But since joining the Real Food Challenge, getting milk has a whole new meaning.
Getting a gallon of milk means driving out to a little local farm and buying a glass jar full of milk that came out of a cow this morning.
Of course, when one is buying real milk from a real farm, it's hard not to ask for a tour of the "facilities". This means tramping off behind the house and visiting with the local livestock - like teeny cute little baby lambs...
It means meeting face to face the cow that provided us with our milk.
On so many levels, this brings me huge satisfaction, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I love the my children get to meet and pet the cow that their milk came from. It provides them with a solid connection and appreciation for their food. We're so far removed from where our food comes from - the milk in the grocery refrigerator, the chicken breasts on the styrofoam packing tray, the broccoli in the plastic bag. To really see it, up close and personal, to even pet it and watch it's enormously long tongue snatch some hay from your hand, brings the reality home.
There's something that feels so.... honest about this. Just look into those big brown eyes...
Isn't she adorable?
And her milk is fantastic. Smooth and creamy and delicious. Two Little Girls can attest to that.
I was surprised to find that it's actually cheaper to buy raw, local milk than it is to buy the "healthy" stuff at the health food store. No more pasteurized, hormone-infected milk for us, thankyouverymuch. I love the idea of not feeling guilty when I give my kids a glass of milk with their homemade whole grain cookies at snack time. Yum!
9 comments:
Yum! I am going to be starting to get raw milk soon. We used to when I was a kid and it SOOOO much tastier. Healthier, too, even if it is higher in fat than the stuff from the grocery store.
Julie-- Go, you, go you, go you!!! We're still hunting a source for under $12 a gallon out here :-\
Just Me-- You can feel great about the fat in raw milk. Unlike most of the oils at the grocery store, real fat breaks down nicely in our liver and boosts metabolism. Enjoy!
I wanna be your next door neighbor. Period.
Great pictures! Looks like a fun trip to the farm!
oh, and I ALWAYS drink from mason jars. Everything tastes better! :)
cool! I'm not sure I've had raw milk before. We're staying at a dairy farm over spring break so hopefully I'll get to try! Looks like you all had fun touring the facilities! Love milk in a glass jar. I'd drink more just to be able to pour out of the glass.
Katey - hooray! That's great :o) The organic milk in the grocery store has been pasteurized (heated to a point that destroys most of the nutritional benefit) and homogenized (The fat molecules have been broken down so that they stay suspended in the milk, thus keeping the cream from separating.) Basically, the nutritional value of store-bought milk is pretty much destroyed. The fat in the raw milk is actually quite good for you, and when milk is raw, more of the nutrients are available for the body to use.
So yeah - raw is definitely a better, healthier choice. Another option would be to use the organic store-bought milk when cooking and baking to stretch the raw milk a little further.
So excited that you found a supplier! They can be hard to come by. :o)
just discovered your blog today, and am so excited! i buy local milk from a small dairy farm near me, but to meet the actual cow would be so neat. been meaning to make butter for awhile now too, maybe i'll try this weekend!
Thanks for a great blog!
janene
Janene - thanks for stopping by! I look forward to checking out your blog as well.
Post a Comment