Dairy-Free Indulgence

With the holidays quickly approaching, soon will come the onslaught of homemade chocolate fudge, hot chocolate with whipped cream, apple pie, mashed potatoes, and the cookies, oh, the cookies. For an individual allergic to dairy such as myself, it takes a great deal of willpower to resist the temptation to try "just a little bite because it's vacation, after all." Well. I've had the pleasure of learning my lesson several times over the hard way, so I'm fairly strict now about maintaining a dairy-free diet. And what a difference it makes! (duh).

I'll admit it's not easy eating entirely dairy-free. Temptations abound. And sometimes, it's just downright cruel when I catch a mouth-watering whiff of my roommates' pizza slices on any given night. So, to all my fellow eaters out there who follow a dairy-free diet, a significant portion of The Printed Thought blog will be devoted to some tasty specialized recipes.

With my arsenal of Allergy Self-Help cookbooks by my side, I've actually rather enjoyed the challenge of taste-testing and substituting ingredients to create 100% dairy-free meals and desserts without sacrificing taste. My ultimate life-saver: coconut. Instead of soy, soy, and more soy, coconut milk is not only a fantastic substitute for cream, but it is also available in yogurt, milk, and ICE CREAM form! Likewise, coconut oil (deodorized or not) is an excellent substitute for butter in baked goods. And the best part? Coconut, though high in saturated fat (but the good fat like in nuts and avocados), helps make your skin and hair luminous. Please don't be scared by the nutrition label. This plant fat is metabolized by the body at an astounding rate.

Speaking of coconut, the company Turtle Mountain is an absolute gem. Since 1987, they have specialized in the creation and production of all-natural and organic dairy-free products. I'll highlight all of their Coconut Milk offerings in a following post, but in the meantime, run to your local health food store and grab a pint of their Coconut Milk Ice Cream. It is by far THE BEST ice cream substitute on the market. In fact, I would argue MUCH more tastier and healthier than real dairy ice cream. It would fool even the most die hard ice cream connoisseur. Try the flavor Cookie Dough and you will not be disappointed.