TWO Winners, and Some Don’t Miss Book News

Giveaways

So the first giveaway in my summer reading series was wrapped up last night, and two winners have been selected. That is right, TWO! So many of you seemed to be wanting a copy of Go Dairy Free (**blushing**), that I am going to send a copy to a second winner personally.

Winner of the Snubbr Giveaway and a copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World:

Comment #36, Jocelyn – “I would love to win Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I have your book, Alisa and it is awesome. I’m so glad my husband bought it for me especially since I’m moving from a large urban city to a small town very soon.” – Jocelyn, flattering obviously gets you everywhere in the random selection world! Vegan Cupcakes coming out to you from Snubbr.

Bonus Winner of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook:
 
Comment #74, Clover – “They all look good. My top choice is GO DAIRY FREE and second is the cupcake one. My family are huge cupcake fans. Me and my 10 month only son have been dairy free for about 9 months and its hasnt improved yet, It would be nice to branch out my recipes. Thanks.” – Clover, if I had an extra copy of Vegan Cupcakes, I would send it too, but regardless, a free copy of Go Dairy Free is coming your way!

Now for the News …

We finally finished some formatting upgrades on the Kindle version of Go Dairy Free, making it much more kindle-compatible for viewing. Plus, thanks to some changes with Amazon Kindle, I was able to lower the price! It is now just $9.99!!

For PC Users (or non-Kindle junkies), I have decided to match the price with our PDF ebook version. So all ebook versions of Go Dairy Free will now be just $9.99!! The PDF ebook version can be viewed on any computer, and is identical to the paperback book, even in formatting.

Below are links to the book (I think the paperback is just $13.57 on Amazon!)and ebooks. Can you tell I am excited about getting with the digital age?! More book news, recipes, and giveaways (tomorrow in fact!), coming up, so enjoy.

Go Dairy Free Kindle Edition    

Buy Now! - Go Dairy Free E-Book    

Buy Now! - Go Dairy Free E-Book

Spiced Apricot-Cashew Smoothie

Alisa's Recipes

Two days before we had scheduled for a week-long vacation, my CSA delivered with the motherload. Figures. Not that I am complaining, but finding ways to use up bags of fragile greens in two days is no easy feat. And then there were the apricots. 5 lbs of Blenheims and Pattersons quickly nearing their peak of perfection. And then, when we returned, they gave us 5 lbs more!

With dozens (and dozens) of these little gems on hand, I thought they must make their way into my breakfast (and snack, and dessert (see my last post for apricot crumble bars), and …), so of course, a smoothie it was.

dairy-free apricot-cashew smoothie

Since I was having it for breakfast, I didn’t opt for a super-sweet treat, but feel free to up the sweetener or play around with one of the sub options listed. Also, I see no reason why you couldn’t sub in another stone fruit if you don’t have ripe apricots available. Try peaches, cherries, or even nectarines!

dairy-free apricot-cashew smoothie

Spiced Apricot-Cashew Smoothie

This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, and optionally Sugar-Free.

  • 3 Ripe Apricots
  • 1 Small to Medium Frozen, Ripe Banana (see sub options below)
  • 1/2 to 3/4 Cup Milk Alternative (I used Silk Almond Original)
  • 1/2 Ounce Cashews, Ground in Spice Grinder
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Flaxseed (optional)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • Pinch Salt
  • Sweetener to Taste (see below)
  • Ice (optional)

Place the apricots through salt in your blender, give it a few pulses to break things up, and whiz away until smooth (start with just 1/2 cup of the milk alternative and add more if desired once the mixture is smooth). Taste test and blend in sweetener to taste. If a frostier treat is in order, blend in ice to desired consistency.

Sweetener – This really is a matter of taste and depends on how ripe / sweet your fruit is and if your milk alternative is sweet at all. I added 1 teaspoon of honey, because I love honey with stone fruit. You could add your sweetener of choice (perhaps 1 to 3 teaspoons) or for an all-fruit vibe, add a soft pitted date.

Tired of Bananas? – Try subbing the banana with your favorite dairy-free yogurt or two soft pitted dates. Or for a more indulgent shake, stick with just the apricots, double the cashews, add in ice, and extra sweetener to taste.

Go Green – Toss in one or two fistfuls of baby spinach. It changes the color, but not the taste.

Yields 1 summer smoothie

dairy-free apricot-cashew smoothie

If you like this one, you might also like these recipes:

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I submitted this recipe / post to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays on Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.

Summer Reading Series of Giveaways Starts Now!

Giveaways

It has been far too long since I have hosted a giveaway with Go Dairy Free, and I don’t know about you, but I am in a total book mood. It must be that beautiful sunshine (here at last!) calling me to relax in the shade with a good cookbook. Yes, I read cookbooks, and I am sure many of you do too!

I will be giving away one or more books / cookbooks each week for all of July and August, and Snubbr.com is here to help me kick off the series. Snubbr is a “personal shopping assistant” that utilizes experts to make recommendations for consumer requests.

snubbr

Take a look at the “Best Dairy-Free Cookbooks” recommended on Snubbr.com, and let me know which book you would like to win in the comment section of this post. It is that easy!

So again, to enter:

1st Entry – Comment and let me know which cookbook you would like to win from this selection.

2nd Entry – For another chance to win, share this giveaway via facebook, twitter, or your blog, and leave a second comment here letting me know that you did.

For twitter and/or facebook, you can use the following “Enter to win one of the best dairy-free cookbooks @OneFrugalFoodie – http://tinyurl.com/dairy-free-cookbooks”

3rd Entry – Sign up to receive One Frugal Foodie posts via email (see upper right corner of this blog), and let me know that you did in another comment.

Just wanted to give you a few more options for fun this time! You have from now through Monday, July 12th to enter. The winner will be announced on July 13th … and the next surprise giveaway will be announced on the 14th!

Please note that these books were selected by Snubbr.com and their team of experts, with no influence or guidance from myself. I am honored that Go Dairy Free was selected as one of the favorites, but feel free to pick it or one of the other cookbooks as your choice to win. Don’t worry, my feelings won’t be hurt!

Apricot-Raspberry Crumble Bars

Alisa's Recipes

My home is still overflowing with apricots from our CSA, so I knew they would make their way into some sort of dish for our “neighborhood” 4th of July BBQ.

Last year we moved into a small group of tall condos that share a very nice common backyard. Since it is a tourist town, we only have a few permanent neighbors, while the rest are vacation homes. But almost everyone is in town for the 4th of July to enjoy the mountain air and the beaches … so it seems they have started an annual barbecue tradition as a way for everyone to meet up … even past owners of the condos! Yep, even those who have moved onto new places showed up to visit old friends and neighbors. We were honored to have been invited.

Perhaps we will receive a repeat invite next year, since these apricot-raspberry crumble bars seemed to go over quite well …

apricot-raspberry crumble bars

 

Fruity Crumble Bars

Feel free to use the fruit and/or berries of your choice (peaches, blueberries, cherries, apples, blackberries, etc.). You can vary the sugar in the fruit filling based on the fruit you use and how ripe it is. I only used 3/4 cup for the apricots and raspberries, but the filling came out a bit too tart – I would use a full 1 cup for those next time.

This recipe is Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free.

  • 3 Cups All-Purpose or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 1/2 Cup White Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Dairy-Free Margarine (I used Earth Balance Soy-Free)
  • 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice or Milk Alternative
  • 4 Cups Berries and/or Finely Diced Fruit (I used 3 cups diced apricots, very well packed and one 6-ounce pint of raspberries (about 1-1/3 cups))
  • 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice or other Citrus Juice
  • 1 Teaspoon Orange Zest (optional)
  • 3/4 to 1 Cup White Sugar (see notes above)
  • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

Preheat your oven to 375ºF and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, or in your food processor, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt.

In a small dish, whip together the egg and vanilla.

Add the margarine and egg mixture to the flour mixture, and cut it in with a fork or pastry blender (this can also be done in a food processor). Thick crumbs should form.

Remove 2 full cups of the crumb mixture (about half) to another bowl and set aside.

Add the juice or milk alternative to the remaining crumbs and combine. It should make a thick dough. Press the dough evenly into your prepared baking dish.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the fruit, juice, zest (if using), sugar, and cornstarch. Spread the fruit mixture over top of the dough in your baking dish, and sprinkle it all with the reserved crumbles.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until it is slightly browned on top.

Optional: If you want to ensure the flavor of your fruit filling, go ahead and cook the fruit / berries over medium-low heat, along with the juice and zest, sweetening to taste. Thicken with the cornstarch. 

Yields dozens of cakey, crumble-topped bars

apricot-raspberry crumble bars

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I had (have) a tone of apricots, but I threw in the raspberries just so these bars would qualify for this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI) Event!

Chillin’ with Watermelon

Alisa's Recipes

I’ve never been big on 4th of July picnics … I’m not a fan of traditional potato salad and hot dogs, the corn is often too starchy, and I even disliked watermelon … until a few years ago.

One year our local market had a special, buy $10 of groceries and get a free watermelon. But unlike the jumbo varieties that I recognized from my youth, this was a petite, round, blemish-free, seedless watermelon. The sweet and hydrating flesh was a very deep pink, and it seemed unlike any I had ever tasted. Since then, I have found a new love in this thirst-quenching melon, and thank goodness … since the deals on watermelon around this time of year are simply too good to pass up!

Watermelon season lasts from May to October, but they ripen and gain flavor as the summer progresses. The high water content of watermelon makes it a calorie-conscious treat, as 1 cup of diced watermelon has just 49 calories and no fat. But beyond waist-slimming, watermelon is also an excellent source of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin A, and lycopene (yep, of tomato fame).

To select a winning watermelon, follow these tips from The National Watermelon Promotion Board:

  • Skip the thumping and slapping, instead look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
  • Lift it up to make sure it’s heavy for its size.
  • Turn it over to find the creamy yellow spot where it sat on the ground and ripened.

Once you’ve picked your watermelon, wash it thoroughly and pat it dry before slicing (this prevents pesticides, germs, etc. from being pushed into the flesh with your knife). To make cutting it easier and safer, first cut the melon in half, then in quarters. Cut the flesh away from the rind, and then cut it into chunks. Place the cut watermelon in a sealed plastic container and refrigerate immediately. Properly stored, your watermelon should last from 4-7 days.

When I have leftover watermelon, I puree it and pour into ice cube trays. The watermelon cubes can be floated in drinks to add a wonderfully cool flavor, or blended into smoothies and frosties for a refreshing treat.

watermeloncubes

Here are two of my favorite Refreshing Watermelon Recipes:

And here are a few more I found (all dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free I believe) that sound wonderful:

What are your favorite watermelon recipes? Are there any 4th of July foods that you look forward too?

vegan soul strawberry watermelon smoothie

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