This post was originally about the fact that I’m not a good snacker. However, my mother’s enthusiasm for one aspect of that topic meant that the post became a saga to rival Gone With the Wind. So, I decided it deserved its very own blog post (although I haven’t told her she’s now in a leading role in this particular production! Hi Mum!).
A couple of weeks ago I was provided with a box of goodies from Chobani. My US readers will be well aware of the company – indeed I’d been reading about it in their blogs for yonks before the company launched in Australia last year. I LOVE that the company has long-supported bloggers and recognised the strength and potential of our voice. In fact, after I was contacted by the company, my mother (aka the yoghurt freak) went out and bought Chobani yoghurt, rather than her usual fare.
As an aside, I try to make the same statement with other purchases (not re their support of bloggers, but of those with allergies!). I try to support companies like Hans and Gravox which choose to make their products gluten-free. If bacon, ham, soy sauce, stock powder or gravy mixture can be made gluten-free without losing its taste then why don’t all bloody manufacturers make the effort?! (Rant over!)
Back to the Chobani Greek Yoghurt. When being healthy (and snacking), yoghurt is one of my go-to snack options… although I’ve really only ever liked flavoured yoghurt. And… confession time again… my disdain for fruit means I don’t actually eat fruit yoghurt! So when offered the yoghurt by Chobani I wondered if I could say no to the fruit flavoured yoghurt and only go with their natural greek yoghurt.
You will note that I captured her taste test of the strawberry yoghurt on film. Again she thought it thicker and creamier than most and told me it contained more fruit. (Apparently the thickness comes from Chobani’s ‘straining’ process!) I also shared some with my aunt and uncle and then endured a lunchtime conversation about the fruit placement – top and bottom – which they found pleasing. (As a non-fruit eater I tried hard not to gag!) Although… I had a couple of teaspoons of the strawberry yoghurt and quite liked the taste though was nervous about accidentally ingesting some fruit! (After all, I have eaten two apples in 2012 so I don’t want to set the bar too high!)
I sent mum off with some more samples and as a lover of summer fruit, she was particularly keen to try the mango flavour and pineapple flavour.
My mother – an avid baker and cook – also suggested I ‘whip up’ a dessert using some of my yoghurt. (She’s trying to encourage me to not forage for chocolate after dinner!) Although I hate jelly and find it too sweet, my mother promised that combining some jelly mixture with yoghurt would offer me a sweet (though not too sweet) dessert option which is a bit like a blancmange (or junket – ie. very 1970s!).
My end product was still a bit sweet for me, so next time I’ll use more yoghurt but it was an easy, handy and healthy dessert to have on hand in summer.
- 3/4 cup of yoghurt
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 4 x 150g of firm white fish
- cornflake crumbs
Basically you just combine the yoghurt and the mustard; dip the fish into it; then coat with crumbs and bake for about 20mins in a hot oven until cooked through and lightly browned. The recipe she used was accompanied by a spinach dish which she conveniently ignored. It looks pretty good to me, so gluten-free breadcrumbs or similar are now on my shopping list.
I’ve seen people making muffins and all sorts of things from yoghurt – shocking to me given that I’d only ever seen it as a snack or dessert!
Are you a yoghurt fiend?
Do you eat it straight or make stuff from it?
By the way, my Aussie readers only have one day left to enter the competition to win a $100 voucher from The Athlete’s Foot!Â
Disclaimer:
I was provided with free samples of Chobani yoghurt with no expectation of a favourable review. There has been no compensation or other incentive offered to write about the products. All opinions expressed in this space are mine, written with the objective of giving readers my (and my mother’s!!!) personal opinion(s).
November 28, 2012
I’ve really never eaten yoghurt until recently. I discovered that it tastes great on my breakfast muesli. And then I became lactose intolerant and temporarily had to give it up until I found a lactose-free yoghurt. I’d love to taste the Chobani because I’ve heard about how great it is but I don’t think they do lactose-free (or if they do my Woolworths doesn’t stock it).
November 28, 2012
I’m actually lactose intolerant Char (I wasn’t aware they could test for it but was told at the same time as my coeliac diagnosis after an endoscopy). At the time I was too stressed about the gluten thing to worry about lactose and as it happens I’ve never been a big fan of milk products. Sour cream and yoghurt were the only milk-based products I ate. I read that yoghurt was not as bad as straight milk etc… But even now I really only have yoghurt or sour cream once a day, though I might use some light evaporated milk for a cream-based sauce or in my scrambled eggs. I rarely eat cheese etc even now. Such a minimal amount doesn’t seem to have any impact on me (as far as I know!).
Deb
November 28, 2012
I didn’t know they had chobani here in Australia. I used to eat in when I lived in the States. I go through yogurt fiend stages but I’ve never used it to cook with.
Your mum sounds hilarious. Love that she is getting into the food photography!
November 28, 2012
I hope she doesn’t get too carried away – she’s always trying new recipes, so perhaps she’ll start a food blog. (I AM JOKING MUM!!!)
Yes… I’d seen lots of bloggers talking about Chobani before I realised it’d been released here as well.
November 28, 2012
Love Chobani…& love these ideas! Thanks!
November 28, 2012
The yogopops / yogocicles are a particularly good idea. I’m not sure if you buy the Chobani cases, but any popsicle makers would do. Am sure you could add other things if you were more ingenious. Am thinking hundreds and thousands. Or chocolate. Though… oops… defeating the purpose of healthy snacking I guess!
There are also some recipes on the Chobani site!
November 28, 2012
I love greek yoghurt too 🙂 I’ve never had the chance to try Chonobi – the UK people need to get in touch! I would devour that stuff!
I love the idea of the popsicles though, will try that
November 28, 2012
Yes Rebecca and they would be a healthy snack for Charlie (though you’re heading into winter aren’t you!!!!???).
I wonder if Chobani is available there! I know it was available in the US and Canada first and started about 5yrs ago!
November 28, 2012
LOVE IT! Chobani, the post and your mum. Who I will have to meet on my next family-enforced visit to her town.
I too was sent a package of love from Chobani, but all that was left when I looked in the fridge 2 days after its arrival was the big tub of 2% (my favourite), a small tub of plain 0% and a small tub of strawberry, my least fave of the flavoured ones. Bloody hubby (I mean lovely, sweet and gorgeous hubby) had scoffed the lot! Grrr.
I mix the plain with maple syrup and blueberries, or just maple syrup (not much, just a smidge), or I use it for savoury dishes, such as tandoori chicken or dips, or in cakes and muffins instead of oil/butter.
November 28, 2012
I did see mention of Chobani in one of your posts Mel. I love maple syrup and am already fantasising about the combination. (I assume maple syrup is gluten-free?!) Plain yoghurt is essential for dips!
Deb
November 29, 2012
Hi Deb! Plain yogurt (how we spell it in the U.S., though I learned just today of the alternate spelling you used), tastes a lot like sour cream. I have used it on baked potatoes with black bean salsa, which tasted very fattening, but it wasn’t. Other people make vegetable dip and chip dip out of it (though why make a low-fat dip for a high-fat chip???). Like you mentioned, there are many other recipes. Some people even make their own yogurt in a Crock Pot, which I’ve heard is very easy to do. Your Mom is cute.
🙂 Marion
November 29, 2012
My mum is a sweetie, that’s for sure. And… I checked the label and Chobani spells ‘yoghurt’ without the ‘h’. I googled to make sure I hadn’t been spelling it incorrectly all of these years, but apparently the ‘h’ is more common in Oz and England etc (like colour / color etc I guess). Phew… I was having a flashback to the time when someone told me (when I was very young) that toads turned into rocks during the day… a fact which I confidently shared with someone when I was in early high school. They almost died laughing!
November 29, 2012
OMGOSH that popsicle pack is BRILLIANT!
November 29, 2012
I know. I’m not sure if it’s sold anywhere, or a promotional product. Great idea though!
November 29, 2012
I love Chobani yoghurt and feel a bit jealous they didn’t send me any!!!
November 29, 2012
It certainly seems to be ‘everywhere’ at the moment Liz – I keep seeing promos for it etc.
November 30, 2012
I love Chobani and eat it almost every day! This is a huge change for me. I never liked the non-Greek yogurts in the past and only ate them with cereal mixed in. Funny how things change.
November 30, 2012
Yes indeed. I knew Chobani was big in the US but it took a while to get here. (Hope you are well by the way!)