczema but she still didn't quite know much about it. We remarked on the statistics, and how with 1 in 5 children having eczema or allergies, it is astounding that it is not a common talking point.

I walked away from that conversation feeling happy for a few reasons. Number One; I felt as if I had helped her to understand a bit more and Number Two; I felt happier knowing that whilst I felt like a swollen red panda ( how I feel when my face is swollen in flare) I didn't look like it!

Now I know that sounds a bit vain, but I'm sure you all understand that when you are in flare, you don't feel the best!

This is just one example, there are many occasions where I have been talking to people in chemists, at work or university and the topic has turned to eczema. Slowly but surely, I believe we are making headway in educating more and more people about what eczema is and showing them that it is a part of everyday life!

I remember being in a chemist one evening with my mother, waiting in line to pay for the vast amount of moisturizer, creams and medication that unfortunately comes with eczema and flares. The gentlemen behind us grabbed our attention and said: I'm sorry, but if you do not mind me asking, do you have eczema?

He seemed extremely apologetic for asking, and when we queried why, he said people have been offended and do not want to talk about it! What followed was a lovely conversation as we discussed eczema, as his wife suffers from it as well!

Eczema doesn't have to always be a negative, it can be a positive thing as well! It can encourage conversation, and if you find someone going through the same thing, it can help both of you!

I hope everyone has an absolutely lovely day today, and keep smiling!

P.S Please excuse the posting schedule this weekend, work is piling up like crazy due to Christmas!

Hitting Roadblocks

Good Morning All!

Sorry for the lack of postings, I have been having computer issues :/

Anyway, Im back everyday from now on!

Yesterday marked 3 months since I have been seeing a Herbalist to get to the root cause of my eczema and its flare ups to try and stop them from occuring.

When I first started seeing the Herbalist, my skin improved greatly, and then it went downhill and hasn't really come back up.

So at yesterday's appointment, I had to sit down and tell my Herbalist everything that had happened since our last appointment.

I was told that out of all the people treated this year for eczema, I have been one of the worst. That my eczema is a challenge. That I can no longer be helped by my Herbalist.

I know a lot of my readers are mothers with children who have eczema, or just people who have eczema themselves. So I am sure you can understand my feeling of total defeat at this response.

My parents and I have spent almost 18 years searching for something to help my eczema, been to every kind of healer, doctor and specialist under the sun and we have found no answers. Frustrating doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about this.

I was told that I should seek desensitisation for my environmental allergens to try and control my eczema reactions to pollen and dust. So that is the next step, going and seeing someone who might be able to help me in a different way. Hoping that they can actually help me.

I would love to know what set backs you all have faced, how you overcame them and also whether or not you have tried desentisation treatments and whether or not they worked!

Let me know and I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Recipe Saturday!

Happy Saturday one and all!

I had a lot of positive feedback about my avocado dip, so many of you liked it! So i thought today i would share another of my favourite dips to make and eat.

Hommus!

Ingredients

1 can Chickpeas
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

Method

1. Rinse chickpeas and place in food processor
2. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and add to the chickpeas
3.  Add the Lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper to food processor.
4. Process until smooth

Note! Hommus is better cold, so for the best results, place in the refrigerator before serving!

Summer is almost here!

Good Morning Everyone!

Good news, Pollen count is going down! 

How does this affect your eczema?

Personally, I'm hoping that everything starts to calm down! My last flare subsided slowly, but now I am waking up in the morning with a red and slightly swollen face! Not fun at all. 

Curious to find out if anyone else gets splits in the skin around their eyes? I have them at the moment and it is quite painful. 

Anyhow, the pollen count going down is an awesome thing. I no longer have to be afraid of going outside or it being windy! Living in Australia means that we have lots of pollen filled trees like Wattle, Jacaranda and many more. This means that for those with hayfever or environmental allergies, spring can be the worst time of the year. 

But that time of year is coming to an end, and Christmas is almost here! 

Let me know how you are going with your eczema! Have a great day everyone!

Recipe Saturday!

Good Morning All!

For Today's recipe I thought I would share my cake in a mug! Making Cupcakes is always fun, but sometimes you only want one! This is where this recipe comes in very handy.

Sorry for the lack of a photo at the end, I am at work today!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup SR Flour
2 tbsp Custard Powder/Cocoa/Carob Powder
1/4 Cup Caster Sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 tbsp Oil
1/4 Cup Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Essence

Mix Well in a mug

Microwave for approximately one minute, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.


ENJOY!

Positive Things About Eczema - Young ones with eczema

I wasn't sure what to post today, so I sat down with my mother and had a chat. I know everyone thinks their mother is amazing, but truly, I admire my mother and her persistence with me over the years. So today's post is inspired by my mother's stories and Friday's will now be dedicated to Positive Things about Eczema and Allergies

Everyone gets frustrated when they flare, the person with the eczema does, and so do the people around them. When I flare now, I get extremely frustrated and emotional, because I cannot seem to control the eczema. It seems that when I was younger, I was exactly the same.

When I was little, I used to flare more constantly. What I didnt know, is how my mum dealt with me when I flared.

Most of you will know what I am talking about when I say flare, but for those who don't let me give you a rundown. Red, itchy skin generally all over your body, which can crack and hurt. And no matter what you do, it can be hard to get rid of it, and stop it from coming back. When kids are younger, its harder for them to understand what is happening, so it can be very frustrating.

When my skin got to the point where it made me frustrated, she would simply put me in a bath (QV or Oat, see previous post). She said it was a good feeling to just watch the redness and heat leave my skin.

She used it as bonding time, chatting to me about anything and everything, and despite me knowing, I ended up doing the same! Spending time just chatting was great, but it also made my skin feel better, which was the golden bonus.

Some wise words from a mother who has raised a child for 18 years with chronic eczema and allergies: It's easy to get frustrated, but the calmer you stay, the calmer they will stay. Use it as a sort of bonding time, you might end up enjoying it!

I can tell you that my mum and I are very close, and I know that it is because of what we have been through! So today, if its a flare day or just one of those eczema days; instead of getting frustrated and angry with yourself, try and turn it into a positive! Maybe its a you day, one you can stay at home and catch up on that TV show, or book! Maybe it means you can spend some quality time with your little one!

Flare updates!

Hello everyone!

Welcome back! My university exams are finally over for the year which means less stress!

Luckily my flare has subsided and my skin is looking a lot better! I thought I would let you know the steps I took to stop the flare up!

1. Flare up/oat baths: I used the QV flare up bath liquid or my oat bath (see post on alternative methods)

2. Zinc/apple cider vinegar: I had my zinc and apple cider vinegar every day, despite the disgusting taste (see alternative methods post)

3. Steroid cream: there came a point in my flare that I realized that without using steroids I was not going to clear up, so I used celestone once or twice a day in the bad areas

4. MOISTURISER! I'm sure you all know the importance of moisture on the skin,  but I was using a good quality moisturizer on my skin 3-4 times a day! (I will do a post on my fave types of moisturizer soon)

5. Patience: it can be so hard to be paitent waiting for your skin to clear up but it will happen!  Being kind to your skin and being paitent will get you there in time!

Let me know how your skin is doing! Have a great day everyone!  :)

Post content?

Hi everyone! 

So today is the last day of my exams, so posts everyday from now on! I apologise for the hiatus!

I was wondering if there was anything in particular you all wanted me to address in future posts? Let me know in the comments below or through the Facebook page (link is on the left). Dont forget to like the fb page, goal is 100 likes!

Have a great day :)

Allergies

Good Morning Everyone!

Curious to see how many of my readers have both allergies and eczema, so I thought today I would shed some light on allergies.


As it stands, I have allergies to Dairy, Egg, Seafood and Nuts. Which can be extremely hard when eating out, but that is another post alltogether!

When I was younger, I had a lot more allergies that I was diagnosed with. In fact, for a period of time, all I ate was pasta with white sauce and pears!

I can tell you, it was a boring life with food during that time.... Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner were very similar and boring! After a while, my mum thought this was a bit ridiculous! Before the test which said I had all these allergens, I had been eating meat and other foods without any problems (except for the main allergies I have today as they have been with me since I was 18 months old, so I was not fed these), so mum decided to add them back into my diet and freed me from the blah!

After other numerous allergy tests, it was concluded that I had serious allergies to Dairy, Egg, Seafood and Nuts and would have to carry an epipen around with me at all times.

All my friends know that I carry an epipen and how to use one if the time comes. I am extremely grateful to have such caring and understanding friends around me.

So do you deal with allergies in your house as well as eczema? What allergies are they? How were they discovered? And have you grown out of any?

See you tomorrow lovely readers!

Recipe Saturday!

Today brings another installment of recipe saturday!

Summer days call for cool, easy to make and delicious snacks and meals! So today I will be giving you the recipe for my easy guacamole dip!

What you will need:

2 Avacados
1 clove garlic
Pinch of the following herbs: Basil, Chilli, Cumin, Paprika, Parsley,Oregano, Thyme
Pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tsp of Lemon Juice

Method:

Mash avacado's to desired consistency (chunky, smooth)
Once mashed, add the herbs, salt, pepper and lemon juice
Mix until well combined
Finely chop garlic and add to mixture
Mix well


NOTE: Taste test your guacamole and see if you need to add more lemon juice/salt/pepper. It is all up to your taste!

Serve with crackers, on sandwiches or however you like!