Sweet Sundays: The beauty of a good strawberry shortcake is obviously in the berries.  They should be perfectly ripe and sweet.  The “cake” part is also important, because if you use a super moist cake, it’s just going to disintegrate under the berry juice, and no one likes wet cake.  Biscuits work because they can stand up to the berries, and they’re also not super sweet.  But of course, in my mind, biscuits can do no wrong and are always the answer!

I had some amazing strawberries from the famers’ market, and I also happened to have some ginger scones on hand (my favorite).  I prefer my scones to be more biscuit-like than bread-y, so that’s how I make ‘em.  I thought they’d be the perfect match for the strawberries.  I’ve seen recipes for vegan whipped cream using coconut milk and have wanted to try my hand at it for a while now.  I wish I’d done it sooner – it’s so easy and incredibly tasty.  It was pretty amazing to me that the thick coconut cream whipped just like dairy cream, and was just as rich.  Plus it has the added bonus of coconut flavor. I have no idea how many calories are in this shortcake, but I can tell you that every last one is worth it ...

Technically, the contest opened on June 1st, but have no fear, Pamela's is taking submissions for this contest through August 16th, 2010. Plenty of time to whip up your favorite gluten-free, dairy-free recipe using one or more of Pamela's Products.

Not all of Pamela's Products are dairy-free, but several are. I encourage each of you to show Pamela's how awesome dairy-free recipes can be, by selecting one or more of their dairy-free products to enter your own contest-winning recipe. See the quick reference Allergen Chart on Pamela's website to spot your ingredients.

The theme of this year’s contest is ‘Bite Sized Delights’. The concept invites contestants to create gluten-free miniature variations of favorite dishes using any of the Pamela’s Products brand products. To help get your creative juices flowing, the contest hosts at Pamela's offer a further explanation of this bite-sized theme below:

Frugal Foodie Friday: I’ve never been big on 4th of July picnics … I’m not a fan of traditional potato salad and hot dogs, the corn is often too starchy, and I even disliked watermelon … until a few years ago.

One year our local market had a special, buy $10 of groceries and get a free watermelon. But unlike the jumbo varieties that I recognized from my youth, this was a petite, round, blemish-free, seedless watermelon. The sweet and hydrating flesh was a very deep pink, and it seemed unlike any I had ever tasted. Since then, I have found a new love in this thirst-quenching melon, and thank goodness … since the deals on watermelon around this time of year are simply too good to pass up!

Watermelon season lasts from May to October, but they ripen and gain flavor as the summer progresses. The high water content of watermelon makes it a calorie-conscious treat, as 1 cup of diced watermelon has just 49 calories and no fat. But beyond waist-slimming, watermelon is also an excellent source of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin A, and lycopene ...

These days my time is limited for product reviews. Though I still try to take time to photograph and write-up the items I purchase at the store myself, I often have to turn down review requests or turn them over to another Go Dairy Free reviewer. I hate doing this to small companies, particularly because I know how hard it can be to get the word out, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

But a couple of months ago, one small chocolatier was so determined that I would love their chocolates, that they sent me a small gift box without promise for review. Their bold move paid off, because I now find myself compelled to let you all know how wonderful this chocolate is. Yes, I know, there are few chocolates I dislike, but this vegan dark chocolate is truly unique.