Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ As a kid I remember the frozen candy bars sold at my local swim park throughout the summer.  Unless it was straight out of the deep freeze, chocolate just wasn't going to take the heat when grabbed by our little fingers. But really, what is wrong with melted chocolate?  Especially when it is confined in a quick and easy pudding.  The following recipe "addictive," yet food allergy-friendly recipe was created by Rebecca Reilly, author of the cookbook Gluten-Free Baking ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ For the past year I have been gradually reducing the added sugars in my diet.  These efforts have culminated into this past month, when I have managed to forgo all added sugars whatsoever.  That’s right ... no white sugar, maple syrup, or even agave.  I admit to a sprinkling of stevia in that “green drink” which would otherwise be unpalatable, but aside from this I have been sugar and sugar substitute-free. How am I doing?  Better.  Those chocolate cravings are at last subsiding and I have no problem passing up a slice of cake.  However, my taste buds are still clamoring for just a bit of the sweet stuff.  Luckily, I love fruit, which is an excellent source of natural sugar … 

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Last week Anne, of Debra's Natural Gourmet, shared her GFCF / Vegan "Not-Your-Average Mac'n'Cheese" recipe with us.  Anne let us know, "I'm mainly interested in gluten free food, but have made my recipes dairy free as well because many celiacs have a hard time digesting it as well as gluten."  Well, we appreciate Anne's thoughtfulness, and this week we are pleased to feature her Rice Bran Muffin recipe.  While these breakfast-worthy treats do call for rice bran and brown rice flour, as the name would imply, they also feature a special, little known gluten-free flour, Teff ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Just in case I wasn’t sure if summer had yet arrived, our thermometer hit triple digits this past weekend to provide a solid confirmation.  The warm (or should I say scorching) weather is here, meaning more time outside enjoying the sun.  Since this is a food focused blog, I feel no need to lecture on sunscreen and hats, I am sure you have been inundated with this topic elsewhere.  But when I found myself buzzing around town the other day, and the hunger bug hit, I reached in to discover a LUNA bar that had sadly become a melty mess.  The last thing I want to do is succumb to the junk food sold at pools, malls, and near the beaches simply because I am unprepared.  So, when I returned home I revamped my snack bowl for some quick items on the go. The following list offers some shelf-stable foods that promise to hold their shape and ward off heat-induced bacteria, you know, the ones that love that picnic potato salad!

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ This recipe was a feature from Debra's Natural Gourmet newsletter.  Did I mention that Debra Stark makes and sells fabulous granola?  I digress.  Next to pizza, I think good old mac 'n cheese has to be the most missed food when following a dairy-free and gluten-free diet.  Yet this recipe gets Adam Stark's seal of approval, "Adam says that Anne has created a creamy, dairy- and gluten-free mac'n'cheese worthy of the original.  And the vegetables sneak in right under the radar.  A culinary feat!  Anne says she wings it with the veggies.  All quantities are approximate, and you should always use whatever's fresh and fun." ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ With so many creative food bloggers vying to create the best recipes with the freshest seasonal ingredients, it is no surprise that rhubarb has been making an appearance in so many sweet treats these past spring and summer days.  You won't find these red stalks in many savory applications, as they are lip-puckeringly tart when eaten alone. However, when combined with a good dose of sugar, this vegetable comes alive.  Last week we featured a Wheat Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, but we just couldn't leave well enough alone, at least not while rhubarb is in season!  Below is a recipe for Rhubarb Muffins from The Parve Baker ...