We have a winner!

And the winner of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families goes to...............

Commentor #4
underwooddays

Please enter me!! I need a great resource as we start a new diet with Lucia. This is totally new ground for me but I'm feeling motivated and ready for a happy/healthier girl. Great post.

Congrats!! Please email me at ljotritabaugh at gmail dot com to claim your prize. If prize is not claimed within 48hrs, I will draw a new winner.

Winner picked using random.org

Almond Breeze Almond Milk Winners!

And the winners of the Almond Breeze Almond Milk giveaway are.....

(drum roll please)
 
Commentors: 
#6 Teresa Hodek
#2 Stefanie
#7 villda

Congratulations! Please email me (ljotritabaugh at gmail dot com) with your mailing info. If I do not hear from you within 48 hrs, a new winner will be drawn. Thanks!

And thanks to everyone for entering!



Winners picked using random.org.

Got Food Allergies? (giveaway!)

Have I got a cookbook for you!


Thanks to Moms Meet and Kiwi Magazine, I have my very own copy of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families to peruse and drool over. It is chock full of recipes that are allergen free and family friendly. Can't do gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs or soy? They've got you covered, with 120 tasty, allergy-friendly recipes.

We are very fortunate to not have any true food allergies in our family. Pen and I are sensitive to dairy products, so I try to limit and avoid them as much as possible. But it is not a life threatening allergy and something we can easily choose to avoid. Not everyone is so lucky though! We know several families that have children with food allergies and I know they struggle with finding wholesome recipes that the whole family can enjoy together. This cookbook is just what they need! And, Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is not only a great cookbook, but also a great website! It is a wonderful online resource for allergy-free cooking recipes and ideas.

Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is really, a well put together cookbook. The recipes are broken down into; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Snacks and Parties (so fun!). Each section offers a multitude of family friendly recipes that are truly drool worthy. Within each section, each recipe is clearly marked with colorful tabs that indicate which allergens the recipe is free of. And if there are substitutions available to make a recipe safe for that allergen, the tab will also say "option". SO user friendly. There are fabulous food pics scattered throughout the book too, that really enhance the drool factor.

Here are a few recipes that I can't wait to try:
No-Cream of Broccoli Soup (gluten, dairy, nut, egg and soy free)
World's Best Kale Salad (gluten, dairy, egg and nut free)
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies (dairy, nut, egg and soy free)
and pretty much everything in the dessert section...like Cherry Chocolate Sorbet (gluten, dairy, nut, egg and soy free) *swoon*.

And while some recipes are a little more involved than others, most have pretty short ingredient lists and little prep. Because let's be honest, who wants to slave away in the kitchen for a meal that will be devoured in 8 minutes flat? Oh, that's right. No one.

Another really nice feature of this book is a section titled "Building a Natural, Allergy-Free Pantry". It is full of great suggestions and ideas to keep your pantry well stocked with allergy free ingredients. A very handy resource to have in your kitchen!

I highly recommend this cookbook not only to those who are dealing with food allergies, but to anyone who is looking for healthy, family friendly meals. There really is something in here for everyone. It would make a great gift for a family with food allergies!

Would you like to WIN your very own copy of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families? Leave me a comment and you'll be entered in my giveaway! I will draw a winner on Wednesday, August 22nd. Good luck!


And remember, I am hosting a giveaway for free Almond Breeze Almond Milk! Go check it out!

CSA Love Fest 2012- Week....9?

I'm a bit behind in my CSA Love Fest.  So here's a little photo recap;

Week 6 (7/18)

Week 7 (7/25)-Chris picked up our share this week and forgot to take a picture. Oops.



Week 8 (8/1)

And here we are this week....Week 9:

 

The picture quality on my phone is not great, but hey, at least it's a picture. Not sure what's up with the grey line on the bottom.

Starting 8/1, we added a bread share on to our Whole Diet Share. So from now until November, we will get a loaf of whole wheat bread and one "baker's choice" item with our fruits, veggies, meat and fish. The whole wheat bread is incredibly good, well worth the price alone. But the "baker's choice" items have been phenomenal. Last week we got a loaf of sourdough with herbs....amazing. This week we got a loaf of "Northwoods Bread". A rustic whole wheat loaf with craisins, raisins, agave, walnuts, wild rice and malted barley. Holy crap is this bread good! A slice with a smear of butter is amazing. Throw it in the toaster and smear it with butter and it is out of this world good. We are trying to restrain ourselves and savoring every morsel. So. good.

We've had a great variety of veggies lately and a good amount of blueberries. Chris and the girls love blueberries (you can see them sneaking handfuls while I was snapping away), so they are happy campers.  Chris has been blending them in with his homemade kefir. He says it is amazing. I am taking his word for it.

Here is the run down of this week's haul:
Blueberries
Fennel (I need recipes with fennel, please!)
Green Onions
Salad Mix
Green Beans
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Carrots
Cabbage
Corn
Zucchini
Eggs
Lake Trout
Whitefish
Polish Sausage
Brats
Chicken

Pretty sure I am going to make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake tomorrow. *drool*

Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend....NOT creepy.

Thanks to Moms Meet, I was recently given the opportunity to sample Blue Diamond's new Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend.

 It is a nondairy milk that is a lactose free blend of almond milk and coconut milk. I have issues with dairy products (read: me + dairy = no go. Unless I want to be bloated and in pain for the rest of the day. FUN! Not.) so I jumped at the chance to be part of their sampling program for their shelf stable product.

I was familiar with Almond Breeze and their Almond milk. I purchase and drink it on a regular basis (again, me + dairy = no good.). But I've always purchased the refrigerated product. And occasionally the Chocolate refrigerated product. This bad boy right here:

Let me be honest here, I was a bit hesitant when I read the words "shelf stable". Not gonna lie, it kind of creeped me out. But then the good people at Blue Diamond, informed me that it just means

"Almond Breeze is ultra pasteurized (a high temperature heat treatment) that ensures food is free from harmful bacteria and packaged in sealed sterile cartons with special barrier layers that keep out light, moisture and air."

Oh. That's not so creepy. Actually that's kind of nice. I can stock up when it's on sale and not worry about it going bad. Sweet.

When the package came in the mail, I was excited to see two FULL size cartons of Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend, one unsweetened, one sweetened. I also got two cookbooklets, "The Secret to a Great Smoothie" and "The Perfect Blend of Flavors" which has lots of great recipes and ideas for incorporating the Almond Coconut blend into your every day cooking. I am totally making the Coconut Curry Chicken Skewers later this week. YUM.

So then, it was time. I cracked open the carton of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Coconut and poured myself a little glass. I took a sip. And....it was great! Very smooth, creamy, slightly sweet and just a hint of coconut flavor. I was worried the coconut flavor would be really strong and take over, but it doesn't. It compliments the almond milk nicely. The girls wanted to try some too, so we all had a little "milk" break. Olive wasn't a fan, but Pen asked for more! Which was nice to hear, since she seems to suffer from the same dairy issues I do. And since Almond Breeze Almond Coconut has more calcium than cow's milk, it is an easy way to get our calcium in.

The real test came the next morning. I poured a bowl of cereal, topped it with Almond Breeze Almond Coconut and dug in.......



Raisins and bran flakes have never tasted so good. The cold, creamy Almond Breeze Almond Coconut added a bit of the tropics to my breakfast that morning and it was wonderful. So then I just went crazy. I added it to my coffee (yum). I added it to the girls' oatmeal (double yum) and later on I added a splash to our smoothie (Y.U.M.).

So, long story short, if you are looking for a nondairy, calcium enriched milk alternative, I highly recommend Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend. Shelf stable (remember, not creepy), tropical goodness in a carton. Awesome. You can check 'em out on Facebook too.


What's that?

You ARE looking for a nondairy milk alternative that's calcium enriched? Well, my friend, you have come to the right place. Thanks to Moms Meet and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, I have THREE vouchers to giveaway, each good for one FREE carton of shelf stable Almond Breeze. Just leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win! I will choose three winners on Friday August 17th. Good luck! And may the force be with you!




(I don't know. It sounded good.)

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product. And all that jazz.