Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Ingredient of the month...

YOGURT!

I love yogurt...always have but after having an annoying yeast infection while nursing my 3yo, I came to really love it. Now, I prefer nonfat, plain yogurt. I find everything else too sugary. My kids love yogurt too. I think some days, its all they eat. They really like the drink-yogurts (as they say) or the go-gurts. Note that many of the flavored yogurts contain a lot of sugar and corn syrup. I would love to buy organic (I love Stonyfield Farms) but I usually opt for the store brand...which is good too.

Yogurt is good for you too. It is a great source of calcium, potassium, and protein. Additionally, it contains active live cultures including acidophilus and bifidus. These good bacteria are great for your digestion. It is also a great way to replace the bacteria you need if you are taking antibotics.

What can you do with yogurt? Lots...

*Eat plain yogurt with granola and fruit.

*Put in smoothies with fruit, milk or juice, oatmeal, and protein powder.

*Use in place of buttermilk...in pancakes, biscuits...

*Use in place of sour cream...on potatoes, dried dips, in baking recipes (e.g. sour cream coffee cake).

*Use to marinate chicken for fried chicken or add marinate with yogurt and curry.

*Mix with peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon for a great fruit dip.

*Mix with garlic and grated cucumber for a great veggie dip or topping for a Mediterrean dish. Even better if you use Greek-style yogurt.

*Mix with jam, honey, salt, and pepper for a great salad dressing. Or mix with blue cheese!

*Mix with fresh fruit (or smoothie mixture) and freeze in ice cube trays or popsicle molds for a great summer treat.

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