I thought I'd never bake again

Recipes to come:
Pumpkin Chocolate-like cookies
Almost like Grandma E's Pumpkin Pie

Almost like Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats (can make into a football shape for a Superbowl Party)

Tips of the Cow-free trade

• Coffee:  If you have as finicky a baby as I do, you may not even be able to drink decaf coffee regularly.  I seem to be able to get away with 1-2 times a week -if I spread it out.  Another option, especially if the place doesn't have decaf coffee, is to order a decaf Cafe Americana, which is espresso and water (with a shot of flavoring if you're feeling sassy) and then add your own Mocha Mix or So Coconut milk creamer to it. 

• When traveling, bring along a travel coffee mug and either bring your Mocha Mix in a cooler or buy it when you get there.  Then you can pour some in your little travel mug and bring it with you to restaurants or Starbucks to add your own non-dairy creamer to your coffee or Americana. (You can also start slurring your words at breakfast to give the waitress a good laugh since you know they are wondering what you are spiking your coffee/tea with).

• Don't be afraid to ask if something has dairy and remind people that butter is dairy.

• You can have most mayonnaise.  

• Most fast food does not have butter-it is too expensive and they are too cheap.

Snacky and don't know what to do

Snacking has been the most difficult for me as I am an almonds, apples and cheese kinda gal.  Here is a list of my most favorite snacks:

• Trader Joe's already sliced organic apples (sometimes coupled with Wheat Thins or pretzels or dip them in honey or Wow Butter (fake peanut butter)
• Homemade Granola (I take Giada's recipe which follows, omit the nuts and play around with carious dried fruit including TJ's dried fruit medley, or dried blueberries and banana chips):  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/homemade-cranberry-nut-granola-recipe/index.html.  You can okay around with the baking time to make it chewy (less time) or crunchy (more time).
• Trader Joe's savory thin crackers and hummus (or their pretzel thins and hummus)- usually also eat some carrots to get some veggies in.
• Sunflower Seed butter and a hearty grain toast (am curious to use this instead of peanut butter in some baking recipes).  If your baby is not too bothered by some soy products you can also try WOW butter at Whole Foods- tastes  like peanut butter so great spread on graham crackers.  Also spread on celery or a banana.
• Hearty grain toast with some preserves or other fancy jelly.
• Newman's Own Simply Salted or salt and black pepper microwave popcorn
• Salt Water Taffy and good red licorice (Sprouts has awesome taffy and Lassen's has some yummy licorice options).
• Julian's Sorbet Bars (I get them at Whole Foods or Sprouts)
• Cut up cantaloupe - if feeling fancy can eat with some proscuitto
• Chips and salsa mixed with Sour Supreme (really not so bad fake sour cream- especially when mixed with salsa!!)
• Make your own dried fruit or trail mix.  Some of my favorite combos are banana chips (I like the TJ's brand they give a nice crunch factor since I am missing nuts- ha ha that sounds funny) and dried apples or I do dried cranberries (I like TJ's orange flavored cranberries), roasted dried pumpkin seeds (Sprouts bins), and roasted salted sunflowers seeds (TJ's or Sprouts)
• Nature's Own honey and oat crunchy granola bars or cinnamon flavors
• Pumpkin and flax granola bars sometimes don't have nuts
• So Delicious Coconut yogurts (available at Sprouts)

Kosher is more than kosher

I have been going to Stoneground Bakery ever since moving to the area about 1.5 years ago.  I never realized they are a Kosher Bakery- all I knew is I liked their sweet treats. I also didn't know what Kosher Parve meant....until now.  What does it mean?  It means... sweet Jesus I can eat it!  As a breastfeeding mommy of a finicky baby- boy does it matter and man am I happy.


I also recently tried a new restaurant in the area and literally sang my way through breakfast I was so happy.  Here are a few places where I can actually order something with confidence that I am not poisoning my baby (because really that is what it feels like when she is screaming and arching as I try and nurse her):

• Stoneground Bakery: It is off of Canwood before Trader Joes in Agoura Hills. Because they are a Kosher bakery look for the cases that have Kosher Parve (which means it is non-dairy), not Kosher Dairy (which means it has dairy).  A few favorites include their black and white cookie (takes me back to my NYC deli days), Cinnamon Chopper,  carrot muffin, and their ginger scone.  They also do Caffe Americanas and have the powdered Mocha Mix non-dairy creamer.
• Hugo's in the Whizins shopping plaza in Agoura Hills:  They have vegan options and rice milk for lattes. (I recommend their Decaf Chai Latte made with steamed rice milk and a little side of steamed soy milk).  They even have non-dairy butter (insert angels singing here)...I could go on and on.  I am going to try their lunch and dinner menu very soon and will let you know...
• Bean Scene in Oak Park has a decaf black tea option and non-dairy creamer (though it may have a milk derivative in it- so depending on the sensitivity level of your baby you may want to clarify with them).
• Costco's fruit smoothie, I was told, has no dairy in it-so I went for it and it was yummy.  Of course you can also get a juice only smoothie from Jamba Juice and from The Tomato Patch in Agoura Hills (next to Golden Spoon). So you can stop feeling sorry for yourself when you stop to get your toddler some frozen yogurt as you too can now have a frozen concoction to help you hang on - thank you Mr. Buffet).

Staple Products

Products saving my life right now:

• Coconut Milk for smoothies, pouring over granola, and some baking
• Combination of rice milk and Mocha Mix non-dairy creamer for morning cereal and baking and homemade Decaf Tazo Chai lattes
• I am getting ready to try SO Delicious Coconut Milk creamer (they have regular, hazelnut and vanilla flavors at Sprouts) tomorrow in my decaf coffee- will let you know how it is
• Enjoy Life, Eat Freely non-dairy, non-soy chocolate chips and chocolate chunks
• Marie Calendar's frozen pie crust (one of the few out there that is non-dairy)
• Lenny & Larry's protein cookies: https://www.lennylarry.com (you can order by the box on Amazon.com if you like them and it is less expensive than buying per cookie at the health food store)
• Earth's Balance sticks (butter substitute) for baking (takes a little longer to melt)
• Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread mix
• Julie's Organics Sorbet Bars
• Van's Organics Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
• Trader Joe's Caramel Corn (which is usually made with butter but their's is not!)
• Alternative Baking Company (Vegan) Cookies (the Espresso Chocolate Chip is my personal fav)

What? No dairy? Or nuts? Or caffeine?

A die hard baker and overall lover of good food, I have been sideswiped by not being able to eat dairy or nuts or caffeine (including chocolate) while nursing my second child.  Since I can still eat eggs, some of my recipes are not vegan- but some of the tips and inspiration I received (after coming out of mourning) were from vegan websites -so a little internet search and reading is a great place to start.  Determined not to pout forever, I have adapted a few of my favorite recipes and found some great products that fool me into thinking I am still part of the yummy eating crowd.