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For those who love yogurt, but cannot (or choose not to) eat dairy products, there are a number of dairy-free alternatives on the market. Below is a comparison of three popular brands. I have compared some of the main features as well as my personal opinion regarding the taste and texture of the products. I would still, however, recommend trying them on your own, as everyone's tastes are different.

* Amounts shown are for a ¾ cup serving (170g) of PLAIN yogurt.

Aviva's pick:

So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt. It has the best combination of taste and texture. Try eating it alone, with fruit or even blending it into a smoothie. Although I typically do prefer a fruit juice sweetener over cane sugar, the texture of the almond milk yogurt was just not smooth or thick enough for me. While the soy yogurts tend to offer more protein, there is concern regarding the effects of consuming unfermented soy, so it is not something I would recommend eating on a daily basis.

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There have been many reports in the news lately regarding a maple syrup shortage.  Is this an exaggeration, or should we start hoarding?

The early arrival of warm weather this year has certainly impacted the maple syrup industry.  Some producers in Ontario and the US have reported 20-50% lower yields than normal and have already closed their taps.  There are, however, maple syrup producers in northern regions of Quebec who are still producing sap.

In addition, the federation representing approximately 7400 producers across Quebec has over 36 million pounds of maple syrup in storage.  Even if 2012 turns out to be a lower yield season, the surplus syrup from previous years is enough to prevent a shortage.

Long-term, a trend of increasing temperatures could definitely affect the supply, but for now at least, you can enjoy your pure maple syrup as usual!

Try this recipe for Maple-Miso Salmon

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This week is Passover, and so I was inspired to attempt making my own almond butter, as I did not want to buy any of the kosher for Passover shelf brands available.  If you read my recent post about almonds, you will understand why I will only eat organic almonds, and organic kosher for Passover almond butter does not exist.

So I did a bit of research, and it turns out, you can make you own fresh almond butter using just almonds and a food processor...who knew?!

Here are some simple instructions plus step by step pictures I took along the way:

Toasted Almond Butter

Yield: 1 1/2 cups of almond butter

Ingredients

3 cups raw almonds


Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 300 F.  Place almonds on a large baking sheet and toast for approximately 15 minutes.  Place toasted almonds into a large food processor.  Process for 2 minutes, then stop and scrape down the sides .  Continue to process for about 7-12 minutes (depends on how powerful your food processor is).  You will notice that the almonds will gradually change from a powder to form a large ball.  Continue processing and that ball will break down again and begin to resemble a coarse and pasty almond butter.  Continue processing and the almond butter will become smooth and moist looking.  Store your almond butter in a glass jar and refrigerate.  

Below you can see the difference in colour between 2 batches that I made.  The one on the left was toasted for longer and yielded a richer, more robust flavour.  You will, of course, find many shades in between depending on the length of time the almonds are toasted.

Here is Solly tasting almond butter for the first time.  After he ate it, he said his second word: YUM...his first word was banana :-)

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Have you made a resolution to eat healthier this year?  Following through with your resolution can be challenging when faced with eating outside of the home.  While eating most of your meals at home is ideal, you should still be able to enjoy a meal at a restaurant on occasion.  The important thing to remember is to make the best choices you can.  And if your favourite restaurant does not offer many healthy options, you may want to find some new favourites for 2012.

Here are 7 tips to help you stay on track while dining out:

1. Make sure there is a good amount of vegetable with your meal.  If it is not included with your dish, order a side salad or a side of cooked vegetables.

2. Choose whole grains, when available, instead of white rice, pastas or bread.  Many restaurants now have whole wheat pasta options and often sushi restaurants offer a substitution of brown rice for a small extra charge.

3. Avoid anything that is deep fried.  Ask to substitute fries with a side salad.

4. Choose tomato sauce over cream-based sauces.

5. If your meal portion is large, try not to eat the whole thing.  Ask to have it packed up and save it for another meal.

6. Skip the sugary beverages such as pop, lemonade or iced tea.  Instead, enjoy a refreshing glass of water with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

7. Don't look at the dessert menu!

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Guest Post

Posted by: Tali

I don't like baking. It's too much like science...and I don't like science. I have a hard time sticking to recipes, and I like adding things off the top of my head when I cook. Nevertheless, I decided to try Aviva's Recipe of the Month. After promising myself that I would NOT add any funky ingredients that weren't listed in the recipe, I gathered all the supplies I would need. This baking endeavor was rather quick and painless, taking only like...7 minutes... to measure and mix everything and get it into a pan. I put it in the oven, and checked it after 25 minutes. It looked amazing, and when I stuck a knife in it, it was clean. But it didn't sound right...it sounded wet and squishy. So I turned off the oven, but put it back in for 6 more minutes. When I took it out for the second time, it was perfect. It sliced really well, and the pieces came out so easily. It's really moist and delicious, but still has that crumbly cornbread texture.

Now, all I need is some chili...

Notes from Aviva: I'm glad you enjoyed the cornbread, Tali. I see by your photo that you used a ceramic dish so that may have accounted for the extra baking time required (I use a glass baking dish). This brings up a great point though - If anyone making this recipe uses a non-stick/metal baking dish, it is a faster conductor of heat. You will likely need to reduce the baking time so the cornbread doesn't dry out.