Let's start this post with a bit of a story...* wavy flashback lines*
As a child I spent a lot of time at my grandma's house. We played hide and seek and she let me jump on the bed when my granddaddy wasn't looking. My grandma was Greek, and after being freed from a concentration camp, she traveled to America for success. Including getting married and starting a family, she became a nutritionist. So when I had lunch at her house it was always full of Greek and healthy foods. One of my favorites was her spinach pie and homemade yogurt. She made her pies with spinach and feta in a homemade whole wheat crust. It was always so hot out of the oven that I loved eating it with the cold yogurt. I loved that yogurt. She told me that she only bought yogurt once in her life, and she used a little bit of the yogurt to make about 25 smalls jars worth. Then once a week she would take a little yogurt from last weeks batch to make 25 more small jars. It was always so fresh and creamy. It was not sweet at all and a little sour like sour cream. It tasted amazing with her spinach pies.
A few years ago my granddaddy passed and she moved to a nursing home, which meant she wasn't going to be cooking anymore, and no more of grandma's yogurt.
Flash forward, a few years ago Greek yogurt was becoming very popular. It really caught my interest, and It got me thinking. Could this be the yogurt my grandma used to make? I was scared to try it. I wanted so much for it to taste like the yogurt she used to make. I didn't want it to be sweet or thin, I wanted it to be thick and savory, I wanted to eat it with spinach pie. It took me about a year to get up the nerve to buy a cup and try it. I opened it up and grabbed a spoon, hoping so much that it would not be sweet. I took a bite and was taken back to my days as a child, it tasted exactly like the homemade yogurt my grandma used to make! I had loved Greek yogurt my whole life and I never even knew it! I just thought it was my grandma's special yogurt, I thought I would never get to enjoy it again.
To this day I love Greek yogurt. However, I only eat the plain one. I see people eating the fruit flavors and it totally freaks me out! To me, Greek yogurt is best enjoyed with the plain flavor piled on top of spinach.
I mentioned in an
Awareness Wednesday post that many yogurts are made with gelatin. Most Greek yogurt brands do not use gelatin. For example, Dannon Greek yogurt contains gelatin. I will always advise reading ingredients before eating anything just to be sure. Want to try some vegetarian Greek yogurt? My favorite brands are Oikos, Fage, and Chobani.
I know most of you have already tried Greek yogurt as it is so popular now, but most people opt for the flavors and stay away from the plain. Go ahead and try it! You wont be disappointed.
Recently my grandma passed away, and while nothing can replace the memories I have with her, keeping some Greek yogurt in the house is my way of keeping her around. Every time I take a spoonful I think about all the amazing times I have spent with her. S'agapo Grandma. I love you.
Will you be trying plain Greek yogurt?
Bye from the Veggie Side!
