If you're a parent of a child who suffers from milk allergies, then you are undoubtedly aware of the limited options available in many school cafeterias for children who are dairy-free. As this is Food Allergy Awareness Week, this is the time to make your opinions known, either by petitioning with other parents of dairy-free kids or contacting the principal of your school directly. I have started a conversation in the forum about this issue, as I am sure that many parents of dairy-free kids as well as myself would be interested to know what provisions are made at your child's school for dairy-free lunches and if you find that sufferers of food allergies are sufficiently accommodated in the lunch line. Join the discussion!

For homemade lunches, however, there are many dairy-free options that can make your little one's lactose-free lunch both tasty and nutritious. Here are just a few ideas for dairy-free lunchboxes to kick off the week:

Healthy Carrot Pockets

White Sandwich Bread Recipe

Dairy-Free Turkey Melt Sandwiches

Butterscotch Pudding

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

I know that it might seem a little "cheesy" (bad joke, I know), but if you're planning a meal for Mom this Sunday, this Dairy-free Goddess Dressing Recipe is a vegan version of the store-bought favorite, and it is significantly lower in fat and calories. Served over mixed greens or poached fish, this is a healthy way to celebrate the Goddess in your life!

For more dairy-free recipe ideas for Sunday, take a look at some of my Dairy-Free Mother's Day Recipes. Here is just one of the many menu variations that I've come up with:

Mixed greens salad with Light Goddess Dressing

Sweet Yeast Rolls

Baked Non-dairy Buttermilk Chicken

Lemon Cupcakes with Dairy-free White Frosting

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc

As more and more individuals and families are switching to dairy-free diets or looking for ways to consume less dairy, grocery stores and markets have begun carrying more and more different kinds and brands of non-dairy milk alternatives. If you've experimented with different milk substitutes, then you already know that rice milk and soy milk, for instance, are vastly different in both taste and consistency from one another, and if you've been dairy-free long enough, you've probably found that certain brands taste better to you than others.

If you want a little guidance in the soy milk aisle, check out my list of non-dairy milk substitutes for my picks of the best almond, rice and soy milks. This beautiful latte art, for example, was created at Mojo Bicycle Cafe in San Francisco using a soymilk made by Pacific Natural Foods that is specifically designed for professional use.

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Cinco de Mayo is a fun celebration filled with spices and flavors that scream of the approaching summertime and warm weather. Unfortunately, however, many dishes prepared for Cinco de Mayo also seem to celebrate dairy products like cheese and sour cream, which spells anything but summertime for those on the dairy-free diet!

This dairy-free queso dip is a flavorful, creamy dip that I have served for years for Cinco de Mayo and other parties, and it has become a favorite among my friends and family. Here are a few more Dairy-Free Cinco de Mayo Recipes for this Monday:

Fish Tacos

Dairy-Free Guacamole

Tres Leche Cake

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Making food for your mother on Mother's Day is always a nice idea, in my opinion, because we really couldn't make food for our mothers if they hadn't first made food for us all those years! On special days like Mother's Day, I like making special food gifts and placing them in simple food bags or boxes with ribbon. These dairy-free heart cookies are great for Mother's Day as they are easy to make, healthy and truly beautiful little sweet treats that don't even take a cookie cutter to make.

If your mother doesn't have a sweet tooth but you want to make her a delicious dairy-free gift, look through some of my Dairy-Free Mother's Day Recipes for some more ideas like homemade granola, which makes a delicious breakfast, snack, or topping for fruit desserts or soy yogurt .

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensedt to About.com, Inc.

As is the case with so many active people, cooking in the middle of the workweek often seems like more of a chore than a pleasure, especially as the weather gets nicer by the day. However, I don't neccessarily want to eat out every night or prepare frozen dairy-free dinners for nourishment, and I also don't want to sacrifice taste for the sake of convenience. So what does an active, working foodie do?

Well, tonight, this dairy-free foodie is making Spicy Lentil Dahl because it's both easy and inexpensive to make. While the soup is simmering, I'm going to make a small salad with seasonal greens and vegetables, along with these two easy dairy-free recipes:

Dairy-Free Cheesy Flatbread

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

Sound complicated? Trust me, it's not! This entire meal will actually only take 30 minutes to prepare. Here's how: get the soup together, and while it's simmering, mix the ingredients for the no-bake oatmeal cookies and chill them in the freezer, make the cheesy flatbread on the stove, throw together a salad and eat!

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Although it's just the end of April, this weekend on the West coast truly felt like summer. In lieu of the heat, I ended up making this dairy-free strawberry ice cream recipe to pair one of my favorite spring fruits with my favorite summertime dessert. Not only is it one of my simplest dairy-free dessert recipes with only four ingredients, it is also one of my healthiest. Sweetened by only strawberries and honey, this was a truly refreshing and light treat during the warm weekend.

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Not everyone likes granola for breakfast, and nothing brings this to my attention quite like having out-of-town guests stay at my house, all with their own personal morning ablutions and tastes. (This week, for example, a visiting family member looked through my cereals, oats, nuts and dried fruit and asked, "where can I get a cinnamon roll?") And, I must admit, I don't like to eat health food all of the time, and sometimes, I, too, want something a little indulgent in the morning, especially with visitors in town. This week, my visitors and I struck a compromise with this dairy-free banana bread which, although containing healthy power-foods like bananas and walnuts, is also sweet and rich even for cinnamon roll-breakfasters.

I have often had such luck with other dairy-free quick breads as well, which are easy and quick to make when I have company, and which suit a variety of dietary preferences and tastes. Here are a couple more dairy-free quick bread recipes for the indulgent morning meal or teatime treat:

Cocoa Banana Bread

Gingerbread

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Lasagna is one of those dishes that looks so "put together" and beautiful when finished, but it actually takes very little time to assemble and is incredibly versatile, hosting any variety of vegetables. This dairy-free lasagna primavera recipe combines dairy-free ricotta cheese, spinach, and two non-dairy creamy sauces with comforting noodles for a weeknight meal that also makes terrific leftovers.

If you're really in a rush, this easy lasagna recipe can be put together in just minutes or assembled and frozen ahead of time.

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.

I'm not entirely sure what it is, but kids LOVE things in things, things sandwiched between things and, well, hot dogs in ANYTHING. This dairy-free pigs in a blanket recipe is not only great for birthday parties and school parties, but they make excellent snacks. Significantly healthier and lower in fat than traditional puff pastry versions, these are also easy to make vegan by using a vegetarian hot dog substitute in place of meat-based dogs.

Here are a few more fun "things-in things" dairy-free kids recipes that make great snacks, lunchbox fare or dinner meals:

Baked Corn Dog Bites

Dairy-Free Cheese & Sauce Pizza Rolls

Non-dairy Cheese & Beef Hotpockets

Marshmallow Moon Pies

Photo © 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.