Milking It For All It's Worth

From last week's post on my love for food here

Besides the fact that this post started off with a pun, I'm gonna get real with you guys today. I've needed to type this out for quite some time, but I never felt like it was the right time, you know? With all the cooking/baking I've been doing of late as well as the recipes I've been sharing on the blog, I've never come right out and said what I consider to be a big part of my life. I'm lactose intolerant, which means I can't eat food items with dairy in them. This means no cheese, ice cream, milk..you get the idea. Every now and then, I complain to my mom and/or sister about this or that when we go out to eat because they're able to find an endless number of options, and I'm stuck with like 3 dishes to choose from. To be honest though, I'm one of the lucky ones. I don't have to worry about consuming a food product with the chance that it could be life threatening or having to be rushed to the doctor. The only items I can't eat are ones that include dairy. Thank goodness Birthday Cake Oreos don't! I've certainly had to adapt over the past five years, but I think finding out I was lactose intolerant was actually a blessing in disguise. After I came to accept the fact that I had to "give up" my favorite food in the world, pizza, I actually learned so much about food and my body in general. My mom helped me so much when I was in the process of transitioning my current diet to foods I could eat without getting sick. She looked on the Internet for alternative recipes, and allowed me to buy whatever I needed at the grocery store so I could still maintain somewhat of the same diet. However, it's taken me almost five years to understand that what my body wants and what it needs in terms of food are two completely different things! I've realized that I eat when I'm emotional or bored, and I have a major sweet tooth! I can buy many alternative versions of the 'real' item, with the only downside being that they're usually more expensive. Thank goodness for places like Trader Joe's :) I can always find good deals there! Whole Foods is awesome too, but expensive for this college girl's budget!

Here's what I use in lieu of 'regular' ingredients.

I use dairy-free butter and/or vegan butter. I'm partial to Earth Balance and/or Smart Balance.  

I buy dairy-free chocolate chips at Trader Joe's. I mean, $1.99 for 12oz. dairy-free chocolate?! You can't beat that price! :)

I buy Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk (vanilla and chocolate flavors) at my local grocery store, and drink a few glasses a day. It's around the same number of calories as regular milk, but has twice the calcium! Note: Almond milk has somewhat of a nutty taste, but I've gotten used to it. The vanilla flavor makes it taste better, and I often add it to my recipes which gives them added flavor. But, ohmygosh! The chocolate milk is seriously so good. My family's had to cut back on drinking it for every meal, because we could go through at least 3 cartons a week.

Another benefit to this whole lactose intolerance thing is that I buy way more fruits and vegetables than I used to, and I love it :)
I sometimes buy them at Farmer's Markets, and when I'm unable to go, I purchase them at a store that sells local produce. If I could, I would definitely spend every single Saturday at a Farmer's Market..

One of my favorite things I've done this summer is try new recipes. I always get so excited making food for my family, and yes, that even includes grocery shopping! I think what I love the most about cooking/baking is the fact that I'm creating something tangible for my family and friends to enjoy. I love seeing the happiness it brings them even if it's only fleeting. There's nothing more wonderful than a meal baked with love. Okay, that sounds super cheesy, but whatever :)

Oh, and speaking of cheese, I definitely did not give up pizza! Just to clarify, I still eat pizza as often as I can. My roommate totally gets me. She understands my love for pizza, and even encourages it which is one of the reasons I love her. When we're at school, and don't like what the caf has served that night (which is rare, because to be honest, we love our school's food), we order pizza. Domino's is the closest to our campus, and probably the best fast food pizza option. We're able to split a pizza and customize it to our individual preferences (with an awesome option for 'no cheese' on one side!). Some people may think it's weird to eat pizza with just sauce, toppings, and crust, but what I say is it's less calories, which means I can eat more pizza, so win-win, right? :) For my birthday this year, my friends and I went to eat at Mellow Mushroom. It's a really cool pizza place and they offer customers the option of selecting vegan cheese for their pizza! Vegan cheese is one of the best things ever. Definitely try it if you're able to :) It's funny when the waiter/waitress asks me my order, because I get the same thing every time: Mighty Meaty with vegan cheese, because "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." :)

So excuse the punny title, but I'm making the most of what I have with my lactose intolerance.
See, I'm "milking it for all it's worth" ;) Insert laughing emoji here.

Have a great Tuesday!