Eat Like No One Else

Milk and chocolate, what a combo! Who doesn’t love chocolate milk? Problem is not all chocolate milk is created equally. Some chocolate milk is full of high fructose corn syrup. Some chocolate milk is 1% or lowfat. Some chocolate milk lacks a strong chocolate flavor and leaves you thinking you would be better off mixing regular milk with chocolate syrup. But then there is Farmers’ Creamery Dutch Whole Chocolate Milk. It is not equal to other chocolate milk, it is beyond any other chocolate milk.

Why makes it so great? For starters – fat. This is whole milk, not no skim or low fat milk. When it comes to chocolate milk it not about drinking what’s healthy. The milk used to make this chocolate treat is different from most milk you buy in the stores for 3 reasons.

1. Grass fed cows – The cows that the milk is from, eat grass. This is what cows naturally eat. Sadly farms today force cows into eating grains and this is not good for the milk or meat of the cow. If you don’t believe me try some grass fed beef (or better yet find this milk and try it). You will taste the difference.

2. Low-temperature pasteurization – All milk that is sold commercially must be pasteurized. The milk is heated to the point in which there will be no chance for any nasty bacteria or pathogens. Most companies heat the milk to a high temperature for a brief period, because it saves time (and “time is money”). But by using a high temperature you kill a lot of the flavor along with any bad stuff. Farmers’ Creamery uses a low-temperature pasteurization that takes longer however it preserves more of the milk’s flavor.

3. Non-homogenized – Homogenization is the process of breaking down the milk molecules so that they stay mixed together. Non-homogenization milk has what is called a cream top. In a way milk is less salad dressing, in that it can separate and needs to be shaken. The homogenization process makes it so that you don’t have to do that, but I also think it tastes away from the creaminess and overall mouthfeel of the milk.

The ingredients in the Farmers’ Creamery chocolate milk includes: Certified organic grade A whole milk, organic sugar, organic cocoa, organic nonfat dry milk powder, and carageenan. Carageenan is a thickening agent often used as an alternative to gelatin for those on a vegan diet. Most chocolate milk use corn starch as a thickener.

I have made chocolate ice cream many times, and this milk tastes like my mixture before I freeze it. In fact I think if I just poured this milk directly into my ice cream maker I could come out with a pretty good result. It’s super rich and creamery, with an amazing chocolate taste. It it more expensive than other chocolate milks, but you do get what you pay for. I found it on sale once at my local Whole Foods Market.

Where to Buy
Whole Foods stores nationwide.
You can also check Farmers’ Creamery website for availability in your area.

Tags: Chocolate, Milk, Whole Foods

Another trip to the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, produced another variety of peach to talk about. The Sugar May is dark red skinned peach with a white flesh. You might think that white flesh is something different, but actually all peaches use to be white-fleshed. The orange-fleshed varieties were created and became the dominant peach in America. But in recent years the white-fleshed peach has made a comeback.

The Sugar May peach was created in Modesto, California. It is ready to harvest about 16 days before red haven peaches, thus is an early season peach. If you get a ripe specimen you should be able to remove the stone without much trouble, even though these peaches are considered clingstone.

My Experience with this Peach (Rating Scale 1-10)
Acidity: 5
Peach Flavor: 7
Sweetness: 7
Juiciness: 5

Overall Feeling: This was probably the best white fleshed peach I have ever had before. The flavor was good and it was juicy and sweet. Typically I found that white peaches tend to be harder than orange fleshed peaches, so you may need to put them in a paper bag to soften for a couple days. Also when you have a dark red skin it’s harder to tell when they are ripe (redness does not equal ripeness). An orange hue on the peach indicates a ripe peach, but you can’t see that color when the peach is dark red. Also of note there was some red blush within the white flesh, which is the first I have seen in a white peach.

Another type of white flesh peach is the donut peach. Click here to read about that variety.

Tags: Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Farmer's Market, Farmer's Market, Peach, White Peach

I have been able to find the Calypso brand lemonades at several stores in my area. Upon looking at their website I discovered that the King Juice Company makes more than just lemonades under their Calypso brand. I never found any of these other products until I was in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At Angeli’s in Iron River, MI I was able to purchase their orange juice. It is 100% orange juice that comes in a 12 ounce glass bottle. The ingredient list reads like this : triple filtered water, orange juice concentrate from Floridian and Brazilian sources.

If you like a tart orange juice, than this might be the brand for you. I prefer my orange juice a little sweeter, so this was a disappointment for me. I did not find it to be any better than any store brand orange juice. It didn’t taste like a fresh squeezed orange at all.

Where to Buy
The only place I have seen Calypso Orange Juice is at Angeli’s Market in Iron River, Michigan. If you have seen it elsewhere, feel free to leave a comment.

Click here to check out all Calypso products I have reviewed.
Click here to find out where to buy Calypso lemonade.

Tags: Calypso, Juice, Orange

It seems like there are a thousand names for steaks, and it can be difficult sometimes to pinpoint what you got. It took me a little bit of searching to discover what a petite steak was. The petite steak as it names suggests is a small steak that is cut from the chuck primal (or the shoulder of the cow). The chuck is known for producing some of the most finger licking food you could imagine, but not normally a tender steak. But the petite steak is an exception. The only problem is that there is a laying of connective tissue that won’t go away even if you burn the thing into ashes. But around that connective tissue is come pretty flavorful meat, you just have to cut around it. Because of this “defect” you should be able to find the steak at a low price, thus it’s a great value. The Nibble.com ranked it as the best value steak. (Click here to see a list of their top 10 value cuts of beef).

Not finding a petite steak in your store? It might also be under the name blade steak or top blade steak. I think it depends on the size of the steak. The smaller version of a blade steak is a petite.

Tags: Beef, Steak

Time again for my weekly update on the blueberry crop in Michigan. More varieties are becoming available and picking is pretty good across much of the state. Here are the updates from the farms I am following:

1. Dexter Blueberry farm (located to the west of Ann Arbor & downtown Dexter) has excellent picking conditions right now. Their Jersey variety has just come available and should be ripe for the picking for the next 3 weeks. They sell for $1.60 a pound. I picked their twice last season and it was a great experience and they are plenty of bushes to pick from. Click here to visit their website.

2. Woodland Berry Farms in Zeeland, MI has three varieties of blueberries currently available for u-pick: Blue Crop, Jersey, and Blue Ray. They charge $1.25 a pound. For more information call them at (616) 875-8853 or visit their website.

3. Jones Berry Farm in Bridgman, MI is NOW open for u-pick. They are saying they have a “bountiful blueberry crop”. Click here to visit their website.

4. Rambo Blueberries also located in Bridgman, has the Jersey variety now available to pick. Their Bluecrop berries are almost gone. They recommend you call ahead before you come in. Their phone number is (269) 426-4074. Click here to visit their website.

5. Czaika’s Blueberry Farm in Tawas City is opening up this Saturday, July 31st. They are charging $1.00 per pound (that’s cheap!) If you wish to reach them you can call them at (989) 326-4638 or visit their website for updates.

6. Croswell Berry Farm in Croswell, MI (6 miles west of Lexington) should be open for picking now. Call 810-679-3273 for crop conditions before coming. Click here for their website.

7. Hazen’s Farm in Howell, MI is NOW open for picking. I had a friend visit their farm yesterday and said the picking was great. They are charging $1.42 a pound. For more information call 517-548-1841. Click here for their website.

8. Harvey’s Farm in Tekonsha, MI is NOW open for picking. They charge $1.25 per pound. They are located right off I-69, exit #25 (head west on M-60 1/4 mile to 15 Mile Road. Go north 1/4 mile to the farm located at 2651 15 Mile Rd.). Click here for their website.

9. DeGrandchamp’s Blueberry Farm in South Haven says they are at the peak of their season, so come on over. They are open daily from 8am-6pm. Click here for their website.

10. Kendall’s Blueberries in Hastings (about 50 miles southwest of Lansing) are almost out of blueberries. The birds have been having a field day on the crop, so it is becoming more of a search now. Before coming I recommend calling ahead to make sure they are still picking. Their phone number is 269-945-3735 or click here for their website.

11. Kapnick Orchards in Britton (close by to Adrian and Tecumseh) will open for u-pick on Friday, July 30th. They are picked out of their early variety and are just waiting to open again with the later varieties. They charge $2.00 a pound. Their phone number is 517-423-7419. Click here for their website.

12. Spicer Orchards in Fenton is currently open for picking. Their phone number is (810) 632-7692 and click here for their website.

13. Erie Orchards in Erie, MI has blueberries for u-pick for $2.50 per pound. For more information you can call them at 734-848-4518 or visit their website.

14. Sandy Acres Blueberry Farm in Belleville is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm for u-pick. Their phone number 734-657-2828.

Keep coming back to the website for updates as the season progresses.

Tags: Blueberry, Michigan Farms, U-Pick

If you wish to read my all my posts on growing peaches & cream corn, click here.

Good news, if you read my last post on my corn (click here if you didn’t) my corn has bounced back from being bent over by strong winds last week. More tassels are coming up and I saw the first appearance of silk further down the plant. As long as pollination goes successfully where that silk appears will grow an ear of corn. It seems like some plants are ahead of the rest of the pack, which could be a good thing come harvest time (would spread out the harvest). I am thankful that the storm didn’t ruin my crop.

Tags: Corn, Peaches & Cream

On Friday, July 23rd, a strong storm hit my town, knocking down trees and power lines all over the city. The storm attracted the news from Detroit to my small little city. Many people were without power for over 24 hours (including me). Another victim of the storm was my corn crop. The strong winds caused my corn to be bent over just at the time when tassels where starting to appear at the top of some of the plants. Will the corn bounce back from the wind damge? It should as nothing was actually snapped. This is only my 2nd year growing corn and we never had this problem last year. At this point in the game it would be sad to lose any of the crop, as I am entering the pollination stage, which means the ears aren’t too far behind.

If you wish to read my all my posts on growing peaches & cream corn, click here.

Tags: Corn, Peaches & Cream

Earlier today I wrote about one of the most exotic lemonade flavors – Triple Melon. Now I am going to write about one of the most common – raspberry lemonade. Raspberries and lemons go very nicely together. So how did the King Juice Company, makers of Calypso lemonade do at creating this classic combination.

Surprisingly, just ok. It was quite boring compared to some of their other flavors, like the previously mentioned Triple Melon or their black cherry. There was nothing bad about it, it just was rather forgettable. I think Calypso does their best work when it’s something unique. But if your a raspberry lemonade lover, I would still give this one a try. I may not have been the best that I have had, but it may be the best you have had.

Click here to check out my other Calypso lemonade reviews.
Click here to see where you might be able to find Calypso lemonades.

Tags: Calypso, Lemon, Lemonade, Raspberries

I have tried many different fruit flavors mixed into lemonade. One of the most unique combinations I have tried is the Triple Melon lemonade from Calypso. I thought I had tried all of the Calypso flavors, but then I saw this unique colored liquid staring at me from a refrigerated unit at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It also caught the eye of the cashier as I was checking out. I have had watermelon flavored drinks before, but never a drink that combined multiple types of melons. The three melons are watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

I was really surprised in how much I liked this drink. I thought that the watermelon flavor would win out, but the King Juice Company did a wonderful job of balancing each melon flavor, along with the punch of tartness from the lemonade. Very impressive.

Where to Buy
I think this flavor is harder to find than some of the others, as I have only seen it at one store (Plum Market). Click here to read my post about where you can find Calypso products.

Click here to check out my other Calypso lemonade reviews.

Tags: Ann Arbor, Calypso, Lemon, Lemonade, Melon, Watermelon

Right now raspberries are a hit and miss around the state. Some places have some raspberries available now, but they are limited until the fall varieties are ready. Other places only have the summer types and they are almost picked out. It’s best to call the place you plan to go to ahead of time or visit their website to make sure they are picking. Now onto updates from around the state.

Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor area)
1. Rowe’s Produce Farm is open on select days for picking at the moment. It’s best to call ahead to see if they are picking the day you want to come. You can reach them at (734) 482-8538 or visit their website. Click here to read about my experience picking there.

2. Makielski Berry Farm (located on Platt Road, south of Michigan Ave) will have raspberries for picking as we get closer to fall. They currently are picking blackberries. You can call their info line for more details: (734) 572-0060 or visit their website

Lansing Area (Mid-Michigan)
1. Gruber’s Farm in Williamston (1061 E. Sherwood, Williamston, MI) is saying their fall raspberry picking will begin on Tuesday, August 24th. Their phone number is (517) 655-2901.

2. Swallowtail Farm (1633 Hagadorn Rd, Mason, MI 48854) expect their “Autumn Bitten” variety to be available around the third week of August. Their “Heritage” variety around the 1st of September. Their phone number is (517) 980-6634

3. Hazen’s Farm in Howell, MI typically has their raspberries ready for picking in mid-August. They currently are offering blueberries. For more information call 517-548-1841. Click here for their website.

Northern Lower Peninsula
1. Kiteley’s Farm Market (03805 Brock Road Charlevoix, MI. 49720) has red, black, and purple raspberries available for u-pick at different times throughout the season. Their phone number is (231) 547-2318. Click here for their website.

2. AJ’s Berry Farm in Lachine (15 miles to the west of Alpena) has a few raspberries left to pick. Once the current berries are picked out you will have to wait for fall raspberries available in September. For more information call 989-379-3061 or visit their website.

Grand Rapids area (southwestern Michigan)
1. Bird Berry Farm in Belding (about 45 minutes to the northeast of Grand Rapids) will have raspberries to pick in the fall. For more information, call them at 616-794-5041.

2. Sandy Bottom Berries in Rockford is winding down their raspberry season (they do not have fall berries). Call them at (616)225-9376 to see if they are still picking. The price is $3.30 a quart. Click here for their website.

3. DeLange’s Red Berry Farm in Hudsonville has only already picked berries available now. Their u-pick raspberries will be ready in August. You can reach them at 616-875-7117 or visit their website.

Southeastern Michigan (Monroe County/Dundee area)
1. Whittaker’s Berry Farm (6724 Todd Road Ida, MI, 48140) will have raspberries available in the next 2 weeks. To see if they are ready call (734) 269-6612

I will add more farms to the list as the season continues on.

Tags: Ann Arbor, Michigan Farms, Raspberries, U-Pick