Mac 'n Cheese Please!

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

WARNING:  This product DOES contain a small amount of milk protein and should therefore only be eaten by those with dairy sensitivities, not allergies!

One of my fondest memories as a kid was growing up eating Stouffer's mac 'n cheese with a sliced up hot dog.  Dad would always come come and take a bite, causing me to protest, "Daddy!  Thats MY food!".  Fast forward 17 years or so and I can't eat my old love because of the cheese!  On one of those "I need comfort food" days, I went to whole foods and picked up one of Amy's Macaroni and Soy Cheese microwave meals.  I wasn't expecting much...but I was completely surprised when I loved this rendition of an old classic!  A word to the wise- don't heat it for as long as the box tells you...Soy cheese burns and hardens quickly and you wont get that creamy texture we all love so much.  New from Amy's?  A gluten-free, dairy-free mac 'n cheese, made with rice pasta and non-dairy cheese.  I have yet to try it, but will update you when I do.

Want to try a new twist on my old mac 'n hot dog favorite?  Cook up a package of Amy's mac 'n soy cheese and a sliced up chicken apple sausage (I love Aidells) and stir together for a lower-calorie, lower-nitrate version....and Aidells sausages are all gluten-free!

Gluten-Free Bread

After receiving comments about the So Delicious bars from Helen, I checked the other blogs she follows which led me to Dr. Stephen Wangen: The Gluten Free doctor. In response to one of his posts about a recent gluten-free bread find (which unfortunately included eggs), a reader posted about her Gluten Free Sourdough recipe which is dairy, egg, and yeast free. The recipe looked a little confusing (but I've never made bread in my life) but I'm anxious to try! To get the recipe, go to Food As Medicine to get an emailed PDF version! Also, look for her book, "The Art of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking" on the Food As Medicine website.

Interested in testing it out? Give it a try and let me know how what you think!

SO Delicious Coconut Almond Bars

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Think about a frozen Almond Joy...that's what you get with these little bars!  Coconut-flavored, coconut milk ice cream covered in dark chocolate and almond chunks...it's to die for!  Usually, I'm not a fan of coconut ice cream or yogurts because they don't taste QUITE right.  But when it's intentionally flavored as coconut, it tastes amazing!  You'll be going back to the freezer for more in no time!  But eater beware: these puppies run 170 calories a pop!  And now that I'm doing Weight Watchers, let me tell you...that equates to 4 points!  So save them for those Friday night movie binges...or those Sunday afternoons in the backyard.  But when it comes to a nightly snack, try another of my favorites from this brand-  the 90 calorie (and 2 point) mini Soy ice cream sandwich in Vanilla.  Scroll down to find the review!

Once again, congrats to Turtle Mountain on yet ANOTHER 5 ♥ review!  Thanks for your awesome products guys!

Yogurt for us cow-intollerant people!!!!

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

So I've been missing yogurt most since I was diagnosed with my dairy allergies. I've tried to find replacements- soy yogurt, coconut milk yogurt...nothing really hit the spot. Then I decided to be brave and pick up Bellwether Farms sheep milk yogurt. Yes, sheep milk. I was so scared to try it, since I had a horrible experience when I first tried goat's milk yogurt (yuck) so I closed my eyes, stirred it up really well, and took a tiny bite. Now, I'm in love! This yogurt, which I tried in strawberry, has that sweet and tart kick that the old, full-fat Yoplait yogurts used to have! I am so shocked as to how good it is, I'm going to bring some to my mom and make her try it. I recommend this product completely!

The World's Best Veggie Burger

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Hey readers! Sorry I've been out of touch! Let's just say it has been an intense few months! BUT in a recent trip to Costco I found the world's BEST veggie burgers. I ate one at my good friend's house and fell in LOVE. They are made with great veggies and bread crumbs but the tastiest part are the sunflower seeds! Now, my gluten issues led me to eat these sans buns with just some pale-ale mustard. I have to say, it's an amazing lunch or dinner option! 30 seconds in the mircrowave of 8 minutes at 300 degrees in the oven and I promise you will be satisfied!

Laloo's Goats Milk Ice Cream

Hey bloggers...sorry for being MIA lately, but I'll make it up to you with a new recommendation! In the February edition of Oprah magazine, the Healthwise section had an article about Laloo's (pronounced lay-looz) goats milk ice cream. This treat has half the fat of regular ice cream and also has more calcium, potassium, and magnesium...not to mention the goats are free of antibiotics and growth hormones! So is it worth a shot? It certainly sounds like it but I have been unable to find any locally so I can't give you my own opinion. Find it? Let me know what you think! Until then, check out all the awesome flavors at www.laloos.com

Jamba Juice's Dairy-free Options

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

My brother and I took a trip to our local beach town the other day and with the sunny sky and the slight hint of spring, nothing sounded better than a smoothie. BUUUUUT so many smoothies rely on milk, ice cream, or frozen yogurt to give them that smooth texture. Thankfully, Jamba Juice has created a line of "All-Fruit" smoothies that are a healthier option...and great for those with dairy allergies! They have four flavors. We tried Strawberry Whirl and Peach Perfection. The Strawberry Whirl really tasted like your regular Jamba Juice. The Peach Perfection was a little more tart (one reason why I looooved it). Both had a slightly different texture. After taking a sip, you could feel a little remnants of the piece of fruit...but I don't consider that a bad thing! Trust me- these are a great option. Check out the flavors and ingredients below.

Peach Perfection: Peach juice blend, frozen mangoes, frozen peaches, apple-strawberry juice blend, frozen strawberries, ice.

Strawberry Whirl: Apple-strawberry juice blend, frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, ice.

Pomegranate Paradise: Pomegranate juice blend, frozen strawberries, frozen mangoes, frozen peaches, ice.

Mega Mango: Orange juice, pineapple juice blend, frozen mangoes, frozen strawberries, ice.