Author: Sarah Hatfield

I was so very, very excited to get my copy of Kelly Rudnicki’s newest cookbook, The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals: Dairy, Egg, and Nut Free Recipes for Every Day. I may have even pushed to the front of the (metaphorical) review line to have the chance to review it because I love her Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book so much. So yes, I’m a bit biased where Kelly is concerned, but it is completely justified. The Food Allergy Mama’s Easy, Fast Family Meals is Truly Family-Approved There are allergy cookbooks that claim to be easy and family-friendly,…

I love the set-it-and-forget-it nature of this crockpot hot chocolate recipe, which I adapted from Stephanie O’Dea. Our family enjoys it all winter long, but it is also a special feature on the menu for our kids’ winter birthday parties. When the crowd is big, we usually double the hot chocolate in a big crockpot. I use soymilk powder in this crockpot hot chocolate because it is easiest to find and all of the kids like the taste. However, if you need soy-free, you can seek out rice milk powder. Brands like Better Than Milk and Growing Naturals are available. Unfortunately, coconut…

Being an allergic child is difficult, especially around Christmas. Fun-looking, unsafe food is everywhere. Parents do their best to make dairy-free treats that are “just like” the ones everyone else has, but it’s not the same. Where is the pretty wrapping? The fun shapes? The sparkly foil? Where is the Advent calendar with chocolates in it?! Enter Amanda’s Own Confections. Every morsel is made in their top allergen-free facility. Tasting Notes for Amanda’s Own Chocolates Amanda’s Own makes chocolates for every major holiday and just about any occasion, but we sampled several of their Christmas confections. The chocolate is pleasantly semi-sweet—not…

Gardein Garden Protein is the leading meat-free meat brand and for very good reason! Offering an alternative to just about any meat you can think of. In fact, their selection includes substitutes for crab cakes, fish filets, meatballs, sausages, beef strips, pork bites, and poultry prepared more than 15 ways – from turkey cutlets to breaded chicken tenders! Tasting Notes for Gardein Garden Protein (Plant-Based “Meatless Meats”) We tried the Chick’n Scallopini, Beefless Tips, Buffalo Wings, Chick’n Good Stuff, and Crispy Tenders. The kids liked the tenders and the Good Stuff, which is like a stuffed chicken breast. Scott and…

For almost every woman I know, they’ve had a Luna Bar phase or they have an ongoing Luna Bar obsession. If I were to guess why, I’d say it’s because they meet a trifecta of demands. Luna Bars are easy to find. They are readily available in grocery stores, supplement shops, convenience markets, and can be purchased from various websites. They’re also affordable. As far as energy bars go, this is one of the cheaper options, plus they go on sale often, and can be bought in bulk. And finally, they taste pretty good for the functionality. They’re chewy, crispy,…

Fruit snacks have been our go-to, food allergy-friendly, emergency treat item for YEARS. So there was real excitement in my family when naturally-sweetened, corn syrup-free Surf Sweets Gummy Candy emerged. Surf Sweets offers a variety of gummies, including worms, bears, and fruity rings in a few different flavors. All are made in their facility that is gluten-free and free of the top 10 allergens (including sulphites). They use organic ingredients, and have several Certified Organic products in the mix, too. My family had a chance to sample some of these sweet treats, and so did Leah. I’ve included tasting notes from…

Smooze Fruit Ice is the perfect summer treat. We have been enjoying these push-up pops in the recent hot weather. Although they are called “fruit ice,” they are more of an ice milk consistency, probably because they are made with coconut milk. They are packaged in little triangular push-pop containers and come in three tropically-inspired flavors: Mango and Coconut, Pink Guava and Coconut, and Pineapple and Coconut. It looks like their Passion Fruit and Coconut flavor was discontinued. Smooze Fruit Ice puts the Tropical Squeeze on Dairy-Free “Ice Milk” We ordered online, and the packages we received were not frozen,…

I had the chance to try Nava Atlas’ Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for all Seasons this week. It is arranged by season, which is my favorite type of cookbook. It has a lot of creative recipes, like Puree of Spring Greens–the perfect way to use up your Spring CSA surplus. Of course I will be using real chicken, clams, sausage, etc. when I cook from this book because we are not vegan. But we do cook dairy free, so this is a great addition to our cookbook shelf (shelves). I made the Onion and Garlic Broth, which I am really excited…

I just finished watching Kevin J. Lindenmuth’s new documentary, “I’m Not Nuts”: Living With Food Allergies. Am I allowed to make this required viewing for every childcare worker and educator in the country? Because I’d like to. I’m Not Nuts is an Essential Food Allergy Documentary This film clearly and carefully lays out the basics of what it’s like to be food allergic and/or to have a food-allergic child. Visual mediums are so powerful–I think this will touch people who don’t know much about food allergies in a way that written stories cannot. The videotape footage of a one-year old,…

Dairy-Free Meat Pie Print Thanks to Sarah at No Whey Mama for this great recipe. It is originally from her neighbor, Tracy (who is a saint per Sarah). Tracy delivered it to us assembled but unbaked, so we could cook it when we wanted to. We served it with applesauce and green beans. It is sooo good. I can’t wait to make it myself. Author: Sarah Hatfield Ingredients 1 lb+ ground beef ⅔ lb pork sausage (Tracy recommends Jimmy Dean.) 1 egg ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning ¼ teaspoon sage black pepper 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon beef bouillon ½…

Special Diet Notes: Homemade Applesauce By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, and allergy-friendly. Homemade Applesauce Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 20 mins Total time 30 mins Another fabulously easy recipe from the milk allergy mom goddess, No Whey Mama – “I really, really like homemade applesauce. And so do the kids. For years I labored under the delusion that it was hard to make, but now I know the truth! Let me share it with you, so that you may enjoy homemade applesauce goodness of your…

Special Diet Notes: Zucchini Curry Soup By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. Mary Hunt’s Zucchini Curry Soup Print Prep time 15 mins Cook time 25 mins Total time 40 mins I love zucchini. Alas, it is almost gone. So here is a fun way to use it up, most of which freeze well. From Mary Hunt’s Everyday Cheapskate column, here is her recipes for Zucchini Brownies and Zucchini Curry Soup. I’ve altered it to be dairy free, of course… Author: Sarah Hatfield Serves: 4 to…

Bike Magazine named PureFit Nutrition Bars “Nutrition Bar of the Year”, and that seems to fit.  The bars are slightly dry to taste, but I can see that this would be an advantage for bikers, hikers, and others who don’t want their bars to melt en route. Tasting Notes for PureFit Nutrition Bars My family tried a few flavors of PureFit Nutrition Bars, so I’ve included our tasting notes with the respective flavors below. But be sure to leave your own rating and review below if you try them! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ingredients: brown rice syrup, soy protein isolate, beet…