Feb18
Posted in Posted in Gluten Free, Healthy Eating, Uncategorized, Vegan by Lucy
Kenneth Chang’s article “Gluten free, whether you need it not” in the New York Times on February 4 raises a couple of excellent points:
- People need more information about celiac disease
- There is another newly defined condition known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity
- A gluten-free diet is not “new” – in fact, wheat is a relatively new food that the human body often does not tolerate.
Read more »
Oct30
Posted in Posted in Food Allergy Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Eating, Holiday Traditions, Vegan Recipes by Lucy
Once again cocoa is magic! All the ingredients in this vegan, gluten free cake are wonderful; and yet again, cocoa really makes it work. That’s true with other cakes I’ve made too. Cocoa is a star ingredient.
I highly recommend this easy, delicious recipe. For the crust, I use either Lucy’s Chocolate Cookies or Lucy’s Chocolate Merry Mint Cookies (one of our yummy new holiday flavors). Read more »
Oct09
Posted in Posted in Gluten Free, Healthy Eating, News, Uncategorized by Lucy
Calling all Costco Members! Guess what!? You can now find Lucy’s at the following warehouses in the Mid-Atlantic and North Eastern areas of the country. If we’re not yet at your local Costco, ask for us at Customer Service!
Glenrock Road, Norfolk, VA 23502
Ordnance Road, Glen Burnie, MD 21060
West Ox Road, Fairfax, VA 22030
Read more »
Jun18
Posted in Posted in Healthy Eating, News, Uncategorized by Lucy
In the theme of summer fun and
simplicity, I have my mind on picnics. I’m thinking of fun places to spread out a blanket, and smart planning tips so I’m always ready to go! Picnics are a perfect way to stay healthy and have fun. After all, you’re totally in control of the food choices and usually there’s a lot of physical activity involved. Here are a few of the places I’ve thought of so far for my picnics this summer:
Read more »
Apr20
Posted in Posted in Food Allergies, Food Allergy Friendly Shopping, Gluten Free, Healthy Eating, News, Uncategorized by Lucy
I thought you’d like to know what we’ve heard so far from fans who completed our survey. If you haven’t responded yet and would like to share thoughts with us about gluten free and allergy friendly foods, follow this link. You can qualify for a product coupon too. So far we’ve learned that about one-third of the folks who responded are the only person in their household who eats gluten free or allergy friendly foods. Another one-third buy special foods for more than one person at home. And, one-third of our respondents buy gluten free and allergy friendly for the whole family. Most people shop at two to four stores per month. Many would like to find more items in Target, coffee shops, and chain restaurants. Read more »
Feb10
Posted in Posted in Food Allergy Friendly Shopping, Gluten Free, Healthy Eating, News, Uncategorized, Vegan, allergy friendly shopping by Lucy
Yes, Lucy’s cookies are one of Dr. Oz’s favorite diet foods. Really! Check out this list – and TV link. He talks about how to “cheat” on your diet, and do no harm. Smart stuff!
And, we got a “Wow! are we impressed!” from WeightWatchers.com. They emphasized the fact that three cookies count only three PointsPlus points!
Everyone deserves a cookie. Enjoy and stay healthy.
Nov14
Posted in Posted in Healthy Eating, Holiday Traditions by Lucy
With the holidays right around the corner, food becomes even more of a focus in our lives. From large and decadent Thanksgiving dinners to sweet treats at Christmas to New Year’s party hor d’oeuvres, you’ll find tempting foods at every turn. How do you maintain your health during these months of food overload?
Add more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. You aren’t “dieting,” you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Now is a great time to make sure you’re getting enough fruits and veggies, and something you can continue after the holidays are over!
Drink lots of water. This tip is good all year round. We know that proper hydration helps prevent kidney disease, so drink up! Also, with cooler, drier air headed our way, our bodies aren’t getting as much moisture, according to FitSugar. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
When it’s time to indulge, do so carefully. You can have all of your favorite holiday treats, in moderation! Take smaller portions of your preferred dishes; enough to satisfy you, not stuff you.
Find time to exercise. You don’t have to train for a marathon – just find something that you enjoy doing – and will keep you coming back for more! Exercise will ignite your metabolism; you’ll feel energized and vibrant!
Mar21
Posted in Posted in Food Allergies, Food Allergy Friendly Shopping, Food Allergy Recipes, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Eating, Kosher Pareve, Vegan, allergy friendly shopping by Lucy
Well, you probably know our story already. Yet, if you’d like to hear it again and also see our amazing cookie factory, check this video out! I’ll tell you more about how we provide the highest quality in gluten free and allergy friendly cookies.
Check out our beautiful 320 quart mixer, “Mag”, that works like a dream. See our awesome staff busily making cookies for you. See our two roll-in rack ovens that together can bake 2000 delicious, crispy cookies in 15 minutes.
Remember, Lucy’s are certified vegan, kosher pareve and gluten free. They’re all natural, contain many organic ingredients and have 0g trans fat and 0mg cholesterol. Yummy.
Cookies are coming your way! Enjoy!
Jan13
Posted in Posted in Food Allergy Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Eating, Vegan Recipes by Lucy
Gluten free living serves as inspiration to do great things with potatoes, rice and other interesting options for a starchy side dish. This recipe is on my short list for entertaining; but, it’s definitely not just a Tuesday night special. Yes, it’s comfort food, and also decadent enough to share!
In fact, this is one of my favorite recipes. A dear friend of mine provided the basic idea and I made it without milk for our family. I love these potatoes any night of the week, and really get a kick out of serving them to guests or as a potluck party dish.
One of the great things about this recipe is that it is better if made ahead. This allows the flavors to bloom. And, for entertaining, the make-ahead feature is a true help with planning. I’m making them today for a Saturday night party.
Because these need to sit in the fridge at least a while before baking, make sure you use a baking dish that can tolerate the relatively quick temperature change from refrigerator to preheated oven. Ha! I cracked one of my favorites on the path to learning this lesson.
The leftovers are wonderful too! If you happen to have any! Just warm them up in the casserole dish, or make potato cakes for a change.
The recipe as written below is vegan. Dairy milk substitutions work well also!
- 9 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes when available.)
- 8 ounces of vegan cream cheese
- 8 ounces of vegan sour cream
- 3 tablespoons vegan margarine
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder (Try more if you are really bold!)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt for seasoning, plus 2 more for boiling the potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- For a garnish, fresh chopped scallions
(These quantities are essentially suggestions. Add more or less to your liking!)
Use a large pot for cooking the potatoes. Add lots of cold water and about 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil and then add potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. When cooking is complete, drain the potatoes thoroughly.
Now use a heavy duty mixer with a regular mixing paddle to combine potatoes with all other ingredients. Mix well, until smooth and fluffy. (If you don’t have a mixer, an old fashioned potato masher will work.)
Lightly grease a baking dish and arrange your potatoes for baking. I like to use a spatula so I can carve nice fluffs and peaks for a beautiful presentation on baking day. Remember to choose a dish that can tolerate the temperature change from refrigerator to oven. Now, cover and refrigerate for roughly a day, or at least a few hours. If you don’t have time to do this step, it’s ok just to move on with the recipe, but the results are better if you “make ahead”.
When you are ready to bake the potatoes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the fresh scallions into very small bits and allow them to drain and air dry so they are not soggy when you add them as a topping. Bake the potatoes for about 10 to 15 minutes and then add the green garnish. Bake for 20 or more minutes longer. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. The potatoes and their topping should have a beautiful lightly browned look.
Enjoy this yummy side dish, and all the compliments from your guests!
Dec02
Posted in Posted in Food Allergies, Gluten Free, Healthy Eating, Holiday Cookies, Holiday Traditions, Vegan by Lucy
Some of my best memories involve cookies. My mother is a fantastic baker. Over the years she collected and fine-tuned a wonderful set of cookie recipes she specially selected for the holiday season. Every December she would designate days during the month for making each of these delights.
As we grew up all our family members became part of the process, first my sisters and I, and later nieces and nephews. The littlest ones always had the job of sprinkling sugar on the delicious, buttery sugar cookies. As we grew into adolescence we might even get a turn at rolling out dough, though it took years for anyone to gain the skill and style of Mom.
In fact, I remember the first time I made Mother’s cookies in my own kitchen. I was newly married and living far away from my parents. It was the first year that I would not be with them for the holidays. Though they might have shipped these special treats to me okay, it seemed like the right time for me to make the cookies on my own.
I remember feeling nervous over rolling out the dough. The texture and thickness had to be just right for the best cookie result. Amazingly, my dough and rolling were just fine. It happened as if Mom was right there doing it herself.
This year we plan to have a gluten free and allergy friendly family cookie-making day. We’ll be celebrating Mother’s 90th birthday. She’s still amazing, and still making her amazing cookies. And I am happy to say that she loves mine too!
While there are many ways to show your love during the holidays, I personally think cookies are a great way to share friendship and joy. Happy holidays to everyone!
