In my post from January 2010, “Figgy Fun For Everyone”, I told you about the yummy, snack-sized, Fig Newtons® Minis from Nabisco®. They are free of dairy and my son loves them. Well, I noticed they were missing from my grocery stores here lately. I can still find them on the Nabisco® website, although the packaging has changed a bit. Perhaps they are waiting to launch the new and improved packaging and send some to our grocery stores. Unfortunately, the other Newton® products contain whey, and we don’t like to wait around. So, I have discovered another product that is very tasty; Barbara’s® fig bars. They are all-natural, vegan and kosher. I’ve been putting them in my kids’ school lunches, and they love them. I happen to love them, too. The company is food allergy-conscious. You may want to check them out. http://www.barbarasbakery.com/
-Michelle
Here is a recipe that is so simple and so awesome, it’s ridiculous… are you ready? Get a store-bought cake mix (I have to buy one without any dry milk or whey) and mix with a container (16oz.) of sour cream. We use Tofutti® Brand Sour Supreme. The batter will be very thick. Scoop into an 8×8 inch cake pan and bake at 350 for around 30 minutes or until done. If that isn’t easy, I don’t know what is! Give it a try.
-Michelle
The kids love Family Movie Night. It’s sort of a big event around here. They get their pillows, blankets and their beanbag chairs and gather around the television. My husband pops in the DVD, gets the kids situated and I make the snacks. Sometimes we have ice cream shakes, made with soy ice cream, of course. But, naturally, our movie night staple is popcorn.
My son can’t have the “buttered” version, so we eat Orville Redenbacher’s Natural® Simply Salted microwavable popcorn. The whole gang loves it. They also make a lime and salt flavor, which my husband and I enjoy, but the kids aren’t too impressed with.
The next time you curl up to watch your favorite flick, give these a try.
-Michelle
Each time I visit the grocery store, I buy a box of Fig Newtons® Minis. Each box contains six snack packs, perfect for tossing into lunch boxes or for an on-the-go snack.
Now, if you have a dairy allergy it is very important to note that the regular ‘cookie-sized’ version of Fig Newtons® do contain lactate. The Raspberry Newtons® and Strawberry Newtons® contain whey. The Minis are the only product in this line without any dairy. I called Kraft Foods customer service to ask about the differing ingredients. They explained that certain ingredients need to be added to the larger-sized product in order to bind the other ingredients together. These ”binders” are sometimes not necessary in the smaller version of the product, simply because there is less product to “bind”. So, there you have it.
As I type this, I feel compelled to sing the “figgy pudding” verse of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”.
“Bring us some figgy Newtons, Oh bring us some figgy Newtons….”
Alright. I will just leave you with that. Have a figtastic day!
-Michelle
So much for my New Year’s resolution to blog more frequently. I started working this week… Full-time… 2nd shift. Still, I am determined to become a Superblogger! Please, bear with me. Today’s post may be brief, but hopefully you will find it helpful. We’re talking about PUDDING!
I pack my son’s lunch each day, and he loves to find a container of soy pudding tucked in with his sandwich and drink. ZenSoy® soy pudding is delicious! I’m telling you, if you like pudding (or even if you don’t) you really need to try this product. We prefer the Chocolate Vanilla Swirl. It also comes in Vanilla, Chocolate, and Banana flavors. It is lactose free, gluten free, organic and does not use genetically modified soy beans. ZenSoy® also has an entire line of soy milks. Check them out online: http://www.zensoy.com/products.html
-Michelle
I absolutely LOVE chocolate. It has always been a weakness of mine, and milk chocolate has always been my favorite. When I need a little mood booster, I can grab a chocolate bar at the supermarket checkout, and be on my way. For my son, milk chocolate is not an option. So, when it comes to baking, I started replacing milk chocolate morsels with 100% vegan dark chocolate. The taste is not as sugary-sweet as that of milk chocolate, but I like it, and it is better for you than milk chocolate. This works wonderfully in recipes for chocolate chip cookies and such. Look around your grocery store or health-food store for dark chocolate bars, and read the labels carefully. You’re bound to find a good, vegan dark chocolate.
Another possible alternative is carob chips; usually found in your health food stores. However, many brands contain a dried milk powder, so be very careful.
All of the evil that people have thrust upon chocolate, is really more deserved by milk chocolate, which is essentially contaminated. The closer you get to pure chocolate liquor (the chocolate essence ground from roasted cacao beans) the purer it is, the more satisfying it is, the safer it is, and the healthier it is.” -Arnold Ismach, “The Darker Side of Chocolate”
If you are looking for an extra special treat, there is a company located here in the Phoenix area that specializes in the most delicious varieties of dark chocolate. Their products are organic, vegan and use Fair Trade cocoa. Check out their website: http://weiofchocolate.com/ My favorite flavor is their own ‘Inner Peace Dark Chocolate’, blended with lavender, lemongrass and coriander. It really is more than just a piece of chocolate, it is a chocolate experience!
-Michelle
Being allergic to eggs has prevented me from indulging in some of the more tasty pleasures in life. One such indulgence being, mayonnaise.
I used to watch as my mom spread that creamy dressing on sandwiches and mixed it into pasta salads. Everyone seemed to just love the stuff. I, however, was relegated to mustard on my sandwiches, which has worked out fine, but I always wanted to know what all the fuss was about.
This is why I was so excited when I found a product called Vegenaise® several years ago. Not only is it completely egg-free, but it is also dairy-free! I make tuna salad and chicken salad sandwiches with it. I’ve even made various dips using this product. The best thing about this stuff, is that my husband, a self-proclaimed mayo freak, won’t even touch regular mayo now. He says the Vegenaise® has a better texture and taste than mayo. It also contains less fat, saturated fat and fewer calories than most regular mayonnaise brands. We’ve even managed to convert a couple of our non-allergic, mayo-loving friends to Vegenaise®. It is more expensive than regular mayo, but SO worth it. Trust me. You will use this product on everything. Give it a try!
-Michelle
There are several great-tasting soy ice creams out there. So far, our favorite is So Delicious™ Organic Soy Ice Cream. It is made by Turtle Mountain® Inc. Their products are non-dairy and certified organic. Check them out online. http://www.turtlemountain.com/
-Michelle
One of the tasty items you will miss out on with a dairy allergy is butter. Margarine is not a safe alternative if you are allergic to dairy, as most margarine is milk-based. There is a great product we’ve been using now for many years. Earth Balance® makes a butter product that is organic, lactose free, gluten free and 100% vegan. It contains a lactic acid that is derived from sugar beets, not milk. I use this in all my cooking, baking and each morning on toast. It comes in a tub and in sticks. We like the tub with the yellow label. Compared to most butter or margarine, it is more expensive, but it tastes great. Here in our kitchen, it is a product we just cannot live without.
Check out the Earth Balance® product line and see what stores sell them in your area. Go to http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/
-Michelle
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