In an email to food allergy cookbook author, Linda Coss, I was lamenting about the horrible waste of an entire jug of juice, which I had purchased for one meal.  The recipe called for a mere portion of the juice, a beverage we rarely consume.  Just when I was about to swear off all juice-containing recipes, she simply suggested, “…Buy children’s size juice boxes of apple juice and orange juice, the main juices that are used in recipes. When a recipe calls for juice you can just open up one of these.”  The ‘duh’ light went on as my hand met my forehead. 

At first, I felt a bit foolish that this basic solution had eluded me.  Then I realized that perhaps a few other cooks had not yet thought of this little kitchen trick.  While pondering the thought, a few other ideas from my collection of useful dairy-free tips came to mind…

Lighten-up with a super-easy vegan cake – When you purchase a cake mix, skip the eggs, water, and oil.  Just add one can of pumpkin puree (15oz I believe), mix, and bake as directed.  This suggestion is perfect for those who avoid dairy and eggs, and apparently is an old Weight Watcher’s secret.  I was told that it makes a fantastic spice cake with vanilla mixes, but works equally well with chocolate.
 
Hide those veggies – A little known secret: blended up spinach has no flavor.  I sneak handfuls of fresh spinach into my husband’s morning smoothie (blueberries also hide the green color nicely), and he is none the wiser.  I also discovered that chili and sometimes spaghetti sauce is an excellent way to hide extra Vitamin A.  I often add a ¼ to ½ cup of pureed carrots, pumpkin, or butternut squash.  The added sweetness is often enjoyed, so long as I don’t mention what it is!  These sneaky veggie tricks work on kids too.

Weaning off red meat – I kept trying to switch us to ground turkey, but my husband just didn’t find it “meaty” enough.  That is until he trialed adding about 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to a pound of ground turkey.  It added a bold enough flavor that he actually suggested we don’t purchase ground beef anymore.  Thus far, turkey has successfully worked its way into spaghetti and burgers in our house.  Be sure to check the turkey you are purchasing.  Some brands actually have more fat than ground beef. 

With luck, one of these tips just might prove useful in your kitchen.

Got the jitters for a free cuppa joe?  Would you like some discounts on organic foods? Isn't this the epitome of an oxymoron?  Regardless, the Well Fed Network alerted me to some upcoming dates from Starbucks and the Organic Earth Day community that were worth noting:

First - Tomorrow, Thursday March 15th, Starbucks is hosting its annual Coffee Break.  Customers at Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada will be rewarded with a FREE Tall (12 ounce) coffee between 10 am and noon local time.  According to the Well Fed Network, new Coffee Breaks will also be held in Australia and Asia as well.

To get your free coffee, use the new Starbucks Mobile Store Locator which allows you to locate the nearest Starbucks store from wherever you are via a cell phone, web-enabled phone or GPS system. Cell phone users can send a text message with the area’s zip code to MYSBUX, and a list of nearby Starbucks stores will pop back. Customers using mobile devices will find a store locator by typing www.starbucks.com.

Customers can also use the service to opt-in for a Coffee Break text message reminder on March 15 by texting the word “break” to MYSBUX (697289).

For all you dairy-free consumers, be sure to request some soymilk in place of the creamer in your free coffee.  Most Starbucks throughout North America keep a generous supply of Silk brand on hand.

Second - Earth Day is on its way.  In honor of this April 22nd celebration, producers and stores are going organic.  In fact, over 3,500 grocery stores and 50 food producers across the country will be offering discounts on organic products through the month of April. To receive coupons, recipes and more information about Earth Day events in stores in your area, visit Organic Earth Day or call 866-I-GO-ORGA.

If you are hesitant on signing up for their newsletter, never fear!  I have signed up for it, and will update on this site any deals they send out.

In the past several weeks we tracked the chronicles of Denver Post writer, Doug Brown, as he embarked on a five-week food elimination journey.  Over that time, he progressively removed sugar, dairy, meat, eggs, fish, gluten, and salt as a personal experiment.  He hoped to find out if it did have some sort of effect on his health. 

His findings were interesting, yet it was his final note that didn’t hit home with me until this weekend. Weeks of intense cravings built up, and Doug was ready to indulge after his term of abstinence.  But half way through the gorging, all he wanted was rice, plain rice. 

To be noted, my trial was not nearly as extensive.  Two days hardly compares to five weeks.  Nonetheless, my husband decided it might be good for us to try a juice fast over the weekend for a “cleansing” experience.  Oddly enough, I didn’t find it very cleansing.  In fact, my stomach has felt very “ugh” since the weekend. 

Yet, after all the cravings I had (coffeecake, hamburgers, you name it), I woke up on Monday morning and made…a smoothie.  The fast was over, yet I just didn’t feel like anything else.  The day went on, and fruits and vegetables were all I really felt like eating.

It has been two days, and no gluten, sugar, eggs, and of course dairy have come anywhere near my plate.  One half serving of chicken, and just a bit of salt have been my only “vices.”  To think that I may be transforming my diet may be wishful thinking.  But if I can hold off on added sugar (honey, maple syrup, etc.) for just one month, the fast may have proven more beneficial to my long-term health than expected.

Beyond his fascinating story, I hope that Doug reaps some permanent rewards from his personal diet experiment. 

...Okay, who thought up this ridiculous concept?  It ranks right up there with "overly clean moms cause food allergies."  Yesterday I read the headline, "Organic food 'can add to allergies."  A professor of pediatrics in Britain made the news with his bold statements that our varied diets full of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables are a cause of the rise in food allergies. 

Of course, without a shred of evidence, he used the tired excuse of ‘food allergies began to appear when...’ Yes, some people have kiwi allergies, which may seem a rarity.  Yet, somehow I find it VERY hard to believe that kids eating less pesticides (as our fruits and veggies were produced decades ago) and having a varied diet with mangos and papayas is leading to a rise in food allergies.  Quite the opposite in fact!  Unnatural chemicals and products have a much more persuasive effect over the functioning of our immune system. 

Oddly enough, this news was posted just when I finished an article on ‘When to Buy Organic’ for Fit Fare.  If you decide to take your chances by eating a wide variety of delicious and nutrient dense produce, and keeping your pesticide exposure low, then you just may find my article helpful!

As I sit trying to revive myself after a strenuous morning workout with the blackest tea that I could find in the house, I am a bit dismayed by today’s de-caffeinated headlines.  It seems that some researchers out of Bristol University in Britain have cast doubt on the energizing powers of caffeine. 

Their studies suggest that while morning coffee may ease caffeine withdrawal symptoms, which may have built up overnight, it does not seem to increase alertness.  That is, at least for regular caffeine junkies.  Those who have avoided it for a while may still get a buzz.  Yet, overall it seems those who drink a caffeinated beverage first thing in the morning may be no more alert than those who never consume one.

Of course, the British Coffee Association isn’t going to take this one lying down.  They quickly debated the study stating that there is a mountain of scientific evidence to back up the consumption of four to five cups per day as beneficial for alertness and performance.  Unfortunately, they didn’t site a single piece of research. 

As someone who quite frankly eliminates enough from their diet, I will briefly come to their rescue to justify the richly caffeinated tea I am sipping between sentences:

From a personal standpoint, whether it is a real boost, withdrawals, or simply placebo effect, the theory of energy is sometimes enough to get me through a tiring day. 

From a scientific view, two Universities out of the very Starbucks-friendly United States have given us some other excuses to keep our daily brew.  In January, a team of researchers from the University of Georgia reported that moderate doses of caffeine (say two cups of coffee) cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48 percent.  Okay, it was a (very) small sample of volunteers, but there is more. 

About a year and a half ago, scientists out of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania notified us that coffee is the top source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet.  Though we should probably be getting a few more fruits and veggies as well, it is quite possible that the bean and tealeaves could contribute to a healthy immune system. 

Keep in mind; there are always a few rules.  Luckily, one of the latest isn't a problem for most of the people visiting this website.  It seems that cow’s milk may block some of black tea’s potential superpowers in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, and strokes.  I am not sure if this carries over to any possible benefits of coffee as well.  To stay on the safe side, if you must make it creamy, a good milk alternative may be the best choice.  There are oh so many to choose from, as you can see from this website.

Now that I am feeling a bit better about my in home energy experiment, I am off to boil some water for my second cup. 

I made my first attempt at creating a wheat-free, dairy-free cookie today.  Though the results are quickly being consumed, I still feel it is a work in progress.  Nonetheless, not bad for a start. 

If you don't have oat flour, just grind up oats in the blender, food processor, or spice grinder.  I use homemade oat flour frequently. The brown rice flour helps to lighten the texture, as oat flour can be a bit heavy. 

I always make cookies in half batches, so you can easily double this for a full batch.  I was able to make about 18 two-inch cookies with the recipe as written.  For cookies everday, refrigerate and bake up 6 per day.  The dough becomes firm and easy to shape once refrigerated. 

Keep in mind, cookie dough made with oil is thicker than cookie dough made with butter.  Less oil must be used to prevent the cookies from becoming greasy.  Not a bad thing from a fat/calories perspective!

Wheat-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 4 to 5 Tablespoons of oil (I used extra-light olive oil, not extra-virgin, though any vegetable oil should work well)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup oats
• non-dairy chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)

Directions:

Combine the oat flour, brown rice flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.   In a medium bowl, blend the sugars, vanilla, and oil.  Beat in the egg.  Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined.  Stir in the shredded coconut, oats, and as many chocolate chips as you would like.  Bake at 350º for 8 to 10 minutes.