A Few Dairy Free Cooking Tips {A Guest Post from Adventures of Brad & Kendra}

Hi Everybody! I'm Kendra from Adventures of Brad & Kendra where I share my adventures in crafts, cooking and life in general. I am thrilled to be with all of you today. My favorite food ever is Tillamook Cheddar, I could eat this every day (actually I'm not too far off from doing that). One of the first things that I learned about my husband when we met was that he had a couple food allergies - peanuts and dairy. Now that we're married I have to change a lot of the recipes that I make (mostly baked goods and casseroles) so that he can eat them.

I don't have any peanut items in the house since those he has an anaphylactic reaction to but this doesn't affect my life too much - I simply make almond butter and jelly sandwiches instead. I do miss Reece's' Peanut Butter Cups though (Brad went away on work for a week and I seriously ate an entire bag).

Here are a few tips I've found for editing recipes for a dairy allergy (I am in no way an expert, this is just what I've discovered works for me)

1. Determine what the Dairy adds to the recipe, if it is simply for flavor it could possibly be simply omitted. 
2. Most recipes with liquid dairy can use a non-dairy substitute such as rice/soy/almond milk or water, my preference is rice milk. Heavy cream is harder to replicate but it is possible; try something like coconut milk which is naturally heavier.
3. Do not use margarine in place of butter in frosting - the consistency is completely off and tastes kinda funky.
4. Experiment to find out what works best for you - you might have a taste preference of one type of non-dairy milk over another.
5. If you don't tell people that its such-and-such free they are more likely to enjoy it.

If you have friends or family with allergies, don't be worried about cooking for them; it just takes a bit of research and care.

Small Shop Spotlight- Simply {Darr}ling (& a Giveaway!)

I originally came to know Kendra through her blog, Adventures of Brad & Kendra when she decided to purchase a little real estate on my sidebar over there. >>> ;)
As I was reading through her posts one day, I found one in which she was featuring a few new items from her etsy shop, Simply {Darr}ling.  Once I clicked around her site it was instant love.  Such cute handmade things and so wonderfully affordable!  I couldn't help myself.  I emailed Kendra right away to see if she would be interested in having a Small Shop Feature on my blog.  

She bested my offer and decided to generously host a giveaway for my readers for a $15 credit to her shop! :)

(Let's all say... Thank you, Kendra!)

(Psssttt... if you happen to be be good with a thread & needle or sewing machine, Kendra often posts DIY sewing tutorials on her blog. :) )

So what could you buy with your $15 credit to Simply {Darr}ling?  

How about this Baby Girl Cuddle Blanket? ($15)

I adore the giraffes! :)

Or these Pink & Polka Dots Elastic Hair Ties ($2.95) + this Reversible Coffee Cozy with Polka Dots & Plaid ($7)?

(Oh yes, I did just match the hair ties to a coffee cozy! ;) )

Maybe this gorgeous Chevron Infinity Scarf in Teal & White ($15)?

Or how about these Minky and Terry Cloth Makeup Remover Pads ($7) & these shimmery Shades of Brown Elastic Hair Ties ($2.95)?

You all see what I am saying when I tell it is all cute and all super budget friendly, right? ;)

Ready to get entered?  Just use the Rafflecopter widget below!

*This giveaway is open internationally.  All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided.  No funny business, folks. ;). By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. None of the social media outlets listed below are sponsors of this giveaway.   Frugal Foodie Mama is not responsible for the receipt of this prize.  The prize will be directly sent to the winner via the giveaway sponsor, Kendra from Simply {Darr}ling.  Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting. Tweets must come from a public account.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for additional Terms & Conditions.  Good luck, all! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway