Lively Lemon Cookies

Date: April 4, 2009

Brand: Enjoy Life
Name: Soft Baked Lively Lemon Cookies
Free of: gluten & all 8 common allergens, also casein, potato, sesame, & sulfites
SKU: 53522??016

Overall Rating: very good

These cookies have a very nice lemon flavor and a soft, slightly chewy texture. They are also rather gritty, which put me off at first since I was not expecting that in a cookie. Once I knew what to expect, I enjoyed these cookies. They are on the small side – just right for a snack. The box I bought was on clearance because it was past its “sell by” date, but I did not notice any staleness, dryness, or other problems. They are preserved with rosemary extract. A particularly nice feature of these cookies is that they are baked in a dedicated nut- and gluten-free facility, eliminating danger of cross-contamination with these allergens. I will buy these cookies again, and will also try other products made by Enjoy Life.

I just had to try it.

I know I’m definitely allergic to eggs.  I’m allergic to dairy too.  But maybe it’s not that bad.  Maybe just a little bit will be ok.  How much milk can there actually be in chocolate covered pretzels?  It must be a miniscule amount — probably not enough to affect me.  I adore chocolate covered pretzels.  Oh, what the heck.  It’ll probably be fine.  It’s not like I’m going to die or anything.

The chocolate covered pretzels were delicious.  Every bit as delectable as I remembered them.  Like clockwork, 2 hours later I was coughing and snuffling.  Maybe it’s just a coincidence.  I’ll just ignore it.  It’s not all that bad.  My partner brought me the Benadryl and a glass of water and handed them to me with a stern Italian glare.  I took the Benadryl.

Soon after, like clockwork, the coughing and snuffling disappeared.

I know I’m definitely allergic to eggs and dairy.  Being up half the night with diarrhea really drove home the point.

For a smart person, I sure can do some dumb things!  I just had to try it.  Wishful thinking, I guess.  I sure hope I’ve learned my lesson!

Chocolate Newman-O’s

Date: February 11, 2009

Brand: Newman’s Own
Name: Chocolate Newman-O’s
SKU: 5764502242

Overall Rating: excellent

Craving something chocolate, I flipped over my partner’s package of Chocolate Newman-O’s, fully expecting to find that I could not eat them. I was delighted to discover that I can! No egg or dairy ingredients! This is a fantastic discovery! Newman-O’s are chocolate sandwich cookies similar to Oreos, but better. For one thing, the filling is chocolate. I also prefer the flavor and texture of the Newman’s cookie over the Oreo’s. As an added bonus, they’re made with several organic ingredients, and, like all Newman’s Own products, the profits go to charity. These have been a favorite at our house for several years, and will continue to be.

Mi-Del Vanilla Snaps

Date:        January 27, 2009

Brand:    Mi-Del
Name:    Vanilla Snaps, “Swedish Style”
SKU:        3068403504

Overall Rating: very good indeed

These cookies are excellent.  They are about the size of Nilla Wafers, but flatter.  The Vanilla Snaps have great vanilla flavor and a nice solid crunch.  I love these cookies, and I will be buying them frequently.

Good Pancakes

I have been craving pancakes for weeks, but the only pancakes I knew how to make were full of eggs and milk — mighty tasty too, if I do say so myself.  It took me a while to find an alternative that looked like it might be good.  This is recipe #340363 on Recipezaar with a couple of minor changes.

• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 C soy milk

Preheat and grease pan or griddle.

Mix dry ingredients, then whisk in oil and soy milk.  Batter should be smooth.  Allow batter to rest for about a minute before cooking.  Pancakes are ready to flip when edges are firm.

I liked that this recipe is simple and doesn’t call for unusual ingredients.  I found these pancakes to be slightly bland when eaten plain, but who eats pancakes plain?  With maple syrup, I liked them just fine.  If you like margarine, that would probably be a nice addition also.  I’m also going to try them with raspberry syrup and blueberry syrup.  I think I will also experiment with adding a dash of nutmeg to the batter next time.

Update:  Try the nutmeg.  It was great.

Nana’s Double Chocolate Cookie

Date: January 21, 2009

Brand: Nana’s

Name: Double Chocolate Cookie

SKU: 4310500007

Overall Rating: not bad

This cookie had lots of walnuts and chocolate chunks in it. The flavor was slightly fruity, probably because it is sweetened with fruit juice. The texture was a bit grainy, but not disagreeable. The cookie was heavy and very dense. It had a good chocolate flavor. I liked it, except that, when I chewed it, it changed to a sticky paste in my mouth. Bottom line: flavor good, texture not so good. I would buy this again if I were having a severe chocolate craving.

Silk Soymilk Nog

Date: January 21, 2009

Brand: Silk
Name: Soymilk Nog
SKU: 2529360050

Overall Rating: Awesome!

Silk Soymilk Nog tastes like egg nog. Period. If you like egg nog, you’ll like this. I happen to love egg nog (those were the days…), and I love Silk Nog just as much. I would serve this to my non-allergic friends and family without hesitation. The only difference I noticed is that this is not as thick as real egg nog. The consistency is the same as regular soy milk. I will be buying this every chance I get. Yum!

Welcome to the world of food allergies!

Once I stopped coughing and wheezing, the doctor’s words began to sink in.  “You definitely have an egg allergy.  Don’t eat anything with egg in it.”  Easier said than done!  Further investigation revealed that I am also allergic to milk.  Well!  That explained why I had been sick for the past several years, but now I was really up a creek.

Virtually all processed and “convenience” foods were suddenly off-limits.  No great loss since I don’t like most of them anyway.  I’ll never eat cheese again.  That is a major loss since I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like.  No butter or eggs for baking cuts out a significant part of my repertoire, and what can I possibly have for breakfast?

Clearly, research was urgently needed.  Thus began my journey into the world of allergy-friendly cooking.

Zensoy Chocolate Soy Pudding

Date: January 24, 2009

Brand: Zensoy
Name: Chocolate Soy Pudding
SKU: 7205011002

This pudding has a good chocolate flavor and a smooth texture. There is a slight (not unpleasant) hint of fruitness, but no soybean flavor or aftertaste. The consistency is slightly different from dairy pudding, but is not at all displeasing. It is soft, firm, and not runny or grainy at all. Definitely the best “alternative” pudding I have tried. I will certainly buy this again.