Dairy Free Goodies (Guest Post)!

Well guys, 

It’s official… I’m a married women!!   Now I am writing this post 2 weeks early, so I have no details for you (yet)!!  Our wedding was yesterday, and I’m sure it was perfect!! 

Thanks to Christin for this guest post!! I love her blog and she just seems like such an awesome positive person!!   (Plus she has GORGEOUs tattoos!)   This is a great post all about dairy free alternatives!!  Enjoy!

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Hello lovely DFB readers!  I'm Christin from Purple Bird Blog

I'm thrilled to be guest posting for Jessica!  I am so happy I discovered her blog as I have a sensitivity to cow's milk and try to remain mostly dairy-free (with some goat cheese on occasion), and I am especially trying to stay true to this for the new year as I vow to honour my body better.  I would like to talk about a few of my favorite dairy substitutes.

Earth Balance is a vegan margarine that is an excellent replacement for butter.  I use it on toast, in baking... really in any situation that calls for butter and have always been pleased with the results.  The flavor really is very rich and buttery.  I did all of my holiday baking with Earth Balance and everyone loved all my cookies! 

Almond Breeze is by far my favourite non-dairy milk out there.  I love all three of the unsweetened varieties (plain, vanilla, and chocolate) and use them for anything and everything that calls for milk, from recipes to a big bowl of cereal.  The flavour and creaminess just can't be beat!

The So Delicious coconut milk line of products is just outstanding.  I use the kefir in smoothies and overnight oats, and I use the creamer in my coffee or to add a thick creamy texture to rice, soups, etc.  They have a ridiculously tasty line of ice creams as well, and their yogurt is outstanding. I can't say enough good things about these awesome products.

Nutritional yeast, besides being a nutritional powerhouse, imparts a lovely cheesy flavor that I can't get enough of.  I use it in sauces, to make kale chips, and sprinkle it on pretty much anything.  A favorite snack of mine is nutritional yeast and peanut butter on a sweet potato!  Another cheese substitute I love but don't have a picture for is the Daiya line of shredded cheeze.  It actually MELTS, which is a huge deal to me sometimes when I'm really craving cheesy flavor AND texture.
Being dairy-free is so much easier with all these wonderful products on the market! 
I don't feel deprived when I can eat mashed potatoes made with Earth Balance and Almond Breeze,

lasagna made with Daiya cheese,

or overnight oats made with Almond Breeze and So Delicious kefir.

And a dairy-free post wouldn't be complete without mentioning my favorite pizza, Amy's no-cheese pizza (which I sometimes eat with added goat cheese, but lately I've just been loving it the way it is!). 

Thanks for letting me ramble, and please feel free to check out the shenanigans on my blog including my adventures in cooking, being a massage therapy student (while working full-time as a medical transcriptionist!), and showcasing plenty of ridiculous photos of my two dog fur-children! 

Have a great day, everyone!
*********************************************************************************************************************Christin
http://purplebirdblog.wordpress.com/