A few weeks ago, I attended a virtual dairy farm tour with Stonyfield Organic and learned so much about what goes into organic dairy farming. Since moving to this new house, I’ve tried my hand at gardening / farm life with the chickens and the knowledge that I gained from the tour was extremely valuable. Organic farming is something that I strive for and not only is it better for the health of our family, it is also better for the land and environment.
Before the tour, what I knew about organic foods was simply that they didn’t use pesticides, but so much more goes into organic farming. For dairy farming, it means no synthetic hormones or antibiotics given to the cows, and no pesticides in the food that they eat. Stonyfield Organic invests in quality and they’ve gotten to know their farmers and the care that goes into each cow. Stoneyfield gets all of their milk from 2 sources: direct supply or Organic Valley crop cooperatives. In 2014, they launched The Stoneyfield Direct Supply program, a way to extend support and resources to independent farmers, who receive up to $10,000 the first 2 years they work with Stonyfield to improve the overall sustainability of their farm. The cows from two of the farms that we met during the Virtual Farm tour, Molly Brook Farms and Wonder Why Farms, where they source the milk for the yogurts are fed strictly 50% fresh pasture, 40% Alfalfa and Hay, and 10% oats, grains, and barley. So when cows are fed such a healthy diet, not only is it good for the soil, but their milk contains 62% more omega 3 fatty acids than conventional milk. I feel good knowing that my kids are getting the nutrients they need during this important developmental stage in life.
That said, I always love sprucing up their breakfast or snacks with yogurt. Here are some of my favorite ways to use yogurt
Recipes:
*All organic ingredients are used in the recipes here
Oatmeal cookie Overnight Oats:
This overnight oats is my healthy solution to munching on a whole batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. You’ll truly be blown away by how delicious it tastes and even better that you won’t feel guilty eating this entire bowl in one sitting.
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup Stonyfield Organic greek yogurt
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons raisins
In a bowl, mix together greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour in the rolled oats and raisin and mix again. Transfer to an airtight container or cover. Enjoy within 3 days.
Yogurt Cheese
Yogurt Cheese is a beautiful cross between cream cheese and sour cream. It’s tangy yet has this beautiful thick texture of cheese that I love the most on a bagel. Use it with your favorite savory toppings or even jam! The salt in this balances out the sweetness of the jam but you can leave it out too.
1 cup Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurt
Pinch of salt
In a bowl, add strainer and cheesecloth. Pour in 1 cup of greek yogurt and mix with a pinch of salt. Cover with the cheesecloth and wrap it so no yogurt is exposed. Put in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to 24 hours. Remove from cheesecloth and spread on your favorite toast or bagel.
Mango Lassi
When mangoes are in season, this is my go to drink to make. Right now, Keitt - my favorite mango variety is in abundance at the market, so I love whipping this up and sharing this delicious indian yogurt drink with my kids. Atulfo or champagne mangoes are great for this recipe too!
1 cup keitt mangoes, cut into chunks
½ cup milk
1 cup Stonyfield Organic Vanilla yogurt
⅛ teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon Honey (depending on your sweetness level)
In a blender, add mangoes, milk, yogurt, cardamom, and honey. Blend until smooth. Pour and enjoy!
Chai Yogurt Bowl
This warm spiced yogurt bowl is the perfect thing to wake up to on a cold blustery day. With just a few spices, it really transforms your morning yogurt!
2 cups Stonyfield Organic vanilla yogurt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon cardamom
Pinch of black pepper
In a bowl, mix the vanilla yogurt with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and black pepper. Mix well and store for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
For the yogurt bowl, add as much as you’d like and top with granola, berries, or your favorite fruit.
