Another mission of mine has been to recreate something my grandmother called "cocoa gravy." It's best described as a cross between hot chocolate and pudding. I now know that it's considered drinking chocolate in other countries. It's so thick you can dip your toast into it. My grandmother used to pour it over homemade buttered biscuits. It is absolutely my favorite breakfast choice from childhood. I use one of these two hot chocolate mixes whichever I happen to have on hand. Both are a little hard to come by.

Bittersweet Cafe's Drinking Chocolate Mix
Ingredients:  Cocoa mass, cocoa butter, dutched cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla

You can mix this mix with water or any dairy free milk. I pick this up at Bittersweet Cafe in Oakland. You can also order online.


My other favorite chocolate mix...

Christopher Elbow Artisanal Drinking Chocolate
Ingredients: Dark chocolate (cacao mass, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla bean), and Vanilla Bean.

You can also mix this with water or any dairy free milk. I pick this up at CocoaBella Chocolates in Westfield Mall, San Francisco, when I'm out for my mom's day off.

Here's a recipe for just regular old fashion dairy free, sugar free hot chocolate (the not so thick variety).

2 cups of non-dairy milk (I love to use homemade almond milk for this recipe)
3-4 TBL unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4-TBL of Xylitol or 2 TBL agave or 1- 2 TBL of Maple Syrup (Grade B)
1 TBL gluten free vanilla extract

Whisk the milk, xylitol (or other sweetener) and vanilla over medium heat until hot. Enjoy!

I just discovered this product recently. It can be used to make rice crispy treats without having to melt any marshmallows and it's free of color dye. I was amazed to learn that marshmallows typically have blue dye in them.

Click here for a easy, dye free rice crispy recipe.

Ingredients: Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein, Natural Gums & Natural Flavors.

This Ricemellow creme is available at Whole Foods Market in San Ramon. I found it near the ice cream cones.

Our family loves these organic candy canes that are free of artificial flavors, color dyes, corn syrup and are vegan and gluten free. I've picked them up from both Whole Foods Market and Berkeley Bowl. $3.39 a box.

Our own Melissa Ko will be presenting a gluten talk in January tentatively titled, "Gluten and your body. Learn how wheat can be affecting your family's health and behavior." It's currently planned for Thursday, January 26, 2012, 7:00pm at Child Care Links in Pleasanton. There will be multiple gluten free vendors there with free samples.  Please pass along the word and watch for the Evite!