Living La Vida Holoka


My 20 Favorite Dairy-Free Products

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If you’re looking for dairy-free products to try, these are my 20 favorite dairy-free products that I’ve tried and love!

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I wouldn’t wish a food allergy on my worst enemy.  Your body goes through absolute hell trying to rid itself of its trigger.  Before discovering I was allergic to dairy, my only experience with food allergies was years ago when I discovered I’m allergic to chamomile. 

My first reaction happened while I was sewing up mini dreams pillows filled with dried chamomile and lavender. I remember getting very itchy and it felt like a severe case of spring allergies.  I thought nothing of it.  The more severe reaction happened when I made myself a cup of chamomile tea. Thankfully, I didn’t take a sip because as soon as I brought the cup to my lips, my mouth started itching, it felt like my throat was closing, and my face got very swollen.

It was a bit of a different experience finding out I was allergic to dairy.  I’ve never had a problem with dairy in the past, but your body is constantly changing as you get older.  The reaction to dairy didn’t happen immediately like the reaction to chamomile.  It was delayed.

Lactose Intolerance vs. Dairy Allergy

 
After my first reaction subsided, I gave my body a break from dairy.  I wanted to see if I could reintroduce it into my diet. Big fat nope!  A few days later, my body went under attack again. That was that and now I’m a dairy-free girl. 

I haven’t officially been diagnosed by a doctor or dermatologist.  I self-diagnosed with the help of Dr. Google and process of elimination.  But did I have a reaction to dairy or just lactose?  The big difference is the way your body reacts.  If you’re lactose intolerant, it’s more of a digestion issue.  But a dairy allergy makes your body go into attack mode.  It thinks that dairy is the enemy and it puts up quite the fight to get rid of it.  

That’s what happened to me.  Twice.  It felt like a bad case of seasonal allergies paired with stomach issues (I’ll spare you the details) and a full body case of itchy eczema that lasted for about a week.

My Favorite Dairy-Free Products

 
As a bigtime foodie, I am willing to try just about any food.  So this journey into a dairy-free lifestyle is just another foodie experiment for me. I’ve gotten so many great recommendations and tried some delicious dairy alternatives – and some not-so-delicious alternatives as well.  But these are some of my new favorites that have become a staple in my kitchen!

  1. Oatly Oat Milk
  2. Califia Farms Unsweetened Oatmilk Barista Blend
  3. Violife Mozzarella Shreds
  4. Miyoko’s Creamery Fresh Vegan Mozzarella
  5. Kite Hill Plant Based Sour Cream
  6. Abe’s Mini Vegan Blueberry Muffins
  7. Ozery Bakery Snacking Rounds Cranberry Orange
  8. Plant Based Parm Crisps
  9. Soy Free Vegenaise
  10. Flavor God Cheese Seasoning
  11. Cashew Cheddar Sauce
  12. Kite Hill European Style Cultured Almond Milk Butter
  13. Violife Just Like Parmesan Wedge
  14. Whole Foods Plant Based Cheddar Cheese
  15. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
  16. Kite Hill Dairy Free Ravioli
  17. Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Flavor Squares
  18. UNREAL Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
  19. So Delicious Dairy-Free Coconut Minis
  20. Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Netflix & Chilll’d

I’ve been getting a lot of my dairy-free products from Whole Foods or my Hungryroot deliveries.  It’s been a bit of trial and error figuring out what dairy-free products are better than others.  So far, these are all winners and some of these products have already made several repeat appearances in our kitchen. 

What Does This Mean for the Future of My Blog?

 
Even though I’m living la vida dairy-free these days, that doesn’t mean there will be a huge change in upcoming recipes.  I’ll be using dairy-free products from here on out, but you could easily swap in the real thing!  We keep it simple! 

If you have a dairy-free home or just prefer to live a dairy-free lifestyle, I would love some of your product suggestions!  What are your favorite dairy-free products?

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Updating Our Dining Room with Modern Lighting

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Update any room in your home with beautiful modern lighting and decor from Lights.com and check out the new lighting we added to our dining room!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.  Thank you to Lights.com for providing the products shown in this post.


Over the past few years, we have been working one room at a time to update to our home.  We’ve repainted, put new flooring down in the kitchen, and got new bedroom and dining room furniture.  I’m looking forward to the spring because we plan on finishing up the dining room with a fresh coat of paint.  In the meantime, we’ve been working on adding some new lighting and decor.

The dining room used to be one of my least favorite rooms in our house.  Our dining furniture was old and outdated.  So I wasn’t too sad to see any of it go!  Now, we have brand new dining room furniture, hung a large piece of artwork in place of our old mirror, and added new lighting and decor. 

Lighting Fixtures for Any Room in Your Home!

 
I was so happy when Lights.com reached out to me for a partnership.  It was perfect timing!  Lights.com offers a large selection of affordable, beautifully designed lighting fixtures that would work in any room. 

Since our focus is going to be finishing the dining room this year, I was eager to shop for some new lighting. I am a huge fan of flameless candles.  After I stopped burning candles, I missed the flicker and the cozy vibe they brought to a room at night.

One of the things I love about Lights.com is that along with hardwired lighting, they offer an entire collection of flameless candles and other battery operated lights.  I chose three battery operated lighting options for our dining room.

Hurricane Glass Flameless Candle Wall Sconce with Remoted

 

I was immediately drawn to these flameless candle wall sconces.  They have a modern black frame with a glass hurricane that holds a flameless candle inside.  The candles are remote operated with different lighting settings (dim or bright) and can be set on a 4 or 8 hour timer. 


The sconces were super easy to install!  All it took was a single screw to hang them on each side of our large piece of framed artwork.  Since the lights are set on a timer, we can now admire the candle flicker every evening without having to turn them on ourselves. 

Geo Terrarium with Silver Fairy Lights

 
I wanted to add some accent pieces.  So I found this mirrored glass terrarium with fairy lights inside.  Just like the wall sconces, this lighted terrarium can be set on a timer.  And its mirrored glass surface makes it a pretty decor piece when it’s not lit up during the day.

Ombre Smoke Glass Hurricanes with Fairy Lights

 
The last lighting option I got for our dining was ombre smoke glass hurricanes.  I’m using them as a centerpiece for our dining room table.  They also have fairy lights inside and can be set on a timer and look nice grouped together in the middle of our table. 


With our new lighting in place, all we have to do is repaint in the spring!  I can’t wait!  And don’t worry, once the dining room is painted I’ll update with some new pictures!

Save on your Lights.com order!  

 
If you’re looking to add new lighting to your home, use my code HOLOKA10 to receive 10 percent off your Lights.com order.  The code is valid until the end of March.  New lighting and decor pieces are an easy way to update any room and Lights.com has affordable

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Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Jerky

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This Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Jerky recipe is an addictive salty and savory plant based snack made in the oven. No dehydrator required!

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I love jerky just about as much as Sasquatch.  You know the commercials!  But since I’ve been eating more plant based foods, I wanted to find an alternative to beef jerky.  I’ve had mushroom jerky before and it wasn’t too bad!  The only thing is – just like a bag of beef or turkey jerky – mushroom jerky isn’t cheap!  So I decided to make my own!

I placed a Nuts.com order about a month ago and got a container of dried shiitake mushrooms.  I didn’t realize at the time that the container would be a decent size!  The funny thing is, I thought it was going to last us a while.  But we ended up using the mushrooms pretty fast!  We added them to breakfast scrambles and have basically had mushrooms on our pizza every Friday since the container arrived. 


I had just enough mushrooms left in the container to make my own jerky.  A lot of mushroom jerky recipes I’ve seen start with fresh mushrooms.  But since all it takes is some water to reconstitute the dried mushrooms, I thought that marinating the dried mushrooms would work just as well!

As the mushrooms sit overnight, they soak up every last bit of that marinade, absorbing all of that fantastic flavor!  The next day, they cook at a low temperature for about two hours total.  There’s no weird texture issue using dried mushrooms. 

Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Jerky

 
So the first thing you need to do is whip up the marinade.  I used a combination of coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, a tiny splash of sesame oil (it’s pretty potent so you don’t want to use too much), paprika, garlic, nutritional yeast, and black pepper. 


Add the mushrooms to a 9 x 13 glass dish.  Make sure they’re spread out evenly.  Then, pour in the marinade and mix up the mushrooms making sure they’re coated evenly.  You could even massage the marinade in to make sure it’s really absorbed by the mushrooms.  Then, cover the dish and let it sit for at least 8 hours.  Overnight is better.


When you’re ready to make your jerky, line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.  Shake off any excess marinade from the shrooms and add them to the baking sheets.  Make sure they’re spread out evenly and not overlapping.  Cook them for about an hour.  Then, give them a flip and cook for another hour or until they’ve achieved a jerky like texture.


Let the jerky cool completely.  Then, get to snacking or store them for later in an airtight container!

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Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Jerky

Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Jerky

Ingredients

  • 3 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos, or liquid aminos
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • Splash of sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the shiitake mushrooms to a larger freezer bag or 9 x 13 baking dish. 
  2. In a small bowl, add the coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, paprika, garlic, nutritional yeast, and pepper. Pour it over the mushrooms.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours for overnight.
  4. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Remove the mushrooms from the bag or dish, shaking off the excess marinade, and place onto baking sheets.  Make sure to spread the mushrooms out evenly.
  6. Bake for one hour.  Then, flip the mushrooms and cook for another 50-60 minutes.
  7. Allow the mushrooms to cool completely.  Then, store in an airtight container.
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This jerky has a good umami flavor.  But if you want to add a bit more saltiness to it, you can use liquid aminos in place of the coconut aminos.  I would honestly use a little less though since it contains more sodium than coconut aminos.   

If you like a chewier jerky, you might want to cook the mushrooms for less time checking on the texture.  I liked that this jerky had a crispier texture.  It’s kind of like eating super crispy bacon and I’d be so bold to say it would make a good bacon alternative! 


The night I started my jerky (and used up our container of mushrooms), I hopped on Nuts.com and ordered another container of dried shiitake mushrooms.  They’ve become a major staple in our house!  And knowing how easy (and delicious) it is to make my own jerky now, I’m going to need mushrooms on hand all the time!

Did you make this Vegan Shiitake Mushroom Jerky recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Balsamic Chicken Sausage Breakfast Flatbread

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Wake up your taste buds with this restaurant inspired breakfast flatbread topped with pesto, chicken sausage, veggies, goat cheese, an egg, and balsamic glaze!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.


Restaurants have been hit so hard during this pandemic.  I’ve seen local restaurants shut their doors permanently.  And I’ve seen restaurants get creative to stay afloat with DIY kits, grocery offerings, cocktails to-go, and even gift baskets for sale during the holidays.  My husband and I prefer a homecooked meal over going out to eat.  But I have done what I can to support some of our favorite spots over the past year. 

I’m not comfortable enough to dine in, but I have made several takeout orders.  There have been times when I’ve ordered so much food from local spots that I’ve had to freeze the leftovers!  Even if it’s just been a simple like and share of social media posts, I’ve just wanted to help in some way.   


While I was scrolling Facebook a few weeks ago, I saw a post from one of my favorite brunch spots, the Turning Point.  They shared a picture of a breakfast flatbread that looked so delicious!  I immediately gave the post some love and saved it.  The post inspired me to make my own version of their breakfast flatbread.

Their breakfast flatbread is made with cauliflower flatbread, spinach, chicken sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, sunny side up eggs, pesto, goat cheese, and balsamic glaze.  Sounds pretty tasty.  Right?  Don’t worry.  One of these days I’ll order some takeout and try it for myself!  But for now, I have my own version that’s pretty darn delicious!

Balsamic Chicken Sausage Breakfast Flatbread

 
My version of this flatbread starts with whole wheat naan.  I loaded it with kale pesto, fresh baby spinach, chicken sausage, roasted red peppers, crumbled goat cheese, an egg over easy, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. 

I left out the onions because I can’t do onions for breakfast.  They’re a little too much for me first thing in the morning.  But I’m sure they’d be excellent if you’re having this flatbread for lunch or dinner!  It’s a total preference thing! 


Naan is the perfect base for so many flatbread recipes!  I like to warm the naan first in the toaster oven.  Sprinkle it with a little water first so it gets crispy.  Then, toast the flatbread until it’s nice and warm and spread some pesto onto it.


Add the spinach leaves.  You could use another leafy green like kale, if you prefer.  Either would work!


Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and add some chopped up chicken sausage.  I always get fully cooked sausage so it only takes a few minutes to cook.  Once the sausage is all warmed up, add it to the flatbread.  But save the skillet because you’re going to need it to make your egg!


Next, we’re going to throw some roasted red pepper strips on top for some added zing and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. 


Wipe out the skillet and melt some butter.  Then, carefully crack an egg into the pan.  I like my eggs over easy so I cooked the egg for 2-3 minutes on one side.  Then, I flipped the egg and cooked it for a couple more minutes and slid it onto flatbread.  


Almost done!  Season the egg with salt and pepper, give the flatbread a nice drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and enjoy! 

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Balsamic Chicken Sausage Breakfast Flatbread

Yield: 1

Serving Size: 1

Balsamic Chicken Sausage Breakfast Flatbread

Ingredients

  • 1 whole wheat naan flatbread
  • 2 tbsp. pesto
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 fully cooked chicken sausage link, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup roasted red pepper strips
  • 2-3 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 large egg
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Balsamic glaze

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle the naan flatbread with water and place in the toaster. Bake for 2-3 minutes at 400 degrees, or until crispy. Remove and plate.
  2. Spread the pesto onto the flatbread. Then, add the baby spinach.
  3. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the chicken sausage. Cook sausage for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the chicken sausage to the flatbread. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.
  4. Add the roasted red pepper strips to the flatbread and sprinkle the goat cheese on top.
  5. Place the skillet back onto the stovetop. Add the butter and melt over medium heat.
  6. Crack an egg into the pan and let it cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes.
  7. Carefully use a spatula to flip the egg and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add to the flatbread.
  8. Drizzle the flatbread with balsamic glaze and serve.
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This breakfast recipe takes a little more effort than pouring cereal and milk into a bowl, but it’s totally worth it!  It would also make a delicious café style brunch or dinner! 

Did you make this Balsamic Chicken Sausage Breakfast Flatbread recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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