Where is the shell?

[CherryBrandy]

I am a cherry person myself but grapes make nice pictures, ..oh and wine.

What can you be looking for ......



on a blue sky day



20 shades of grey sky day....



a little shell amongst the chaos....



too small to see.....



but none the less important...he is in there somewhere....

[Jan W]

Are these all your grapes? Edible? Or are you making wine? I love wine and even more so when fizzy and particularly on a hot day.

I didn't spot the shelled friend at first.

[CherryBrandy]

yes I've got 3 grape vines and they are all around the garden. They are edible but I don't like grapes !! The little shell friend nearly got squished but I saved him from a fate worse than excess sugar rush,

I think I will ask if Great British Bake Off could use them .....oh dear. CB

[emma_mcraf]

I wondered the same thing. Just another skill you turn your hand to, wine making?
I'm having a bit of a broken love affair with wine right now. Used to enjoy a glass of red but was ill after having a glass a while ago and did a bit of research (as I knew I'd been glutened but knew it wasn't anything I'd eaten as I'd prepared all the food myself) and discovered oak casks are sealed with a flour paste and the gluten can leach into the wine. Since then more has become available on the internet and although wine is meant to be safe for coeliacs, those of us who are super-sensitive can react to tiny traces of gluten used in the sealing and also the clarifying process.
The advice is to drink cheap wine and stay away from any in casks. Some state on the labels but most don't. They certainly wouldn't have the foggiest in a pub and I wouldn't make myself look a weirdo asking!!
I tried emailing Echo Falls about their fruit wines but they took about 8 weeks to give me a definite answer and that was 'some are fine and others aren't'!! Great answer!!

So I'm not risking a glass of red anymore. Need to double check on sherry as I like a small drop on winter Sundays but I reckon it's iffy. Ah well at least Bucks Fizz is okay.

So if you need a grape treader for all your vines, let me know.

[CherryBrandy]

That's amazing Emma, I love the detail on that. One of the reasons I don't like grapes is similar...I am allergic to grapes ! This was years ago I found out it was gravy or grapes as I use to be so ill and haven't touched wine or fruit cocktail, anything with grapes in. Now interestingly I have tried gluten free for 3 weeks as I think I have wheat intolerance maybe...and ate a quiche the other day to tempt fate and was soooooo unwell. I am trying to understand the relationship to wheat flour though as that's not full wheat is it? or is it !!! CB

[Suze65]

Originally Posted by emma_mcraf

I wondered the same thing. Just another skill you turn your hand to, wine making?
I'm having a bit of a broken love affair with wine right now. Used to enjoy a glass of red but was ill after having a glass a while ago and did a bit of research (as I knew I'd been glutened but knew it wasn't anything I'd eaten as I'd prepared all the food myself) and discovered oak casks are sealed with a flour paste and the gluten can leach into the wine. Since then more has become available on the internet and although wine is meant to be safe for coeliacs, those of us who are super-sensitive can react to tiny traces of gluten used in the sealing and also the clarifying process.
The advice is to drink cheap wine and stay away from any in casks. Some state on the labels but most don't. They certainly wouldn't have the foggiest in a pub and I wouldn't make myself look a weirdo asking!!
I tried emailing Echo Falls about their fruit wines but they took about 8 weeks to give me a definite answer and that was 'some are fine and others aren't'!! Great answer!!

So I'm not risking a glass of red anymore. Need to double check on sherry as I like a small drop on winter Sundays but I reckon it's iffy. Ah well at least Bucks Fizz is okay.

So if you need a grape treader for all your vines, let me know.

oh that's a shame Emma, I had to give up wine when I gave up lactose cos I wasn't sure what was making me sick, and I know its lactose but I haven't dared try wine again just in case. I can cope without milk, but no wine is a bit much

[emma_mcraf]

Originally Posted by CherryBrandy

That's amazing Emma, I love the detail on that. One of the reasons I don't like grapes is similar...I am allergic to grapes ! This was years ago I found out it was gravy or grapes as I use to be so ill and haven't touched wine or fruit cocktail, anything with grapes in. Now interestingly I have tried gluten free for 3 weeks as I think I have wheat intolerance maybe...and ate a quiche the other day to tempt fate and was soooooo unwell. I am trying to understand the relationship to wheat flour though as that's not full wheat is it? or is it !!! CB

Wheat flour isn't gluten free. Neither is barley, oats, rye, semolina and plenty of other grains. I only use Doves Farm gluten free flour and have successfully managed to use it in almost all recipes.
Gravy isn't gluten free generally either and you have to be careful with the most ridiculous items that you wouldn't imagine have gluten in - ice cream (lots are GF), yogurts, Pickle's, mustards.
If you want any recipes for anything at any time, let me know. Good luck with trying a gluten free diet though and I hope it helps.

Originally Posted by Suze65

oh that's a shame Emma, I had to give up wine when I gave up lactose cos I wasn't sure what was making me sick, and I know its lactose but I haven't dared try wine again just in case. I can cope without milk, but no wine is a bit much

What milk alternative do you use, Suze? My youngest two were lactose intolerant as babies but thankfully outgrew it. I presume it's a case of your taste buds adapting to the lactose free cheese, spread, yoghurts etc., the same as my taste buds had to adapt to gluten free bread and biscuits, etc. It's always annoying when something new crops up that you need to remove from the diet though.

I can cope without wine as luckily I'm not a frequent drinker. I'd be more upset to go without cheese!
What your tipple now, Suze?

[Suze65]

The lactose free range by arla tastes fine. My tipple now....... Elderflower 😕

[emma_mcraf]

I've never tried elderflower wine. Do you make it yourself?

[Suze65]

Originally Posted by emma_mcraf

I've never tried elderflower wine. Do you make it yourself?

Lol sorry I meant elderflower cordial or presse