I don't have a special logo to offer, and I haven't held a formal panel to taste test every last bar on the market ... but I have tasted quite a few bars (dozens in fact) and outgrown some brands as better options have come along ... so I thought I would share the ones I keep going back for again and again.

To be considered for Alisa's Completely Informal Energy Bar Awards (that would be me), said bars must be dairy-free (that is, made without milk in any whey (sorry bad pun), shape, or form - casein-free, lactose-free, etc.). They also needed to be affordable and easily accessible. I have tried some positively delicious bars, but their price tag classifies them as an occasional special dessert rather than a daily dose of energy. As a side note, I also lean toward soy-free bars, as you will see. With that in mind, the winners are ... Click to view fll post on One Frugal Foodie.

My first question when I received the news about Nasoya Silken Creations was, "What is it?" The response of a "dessert starter" left me even more befuddled, as I had never come across anything similar, dairy-free or not. But our adventurous, dessert-loving tester Sarena was more than enthusiastic to take it on (all three flavors, of course), and what she discovered was truly a revolutionary new product. She literally fell in love with the ease of using Silken Creations to create creamy, low-fat desserts. In fact, she even put its simplicity to the test by using the Strawberry Silken Creations as the only ingredient in homemade dairy-free ice cream. The delicious results exceeded her expectations ...

The food allergy and special diet community at large mourned when Allergy Grocer, a long time online retailer, closed its “doors.” Though this also meant a permanent loss of their popular Miss Roben’s product line, there are several wonderful small businesses picking up where Allergy Grocer left off in specialty food online sales. While purchasing perishables may not be as feasible over the Internet, snack foods, mixes, and ingredients make great online purchases, especially during the busy back-to-school and holiday season, when seeking out specialty items in stores might be a bit too time-consuming or even impossible in rural areas.

Here is a quick list of some wonderful online specialty retailers who offer top quality foods with special product coding for various diets (such as vegan / vegetarian, sugar-free, low-fat, kosher, etc.) and food allergy / sensitivity needs (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, etc.):

Thanks to this year’s bumper blueberry crop, our [tiny] freezer is quickly filling. But I must say, it is worth it; this year’s blueberries seem sweeter than ever. Plus, you can’t beat the prices. We have been getting loads of these delicious Oregon blueberries for just $1.00 to $2.00 per lb at our local grocery stores.

Though I offered to make some blueberry bars, my husband quickly declined with a, “Save them for the smoothies!” Considering how much he loves cookies and bars, this says a ton for his adoration of our homemade smoothies. In fact, there is one sweet blueberry smoothie, which  he not only enjoys immensely, but also brags to others about (in attempts to thwart his less than healthy childhood image). The full recipe and some blueberry freezing tips can be viewed in today's True Blue Smoothie post on One Frugal Foodie. [This recipe is from my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living]

As mentioned before, I seek out deals wherever they may be ... and if that means shopping for groceries online, so be it. But this month, I was rather blown away by all of the dairy-free (and in many cases food allergen-free), natural food super-deep discounts available from the Amazon Grocery Sales & Special Offers for the month of August (these deals expire on Aug 31, 2009). Thick cut, lavishly (and naturally) flavored tortilla chips for less than $2.00 a bag (delivered!), jumbo whole grain cookies for $.70 a piece, and better than Oreo organic cookie packs for just $.50 a piece ... I could go on, but I will let the deals speak for themselves.

Keep in mind, all grocery purchases of $25 or more on Amazon include free shipping, and right now, orders under $25 cost just $.99 in shipping! And, since you are ordering online, there probably won't be any sales tax either. Bonus!  You can view all of this month's deals here on the Grocery Sales Page, but for fun, I have included below details on the offers for our favorite picks ... that is, foods we have trialed, enjoyed, and think are a great value at these prices ...