I have always considered myself quite a nice person. I like food of all shapes, flavours and colours. From every country and continent. I don’t discriminate, I am an equal opportunity eater. It’s only the doctors who say I’m intolerant. And certain foods who refuse to tolerate me. They certainly refuse to recognise and respect my right to eat them without major physical discomfort and distress.


Gluten and lactose are not my friends.


Despite the negative attitudes surrounding me from many of those I love best, (cakes, ice cream, hot toast) I decided to become a chef. Not always easy when you live in a bread and milk filled world. I like to think that this has helped me become a better person as I embrace my differences and refuse to let the gluten get me down. I believe InTolerance. I am the InTolerant Chef.

Food should not be about what you can’t eat, but what you can and what you enjoy eating. This blog is about my journey of cooking and eating and discovery. It’s not a definitive guide to allergy awareness nor do my intolerances make me an expert. Your body is your responsibility, not mine. I only know what works for me.


I can tell you this..... No glutens were harmed in the making of this website.

December 30, 2013

Christmas 2013- Before and After


We had a very odd mix of Merry and Miserable this Christmas!


Of course it was wonderful to be together and enjoy the special day, but we had a few worries thrown into the works resulting in a few mix ups as well

Poor Santa had to wait a very long time for us to go to bed on Christmas Eve as we were up to 3 am with a very sick puppy dog, lunch really became dinner with rushing around, poor BigJ ended up with an incredibly nasty burn when boiling oil splashed over his hand when he was helping in the kitchen, and littlej didn't sleep for days as she was stressed and worried about her furry friend.

Despite all this, we managed to find moments of peace and joy in the midst of it all- enough anyway to appreciate each other and count our blessings after all


Welcome to a brief glimpse of our Christmas 2013, Before and After...


Our room Before 7 am Christmas Morning...


So pretty and perfect, colour co-ordinated and everything



Our room After about 7.15 am Christmas morning!


Paper and presents everywhere, lots of fun and love and laughter



The dining table Before lunch...


Roast lamb, pork and turkey; duck fat potatoes; scalloped potato bake; beans and greens with pine nuts and truffle oil; two tone dutch carrots; roast onions and garlic; pan gravy and various jellies and sauces


The dining table After lunch...


So much eaten, not enough gone! Just because it's for the four of us, I see no good reason not to go all out and cook enough for a feast. Nothing goes to waste, I promise you!


A dinner plate Before saying Grace...




The dinner plate shortly After...



The festive feast Before lunch...




The festive feast After lunch


Boxed up and ready for the fridge. What we didn't eat the next day was then sliced up and frozen into meal-lots. I'm planning on chicken pot-pie, pork rice paper rolls and lots of other yummies. I do like having a bit of a break over the the holidays and these leftovers along with the ham and smoked leg of lamb in the fridge, make life a lot simpler



Our dog Before becoming violently ill on Christmas Eve...


He went rapidly down hill which resulted in a frantic dash to the emergency after hours Vet on Christmas Day


Our dog After 2 days in hospital...


You can see how much weight he lost so quickly, although I'm sure he's much cooler now with a shaved tummy. He was diagnosed with severe pancreatitis and is now happily on the mend. We're not sure how it happened as he hadn't eaten anything unusual that we know of. The vet said it could have been a gradual build up of fatty foods over time, and I'm certainly guilty of feeding him that as we generally find it hard to get him to keep much weight on as he doesn't eat very much at all. He is a remarkably fussy eater, burying a cupcake, but stealing all the tomatoes and strawberries he can reach in the garden



My wallet Before the vet bill....


All ready for the Sales



My wallet After the vet bill...


littlej did kindly offer to return all her Christmas presents if it would help- which nearly broke our hearts.   Thank goodness no operation was needed, or things may have indeed been a little dicey! It could have been a lot worse though, as our SIL had to rush her dog to the same vet on Boxing Day after it was bitten by a Tiger Snake. Despite anti venom, it just wasn't enough and she sadly lost her little friend. We are very blessed to have our doggie still, although I've said that instead of presents on birthdays this coming year,you get to pat the dog instead!

littlj's Gingerbread House

So Dear Readers, did you enjoy this Christmas, and did everything go according to plan for you these holidays?




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30 comments:

  1. SimchaDecember 30, 2013 at 5:16 PM

    I am mostly impressed by little js gingerbread house, glad to see your dog is ok xxx

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  2. Lorraine @ Not Quite NigellaDecember 30, 2013 at 7:59 PM

    I've been dying to see how your Christmas went but I'm so sorry to hear that it was so dramatic! Oh dear, the poor puppy and those bills-eek! Isn't littlej a little sweetie? What a doll! Happy New Year for tomorrow! :D

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 2:46 PM

      Thanks Lorraine! Happily the dramas have settled down for now and we can relax a little :)

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  3. Maureen | Orgasmic ChefDecember 30, 2013 at 10:47 PM

    Aww when she offered to trade her Christmas presents for the dog I got all choked up. Poor dog and even poorer you but all's well that ends well. Your feast looked wonderful!

    The gingerbread house is so cute!

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 2:49 PM

      It was soooo sad but sweet Maureen, she meant every word too! Even though littlej is no longer a baby but a lovely teenage girl, she has never turned into the typical teenage grump they all warn us about :)

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  4. DanielleDecember 30, 2013 at 10:59 PM

    Oh my goodness, what a lot of ups and downs, thankfully a big up with your poor doggie on the mend now (and hopefully your poor wallet) and a good 'down' in the form of your Christmas tree. Hilarious and beautiful at the same time, I love it! A scrumptious Christmas meal to sit down to eventually too and a gorgeous and very impressive gingerbread house. Thank you for a glimpse into your eventful Christmas, I hope New Year's is a lot calmer. All the best for 2014!

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 2:50 PM

      Thanks indeed Danielle! Things are certainly much calmer now :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Bizzy Lizzy's Good ThingsDecember 31, 2013 at 7:11 AM

    Lordy, what a series of events, Bec. Is Big J ok... hot oil makes for a very nasty burn! On the vet side of things... do you know of Jan Spate at Hall? She's an old fashioned farm kind of vet... her bills are significantly less than you'd expect, though her clinic isn't all shiny and new. Worth investigating if you need a vet in the future... she's very kind to animals and knows her stuff too.

    In the meantime, happy new year to you and yours. May 2014 bring good things to you. xo

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 2:54 PM

      It was certainly an adventure Lizzy! That's our vet too, but the only one open on the public holidays was the emergency one at Fyshwick. They did a great job and were just lovely, and on the 27th when everyone re-opened they even advised us to take him to our regular vet as the fees would be cheaper.
      Thanks for your well-wishes, all the same for you too :)

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  6. ChgoJohnDecember 31, 2013 at 6:48 PM

    So sorry to read about your pupster. It's such a helpless feeling having a sick dog. I've been there. I've also been on the receiving end of the bills. Your dog is on the mend, though, and that's really good news. Speaking of on the mend, I hope "BigJ's" hand is doing better, too. Even with all that, it sounds like you all shared a wonderful Christmas. The photo of the "devastation" under the Christmas tree brought a chuckle. Been there, done that. :)
    I wish you and your family nothing but the best in 2014.

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 2:56 PM

      Thanks John, it's sure nice to have it all behind us! I told BigJ to let the vet see his hand at the same time, I figured the bill would cover it :) We did manage to find some peace during the day to enjoy everything, thanks. I hope you and yours have a wonderful year to come too x

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  7. Janet NZJanuary 1, 2014 at 3:43 AM

    I'm so glad the doggie is ok.
    Bitter sweet Christmas here. Lots of food, lots of laughter. But, my sister is so sick and it will most likely be her last Christmas.
    The next day our littlest cat became unwell. And got much worse.
    Kidney failure. She died on Monday.
    I wish you and your wonderful,kind family a very Happy New year.
    XXX

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:00 PM

      So sad Janet! I'm so sorry. I can't imagine the struggle your family has been through. I wish you strength and peace for the tough year ahead sweetie, along with lots of love xxx

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  8. msihuaJanuary 1, 2014 at 11:53 AM

    Every year I am blown away by that tree.. I swear it gets prettier :) Have a very lovely New Year :)

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:02 PM

      Thanks so much MsIHua! It makes me so happy this time of year, and I keep an eye out for ornaments for it all year round! I hope you have a wonderful 2014 as well

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  9. Hotly SpicedJanuary 2, 2014 at 7:08 AM

    I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. Pancreatitis is so painful. I'm glad you were able to get him expert treatment but how expensive that was! I love your Christmas table - you certainly put together a most amazing and generous meal and it all looks incredible. I love how all the leftovers are so beautifully packaged as well. I hope you're enjoying a recovery period where you're feasting on all your leftovers. And you certainly wrap gifts beautifully xx

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:05 PM

      Thanks Charlie! It's been lovely to have some peace and quiet again :) I love to have everything match, and get a kick out of finding the right colours and ribbons. We'll be living off these leftovers for a while- we can't afford to waste anything until the dog's paid off! :) xox

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  10. Gourmet GetawaysJanuary 2, 2014 at 7:13 AM

    I am so pleased your dog survived!! That would have been a horrible thing to happen at Christmas. Your Christmas looks to beautiful... I wouldnt have been game to post "after" pics of our Christmas!

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:07 PM

      Thanks Julie, it was certainly tense for awhile there! Making a mess is part of the fun :)

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  11. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2014 at 10:06 PM

    lovely can I just give you a big hug? What an ups and down Christmas period. 2014...I heard it's going to be a cracker of year for everyone. xxx

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:08 PM

      Thnks Brydie, hugs gratefully accepted! I certainly hope so too xx

      Delete
  12. Kath (My Funny Little Life)January 2, 2014 at 11:05 PM

    I love your upside down Christmas tree! Perfect Down Under Christmas! :D

    Good to hear your dog is getting better!

    Much happiness to you and your loved ones in 2014! :)

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:09 PM

      Thanks so much Kath! here's to a great start to the New Year for you and yours as well sweetie :) x

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  13. celiaJanuary 3, 2014 at 9:11 PM

    Oh Becca...what a tumultuous Christmas you had! I hope BigJ is ok - I didn't manage to burn myself until New Year's Day, but I knew I was due! And your poor pooch, and I nearly fell of my chair at your vet bills! I'm so sorry darling. But I'm glad you found time to enjoy Christmas day, and relieved that your beloved pet is ok. All the very best for 2014!! xxx

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:10 PM

      Ooops Celia, at least you didn't cut the end of your finger off again sweetie! The New Year can only get better than the last week or so, that's for sure, so I'm definitely looking forward to it too! xox

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  14. My kitchen storiesJanuary 4, 2014 at 7:06 AM

    Hi Bec looks like we were having about the same sort of Christmas. Unfortunately my little one didn't make it past Christmas Day. Wishing you an incident free year with much cooking and eating.x

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:12 PM

      I'm so sorry Tania, you poor things. It's been a tough year for you guys. I hope this year brings lots of love and happier things xox

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  15. claudineJanuary 4, 2014 at 10:31 AM

    What a Christmas! Relieved to hear that your pup survived! I'm also always relieved when the holidays are behind us. Such heightened expectations bring as much anxiety. Here's to celebrating and taking care of each other all year. Happy new year to you and your family!!

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    1. The InTolerant Chef ™January 6, 2014 at 3:14 PM

      So true Claudine! I think we should all spend Christmas with the ones we really love, and then Boxing Day with the relatives we have to see for appearences sake. That we the big day isn't spoilt, and everyone's a bit more relaxed :) Happy New Year to you and yours too!

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