Just an FYI, my husband and one of my four children is allergic to milk.  I was reading your post and wanted to let you know that Pillsbury frozen pie crust (the rolled up/frozen pie crusts that come in a rectangular red box) and the Kroger/Frys brand equivalent, don't have milk in them.  They are a great alternative to having to prepare almost everything else from scratch.  Sandy
P.S.  As a side note:  We are baking the Duncan Hines Brownies--Triple Chocolate Decadence--as we speak.  Not all of their "Brownies" line is milk free, so watch the labels.  Yum!

-------------- Original message from "R. Pellerin" <[log in to unmask]>: -------------- 


> Relax! While it can be frustrating at times, cooking without dairy can be 
> quite manageable and inexpensive. 
> 
> But, as you learn the habit of reading labels for everything, in the 
> beginning you may find this frustrating. If you already cook from scratch, 
> the adjustment based on what you usually eat can be easy. 
> 
> If you often eat processed food, well, I found that if a prepackaged 
> processed food product had a (a) glaze; (b) gravy; (c) mashed potatoes, then 
> it had milk. Frozen pie crusts have milk. Most items with batter, such as 
> chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and the like, are likely to 
> have milk in them too (read the label, read the label). Cold cuts, sausage 
> and hot dogs can also be problematic. Cream soups are dicey. Most cereal 
> is safe but others, like Honey Bunches of Oats, are not. Pre-flavoured 
> oatmeal is often with milk. 
> 
> Baked goods are tricky. Read the labels always. Doughnuts are 100% out. 
> Cookies are hit and miss. If it doesn't have a label, don't buy it. I bake 
> most of my own and my son loves it. 
> 
> When we lived in the United States, we found it very difficult to find bread 
> without milk and became brand loyal to a few brands. Back in Canada, most 
> bread IS without milk. 
> 
> Soy cheese is another potential minefield. I often put back soy cheese 
> because it has casein in it; why put a milk protein in a soy product is 
> beyond me. We just do without. Pizza and other cheesy dishes (lasagna, 
> etc.) doesn't happen here. Life without cheese was the hardest but I don't 
> miss it so much now (nor the fat nor the price!). 
> 
> You can substitute soy, rice or almond milk for cow's milk in most recipes. 
> You can use a lactose or dairy free margarine or just plain vegetable oil 
> for most baking. It can be difficult to find a dairy free margarine in a 
> regular grocery store; Fleischmann's is one that is not too $$ and tastes 
> good too. Watch out for some of the dairy free margarines though: some have 
> a high water content and are perfect for toast but not good for baking. 
> 
> One caveat: anything that requires rolling, e.g. pie crusts, Christmas 
> cookies, should not be made with an oil substitute. It will be edible but 
> difficult to roll and the pie crust is dense. 
> 
> Stick to homemade crusts using a traditional recipe and lard: you will have 
> a fantastic crust; frozen commercial crusts often have milk in them. 
> 
> I generally avoid desserts, however, that call for cream as soy cream is 
> harder to find but I did make a great pumpkin pie using soy milk and soy 
> cream. But if you surf the net enough, you will find a substitute for 
> everything eventually, especially from vegan sites. 
> 
> My son eats a wide variety of foods. All meats - chicken, turkey, duck, 
> pork, beef and lamb. Carbs are very popular: pasta, bread and couscous. 
> Asian cuisine is often safe so my son also has had sushi, and most Chinese 
> dishes (watch out for the dough in dumplings). Lebanese cuisine is also 
> usually safe: falafel, couscous, shish. Fruits and veggies are also in full 
> supply here. If it's only dairy the problem, then most candy that is not 
> chocolate is also safe (think Halloween). 
> 
> Good luck! 
> 
> On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 8:26 PM, Elizabeth Cox wrote: 
> 
> > My 1 year old son has been diagnosed with a milk allergy I am learning how 
> > to cook not using milk dairy. I am finding it very hard if anyone has 
> > 
> > Any good recipes that a little boy might like please send them this way, or 
> > if anyone has any helpful suggestions with substitutes please help. 
> > 
> > Thank you for your help 
> > 
> > Elizabeth 
> > 
> > [log in to unmask] 
> >