Posted by alisa on August 25, 2009 | 403 Comments
Yes my friends, the giveaways are back! Due to sporadic travel over the summer months, I had to put a hold on the giveaways … but there was no way I was going to give them up completely. In fact, the product line-up has already started, and first on the giveaway menu is this awesome gift package from Pamela’s Products … all gluten-free and dairy-free I might add:
1 bag Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix
1 bag Pamela’s Cornbread & Muffin Mix
1 bag Pamela’s Chocolate Cake Mix
1 bag Pamela’s Vanilla Frosting Mix
1 bag Pamela’s Simplebites Ginger Snapz
1 bag Pamela’s Extreme Chocolate Simplebites Mini Cookies
1 Pamela’s bag clip
1 Pamela’s measuring spoon
1 Pamela’s t-shirt
1 Pamela’s tote bag
Of course, before I offer any type of giveaway, I make sure the product has been tested by myself or one of my trusted Go Dairy Free reviewers. Amy taste-tested and exceedingly approved the cookies, bread mix (same bread mix, new gluten-free name), cake and frosting mixes; and I got my hands on the cornbread mix, which was awesome! Since I had an extra package of Pamela’s I did some experimentation, and also made these great Strawberry-Vanilla Cornbread Muffins …
Have I got your attention yet?
To Enter:
First Entry – Leave a comment and tell me which Pamela’s Product you love most, which one you are dying to try, and/or what you hope they produce next! You can see their full selection of products here.
Second Entry – Spread the word about this giveaway. Shout it out on twitter, send it to your buddies on Facebook, post about it on your blog, etc. Leave a second comment here letting me know where you passed on the word.
The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, September 1st, so hurry up and enter!
To get alerts of my giveaways and recipes in the future, you can follow me on Twitter, become a fan of Go Dairy Free on Facebook (includes my RSS), or simply grab the One Frugal Foodie RSS Feed.
Posted by alisa on August 23, 2009 | 25 Comments
The week flew by, and I had an enjoyable, but rather uneventful weekend. We watched the movie There Will Be Blood. Has anyone else seen that? It was good, but totally mental! We also went out one night to one of our favorite restaurants, sat with a view of the giant fish tank, savored hearty sesame-ahi tuna wraps (I need to make those at home), and sipped on a couple of MGD 64′s. I know, woo! Don’t lose control there. Aside from that, there was a nice long walk, a good cardio workout, an hour of stretch, and … I made a delicous Potato Gratin, rich with tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
You didn’t think I was going to get to the food did you? Well, this dish is actually a take on my partner’s recipe from Taste & Create, food blogger Kendall at Res-O-Puh-Leese.
I had a doozy of a time picking a recipe, as there were so many to choose from buried within her blog, but I eventually settled on the Potato, Tomato, and Garlic Gratin.
Of course, since this recipe was already tested and approved as is, I decided to play around with it a little; within reason of course. Kendall isn’t a fan of onions, but I am, so I referenced the original recipe to add those babies back in. I took the fats down, as some of the oil seemed a bit unnecessary (no compromise there!), and I simplified a few of the steps (she is quite the gourmet!) for my simple kitchen style. In the end, I renamed it a “Rustic” gratin, because I like my potatoes unpeeled. The skin adds so much wonderful flavor and texture. The “Summer” part came from the use of fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.
Here is a close-up just before I popped it in the oven …
Now, I ran into one little glitch. Those potatoes on top crisp up and start to blacken well before the potatoes are done. At 45 minutes, I took it out, turned those top potatoes over, and popped it back in. You can do this, or try the untested tip which I include at the end of the recipe. I think it will work just fine.
The end result was rich, delicious, and completely gone in one meal (Thank you Kendall!) …
Oh yes, would you like the recipe?
Recipe: Rustic Potato Summer Gratin
Summary: ReAdapted from Res-o-puh-leese, which was adapted from Simply French by Patricia Wells & Joel Robuchon.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, halved and thinly sliced
- Sea Salt, to taste (1/2 t is probably enough, but I went overboard with 1 t, and we loved it!)
- Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 lb Ripe Tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded & chopped (See note below. I used fresh, but you can substitute 1 14.5-ounce can of drained diced tomatoes in a pinch)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Honey (can sub agave nectar to keep it vegan)
- 1.5 lbs Baking Potatoes (nice big Russets!)
- 3 Teaspoons Dairy-Free Margarine, divided (I used Earth Balance Soy-Free, but you can substitute more olive oil)
- 3/4 Cup Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley, snipped
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and allow it to cook and thicken for about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
- Meanwhile, prep those potatoes! Give them a good scrub. I leave them unpeeled for that “rustic” effect, but peel them if you must. Thinly slice the potatoes (about 1/4-inch worked for me). Set aside about 1/4 to 1/3 of the potatoes in a medium-sized bowl to use as the topping.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining potatoes with the sauce and toss carefully to blend.
- Liberally rub the bottom of a 9″ pie dish (or similarly sized oven-safe dish) with 1 teaspoon of the margarine, or oil if using instead.
- Transfer the potato-tomato mixture to the baking dish, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon. Add the broth to cover.
- Add the remaining 2 teaspons of margarine (or oil) and the parsley to the reserved potatoes for the topping. Toss to coat evenly.
- Arrange the “buttered” potato slices one by one atop the potato-tomato mixture in your baking dish (in an overlapping pattern), until the entire dish is covered with an even potato layer. Sprinkle with the thyme.
- Place the dish in the centre of the oven and bake until the potatoes are soft, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the top is golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check in after 40 minutes. If those potatoes on top are crisping too fast, turn them over to cook the other sides, and return to the oven. Serve immediately.
Quick notes
Peeling Tomatoes: Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water large enough to hold all the tomatoes. Cut a slit in the skin of each tomato from top to bottom, and drop them all into the boiling water. Leave them in the boiling water for approximately 1 minute before removing each tomato with a slotted spoon and placing it immediately in the bowl of cold water. As soon as the tomato is cool enough to touch, remove the skin, which will now slide away easily.
Variations
Alternate Baking Method: If you run into the potato crisping problem I had, try this … reduce the broth to 1/2 to 2/3 cup, and bake for just 45 minutes to 1 hour. I think this timing will work well, since the potatoes are definitely done by 1 hour but with 3/4 cup broth, it isn’t all absorbed.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 90 minute(s)
Diet tags: Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Nut free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free, Low Sugar, and optionally Vegan and Vegetarian
Number of servings (yield): 4
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
Blog Events: I submitted this recipe post to Friday Foodie Fix (Thyme) at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang.
Tags: baking, dairy-free, egg-free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, milk-free, nut-free, potatoes, recipe, side dish, soy-free, sugar-free, taste & create, tomatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, wheat-free
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on August 19, 2009 | 23 Comments
I don’t have a special logo to offer, and I haven’t held a formal panel to taste test every last bar on the market … but I have tasted quite a few bars (dozens in fact) and outgrown some brands as better options have come along … so I thought I would share the ones I keep going back for again and again.
To be considered for Alisa’s Completely Informal Energy Bar Awards, said bars must be dairy-free (that is, made without milk in any whey (sorry bad pun), shape, or form – casein-free, lactose-free, etc.). They also needed to be affordable and easily accessible. I have tried some positively delicious bars, but their price tag classifies them as an occasional special dessert rather than a daily dose of energy. As a side note, I also lean toward soy-free bars, as you will see.
With that in mind, the winners are (hearing drumroll in head) …
In the “Most Bang for Your Buck” Category: One Organic Food Bar
Think you can’t get a hearty, organic, energy bar for under a buck? Think again! I have only tried the Raspberry Muffin Crunch flavor thus far, but this tasty item combines a soft power bar-esque texture with some granola crunch. I love the price tag and the fact that it tastes good and keeps me going for an hour or two.
In the “Fiber-liciousness” Category: Gnu Bars
I love fiber – and I don’t mean from a health standpoint. I just love the taste of fiberous foods … whole grains, fruits, and veggies kick the pants off of processed white stuff according to the taste buds I grew up with. And this bar lets you know it is filled with fiber AND no sugars! The soft, chewy, and crunch textures are a conglomeration of various whole grains, fruit juices, and fruit. I love that these taste like real flavors too; no “natural flavors” on the menu. The orange-cranberry bursts with sweet orange essence; seriously.
In the “Best Date in Town” Category: Clif Nectar
Don’t get me wrong, I do like Larabar. But something about the spices added and overall flavors of the Clif Nectar line put it one step ahead in my book. I also love that Mambo Sprouts seems to frequently offer Clif Nectar coupons, bringing it that much closer to well-priced. I am a bit concerned that the Nectar line is cutting back, since the Clif site only shows four flavors now, but hopefully this isn’t so.
(Sorry, no pic. Those date-based bars just don’t like to cooperate with the camera)
And in the “Seriously Exceeded Expectations” Category: Organic Green Superfood Bars
Truth be told, my husband would pick Odwalla Bars over these bars from Amazing Grass, but he really isn’t into dried fruit bases in bars. And honestly, I can’t pinpoint why I love these bars so much, I just do. The flavor hits those perfect notes of sweet, but not too sweet, flavorful, but not overpowering, and comforting. I greatly prefer the one without the chocolate coating (it just doesn’t meld in my opinion), but I have read reviews to the contrary on other blogs. Since this one is generally the priciest of the bunch (nearing $2), I reserve it for when I want to feel the virtue of chomping on some greens without the “green” taste. Note: I am a big fan of Amazing Grass SuperFood, which is used in this bar, so my palate may be biased.
This bar is Vegan (Dairy-Free / Egg-Free), Soy-Free (chocolate one has soy lecithin), and Gluten-Free.
Nutrition per 60 g bar (may vary by flavor): 230 calories, 8 g fat, 36 g carbs, 5 g protein
My full SuperFood review on Go Dairy Free.
Finding the Best Price:
In my opinion, there is no magical one way to find a great deal on “bars.” Rather I scour a few options and when the deal looks hot, I strike and load up. These are the places I always look:
- Local weekly / monthly grocery ads (available online too)
- Coupons (in the paper, in stores, and online)
- Company Website (they often offer deals direct to consumers)
- Amazon Deals (change each month, great place for bars)
Three questions for you:
What are your favorite bars? Do we share some common tastes, or did I miss a gem?
Why do the calorie count and nutrient grams never calculate out properly on bars? When I multiply out the protein (4 calories per gram), carbs (4 calories per gram), and fat (9 calories per gram) listed on bars to calculate calories, they rarely match the calories listed on the bars! More of a curiosity really.
Dairy-free and soy-free protein bars are hard to come by (the above are what I classify as “energy” or “snack” bars) … so, I make my own at home. Would you be interested in my recipe for homemade dairy-free, soy-free protein bars?
Posted by alisa on August 16, 2009 | 17 Comments
Thanks to this year’s bumper blueberry crop, our [tiny] freezer is quickly filling. But I must say, it is worth it; this year’s blueberries seem sweeter than ever. Plus, you can’t beat the prices. We have been getting loads of these delicious Oregon blueberries for just $1.00 to $2.00 per lb at our local grocery stores.
Though I offered to make some blueberry bars, my husband quickly declined with a, “Save them for the smoothies!” Considering how much he loves cookies and bars, this says a ton for his adoration of our homemade smoothies. In fact, there is one sweet blueberry smoothie, which he not only enjoys immensely, but also brags to others about (in attempts to thwart his less than healthy childhood image).
You might be thinking, “Sure, fruit smoothies are healthy; what’s the big deal?” Well, for starters, I make them only with ripe fruit and unsweetened liquids, no added sugars; though you are welcome to sweeten to taste if your fruit is less than scrumptious. I also add in whatever I think we need at the time, such as some ground flaxseed, a little protein powder, etc. But what my husband got most excited about was what he didn’t know was in the smoothies for the first two months I was serving them too him.
Can you tell? (focus on the blue and please ignore the water spots!)
Do you see those wonderfully sweet blueberry flecks throughout? Those were my disguise. What you can’t taste, or see, is the spinach! You have probably seen claims on other blogs that you can’t taste spinach in smoothies. Years ago I put this theory to the test, and it was true, but because it turned the smoothie a less than attractive green, I couldn’t get my husband to go near it. However, when I snuck the spinach into this blueberry smoothie (blackberries work too), he was none the wiser, as he happily sipped away his new favorite breakfast.
After I let him in on the secret, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. I have overheard him many times boasting, “You can add spinach to smoothies and you can’t even taste it!” My job here is done …
True Blue Smoothie
This recipe is adapted from my book! - Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Depending on the milk alternative you use, this recipe can be Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Sugar-Free, and Low Fat.
“This is my go-to smoothie, and trust me on this one … don’t omit the spinach. I don’t care who you are serving it to, they will never know it is in there. The blueberries mask the green color, resulting in a beautiful purple beverage. As for the flavor … even the most adamant non-believers come back to me with surprise comments of delight. I never add sweetener, but feel free to add a bit if your fruit isn’t very sweet.”
- 1 Medium Very Ripe Banana, Broken into Chunks
- 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
- 1/2 to 1 Cup Plain or Vanilla Milk Alternative of Choice [This summer I am using 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk]
- 1/2 Cup Packed Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
- 1/2 Cup Ice
Toss the banana, blueberries, and 1/2 cup of the milk alternative into your blender, and process until smooth. Add the cinnamon (if using), flax seeds, and spinach, and blend until those little green specks vanish. Blend in more milk alternative until it reaches your desired consistency. If desired, blend in a handful of ice for a frostier treat.
Optional Add-ins:
- Sweetener, to Taste (agave, sugar, or your choice)
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Flax Seeds (left whole or pre-ground in your spice grinder)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (optional)
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Protein Powder of Choice
Yields 1 to 2 Servings
Freezing Blueberries (or other summer berries) – As mentioned, blueberries freeze beautifully:
- As soon as you get home with your bounty, set aside some fresh ones to consume over the next few days.
- Take the remaining blueberries, rinse them well, and pat them dry.
- I usually leave them on the counter on a towel in a single layer, after I have patted them dry, for an hour or so to get rid of any excess moisture.
- Place the blueberries in large freezer bags (make sure they are freezer bags, not the regular ones), zip them closed, getting as much air out as possible, and freeze.
- I usually lay the bags flat in the freezer and stack one on top of the other.
Tags: bananas, breakfast, cinnamon, dairy-free, egg-free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, Go Dairy Free, milk-free, nut-free, quick & easy, recipe, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on August 14, 2009 | No Comments
Usually, I do the big Amazon Grocery Deals list each month, but this month I got a little wrapped up in writing about the deals … since there were so many good ones … that I didn’t have time to make the full list! Though I stick mostly to purchasing whole foods, I do get the chance to sample foods from many great companies for Go Dairy Free. Unfortunately, their wonderful produts are usually a bit out of my monthly budget. So this month I was elated to see how many of those natural and organic food companies (some of them even gluten-free, vegan, and/or food allergy-friendly) had super-discounted products on Amazon, bringing them into the value zone!
I wrote the Amazon Deals Post for Go Dairy Free specifically, so it has a dairy-free slant in terms of the comments, but these are still foods I recommend regardless of diet. Now, if you do get a chance to take a look at my post and the Amazon Deals, tell me, are there any foods/products I did or didn’t mention that you want to recommend and that are a worthwhile deal this month?
Posted by alisa on August 10, 2009 | 16 Comments
This year, I have used summer’s abundant produce as an excuse to fit a jumbo salad into our daily diets and to experiment with homemade salad dressings and vinaigrettes. But, with busier days on the horizon, I realized that I must taper off my ritual of experimenation, where I whip up single servings regularly, and choose a few dressings to bottle in larger quantities for some time savings.
I am pretty sure that the Sweet Dijon Dressing will be one of the options, however, I had yet to successfully create a dressing that would satisfy my husband’s greatest craving. He could practically live off of a sesame-soy dressing. It sounds simple enough, but the at-home blends just weren’t working for me until I came up with this gem. The salty miso and soy sauce are tempered nicely with a bit of maple syrup. Plus, using just a touch of sesame oil adds a nice well rounded flavor, but keeps the overall dressing very low in fat.
My husband agreed that this one is really good, and though quite different from his usual oil-laden, store-bought version, he is happy to make the transition …
Mellow Maple-Miso Salad Dressing
This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Low-Fat, Free of Refined Sugars, and optionally Gluten-Free.
Every miso dressing recipe I try is either too bland, too salty, or just somehow off, but this blend hit my taste buds just right. See my notes that follow the recipe for some tips on the ingredients used.
- 1/4 Cup Mellow Miso (such as a mild white soy miso or a barley miso)
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce or Wheat-Free Tamari (for gluten-free)
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger Powder
Place all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until smooth. Alternately, you can place the ingredients in a blender and quickly puree until smooth.
Yields roughly 3/4 cup
Ingredient Notes:
Ginger and Garlic are two of my favorite ingredients, but you may have noticed that most of my salad dressing recipes call for the ground / powdered form rather than fresh varieties. There are several reasons for this. One is that my husband can’t take the pungency of fresh (raw) garlic and ginger. Another is that I tend to whip up salad dressings on the fly, and like recipes that require no chopping, just measure and mix. Finally, I don’t always have the fresh stuff on hand! If you prefer to use fresh, go for it. I think about 1 T of fresh minced or crushed ginger should work nicely.
Maple Syrup is such a precious commodity these days, so I rarely use more than a couple of tablespoons in a recipe, which is really all you need to get its full flavor benefit. Since you are using just a bit, don’t skimp, buy pure maple syrup, not imitation!
Miso is sold in the refrigerated section. It is readily available in natural food stores and Asian markets, but these days you can probably even locate it in the mega-marts. It will range in price, but I usually go for one of the less expensive versions for around $3 to $4 a tub. The one I used is soy-based, but for a similar taste, you can choose barley miso or chickpea miso, which is a bit sweeter.
Coconut Aminos from Coconut Secret is an amazing new substitute for soy sauce. It is completely soy-free, but mimics the traditional flavoring remarkably well. I have seen this product in natural food stores such as Whole Foods (along with a similar brand), but you can also purchase it online from shops like iHerb. – I shop on this site a lot, if you haven’t shopped there before, you can use my coupon code ALI029 at checkout for $5 off your first purchase. It isn’t cheap, but I think worth it for a splurge and if used in small quantities since soy sauce is just so awesome!
Blog Events: I am submitting this recipe for Souper (or soup, salad, and sammies) Sundays.
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5 Good Things Since My Last Post
- I cleaned up and organized all of the photos on my computer, at last.
- We saw the new Harry Potter movie yesterday; those are always so much fun.
- We finally figured out how to get the cat from sleeping on my pillow above my head at night (since she frequently gets up, charges over my husband, and meows whenever she comes back!).
- I just finished a wonderfully delicious bowl of homemade chicken and barley soup. I guess we already have fall on the brain!
- We had a wonderful “cool” spell of weather, allowing us to go for a mid-summer hike in the southwest.
Tags: dairy-free, egg-free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, milk-free, nut-free, quick & easy, recipe, salad, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, wheat-free
Filed Under: Alisa's Recipes
Posted by alisa on August 4, 2009 | 10 Comments
Wow, you guys are truly awesome! Ask for foodie book requests, and ye shall receive; inquire on recommended Trader Joe’s food, and the opinions roll in (I am making my shopping list for the gift now, and will report back with the final basket! Keep the ideas coming if you wish).
I am back from my two week vacation … 9 days of which was spent on a quiet lake in British Columbia, with no electricity.
Yes, I went without internet for that long if you can believe it. We finished two entire thousand-piece puzzles, competed in dozens of cribbage games, rowed over for several visits around the lake with friends and family, and I did read two books thanks to your help!
However, I asked you all a bit late, so I didn’t have time to order any books online before we left, and Borders was way too pricey for my tastes. So I took the frugal route. I wrote down all of your recommendations, and took the list with me to BC. While we were in town, I headed to the library and found what they had in stock to borrow! Unfortunately, quite a bit was checked out, so I have added several of your selections to my Amazon wish list for later reading (or sooner, have you seen the insane deal on The School of Essential Ingredients and Mindless Eating? – both hardcover no less!)
Luckily, I did end up with two great books: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.
I truly enjoyed In Defense of Food. While I expected more of the same old talk about eating whole foods, Pollan went further really helping you to get into the psychology of food. I found his insight on fortification fascinating, and can honestly say that some of his words will be prompting a few changes in our own eating and purchasing habits for the better.
The Art of Simple Food was actually a great follow-up to my first read, as it is an in-depth how-to guide for navigating your way around the kitchen by famed chef Alice Waters. I have always loved baking thanks to my mom, but my cooking has been very self-taught, and I have been wanting to learn more of the tips and tricks that help to make cooking even more enjoyable and that focus on quality food rather than loading on the salt and sugar. This is the book. There are of course recipes throughout, but the book is broken down 
by cooking methods, really stepping you through the processes and offering recommendations on everything from the best size and type of pan or dish to use for the job to when to add seasonings during the process for maximum flavor. There are so many helpful tidbits that it is near impossible not to find a new-to-you concept even though the methods are all time-tested. I have added this one to my wish list to purchase as I couldn’t possibly remember all of her concepts and small tips.
As for food on our vacation, we really took advantage of all of the fresh, local produce in BC, but not much cooking was done as we enjoyed salads, raw fruit, and simple grilling for most of the trip. And alas, we had some trouble with the oven (run on propane), so I didn’t get the chance to experiment and come up with new baked goodies for the blog, but there are still more recipes (from pre-vacatin) to come.
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5 Good Things Since My Last Post
- I came home to several boxes of delicious food, including the new Coconut Milk Kefir, which I already wrote a review on. I guess I just couldn’t wait.
- I learned how to bake on the barbecue. Grilled PB&J cookie bars anyone?
- I enjoyed lazing on a boat for hours with my husband, eating bags of ripe, fresh BC cherries, and rolling into the water for a swim whenever the heat became just a bit too much.
- We were there for my mother-in-laws 60th birthday, and got to see her so wonderfully happy (and deserving) with all the thoughtful gifts she received. She even got a car, it is the first car she has ever had!
- We had a safe trip, and are relaxed and surprisingly happy to be home.
