Ingredient of the Week - Fage Total 0% Yogurt

Now that decent berries are once again showing up at my local markets, I've gotten back into the swing of healthy breakfasts. In spring and summer, I love eating cereal or yogurt topped with lots of fresh berries. This week, I'm eating my blueberries over a bowl of thick Fage Total yogurt.

If you have never tried this stuff, you are going to be blown away. Unless you live in Europe or the Middle East, or are a descendant of one of those areas, you are probably not familiar with a strained yogurt. The first thing you'll notice is the thickness. This stuff is nearly as thick as cream cheese. And the flavor is so pure, so delicious. Dylan eats it plain, with a spoon.

When I eat Fage with berries, I like to drizzle it with some honey. However, this stuff is also amazing mixed into savory dishes, including curries, butternut squash soup, and Moroccan rice dishes. Because the whey is strained out, you can heat up Fage yogurt and it won't separate like other yogurts are wont to do.

I  also like to use it in place of sour cream, on baked potatoes or on my chili. It's certainly thick enough! And though Fage sells a full fat and a low fat version of their yogurt, I try to buy the 0%. I can't taste much of a difference, and the texture is still great. I'd rather save up my fat calories for cake, or cookies, or cheese.

So, the million dollar question: where can you buy this stuff? Well, I'm not sure what to tell you. It's certainly available at Trader Joe's. I've also seen it at some of my smaller local groceries, though the availability there is more erratic. In the Toledo area, I've seen it at Churchill's and Kazmeier's. Please feel free to post in my comments any local stores (or big chains) that carry this stuff.