Alisa Fleming - www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Close your eyes, and imagine the ability to vacation in a beautiful seaside resort town dedicated to catering to allergies.  You awake to the warm scent of freshly baked gluten-free bread from the shop next to your hotel, where your room is prepared for sensitivities, down to the mite-free mattress.  You start your day with a stroll along a street free of pollen-rich trees, stop in to get your hair done at a salon offering allergy sensitive products, and finish off the relaxing afternoon with a generous scoop of milk-free ice cream.  You can open your eyes now; this town really does exist …

Alisa Fleming - www.GoDairyFree.org ~ Last week, two Dunkin Donuts stores in the Washington D.C. area (addresses below) began serving soymilk as an option for those who don’t consume dairy.  While the donuts may still be off limits, all containing milk in some form, vegans and milk-free dieters in the D.C. area can now enjoy the inexpensive convenience of bagels and a “creamy” coffee beverage of their choice at this institution of donuts.  Though this may seem small scale, the friendly people at Compassion Over Killing (COK) and SuperVegan have confirmed that Dunkin Donuts is listening to consumer requests …

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 ...

Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ One of the most beloved crops our great earth has bestowed upon us is the sacred cocoa bean.  We have praised it in desserts and are now enjoying a good nibble or two each day in the name of healthy snacking.  But, in the name of Earth Day Every Day, I think considering the source of our chocolate is becoming ever more important.  Organic, Vegan, and Fair Trade are becoming the medals of honor in the cacao industry, and these companies are gladly stepping forward to accept an award or three …

Mount Crawford, Virginia ~ WhiteWave Foods has issued a voluntary recall of their 11-ounce plastic single serve bottles (the smaller bottle pictured at left) of Silk Soymilk Chocolate Flavor because it may contain undeclared milk protein. The recalled bottles  are printed with a "use by" date of "05 07 08" and a UPC of 2529360028 on the back of each bottle. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk protein run the risk of a health problem or illness if they consume this product. Some reactions have been reported ...