Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ To be honest, I had quite the pessimistic attitude when I first came upon these little pouches of fruit by Peeled Snacks.  Packaged dried fruit, so what is new? It is just dried fruit, so simple, no wow factor … but to my complete surprise so [counter] revolutionary. I used to be an avid dried fruit snacker, but with all of the added sugars and sulfur dioxide, I reasoned that fresh fruit was probably the only way to go.  But Peeled Snacks has taken a step back in time, serving up dried fruit without the preservatives and sugar.  That’s right, just fruit.  As I unfortunately discovered in a prior Peeled Snacks taste test, this means a shorter shelf-life.  But as long as you don’t hold onto these babies for several months, they are still pretty shelf-stable ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate food allergy awareness week then to write about the wonderful food products now available for food sensitivities.  I say food sensitivities, because if you have a severe or highly sensitive food allergy, you should contact the manufacturer prior to consumption of any processed food to ensure that there are no potential cross-contamination issues that might render the food unsafe for you.  That being disclaimed, one of the new products that has me the most excited is the new Purely Decadent Frozen Dessert Pints (aka "ice cream").  They are made with coconut milk, and consequently they are dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free.  That's right, dairy-free AND soy-free.  Last week I had the opportunity to taste test three flavors of this new "ice cream" product, and I was floored with its luxuriousness, and downright healthy ingredient list.  Please do enjoy my full Purely Decadent Coconut Milk "Ice Cream" Review.

Hannak Kaminsky, My Sweet Vegan ~ When is a brownie not a brownie? Sounds like a stupid question, but I might argue that the color is generally the key, and perhaps the richest, darkest brownies of them all should actually be “blackies.” However, there’s a different reason entirely why I might suggest that these humble bar cookies above get a new name. You would never guess from looking at them, or even tasting them, but these are indeed the infamous black bean brownies that everyone was talking about ages ago. Upon first seeing this creation, I reacted in the same way that I would imagine most of you are right now; shock and horror. Beans, in sweet baked goods?! What horror, what torture!  Flicking quickly away from the recipe, I tried to cleanse my mind of the idea. How could it possibly be any good, after all? Those poor, misguided food bloggers…

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ There is chocolate … and then there is chocolate.  Comparing in no way to those ordinary drugstore bars, a few select manufacturers, excuse me … artisans (a rightfully deserved title), craft the purest, deepest, darkest chocolate into bars that easily warrant the title of ‘premium.’  Amano ranks among this select group of artisans, and I was honored when three of their dark chocolate bars arrived in a beautiful package on my doorstep.  Honestly, I have always been a simple chocolate nibbler, giving bars the thumbs up or thumbs down, with no real tasting notes or rankings.  However, Amano prompted me to really taste the difference ...

Nikki, Canary Girl ~ Before moving here to the Canaries it never–and I mean NEVER–would have occurred to me to make my own mayonnaise.  I mean, why?  It’s so easy to buy it at the store, and inexpensive to boot.  Why would anyone even bother?  But then I tried my mother in law’s alioli.   It was like a serious revelation, a turning point in my life.  Homemade mayo?  WAY better than store bought.  Add garlic?  Even *better* than WAY better than store bought.  It only takes about 2 minutes start to finish, too.  You’ll need a food processor or blender with an opening at the top to pour in the oil, but it really is one of the easiest things in the world to make. So that [will be] recipe number one of this post.  Keep reading for a super easy spring/summer sandwich recipe [too] …

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Earth Day celebrations abound this week, and when it comes to recipes and prepared food, it is difficult to get closer to the earth than Muesli.  This simple mix of whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruits, enhanced with just a bit of sugar (if you wish) is loaded with fiber and protein, while still maintaining a vegan status.  The recipe below is from the e-newsletter, Micki's Kitchen Gazette.  It can be altered to use whatever nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you have on hand, but we highly recommend choosing organic whenever possible.  While it is easily a delicious breakfast, Micki claims that this recipe makes a delicious (dairy-free) "ice cream" topping ...