Alisa Fleming ~ Organic, kosher, gluten-free, vegan, low glycemic … if you think you can’t get all of this in a cookie, then you haven’t met Mary. Mary emerged on the health food scene in 2004, revolutionizing snack foods with her line of whole grain, gluten-free crackers (which I reviewed just recently, here). Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect. On the forefront of the gluten-free movement, Mary’s business took off, and she has been working feverishly to add new healthy snacks. Her first creation on the sweet side is a full product line of Mary’s Gone Crackers Love Cookies.

Mary’s Cookies are available in four flavors, but I found myself drawn to the Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, and Ginger Snap varieties. Cookies come in all shapes, sizes, textures, and flavors … and I confess that I love them all. Though I’m drawn most to those thick and chewy American-style cookies, in recent years I’ve grown quite fond of the “biscuit,” or crispy English-style cookies. I would describe Mary’s Cookies as being a bit more like English biscuits – gently sweet, thick, and a touch dry but not the least bit crumbly. Did I mention thick? I mean seriously, these are hearty little cookie bites!

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Alisa Fleming ~ Big salads are a staple for me at lunchtime; I like them packed with greens, topped with various vegetables, and generously drizzled with dressing. I often use cashews or other nut butters to thicken salad dressings, but once in a while I crave something a little lighter. So when I stumbled upon the Open Sesame Dressing recipe in Blissful Bites, I knew that I had a winner.

Though I eat a very soy-low diet, I do like a little tofu once in a while, and this salad dressing was an amazing way to use it. Even tofu-haters will delight in the fresh and creamy taste. I did alter the original recipe quite a bit, adding ginger instead of garlic, upping the sesame oil for a creamier and richer flavor, and spiking it with a little more vinegar to heighten the taste. Even with just that wee bit of maple syrup, this dressing is surprisingly sweet, yet the overall flavor is somewhat mellow ...

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Alisa Fleming ~ I would call myself a connoisseur of tea, if it weren’t for the fact that my taste buds aren’t very discerning. Instead, let’s just say that I love tea, almost all types of tea, and easily go through several pots a day. I don’t typically review tea here on Go Dairy Free, because pretty much all tea is dairy-free by nature … it’s what you add to it that can cause a milk invasion. However, I think Tisano Tea has a dairy-free intrigue … since it is chocolate tea. Yes, you heard me correctly, chocolate loose leaf herbal tea.

To clarify, Tisano Cacao Tea is not melted chocolate, hot chocolate, or any other rich and high-caloric beverage. It is tea, through and through, and chocolate in it’s purest form, 100% Organic Cacao Shell. There is no milk, no sugar, no other additives, just cacao bean.

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Alisa Fleming ~ You’ve probably heard it many times, “fail to plan, plan to fail,” but it couldn’t be truer than when tackling a new diet. Beyond my own dairy-free transition many years back, my husband and I have successfully made other dietary changes in our household using a simple six-step process that can be easily customized.

Whether you are going dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, or making a healthy overhaul, I think you will find our strategy useful:

Step 1 - Find Your Purpose: Without a solid reason, any diet can be easy to sway from. Does it cause digestive upset? Will your acne or eczema flare up? Are you supporting a milk allergic loved one? Make sure you know exactly why you are changing your diet, and find a way to keep that forefront in your mind. And remember that even little slip-ups can have long-term repercussions. Here are a few examples: