Happy Fall!

Well, first, my Thanksgiving column is up on Lime.com.

This month, I offer tips from buying turkeys (did you know that most conventional turkeys contain hidden allergens?) to sides, gravy and cranberry sauce. I also have recipes for allergen-free, gluten-free, (and vegan if you want it that way) skillet cornbread and cornbread wild mushroom stuffing. Enjoy. And as always please comment, and add other ideas if you have them, it's great to share your tips!

http://www.lime.com/food/story/5621/food_allergies_and_turkey_day

http://www.lime.com/recipes/story/5623/allergen-free
_cornbread_and_wild_mushroom_stuffing_recipes

But onto some product reviews. I've been trying a lot of premade foods recently, since my husband has been away the better part of the last two months and I'm single parenting my two boys and working full-time. So time-savers are a must.

First, for those with a DAIRY ALLERGY or an EGG ALLERGY -- have you tried SILK NOG? If you can eat soy, this is a must-have for the holiday season. It's a lowfat (0 saturated fat), dairy-free, egg-free version of Egg Nog. It's delicious and guilt free. In fact, I might just be serving it to my boys every day, all holiday season. It's just like egg nog, but healthy. My son Lennon tried it this morning and said, "Yum, it tastes just like donuts!" Well, he's five, and it doesn't really taste like donuts, but I know just what he means. I serve him pumpkin donuts, that have nutmeg in them, so that's what he's tasting, the same nutmeggy flavor. So now I'll move on to the donuts.

For those with a DAIRY ALLERGY, EGG ALLERGY, or GLUTEN INTOLERANCE, have you tried NUTRILICIOUS DONUTS? Holy Moley they're good. The Donut Holes are vegan, Dairy-free, and Egg-free and come in such tasty flavors as chocolate, pumpkin, glazed, etc. They are such a treat. And they also make gluten-free regular donuts that pass the taste test with flying colors. Tender, moist, just like an old-fashioned donut. If you or your child have severe food allergies, please be forewarned that these products are processed in a facility with WHEAT, SOY, AND TREE NUTS (but NOT PEANUTS!)

Last night I gave my guys Amy's Light In Sodium Black Bean and Vegetable Enchiladas. These are a great no-hassle microwaveable dinner for those with a DAIRY ALLERGY, an EGG ALLERGY, or a WHEAT ALLERGY or GLUTEN INTOLERANCE. They are also vegan. I improve the taste slightly by adding melted "VEGAN GOURMET" soy cheese in Chedder Flavor.

A new find from Whole Foods last week was Bruce's Yams. These are just vacuum packed whole sweet potatoes. They save you at least a whole hour of time (cuts out peeling, boiling, etc) I don't know if I'll use them everytime I made something with sweet potatoes, but I'll certainly keep em stocked on my shelves. Here's the yummy concoction I made for my kids. Take a baking pan. Place 4 canned pineapple rings in the bottom. Mash Bruces Yams with the back of a fork. Add a little Earth Balance spread, or Canola Oil (THE COMPLETLY ALLERGEN FREE OPTION), and some cinnamon, mound ontop of the pineapple ring, then top with a Marshmallow. If you have an EGG ALLERGY, use VeganSweets, available at many health food stores, or online at places like the Allergy Grocer. These are egg-free and dairy-free, but they do contain SOY. Bake at 375 till marshmallow is soft and starting to become golden.

For new recipes, check back soon. And next month on Lime.com, I'm doing healthy swap outs for the holidays, all healthy, some allergen-free.

Be well!

Cybele