It is truly amazing to me that this innovative little company has yet to come across a real direct competitor to their Chunks of Energy. Sure, they are vying for the healthy snack, grab and go, athletic, and trekking markets, right alongside hundreds of bar manufacturers, but realistically “chunks” are in a whole different league.

I absolutely love the smaller portion sizes that you can pack along like trail mix, popping exactly as many as you need when your energy begins to wane. No more wavering on which sized bar to open as you try to figure out your appetite, or fit in just the right amount before dinner. No more eating just a half a bar only to find the other half has gone stale when you make your way back to it. Even better, these lovingly made chunks vary randomly in size, ranging from a small 5g bite to a triple-sized bite, so you can further customize each serving. Oh, and of course there is the mix and match feature. Can’t decide between fruity, chocolaty, or carob? Enjoy a piece of each! So what are these chunks like?  ...

In July, people were already talking about back to school, in August I spied several fall soup recipes sneaking onto blogs, and here we are in September, already talking about Halloween. Of course, since many treats are ordered online these days, some pre-planning is called for. And, it is good to allow time to taste-test the options first before making the big Halloween purchase. With that in mind, Divvies has released their new Chocolate Ghosts ... made in a dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free facility of course. Since food allergies seem to be on the rise, these are a great option for little ones with multiple food allergies and classroom parties that they might be attending. 

I must admit being caught a bit off guard with this Halloween treat release, as I was still stuck in back-to-school mode. It is obvious that I need to get moving collecting ideas so you can have plenty of time to pick and choose your dairy-free Halloween goodies. With that in mind, please feel free to email me directly with any Dairy-Free Halloween Treats you recommend, whether store-bought or homemade (manufacturers are welcome to email me directly also). Meanwhile, I will get working on compiling a list from your suggestions and my own searches to help everyone enjoy some delicious treats (forget the tricks, bring on the food!) for Halloween.

LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA – When the “lazy, hazy” days of summer come to a close, many families of school age children brace for the “insanely hectic” days of fall.  In addition to back-to-school, there’s also back-to-soccer, back-to-scouts, back-to-art lessons, music lessons, football, karate, and all of the myriad extra-curricular activities in which children are involved.  Between working, driving carpools and keeping up with household chores, many parents give up on the notion of cooking dinner and opt for fast food or pizza instead.

For the millions of families with food allergic children, however, the only safe option is often a home cooked meal.  But who has time to cook?

It seems that raw foods are all the rage these days, at least in health-conscious circles and for more open-minded foodies. It can be a proposition that's a bit difficult to swallow, whether you follow the guidelines in full or attempt a diet of partially raw edibles and cooked dishes, due to difficulty more than anything else. Preparing a few simple snacks such as crackers or cookies? No problem, only it will take you at least half a day to dehydrate anything to the point of approaching crispiness. Craving something comforting like meatloaf or veggie burgers? Easy enough to fix, but you may just need to hunt down rare, hard to find ingredients online.

The worst offenders, however, tend to be the desserts. Typically requiring crazy equipment, expensive ingredients, and up to two days of waiting before you can even take the first bite, it's hard for this die-hard baker to fully embrace such a diet. That doesn't mean I would snub a whole wide universe of vegan food, simply based on the concept of applying no heat above 110 degrees. Always eager to try new things, I was excited to get my hands on a promising new book called Raw for Dessert, by Jennifer Cornbleet ...

Recipes that glug back 1/2 cup of maple syrup or more do make me cringe. Who has that kind of money?! However, pure maple syrup is an indulgence that I believe everyone should enjoy ... in moderation ... and on sale. Which is why I load up when I find a fantastic maple syrup deal like this one:

Coombs Family Farms 100% Pure Maple Syrup [Organic option] for as low as $12.50 per 2 lb jug (32 ounces), delivered. Yes, that is no tax, on your doorstep, not even fifty cents to drive to the store, end price, that is it. I challenge you to find pure maple syrup for less than $6.25/lb! Use the coupon code BASCOM35, and sign up for subscribe & save (can be cancelled at any time after your order), to get the full discount (details on this page). This deal pops up once in a blue moon on Amazon, but I haven't found any rhyme or reason to the timing. All I know is that the offer expires at the end of the month (September 30, 2009), so head to the Coomb's Sale Now!

Note: I bought two jugs of the grade B, which has a richer maple flavor. If you prefer, Grade A is available for the same price.