I Found Raw Milk at Sprouts Farmers Market

I was invited to attend the Pre-Opening Party for Sprouts Farmers Market in Petaluma yesterday.  Even though there are upwards of 70 Sprouts Markets in scattered across California, I hadn't stepped foot in one until yesterday.  This new Petaluma Sprouts is the first one within a 50 mile radius from me so I was excited to check it out.

After talking with Glade Campbell, Sr. Director of Operations for CA and CO Sprouts, I headed straight over to the dairy case, of course.   For those of you who have been wanting to buy raw milk, Sprouts has it.

I was thrilled to see they had our own local Clover Milk in the case....

If you're into olives, you'll love their Olive Bar...yum.

They have a wide selection of cheeses in their cheese case....I didn't see any of our local varieties though.

Sprouts prides itself on their bulk options....coffee....

and all sorts of grains, seeds, nuts, etc...

I asked Glade if the produce and products they stocked was bought locally, most of the produce is bought in California until the off season comes around, then it's purchased from out of the country to keep up with the demand.

They carry both organic and conventional products to keep everyone happy.

You can also find Game Meats in their frozen meat case....Ground Elk, Ground Wild Boar...

and if you have a hankering for ground Kangaroo...guess what?...they have it!.....happily sitting next to ground venison!

My take on Sprouts Farmers Market is that it lies somewhere between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  It's larger than TJ's with a fresher and more abundant variety of produce and not as "local" as Whole Foods is.  The price point also lies somewhere in between, closer to TJ's.

The new Petaluma store is located in the new Target Shopping Center near the fairgrounds.  If you happen to be in town, I highly recommend checking it out.

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Organic Pastures Raw Milk Recall

I know many of you purchase raw {unpasteurized} milk produced by Organic Pastures, here in California and wanted to help spread the word that there has been a recall on it after five California children became sick with E. coli. 

Three of the five children were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure. State officials could not say, however, what the children's current condition is.

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Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte with Whole {raw} Milk Fresh From the Dairy

With the holidays bringing seasonal flavors and scents and if you've been a frequent reader here, you know how much I LOVE all things pumpkin.  Starbucks makes a great pumpkin spice latte but the Starbucks in my area move onto Gingerbread and Peppermint lattes as soon as they can and pumpkin spice is no longer available after Thanksgiving.  So I thought I would try and recreate my own pumpkin spice latte at home.

I began with one cup of whole {raw} milk.  Now of course you can use 2% or nonfat milk but I use what we have on hand and that's whole {raw} milk.  And now that my kids are old enough for me to feel comfortable enough to feed them raw milk, it's what we drink. 

Heat it up the milk until it's hot.  I used the microwave.

For my recipe, I used a dash of French Vanilla creamer and some pumpkin pie spice.

And if you don't own one of these Aerolatte tools, you might want to ask Santa for one, because in the long run, it'll save you lots of $$ if you're a frequent visitor to Starbucks.

After you've heated the milk, use the Aerolatte, until the milk is nice and foamy.  The Aeorlatte is battery operated whisk which froths up your milk in no time......no need for an expensive espresso maker and steamer.

Add your one cup of milk to one cup of your favorite coffee, add a dash of the French Vanilla creamer and top with the pumpkin pie spice.    There you go!  I'll still go to Starbucks when I'm on the go, but for a special treat at home, I'll be putting my aerolatte to use.  Now, I wonder if I can find Gingerbread spice?  Is there such a thing?

I can honestly say, that I enjoyed my homemade version more than the Starbucks version.  Maybe it's the use of the whole milk compared to the 2% I normally order.  Mmmm, so creamy and sweet with a touch of pumpkin spice.  Such a treat.

Related Posts you may enjoy:
Everything Pumpkin
Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Happy Tuesday!

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Listeria Found in Raw Milk Cheese

I know there's a lot of controversy over consuming raw milk. 
Is it safe for me and my family?
Isn't it better for me than pasteurized milk?
Should I consume raw milk cheese, or not?
Is it legal to buy raw milk in my state?
What would happen if I consumed a contaminated raw milk product?

The questions go on and on.

Just last week the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture detected Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in raw milk cheese produced by Morningland Dairy in the state of Missouri and sold in California.

Here are two of the labels from the recalled cheese.  Photos courtesy FDA.

Photos of recalled Morningland Raw Milk Goat Cheese with Whole Foods label.  Photos courtesy FDA

Listeria monocytogenes may cause listeriosis among “at risk” people, including pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache and stiff neck can occur. Infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to more serious problems for the fetus. Consumers should seek immediate medical care if they develop these symptoms.

Here is the California Dept. of Food and Ag press release with the information from the above paragraph.

When things like this come up, I feel I have the responsibility to go over raw milk information with you, so that you can make up your own mind on whether consuming raw milk products is something you want for yourself and your family.

I pulled up some information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the FAQ page of their site regarding raw milk consumption.  Here's a few of their questions and answers:

Can drinking raw milk hurt me or my family?

Yes. Raw milk can cause serious infections. Raw milk and raw milk products (such as cheeses and yogurts made with raw milk) can be contaminated with bacteria that can cause serious illness, hospitalization, or death. These harmful bacteria include Brucella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Mycobacterium bovis, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Shigella, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Yersinia enterocolitica. From 1993 to 2006, 69 outbreaks of human infections resulting from consumption of raw milk were reported to CDC. These outbreaks included a total of 1,505 reported illnesses, 185 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. Because not all cases of foodborne illness are recognized and reported, the actual number of illnesses associated with raw milk likely is greater.

Does drinking raw milk prevent or cure any diseases, such as asthma, allergies, heart disease, or cancer?

No. There are no health benefits from drinking raw milk that cannot be obtained from drinking pasteurized milk that is free of disease-causing bacteria. Drinking pasteurized milk has never been found to be the cause of any disease, allergy, or developmental or behavioral problem.

Does pasteurization change milk’s nutritional benefits?

No. Many studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk and dairy products. All of the nutritional benefits of drinking milk are available from pasteurized milk without the risk of disease that comes with drinking raw milk.



The raw milk product in question, for the recall is from Morningland Dairy and you can go to the Morningland Dairy site to see their cheese making process and what they have to say regarding the recall.


You're probably wondering, if you don't already know from a previous post of mine, if we drink our own raw milk.......Yes.  Since our kids are now over three years of age, we drink our own raw milk from our dairy.
If you have any questions, please let me know.....I'd be happy to respond :)

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Fresh Milk Straight From the Cow

There is almost nothing better than waking up on a foggy, Sunday morning by the smell of coffee brewing and knowing there's fresh milk, straight from our cows waiting to be poured into that coffee cup.  All that rich, creamy goodness is such a treat!

I have to say, if we didn't have access to our own fresh, raw milk I wouldn't buy it at the grocery store.  I would stick to the pasteurized.  But since we do, we run down to the milk tank almost daily to fill up our milk pitcher.

Hmmm....just heavenly.

Bryce's Special K cereal.

 Okay, time to begin the day!

 

Let's move on to chickens...... 

Later in the day we drove over to my sister's house to visit their 2 month old baby chicks.  I had been meaning to get over there to take some photos of them when they were first born, all fluffy and cute but I never made it.  Not that they're not cute now, but I wanted to get some photos of all the fluff they were sporting when they were smaller.

These chicks were hatched in an incubator at my sister's house.  They ended up with four hens and four roosters.  They are now two months old and with most of their feathers coming in.  More fresh eggs coming soon to their house!  We were going to take four or so hens for our own upbringing but since there were only four hens out of the hatched chicks, we'll wait for the next incubator batch.

Remember Snowball ?  There she is looking in from the outside.  The baby chicks are kept in their coop for their own protection and until they are big enough to fly.

Paige, the animal lover wanted to hold every one of them.

And I couldn't leave without checking in on the baby bunnies that aren't very tiny anymore....remember them?  Here's Cinnamon saying hi!

To complete the afternoon, a fun ride on a mini 4-wheeler.

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Raw Milk or Pasteurized? + Thermos Ready Smoothie

Many times, when I meet someone new or when someone finds out that we have a dairy, the next comment from them is, "I guess you don't have to buy milk at the grocery store." They are surprised when I tell them we buy pasteurized milk.

The data that I have researched states, young children and older adults are more susceptible to the bacteria that can be found in raw milk.
For our family, when the kids were under two years of age, I felt more comfortable having them drink pasteurized milk. Now, I'm not saying if we happened to run out of milk one morning, that I wouldn't drive down to the milk tank with a pitcher and fill up. All that creamy goodness of full fat milk is such a treat. But for us (or me), having peace of mind drinking pasteurized milk on a regular basis when the kids were really young was the choice for our family. I also love that vitamin D is added to pasteurized milk as well.....a good thing.

Are you weighing the risks and benefits of raw milk and deciding what the best milk is for your family?

The answers will vary depending on who you ask. Raw milk—milk that is not pasteurized or homogenized—is making its way into more cereal bowls, with 29 states now allowing the sale of raw milk under varying restrictions. Raw-milk proponents will pay upwards of $10 a gallon, because they believe it is safe and healthier. There are many testimonials about raw milk’s ability to relieve asthma, autism and allergies is further fueling the demand, though much of this praise remains anecdotal with few studies to back up these claims. Fans of raw milk claim it dishes out more flavor, vitamins, minerals and beneficial proteins, enzymes and bacteria than milk that has been “degraded” during pasteurization.

But the Centers for Disease Control and the FDA beg to differ, stating that pasteurized milk has all the same nutrients as raw milk and that raw milk comes with an added risk of pathogen outbreaks.

Catherine W. Donnelly, Ph.D., a food microbiologist at the University of Vermont, believes that the dangers cancel out any potential nutritional benefits. “Of particular concern is Listeria [a bacterium that results in a foodborne illness, listeriosis], which has a 30 percent mortality rate,” Donnelly warns. “If raw milk is your choice, it’s buyer beware.” When USDA scientists collected raw milk samples from 861 farms in 21 states, nearly a quarter of them contained bacteria linked to human illness, including 5 percent that tested positive for Listeria.


Deciding whether to take the risks associated with drinking raw milk is only one of the health-related choices you need to make when it comes to choosing the best milk for your family.

Here is a link to the L.A. Times ~ "The Raw Milk Debate Rages On" that I thought was interesting and wanted to share it with you.


Now, all this talk of creamy milk is giving me a craving for a healthy smoothie!
Here's one that you can whip up and put in your child's thermos for lunch....they will love it!



Thermos Ready Smoothie
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup milk
• (I add a scoop of protein powder for myself)

Preparation
1. Combine berries, banana, apple juice and milk in a blender; blend until smooth.

Nutrition
Per serving: 288 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 7 g fiber; 33 mg sodium; 539 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, antioxidants.
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving Pin It