Road Trippin to White Sands

Hey friends, well, it has been quite a long time. Probably no one who ever read this blog in the past is still around. But I got inspired today to check back in and see if it was even still here and lo and behold here we are again!

As you can probably see from my last posts I was living in the beautiful city of Amsterdam for quite a while. It was fantastic and I had lots of adventures. Now I am on a new adventure - you might have gotten a clue from the title of this post. Yes, I'm on a huge road trip!

Well, this blog is about food and health so let's keep to the subject shall we? I was thinking I might share some of my road trip meals with y'all. What do you think?

I still love to hit local farmer's markets and find good eats. I still like to share my ponderings about the latest in scientific discoveries about health. So, perhaps I will start sharing them here again!

Alright, enough blah blah about the past. Let's talk about now!

Yesterday I hit up the small but nice Wednesday farmers market in Silver City, New Mexico. I was just passing through town but I read online that there was a fellow selling grass-fed meats. I picked up some ground beef because the small and simple package would easily fit in my cooler. Did I mention I am on a road trip? Yeah, I'm traveling in a car so I dont have a fridge on a daily basis. I do have a cheap crappy cooler that I bought at a thrift store somewhere in Utah I think... and some blue ice type things that I got at Walmart somewhere. It works to keep things cool for a day or so.

Along with the charming and friendly beef farmer Wendell, there was also a stand with farm fresh eggs. I purchased a dozen. Now I don't know about you, but when I buy eggs at the store I ALWAYS open the box to check the eggs and make sure none are cracked. I did not check these eggs and I wish I had. No, none of them were cracked. But look how gorgeous they are! I didn't look at them until the next day. I wish I had opened them in front of the seller so I could compliment her on how pretty they look!

In addition to my protein purchases I bought some stunning giant purple asparagus from another farmer. And now my cooler is full and I am on my way.

The next afternoon I cooked up a yummy meal at the picnic shelters at White Sands National Monument. Eggs and asparagus with a generous helping of wind blown sand.

Have you been to White Sands National Monument? If not, GO! It is absolutely stunning!!!

Kimchi Stirfry

I've been reading this very interesting website about the microscopic organisms in our guts that made me want to eat some fermented foods asap!

Kimchi was in da house and fit the bill. I made a little stirfry mashup with broccoli, carrot, red onion, kimchi and farro, added some sesame seeds and gochujang - voila! A quick, tasty and healthy meal with a dose of micro organisms.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, I highly recommend Sandor Katz' book Wild Fermentation.

Do you try to get fermented foods in your diet? What do you eat/drink? Kombucha? Yogurt?
Sauerkraut?

Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve: the place for good food

When you think of Amsterdam, what comes to mind? (if you're not from here, that is)

Legal prostitutes, legal marijuana, canals, and lots of windmills, right?

Well, let me tell you about a place that is more about the windmills than about drugs and prostitutes. (FYI we have eight windmills in Amsterdam and none of them are at the goat farm)

Lots of cute goats in the fields

The Geitenboerderij Ridammerhoeve is one of my new favorite places. Nestled in a huge city park called Amsterdamse Bos, this goat farm is part petting zoo and part working organic farm.

Going for a ride. Who's driving?

They have lots of goats of course, and from these goats they get lovely milk which they make into cheese, yogurt and ice cream. They also have lots of nice chickens running around whose eggs they sell. In addition to chickens and goats, the farm is also home to a few cows, pigs, and a horse.

In their shop they sell the goat cheese, milk and other products, as well as the biodynamic eggs, and a variety of meats.

I picked up a package of ground goat meat, some cheeses and a whole bunch of eggs.

I couldn't resist the goat cheese with nettles. So yum!

I've been eating the eggs all week and they are fabulous! With factory farming so horrifying, it is such a relief to see the chickens running around freely and pecking about in the dirt and grass for their food. I just feel GOOD eating these eggs. I know where they come from and I feel happy about the lives of the animals. Plus they are tasty and fresh.

Chicken running free

We've been going through these eggs more quickly than usual. Unfortunately that means soon I'll have to take the hour long bike ride back there to get more. But I don't mind visiting the cute baby goats again, even though one of them tried to eat my jacket when I wasn't looking.

Any Amsterdam readers know of any other local farms that sell directly to consumers? I've heard of a few and plan to check them out as soon as the weather improves. Rain rain go away!

Green Smoothies

My smoothies contain quite a bit of fruit so they are not really in line with the hard core paleo/primal rules. But they are nowhere near as sweet and fruity as most other smoothie recipes I've seen out there. Three bananas or more per smoothie just sounds absolutely vile to me.

Do you like smoothies? Do you like green smoothies?

Ginger, mango, carrot, cranberry, lime and spinach!

I've been drinking a smoothie, usually with greens added, almost every day for the past two months since I cut most dairy out of my diet (besides cheese and butter). A smoothie for breakfast just sounds appealing, right? I crave them every day, especially the greens and the berries. I typically add half a small banana for creaminess and sweetness, and then throw in whatever greens and fruits I have on hand. Usually I'll also include a spoonful of flax seeds and maybe some nuts.

At first I was worried that the sugary-ness of them would be a problem for me, making me hungry and fat(ter). But that doesn't seem to be a problem so far.

Banana, raspberry, blueberry! Pretty!

Indeed I would say that perhaps these smoothies are doing something good for me. Yesterday I bought a bottle of red wine at the grocery store and the cashier asked for my ID. At first I thought I heard her wrong and just ignored her...but then she asked again. After I handed my ID over she gasped and looked embarrassed. She asked "What is your secret?!" in Dutch. Being flustered and embarrassed I just replied "wijn?" and pointed stupidly at the bottle.

Oh, I should add that the legal drinking age here for wine and beer is currently 16. And I'm 41. WINNING!

Pesto Dressing: Oil-Free, Dairy-Free

A few weeks ago I was having an iMessage chat with my beautiful friend Carrie about creating pesto sauces without added oil or dairy. It wouldn't be very traditional but it could still be very yummy!

We talked about using extra pine nuts or even oilier nuts like macadamia to get a good consistency.

I haven't tried that yet but I did make two different pesto style salad dressings that I think Carrie would (mostly) approve of!

The first time I used a big handful of fresh basil, a clove of garlic, cashew nuts, water, a whole lime (without the peel), and a touch of salt. It was delish! I ate it on a big salad and also spread it on sliced tomato like a cracker. SO YUM!

Salad with lettuce, cooked purple cabbage, yellow bell pepper, lentils, tuna, tomatoes.

The second time I used big handful of fresh basil, a clove of garlic, hazelnuts, water, a half lemon (without the peel), and a touch of honey. It was also delish! I ate it on a big salad. I found it needed a touch of salt.

Salad with lettuce, turnip greens, chickpeas, serrano pepper, tuna and tomatoes.

Without the added water and perhaps with more nuts the consistency would be excellent for a more typical pesto style sauce. I'll probably try a bunch of variations as I adore pesto! (with basil and with other herbs, especially cilantro and arugula)

In case you are wondering why I avoid the oil and dairy here, there are a few reasons. Carrie comes from a vegan, nutritarian perspective which disallows animal products and avoids added oils. (she wouldn't like my honey and salt, but it can easily be left out) Basically I think it is better to limit processed fats in the diet when possible. Even olive oil is not found in nature in a bottle. So I try to get my fats from whole foods most of the time. Why no dairy? Well, indeed I do love my cheese but sometimes it is nice to skip it.

Coming up tomorrow, my trip to the local goat farm! Fresh eggs from wild chickens! Fun!

Discovering New Veggies

One of the most fun things about traveling to a foreign land or moving to a new place is discovering new and tasty foods. Living in a new country, I occasionally see vegetables that I haven't tried before.

Perhaps they look familiar and yet a bit strange, like the pointy cabbage called spitskool I wrote about last week.

Lately I have seen nice weedy looking greens at my local farmer's market. They weren't labeled with a name and I didn't ask what they were. But of course, I bought them. I ate them. I had no clue what exactly they were but they tasted fresh with a slight bitterness. I thought they might be a cultivated milder variety of dandelion greens.

Yesterday I saw the greens again in my organic grocery store. But this time they were labeled with a little sign. Raapsteel. Well, hmmm. The adventure continued as I have no idea what "raapsteel" is!

A quick visit to google tells me raapsteel translates as turnip green. But I tell you, I see the roots and there are no turnips attached. It is likely one of the closely related Brassica rapa varieties including mizuna, mustard greens, and rapini. I am a huge fan of rapini and mizuna so I am very happy to discover a new variety to stuff in my pie hole.

What about you? Discover any new fruit or veggie lately?

Living Like a Cavewoman

Maybe one of the most fun and awesome projects I have heard of in a while!

This cool Amsterdam girl is planning to live like a cavewoman for 100 days this summer. OK, that sound good. But she's doing it in the city of Amsterdam! Wow!

Check out her blog: What About Wilma

 Summer is a good time for this project. Other times of the year it would definitely not be fun to walk barefoot in the cold city, and bedtime when it was dark would mean sleeping 16 hours a day. Now it's light until at least 10pm, in fact I went to bed last night while it was still light out.

Amsterdam is a very charming and small city but it is also noisy and crowded and hectic. It will be interesting to see if this cavewoman project brings her peace and calmness. I worry mostly about her stepping on broken glass and cigarette butts with bare feet, although I used to walk barefoot around Los Angeles which I suppose is even worse.

It's also great to see a paleo girl project like this, much of the paleo-sphere is full of cavemen. Nice to see a lady doing something so cool!

I love her project and I hope I can stalk her around town!

Breakfast Time

Today I had a nice dual breakfast after gardening on my balcony. In case you are wondering, I repotted some herbs and planted some old potatoes that were sprouting. It's an experiment to see if they will make more potatoes!

I started with a smoothie made of:
1/2 frozen banana
frozen strawberries and cherries
fresh spinach
spoonful of coconut butter
flax seeds
water

It came out looking like poo. Yummy poo though!

For the second round of breakfast I made a little scramble with:
1 organic egg (for more info about eggs in NL, read this great guide)
smoked wild salmon
spoonful of goat cheese
bitter dandelion leaves from my balcony weed patch :)

Delish!

What did you have for breakfast?

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I bought some beautiful red-tinged spitskool the other day and wondered what to make with it.

Rood Spitskool image from www.horecaverswinkel.nl

Stuffed cabbage sounded nice, so I looked up some recipes on the web to get an idea of the process.

While blanching the cabbage leaves I made a mix of raw ground beef, shallots, garlic, salt, rosemary, cinnamon, and a little cooked white rice. After the leaves were slightly softened, I dolloped a spoonful of the mixture into the middle of each leaf and rolled it up burrito style, securing with a toothpick.

I added the cabbage bundles to a quick tomato sauce made of canned tomatoes to which I added shallots, garlic, hot chile and some leftover bacon. The cabbage bundles simmered in the sauce for about 30 minutes, until I tested one and the meat was cooked through.

I removed the toothpicks and served the stuffed cabbage topped with a tomato sauce and grated parm on the side for diners to add if they liked.

Oh man! It was pretty darn good! We agreed that the rosemary and cinnamon made a nice spice combination.

I think next time I would cook the cabbage a little longer as it was a little chewier than some liked. I thought it was fine but I think it would be easier to eat if the cabbage was softer. I also thought perhaps I'll try it next time as a layered dish, lasagna style.

In case you are wondering about the addition of white rice, some of the recipes suggested the addition of bread crumbs. I am trying to avoid wheat, so I thought I'd add white rice in honor of the Perfect Health Diet.

Do you make cabbage rolls? What are your secrets for a tasty dish?

Veggie Pad Thai Sans Noodles

Inspired by a recipe I found on Health-Bent, I decided to make a healthier version of traditional pad thai.

Yummy veggie pad thai!

Just like most people, I like pad thai in restaurants. Problem is, it's typically full of sugar and other questionable ingredients. So I thought it would be nice to make a more whole foods version with all veggies topped with a healthier sauce.

Mostly I followed the recipe from Health-Bent, but I used evil peanut butter instead of almond butter because I had it on hand and I like it. I also used shallots instead of onion, and used only 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and mostly water sauteed.

In addition to the zucchini noodles they showed, I used a mix of grated cauliflower, grated broccoli, sliced nappa cabbage, and a bit of carrot. I was already prepping and chopping veggies for another recipe I planned to make, Vietnamese summer rolls.

That's a lot of chopped veg!

Delish! I squeezed the juice of a lime over it, topped with cilantro and slurped it up! I'll definitely make it again. Thanks Health-Bent!

Chocolate Smoothie

I finally picked up "unprocessed" chocolate powder and made a smoothie with it.

Some research says that chocolate is darn healthy. Check this out!

I hadn't eaten in 17 hours or so and I was very excited to have a smoothie. I made this one with:

1/2 banana
frozen raspberries
spinach
spoonful of cocoa powder
some unsweetened dried coconut flakes
water

I topped it with a little local bee pollen and some flax seeds. It was so good!!! Not too chocolatey or sweet but just a nice cocoa flavor.

No, I didn't put any onion in it, that is just my onion garden that I am getting ready to plant on my terrace.

After writing about this now I want another smoothie...

Hummus Lettuce Wraps with Mackerel

Some people think beans are evil and unhealthy. I am not sure about that but I like them.

Some people think beans are one of the healthiest foods we can eat. I am not sure about that but I like them.

So I eat them for now, unless I decide I don't like them or I am convinced that they are evil and unhealthy.

I made homemade hummus today. Have you ever soaked chickpeas? (garbanzo beans for you Americans) Check this out! After just soaking overnight they more than triple in size! That's a bargain food in my book. Imagine soaking your cash overnight and it triples in quantity, wouldn't that be nice?

So I made hummus without adding oil. Most would say this is not real hummus, and I can live with that. I'm just trying to avoid processed food right now and even olive oil is not a whole food. I made the hummus with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water, a dash of salt, and a bit of cumin.

Then I slathered it on a piece of lettuce, topped with sliced tomato, sliced serrano chile, lime juice and some smoked mackrel. Roll it up and stuff it in your face!

Have you had smoked mackerel before? I haven't, but it is gooooood! A source of omega-3 fatty acids and it is supposed to be a sustainable fish. Well, the package said duurzame, so I hope they aren't lying!

A yummy lunch or snack, and you could even play around with the presentation and make it into a nice canape for guests.

It's even better with some fresh herbs like mint or cilantro.

Hunter-Gatherer Diet

I really liked this video as it echoes what I have thought many times while hearing what a "ancestral", "paleo", "natural" or "primal" diet should and should not include.


Back in the day I studied a bit about some of the native peoples of California, where I grew up. As far as I understood, they ate a huge variety of foods including some grains like wild rice and seeds of wild grasses. Also acorns (fat and carbs) formed a substantial portion of the diet, especially when there wasn't anything else to eat. It wasn't all meat meat meat, but they definitely ate all kinds of animals.

It annoys me when "paleo experts" say that grains are not part of a natural or ancestral diet, because it just doesn't match up with what I have learned. It makes me wonder whether these "paleo experts" are just making up facts as they go along.

I think the main thing we need to understand when thinking about a healthy, natural diet is to avoid processed foods and to eat whole foods. And to consider scarcity and seasonality.

Maybe hunter-gatherers do eat grains, but definitely NOT at the level we eat them in a standard diet. So for the most part we should surely avoid stuff like baked goods and pasta made from refined wheat. At the same time, are paleo waffles made of coconut flour really much better for you than a regular old Leggo my Eggo waffle? Seems like both are pretty unlikely in a hunter-gatherer diet.

Of course, allergies and food sensitivities are a whole different topic. If it makes you sick, don't eat it.

While I really agree with a lot of the principles of the paleo diet, I don't like stuff that is just made up based on what some self-made "expert" thinks hunter-gatherers eat. Let's stick with the facts, or as much as we know of them at least. I always advocate using your own brain instead of just following someone. Maybe they'll end up to be right, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't question or think for yourself.

What do you think? Do you avoid grains or gluten? All grains or just some?

Superfood Risotto

Of course we've all heard of superfoods by now. But what are they exactly? The Oxford English dictionary defines superfood as "a food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being".

Cauliflower: As a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, cauliflower is believed to confer fantastic health benefits to those who eat it regularly. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamins C and K, as well as other antioxidants and phytonutrients. Plus it's hella yummy!

Mushrooms: Mushrooms are also considered a nutrition powerhouse. One cup of crimini mushrooms provides a good source of 18 different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients.

Onion: Onions are an outstanding source of polyphenols, including the flavonoid polyphenols. Within this flavonoid category, onions are a standout source of quercetin. Onions, are members of the allium family, and both are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of their health-promoting effects.

Garlic: Garlic is also a member of the allium family, and thus contains loads of sulfur compounds giving it anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

Usually we think of the healthiest meal as a rainbow of colors. But this brown and tan dish packs a serious healthy punch!

I sauteed the mushrooms, onions and garlic in a bit of butter while grating cauliflower (by hand) to make cauliflower rice. I then added the grated cauliflower to a pan to saute and soften a bit, adding a dash of salt, dried rosemary, and some freshly ground black pepper.

 Then I added the contents of the two pans together, squeezed a bit of lemon over the top and dinner was served!

Yummy! It really satisfied like regular risotto without the extra calories and empty carbs. Not only that, but the cauliflower is a superfood with tons of beneficial properties. Win win winner!

You could add grated parmigiano over the top, and cook it with a bit of milk or nut milk to give it a creamy consistency. I've been trying to avoid milk (due to the coughing issues) so I just added a bit of cheese on top for flavor. Really good!

Have you tried cauliflower rice? Have you made cauliflower risotto? Try it!



(source for veggie info: http://www.whfoods.com/)

Guacamole Time

We went to the Ten Katemarkt today and just couldn't resist the bargain on these limes and avocados.

All this for €3!

Sweet Potato Salad

Oh I just made the yummiest salad and I had to share!

Yesterday I baked some sweet potatoes in the oven and today I ate them up!

Have you tried water sauteing or dry sauteing? It's not rocket science but it's kind of revolutionary.

Maybe you don't limit fat in your diet, or perhaps you do. One thing that is relatively agreed upon is that heating fats is not optimal. Some fats, like lard or coconut oil are better for cooking, but they might not fit the flavor profile you are going for in a dish. Enter water sauteing!

I find that it works really well for onions. I love cooked (especially browned) onions but I hate raw onions. To water saute the onions I just cut them up as usual, and toss them in a hot pan with a little water. Keep the flame at medium/low. As the water evaporates, they cook and then begin to brown. You have to watch them a bit to make sure your flame is not too high. Add water if they are browning too fast without cooking, or turn down the heat.

I add spices like cumin to give them an even earthier flavor when the water is all gone. The cumin also browns and adds more savory goodness. But don't let it burn!

After the onions were mostly done, I also added some red chili, pine nuts, a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of pimenton de la vera. Then I tossed in the cooked sweet potato slices and some flax seeds just to heat them up. I also made a quick lemon dressing inspired by Girl on Raw, but in a regular food processor so it was very chunky. Yum!

Topped some lettuce with the mix and gobbled it up!

Have a great weekend everyone! xoxo

Dairy and Coughing

I made myself into a weird little science experiment last week.

Did any of you get that killer flu that was going around this winter? The one that makes you feel like absolute crap for a week and then you still keep coughing and snotting for another week or more?

Yes I got it and it was horrid.

I was sick as a dog for a week then the coughing, it never seemed to get better. It would be ok, but then I would bike around the city and be out in the cold air (it was 0 deg) and blammo! coughing would start again. It just wouldn't go away.

I tried being careful with what I ate. I didn't drink alcohol. I didn't drink coffee. I didn't stay out late or do anything fun. When that didn't work I tried going out and drinking beers. Nope. Still this annoying little cough that made my chest hurt. But I could tell it was just a cough, not bronchitis or anything needing meds.

A few friends were having the exact same experience. They were using prescription inhalers and taking codeine, but they weren't getting better either!

One day I realized that lately I had been trying to eat "healthier" by having a daily breakfast of yogurt with berries. It was yummy, and I felt that the micro-organisms and antioxidants would help me fight the cough. But wait, dairy and phlegm, isn't there some connection???

So to the internet I went a-searchin' but I found a-nuthin'. Yeah, some people said dairy increases congestion and some said no. The science basically said no, but I decided to quit the yogurt anyway.

Guess who stopped coughing the next day?

Coincidence? Placebo? I don't know. But I don't want to cough so I'll be avoiding yogurt at least until the weather warms up!

So instead of yogurt and fruit I've just been enjoying the fruit. Frozen and blended up with a sprinkle of homemade nutty granola on top. It's delish! Here's my bowl of frozen cherries, 1/2 banana, spinach, cashews, water with a bit of granola. My granola is made with spelt and oat flakes, nuts, flax seeds, and sweetened with applesauce. Yummo!

What about you? Do you have any experience with dairy and congestion?

Where I've Been and Farmers Markets

I realized that if any of my old blogging buddies come back here I should explain where I've been for 2-3 years! HA!

Well, I moved from sunny California to not-so-sunny Amsterdam. Wheeee!

It's been absolutely grand, though I will say that sadly for the most part the food is better back in my homeland. At least there is a bit more variety. But Amsterdam is really starting to catch the paleo and vegan bug so more alternatives are popping up in the stores, and there is a lot of growing awareness about ethical, sustainable animal farming.

There are many open air markets around the city which is very nice. There is typically at least one street market in every neighborhood which is open during the day time. There are also weekly organic markets, usually on Saturdays. But I do miss my 3-4 times per week huge organic markets with every vegetable and fruit you could dream of in California! Oh the nice weather...

I have apparently become very Dutch in complaining about the weather.

While the produce situation here is not as wonderful, it is still not bad! Did you know that the Netherlands is the world's biggest grower of tomatoes? Illogical until you see the huge greenhouses in the countryside.

Kale is a very popular food here, they eat it in a dish called stamppot which is potato mashed with kale and topped with sausage. To be honest, I'll just have the kale. For some reason I am not the biggest fan of mashed potato; I know, I'm weird.

In the winter farmer's market I have found that the apples here are very good, and there is always a lot of pumpkin. Luckily now we are coming up on spring so that means strawberries and asparagus! Yippee!!

What are you looking for in the farmer's markets this month? Any spring fruits or veggies that are exciting you?

Vegan vs Paleo

Hi peeps! OK, it's been ages and ages but I am thinking of reviving this site. I don't think any of the 3 people who used to read my blabbering will ever check back here so I guess I am just starting all over again in the same space! :)

In a previous life this site was mostly paleo or primal eating focused. I still believe that the ancestral way of eating makes the most logical sense, but there are a few problems I have with the paleo diet as it seems to be getting more popular and some people are creating their own versions of it that seem pretty wacky.

As far as the healthiest diet goes, I'm torn between a vegan plant-centered diet and a paleo diet. The research really seems to go both ways, and each camp uses research and statistics to further their own ideas but I'm not 100% convinced that either one is right. One thing that I think the true paleo diet and a true plant-based diet agree upon is that plants (veggies and fruits) are good for us!

When I think about what a hunter-gatherer eats on a daily basis I am guessing it is not a breakfast of 3 eggs with bacon and a dinner of a huge steak with butter. I'm not saying that means it is unhealthy, but it does not seem NATURAL! So paleo proponents saying that eating lots of meat is healthy just seems illogical and unnatural. It might feel good and keep you full but arguing that it is an ancestral way of eating is just faulty, unless you are Inuit. And the whole tirade against grains and beans, I just am not convinced.

I've also been watching some films (Forks Over Knives, etc) and reading about vegan and nutritarian diets (Dr Fuhrman, vegan bloggers, raw foodists) that recommend huge amounts of fruits and vegetables, with no added oils or salt. In one way, it seems really natural, just lots of plants. But on the other hand, is it really natural for us to NEED to eat such huge quantities of veggies that we must use a high speed blender in order to mainline it all into our tummies at every meal? If so, then why wasn't I born with a Vitamix in my fat little paw?

But everyone is different and to each their own. To me it makes the most logical sense to follow a plant-centric, wholefoods (seasonal, local) diet and add a bit of meat, fish or fowl for nutrition and flavor.

That's not too difficult, is it? ;)

So in the future I plan to be sharing some of my recipes and meals and maybe talking about some of the research and reading I do. I hope someone will want to read it! (and discuss it in a nice way, I am open to your thoughts but haters with agendas aren't welcome here)

xxxooo

Yoghurt!

Do you like plain yogurt? (yoghurt, yogourt, whatever...) I love it! Sour and creamy, add some fresh fruit and nuts and you have a great meal!

Well, you know my buddy Al Heijn has quite a few types of plain yogurt in his little shop. So we figured, why not try all of the yogurts at the Albert Heijn grocery to see which ones are the best?

Creature of habit, I typically buy the same one time after time: Biologische Magere Kwark. It's tasty, organic, low fat - what more could you want?

Magere Kwark, meet the tastier treat: Yoghurt Turkse Stijl

Yo, kwark! I'm taller than you and I taste better too!

Oh baby!

This stuff is so good! For those of you who like the famous Fage Greek style yogurt, I think this might even be better. It's so thick and tangy! A new favorite!

So thick!

I can't wait to sample more versions of the plain yogurts at Appie. Do you have a favorite that we should try next?

PS: yes I do know that kwark is not exactly the same thing as Turkish yogurt :)