Oh come now, you've already seen it at your local grocer ... orange and black decor and scores of bagged candy littered the shelves before we even crossed the end of summer marker, Labor Day weekend. So who am I to turn down a Halloween press release in September? Especially when the treats in question double as an all natural lunchbox snack in a pinch. But keep in mind, these are still "treats" ...

September, 2010 – The Trick to a Healthier Halloween - Pesticides, chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Halloween goodies seem more like a trick than a treat.  So, this year Nature’s Path is making the holiday a little healthier for all the ghosts and goblins with 100% USDA certified organic Treat Size EnviroKidz Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars.  

Parents can feel better about passing out these new Nature’s Path treats on Halloween: in addition to being organic, the bars are whole grain, low fat, low sodium, and non-GMO verified.   And, for the growing number of trick-or-treaters who are avoiding gluten – whether it is due to celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or a restrictive diet for other conditions – the Treat Size bars are also certified gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Organization.

Frugal Foodie Friday: Today's recipe was adapted from the new Free eCookbook, Smart School Time Recipes: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults. It was by my good friend, the fabulous non-dairy diva, Sarena. Her version is vegetarian. Yes, I masacred it by putting a little bit of bacon in it. But I knew the very word "bacon" would get my husband excited about this soup. And it did. And he loved it. I think he would have loved it sans bacon too (that was just the icing on the cake, the motivation, the ... well, you get the picture), so feel free to go with her original recipe or maybe add some vegetarian / vegan bacon? I mean seriously, why not? In fact, I think I will probably give the vegan bacon recipe a go the next time around.

For Sarena's original version, go download a copy of Smart School Time Recipes. Now. 125 Recipes. It's Free. I Swear. Okay, I'm done nagging. For my version of the recipe (a pinch more of this and a little more of that), read on ...

Have you ever tasted Callebaut chocolate? My first taste was of their dark chocolate chunks in the “Power Muffins” at a Vancouver natural food store called Capers. Capers has since been swallowed up and closed down by Whole Foods Canada, but my memories of those incredible muffins lives on. I’m not usually a fan of chocolate in muffins, but that hearty meal-in-a-muffin delivery system really was perfection. I’ve since attempted to recreate those muffins, but without the Callebaut chocolate, they just aren’t the same.

Though I could probably scrounge around to find and order Callebaut online, it really isn’t an everyday store brand. Barry Callebaut is a humongous European / Swiss chocolate manufacturer that specializes in supplying chocolate to food manufacturers, restaurants, and chefs, and they also manufacture private label for consumers (in other words, you may be eating Callebaut and not know it!). They are so big in fact, that they just signed a multi-multi-million dollar supplier contract with Kraft Foods.

But, as a dairy-free consumer, when you do find Callebaut, it can be a sheer joy. Though they also make milk chocolate (with dairy) they tend to go above and beyond by using dedicated lines for milk-free chocolates. And, in my opinion, their chocolate is exquisite. Which brings me to our latest news …

I'm a few days late to the party, but just discovered this press release about an alliance between Turtle Mountain's So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (my new favorite multi-purpose milk alternative) and the Farm Sanctuary. It looks like a very worthy cause, and I plan on sending in my UPC's (note: Turtle Mountain offers coupons for this product line on their website and sometimes right on the package!). See the details below to learn how you can enjoy some non-dairy milk while helping to save and protect some farm animals (see cute pictures below, too) ... 

September 2, 2010 – Farm Sanctuary Partners with Dairy-Free Foods Pioneer Turtle Mountain to End the Abuse of Dairy Cows One Creamy, Delicious Sip at a Time - These days, milk can be made from almost anything — soy, rice, almonds, hemp, oats, coconut, the list goes on and on — and with so many healthy and delicious nondairy milks available for purchase in mainstream supermarkets, more and more Americans are making these cruelty-free choices. Now through September 30, Oregon-based natural foods company Turtle Mountain, a pioneer in the creation and production of natural dairy-free products, has teamed up with Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, to ensure that every creamy, delicious sip will go even further toward ending the abuse of farm animals by donating $1.00 (up to $5,000) to the nonprofit organization for every UPC that is cut out and sent to them from any flavor of So Delicious™ Dairy Free Coconut Milk.