Ultra Foods?

We stopped at an Ultra Foods today, because it was convenient to our errands ad we were just looking for dinner. I had no idea what we were in for, but let me say this could be a good alternative for you dairy-freers out in the IL/IN Chicago suburbs area.

First for all, they just have a large selection to begin with. I know some stores certainly vary between locations based on neighborhood needs/sales patterns/etc, but Ultra Foods has a lot of options out there. We will definitely be stopping by again just to see what is all available.

That being said, we needed butter so walked down the dairy aisle and a bunch of dairy-free options were jumping out at me. I saw Daiya shreds (and I think another brand), a variety of different soy yogurts, butter alternatives, ice creams, etc. I didn't get a comprehensive list, but will try on my next trip. They also have a lot of vegan options out there too; one of my favorite snacks being popcorners n_n

Trying out Some Cheese Subs

I was making a bagel today and decided it was a good opportunity to try out some cheeses. Like many, I enjoy cream cheese on my bagels. However, my go to is actually a toasted bagel with butter and cheese (slightly melted). It's like an open face grilled cheese on a bagel. So, you get 3 reviews today!

Chao original slices

This smells fine, kind of like cheese (not bad in any regard). Texture-wise it's a little harder than actual sandwich cheese slices. It melted fine with some heat, but got a bit gummy. It also gets gummy w/ moisture. Flavor-wise, it was meh. I'm not sure what the original flavor is supposed to be, but it was pretty bland. Not bad, just didn't do much for me.

Follow Your Heart American slices

These smelled fine too, more like cheese than Chao. The texture again was a little harder than actual cheese, although not as hard/tough as Chao. Like the Chao, it melted well enough with some heat, although still gummy (not quite as gummy as Chao though). The flavor was a bit better, but that might because they were going for an actual flavor. Kind of like American, although not quite there.

I gave my dog a little piece of each of these. She was like WTF! So...definitely did not fool her. They weren't anything great or special, but I'll probably still give them a chance and see how I feel about them over time. Remember: I was using real cheese just this weekend lol

Overall, they weren't particularly disappointing or anything, and I'm interested in trying the other flavors. They are a bit pricey, and you don't get much in a pack though. I'm also unsure how they would use for sauces etc, but I'm guessing other options might be better

Daiya plain cream cheese

This was the best of the 3 cheeses I tried today. It smelled like cream cheese, had a really great texture, and a pretty good flavor. My only complaint is that I found it a bit sweet. If you've ever had the Philadelphia cheese cake flavored cream cheese, it was more like that than plain. Still good, and would be wonderful in baked goods and desserts, but not quite what I was looking for on my bagel today. I will definitely be using this in the future, for a variety of things from sandwiches to desserts, and I am looking forward to trying some of the other flavors.

So Delicious Cashew Milk Ice Cream & Coco Whip

I meant to start trying out my new purchases last night, but alas we got caught up in game night and I had a burger with regular American cheese. I was looking for a sweet treat before lunch and decided to try out the So Delicious cashew milk ice cream. I grabbed the vanilla, because who doesn't like a good vanilla (although watch out, as they basically have an unflavored version which I almost mistook for vanilla).

Disclaimer: My trip took longer than intended yesterday so things did get a bit melty.

Taste: Pretty good. This was like your standard French vanilla, so a little buttery without a super strong vanilla flavor. Some hints of cashew, but much less than the almond in Ben & Jerry's. I definitely want to check out some of the other flavors.

Texture: Much better than the coconut milk! Maybe even better than almond milk? Or at least comparable. There was that obvious refrozen texture though, so I may update this as I get farther into the pint or when I try a new flavor. That aside, this was a very thick and creamy ice cream.

Overall: I think this is m favorite so far. I am really looking forward to trying some of the other flavors, and to see what new ones So Delicious comes out with.

Update: So I made a bowl tonight and topped it with coco whip. I stand by my previous thoughts. Very thick and creamy (closer to frozen custard actually), and the cashew flavor does come through a bit. It was not jarring though, and I think in other flavors it will be left in the background. As I got farther in the texture was definitely better but still thicker and heavier than expected (this was not due to melting though as I hit the middle of the pint)

As for the coco whip...this is great! I am a little disappointed it's more like cool whip than whipped cream, but from what I've read coconut whipped cream lasts about 2 days in the refrigerator. That being said it's got a great creamy texture, even better than cool whip. It definitely tastes like coconut though (although not as strongly as I anticipated), so if you don't like coconut flavor this is not for you. I love coconut and was very pleased. This was a great topping to my cashew ice cream, and actually melts better than regular whipped cream.



I'm sure I'll review other brands/types over time, but this concludes a pretty good summary of my experiences. I'm not sure if I'll give soy ice cream try...my brother also has dairy problems, is allergic to soy, and there is a small correlation between the 2 so I am not planning to up my intake drastically. I may attempt rice milk, and others as they become available. I am also planning to do some experimenting on making my own and will share those results on the blog.

Whole Foods

I finally got to hit up Whole Foods in Wheaton, IL. After Trader Joe's (which I still love, so will hit up again when I have more time), and not super successful web searches, I went in with an open mind but not very high results. Holy crap you guys! SO MANY OPTIONS!

I wanted to sample everything, but actually had multiple choices everywhere so had to hunker down and pick and choose between them. I tried to spread this across brands, but also will admit I looked at the prices and sales (dairy-free is expensive!).

In the end this is what I walked away with:

• Chao original slices
• Follow Your Heart American slices
• Earth Balance soy free sticks (*already have original in tub from Jewel)
• Kite Hill ricotta
• Daiya plain cream cheese
• Nancy's cultured soy plain yogurt
• Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream (*have tried Goya cream of coconut - which is more like sweetened condensed milk, btw - and coconut milk already)

Unfortunately I didn't see any Greek style yogurt, which is what I really wanted. However, I know it's available as I've seen people online that have found it. There were so many yogurts though I may have missed it, or it could just be something Whole Foods doesn't carry. I'll keep my eyes peeled, but the plain unsweetened still gives me a few options to play with.

I also picked up some of the other supplies I need to try out Miyoko's cheese recipes:

• brown miso
• xanthan gum

I still need to find a few items:

• rejuvelac (I know I can make it, but in the interest of time wanted to buy... supposedly this is possible, but I'm not finding it)
• agar powder/carrageenan powder
• coconut oil
• nutritional yeast flakes
• sea salt? (does it matter that much?)
• canola oil? (can I use olive oil instead?)

Avocado: The Miracle Fruit

I've heard of avocados being used in smoothies, pudding...brownies? (or was that just black beans...). I have not tried this yet, but am planning too. However, these recommendations are made because of the fatty, creamy texture avocados have. I haven't gone to check out the specialty groceries yet, but I've been getting avocados regularly (mostly for lunch/snack).

Last week, I made baked potatoes and wanted a way to enjoy to sour cream taste without the dairy. My local grocery only has a few flavored Silk yogurts, so playing with that or attempting to make my own quick version using yogurt as the base culture were not going to happen. Fancy shopping trip planned for the future, I decided to see what I could do with what I had. I grabbed an avocado, mashed it up, and added a large amount of lemon juice (like 2-4 times more than you would add to guacamole; yes I know it should be lime for guacamole :p). It was creamy, tangy, and really hit the spot. My only complaint: it was so much more filling than if I had used sour cream! I could barely finish the backed potato and ear of corn.

Today, I wanted to eat some falafel that I picked up at Trader Joe's. Having no luck finding a dairy-free yogurt at Trader Joe's, or unflavored at my local Jewel, I decided to use last week's avocado success and try it out. I mashed up the avocado and added lemon juice as before. Then I added some garlic powder, dried dill, and salt (I meant to add cucumber but forgot I ate it all!). It obviously would have been better if I used fresh garlic & dill (and cucumber), but this was actually quite satisfying and created a very filling lunch.

I definitely recommend giving these a try! They tasted great, were easy to whip up on demand, and overall were probably cheaper than the store-bought alternatives (even with avocados being ridiculously expensive in Illinois).

Trader Joe's

Based off some recommendations from friends and forums, I was really excited to hit Trader Joe's in Batavia, IL. They have a lovely selection anyway, but going in with a dairy-free mindset I had high expectations.

While they had a huge selection of milks and creamers, I found them lacking in regards to cream cheese (1 option...I forget the brand now but I've gotten it in the past and can say it's got a good taste, although the texture is a bit too grainy for my liking). I also did not find any yogurt, cream cheese, or regular cheese options (granted I only had 15 minutes to shop before getting back home for a meeting).

Not all was lost tough, I picked up some falafel! And some burratta...because that makes sense. It's so good though! I may have to figure out how to make my own dairy-free. Well, maybe one day... I need to get the basics down first.

Dairy-Free Cheese?

So, I reached out to friends on Facebook to inquire about dairy-free cheese. I've got a buddy whose dad is allergic to milk, so he and his wife have been a huge resource. They are actually the ones who recommended most of my ice cream choices. I've heard the horror stories about dairy-free cheese, so I hoped they would have some suggestions. So far the only good brands I've gotten recommended to me are Chao and Treeline (although I've also heard good things on forums about Daiya and Kite Hill). Since the stores by me don't carry any of these options, and some are rather expensive, I decided to to some investigating.

Go Dairy Free actually had some great suggestions, and even shared a recipe for feta! I love feta, and while I haven't tried this yet it sounds delicious. This recipe is actually an excerpt from Miyoko Schinner's book The Homemade Vegan Pantry. Now, I'm not vegan, and since the recipe was already posted (with permission), I have not picked up this book...yet. There are apparently some more cheese recipes and things like custard so it could still be worth a look. However, it was enough to make me look at Miyoko's books and I found (and bought) Artisan Vegan Cheese. This was a super exciting find for me and includes some more favorites of mine like sharp cheddar (also shared w/ permission by Alisa at Go Dairy Free), chevre (or goat cheese), parmesan, and brie.

I'm hoping to make a trip out to some of the more "specialty" grocery stores in the area to pick up teh ingredients and give the above mentioned cheeses a go. Be sure to check back for reviews and pictures once they happen!

Ben & Jerry Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Based off the recommendation of many friends, and given that it is the only other dairy-free option at my Jewel, I picked up a pint of Ben & Jerry's The chunky monkey came highly recommended, but I'm not a banana person so I went for Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

Taste: Holy crap, this tastes just like brownie batter. It's thick and succulent. There is a hint of almond flavor (given that this is made with an almond milk base), so that may catch you off guard at first. However, going in knowing that it should not deter from your enjoyment.

Texture: This is creamier and softer than the So Delicious coconut milk ice cream. When it melted, the texture was as expected. This was definitely closer to ice cream.

Overall: Highly recommended. The almond flavor definitely comes through, so if this is something you dislike stay away. Otherwise the flavors they are offering are good and the texture is wonderful. I will definitely be buying more and trying more flavors as they become available (minus the Chunky Monkey lol).