I first discovered Fage Greek yogurt when introducing my then six-month-old baby boy to solid foods. My refrigerator has been stocked with at least one container of Fage yogurt ever since. Therefore, when I heard about the Foodbuzz contest sponsored by Fage, I leapt at the opportunity to openly praise a product that I already love.
My typical use for Fage yogurt is swirling a heaping and lustrous tablespoon of the ambrosial milk product into Sammy's baby food. (And I seriously do this daily, no joke.) Based on the advice of his pediatrician, I have learned that full-fat Greek yogurt can provide infants with necessary nutrients (especially calcium) and beneficial cultures that help in digestion. In addition, Sammy loves the decadent and rich textures imparted by the yogurt. With Fage, I think my little Sammy might grow up into a modern-day Zeus!
However, Fage yogurt is not just for my son, but also for me. As a working mom, I often don't have the time to splurge on certain luxuries of life (especially calorie-laden desserts). And yes, I am really trying to lose my pregnancy weight! Therefore, I turn to Fage Greek yogurt (which possesses health benefits that surpass that of regular yogurt) as a delicious alternative to sour cream and whipped cream. Dipping strawberries into a viscous and pleasingly unctuous yogurt? Yes, please! It does not hurt that as I enjoy Fage yogurt, I can imagine myself luxuriating in ancient Greece, gazing at the chiseled columns and statutes of gods or Olympians which scrape the blue sky. Or, I love dreaming that I am sitting with my feet dangling the warm and pristine Greek waters as I watch the bubbling sea foam lapping against the fishing boats. Finally, I love imagining that I am listening to the teachings of Socrates in a palace rich with history. As evidenced by Fage's yogurt, Greeks knew (and know) how to enjoy the "good life" by balancing healthy eating with daily activities. No wonder the ancient Greek empire had such success. And with the help of Greek yogurt, I hope to sculpt my post-baby body in statuesque form!
Here is my favorite way to enjoy Fage yogurt. In its simple, pure, and satisfying form, and slightly perfumed with honeyed sweetness.
Greek Yogurt With Ripe Figs, Toasted Almonds, Honey, and Blackberries
1 7oz container Fage yogurt
4 ripe figs, washed and sliced
1/2 cup of blackberries, washed
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
2 tbsp honey, warmed in microwave for 20-30 sec
In two pretty glasses, divide the yogurt and gently top with the yogurt with the fruits and almonds. Then, drizzle the honey over the yogurt, and enjoy!
With Fage, I am confident my family will be on their way to living the "good life."
Disclosure: As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway
As a featured publisher of Foodbuzz, Foodbuzz often sends me emails about their "Tastemaker Program," where they send free food samples to bloggers in exchange for honest feedback (and a blog post or two). Since I was trying to get back on the blog wagon and increase the frequency of my posts, I excitedly signed up for products from three companies: (1) Ghiradelli, (2) Kikkoman, and (3) Sargento. I actually purchase products from this companies on a regular basis (especially Kikkoman), so I was pretty confident I knew what I was dealing with. I enlisted my mother-in-law to be my wing-man (or wing-woman) and partner-in-crime (or partner-in-tasting). We tasted five products: (1) extra dark chocolate, (2) chocolate squares with roasted almonds and sea salt, (3) ginger-soy karage coating for fried poultry or fish, (4) muenster cheese, and (5) swiss cheese.
First, as to the chocolates, both my mother-in-law and I shared the same sentiments. The bitter extra dark chocolate had a rich and potent cacao bean flavor. Because we prefer milk chocolate, we enjoyed the lighter and milkier chocolate squares with the ethereal flecks sea salt and mini shards of almond. The salt intensified the richness of the chocolate, and the crunch from the almonds gave the creamy candies nice texture.
We will definitely purchase the sea salt-flavored Ghiradelli squares in the future, when this stash runs out. (The stash may or may not have already run out. Okay, who am I kidding, the stash already ran out the day I received it!)
Unfortunately, the disappointment of bunch was the Kikkoman karaage coating. Throughout my life, the only soy sauce product my family has used is Kikkoman. I honestly believe their soy sauce is the best Asian sauce on American shelves. It is dark, slightly transparent, and rich in luscious umami flavor. The burnt caramel-colored and liquid ebony sauce is painstakingly distilled and beautiful to behold. Therefore, based on my experience with their soy sauce, I was expecting the same for the karaage coating.
To its merit, this karaage mix makes cooking fried karaage chicken very easy. The box says it is ready in five minutes, and it truly is. All you need to do is empty the seasoned flour in your own bag (no bag is provided) and dredge some chicken or fish pieces in it. The coating did an awesome job of keeping the chicken juicy, ultra-moist, and flavorful on its own. However, I was really-really-really put off by the taste. They overdid it with the ginger flavor, so much that it reminded me of Pine Sol or household cleaning chemicals.
My mother-in-law agreed with my assessment.
Finally, as for the Sargento cheese, Foodbuzz asked us to compare sliced Sargento natural cheese
with processed cheese. So I purchased my favorite brand of processed cheese and Sargento's muenster and swiss.
I toasted a few "everything" bagels (with onions, rye seeds, sesame seeds, and more), placed a slice of each kind of cheese on the bagels, and then microwaved the cheese for 30 seconds in the microwave. I wanted to see whether the cheese could stand up to the powerful flavors of the bagel.
My mom-in-law and I were pleasantly surprised. We thought the cheese was "delicioso" on the bagels (I also fried some eggs for the bagels) and particularly liked the sharp twang from the swiss. It goes without saying that Sargento's natural cheese beat out the radioactive orange, high sodium processed cheese (although I do admit that I love that salty and perfectly meltable orange stuff, just as I love cheese in can and cheez whiz).
All in all, I'd say my mother-in-law and I had a pretty fun time bonding over our opinions about these new products, and would now buy a few of those products for ourselves on a regular basis. Have you tried these items? What do you think of them? And yes, you can now call me a "sell out."
Thanks everyone for checking up on me. I am safe, folks are headed back to their homes, and electricity is slowly being restored to the New Orleans area. All this is cause for celebration, and therefore, let the blog posting resume!
First, I just wanted to give you all a quick glimpse of some of the delicious Zatarain's offerings that were sent off to the lucky readers who timely responded to McCormick's promotion on Passionate Eater.
Of this selection, so far, I have tried the ready-made-meal of jambalaya with sausage, which was very flavorful and tasty, and only took a 60 quick seconds to prepare in the microwave! Though I am already an avid purchaser of Zatarain's seasonings (including crab boil and Creole seasoning), my Zatarain's repertoire has now expanded to include these items.
More posting soon. I am glad to be back!
Being married to a Maryland man, I've learned one thing: After God, a Maryland man loves (1) the Redskins and (2) Old Bay Seasoning on his blue crab, though not necessarily in that order.
Based on my interactions with Louisiana men and women, I've learned another: After God, Louisiana folks love (1) the Saints and (2) their Zatarain's, equally. And they love Zatarain's on everything.
Between these spices, you will see a great schism in the United States which is based on the dueling, fervent, and almost-religious loyalties to Old Bay or Zatarain's. (But to tell you a secret, I think that my Old Bay-lovin' beau has become a Zatarain's convert after enjoying my brother's famous crab and crawfish boils down here in Louisiana. He is in denial though.)
Yes, I know that both spices are made by the mega-lo-normous spice corporation, McCormick, but they really do have distinct flavors. I would say that Old Bay is saltier and leaves more of a nasal-y celery aroma in your mouth and nose, and Zatarain's has a stronger emphasis on the spicy "oomph" that leaves your tongue and mouth blissfully tingling in a fiery pain.
You should judge for yourself, do you get overexcited for Old Bay or are you zealous for Zatarain's? If you would like a sample, [UPDATE: LINK DISABLED & TEXT REMOVED]email April, a McCormick representative, with your address at and she will send you a free Mardi Gras spice package! Also, don't forget to mention this post on Passionate Eater, and tell your friends! Hurry, before this offer expires! [SORRY, THE OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED.]
