CHY is a mother and a carer. She is also the moderator of the carers' section on the forum. This is how the forum has helped her.

Until I came to the forum I didn’t seriously look at myself as a care giver. I was just a mum looking after her daughter who’d been unwell and struggling for a long time.

I found the forum one morning when I was feeling really low and wondering if I could dig any deeper for the strength I needed to keep supporting my teenage daughter. I started to read through the posts and realised just how many people there were out there coping like my daughter each day, day after day. I had never joined a forum before but the warmth, humour, understanding and support that came through each post made me take the courage to join this one.

Carrie's Moroccan Style Stew.

This is a recipe that I came up with quite unintentionally. I had a lot of bits and pieces in the cupboards and in the fridge, so decided I would try and make a stew and this is what I came up with, measurements are approximate feel free to alter quantities as appropriate. This served my husband and I twice. It was really good and worth the long cooking time. If you would rather use a slow cooker I should imagine you could throw all the ingredients in together and cook for 3-4 hours until the chicken is tender and the vegetables cooked through.

Egg, Dairy and Gluten free Chocolate Cupcakes

This is a recipe I came up with after reading a variety of recipes for vegan cupcakes they are easy to make and taste great, my mum and husband enjoy them and they do not have any dietary restrictions.

They are light and fluffy and often half of one of these is enough so you may want to make them in smaller fairy cake liners, this will obviously make more cupcakes, but you can share them with friends and relatives, they will thank you I am sure.

They do not seem to last as well as the regular cupcakes do and I am yet to try freezing them. I will try that soon and let you know if it is succesful.

Gluten-free Goddess' egg, dairy and gluten free mayo

This is a wonderful recipe I found on blogger by Gluten Free Goddess for those of us who cannot, or choose not to, eat eggs or dairy and gluten. I use rice milk and my husband who is a bit of a perfectionist with food enjoys it.

It is easy to make either in a food processor or by hand. I usually do it by hand and find I manage fine but if you don't mind cleaning the food processor bowl it will take a lot less effort, just be careful not to over work it.

It is best chilled for around an hour before consuming and lasts a couple of days in the fridge, I wouldn't recommend trying to keep it any longer than that though. Click here for the full article and many more wonderful recipes, this lady is amazing and I have many recipes that I use frequently that she has been kind enough to share, have a browse of her site and you will get lots of wonderful ideas.

Egg-Free Olive Oil Mayo Recipe


-= Ingredients =-
Choose your favorite.
You'll need;
1 -2 tablespoons chilled organic raw tahini, as needed
2 -3 tablespoons clean tasting apple cider vinegar
3 -6 tablespoon cold plain rice, nut or hemp milk
1 -2 teaspoons honey or raw agave nectar, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional - a dab of your favorite mustard

-= Instructions =-
This recipe is a flexible template. Start with the lesser amounts and add a little more if you need to adjust thickness or for taste.

In a small mixing bowl (or food processor) place 1 tablespoon of the raw tahini, 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk, sea salt, paprika, xanthan gum (and mustard, if using) beat/process to combine (I used a good hand mixer).

While the mixer or processor is running, start pouring the olive oil into the bowl in a thin, steady stream. After you have added all the oil, do a quick taste test to see if it needs more salt, acid or sweetness. Continue to beat or process until the mixture gets creamy and starts to thicken.

Here's the tricky part- you want it to emulsify and thicken but if you beat it too long, it can fall apart. When in doubt, stop the beating and check it. It will not be as thick and gelatinous as commercial mayo- more like a thick, creamy salad dressing.

If you have trouble getting it to thicken try drizzling in more vinegar or lemon juice. Or more mustard. That usually brings it around rather quickly.

Chilling it also thickens it, one reason (besides flavor) I use a good extra virgin olive oil in my mayo. Extra virgin olive oil is a heart-healthy monosaturated fat that becomes semi solid in the fridge. So make your mayo ahead of time, cover and chill it for best consistency.

Use within two days for best taste.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/07/egg-free-olive-oil-mayo.html#ixzz1Id65yn2y

Spoon Theory

Mon mentioned the Spoon Theory in her story, so thought I would direct you to the article that she referred to. It is a very useful tool in explaining CFS to people who do not understand, or ask, how we are feeling. I have heard it talked of many times as helping people grasp what we have to deal with and how our energy reserves work.

Click here to learn about the Spoon Theory. I would strongly recommend that people trying to understand how people cope with CFS have a read.

Happy reading and remember, don't use too many spoons today!