Top 5 Summer Ice Cream Flavors

When summer comes around the corner, it's impossible to not have a craving for a cool bowl of rich, creamy ice cream. However, with so many ice cream flavors around, it is quite hard to narrow down which one you may want. Here are SMC's picks for our top 5 ice cream flavors during summertime!

 #1. Black Raspberry
Black Raspberry is one of those flavors that has a perfect balance between light and rich. The fruitiness of the raspberry gives the ice cream a fresh, light taste, but the depth of flavor leaves you completely satisfied at the end of your cone. Black Raspberry is definitely a go to flavor for anyone during the summertime!

 #2. Cookies and Cream
There's only one word that can truly describe cookies and cream: a classic. It's one of those flavors that can never do you wrong. The cookies give that irreplaceable crunch that many ice cream flavors lack. If you can't figure out what ice cream flavor you're craving, the chances are that you're probably craving Cookies and Cream!

 #3. Orange Pineapple
When first hearing the words "orange" and "pineapple" together we were a tad skeptical. However, these two distinct flavors mesh perfectly together to create a fresh and fruity ice cream flavor that screams summer. Also, just look at that color! It's like you are eating a bowl of summer sunset, and who can complain about that?

 #4. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is one of those flavors meant for those who like a bit of excitement when it comes to ice cream. There's a whole mix of creamy and crunchy textures here, but the combination of mint and chocolate cookie never fails to disappoint. It's a bit rich though, so make sure to eat it on an empty stomach!

 #5. Strawberry
Strawberry ice cream was built for summer. Strawberries are a summer staple, so naturally strawberry ice cream is the same. It's a light fruity flavor that is great for any time during the day. It'll definitely do a great job of cooling you down on those scorching summer days as well. We suggest even throwing a few fresh strawberries on top of your ice cream!

Did we miss a flavor? Or maybe you just completely disagree with our list? No worries, SMC has over 50 flavors so we can satisfy almost any list you could make! Leave us a comment letting us know what your top 5 ice cream flavors are and make sure to stop by at South Mountain Creamery for some creamy, super-premium ice cream!

Celebrating Local: What to do with your Produce Bags

Planning Your Meals

• Start by making a list of the ingredients you have on hand from your produce bag. SMC sends out a weekly produce listing every week. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here!
• Make a list of the meals for the week you plan to cook.
• For each meal, choose a fresh vegetable that will be the focus of the meal and find a recipe that features it. You can add other vegetables if it the recipe calls for it or it just makes sense – vegetable soup is an awesome way to use lots of produce – but in general, don’t try to fit the entire contents of your produce bag into a single meal. 
• Use Pinterest to organize seasonal recipes. SMC compiles recipes and ideas on their Pinterest page.
• If you don’t have enough of a single ingredient to make an entire dish, consider including it in a salad. A pint of tart cherries won’t make a pie, but they can work nicely on a salad!
• Use the weekend to prepare meals for weeknights you know it won’t be possible to cook. Make a huge pot of soup that can be reheated, or grill chicken or steak for topping salads.
• Don’t just think about dinner! Include veggies in packed lunches, and offer them as snacks. Add veggies to omelets or frittatas at breakfast, or slice up fruit and add to yogurt and oatmeal.

Storage Tips

Properly store produce so it doesn’t go bad before you can cook it. Farm fresh produce lasts a lot longer than the stuff you buy at the grocery store, assuming it’s stored correctly. If you can’t eat it, preserve it! Slice it, blanch it, freeze it, and put it away for winter. To make storage easier for berries and chopped fruits, be sure to quick freeze them before storing them in the plastic bags. Storing the fruit with sugar will extend its quality while frozen. 

How to Freeze Fruit

• Wash and sort fruit carefully and discard parts that are of poor quality. Prepare fruit as you will use it.
• Check the University of Minnesota's chart for freezing fruit to see if an anti-browning treatment is suggested. Use ascorbic acid preparation as recommended in the chart or in the manufacturer's instructions.
• Use dry sugar, or sugar syrup in suggested portions. Dissolve the sugar needed in cold water. Stir. Allow to stand until sugar is completely dissolved. Do not heat. Sugar syrup  will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator. If you are preparing a sugarless pack of fruit that browns, be sure to treat with ascorbic acid or other anti-browning agents.
• Pack into plastic freezer bags, freezer containers, or freezer jars. Allow ½ inches of space for expansion. Pack fruits that tend to darken in rigid containers under the syrup by placing crumpled wax paper between the lid and fruit.

South Mountain Creamery is proud to partner with Gude Brothers in Middletown, MD to bring you the freshest, local produce straight to your door. Learn more about our produce and home delivery at www.southmountaincreamery.com

Chocolate Milk: Your New Workout Recovery Drink?

Chocolate Milk: Your New Workout Recovery Drink?

Choosing a post-recovery workout drink can be a difficult task. There are hundreds of products to choose from, all of which seem vaguely similar, yet claim to be drastically different. However, one of the best options for your post-workout recovery drink may already be sitting in your fridge! Here are five reasons why chocolate milk may be the best choice for your next recovery drink:

1. An ideal recovery beverage will have between a 3:1 and 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. This helps speed up the recovery process after a tough workout. It also helps to replace fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. Chocolate milk, including SMC’s chocolate milk, falls right within this range!
2. It’s a more natural supplement! It’s very difficult for a powder or pill to replicate the variety of nutrients, fiber, and vitamins we can get by eating and drinking whole foods. Chocolate milk allows you to maintain a more natural and organic diet, which can lead to a happier and healthier you.
3. Many athletes, particularly runners, lack vitamin D and calcium in their diets. Chocolate milk provides these nutrients; alongside the protein and carbohydrates you need for an effective recovery beverage.
4. When milk enters the body, it creates a spike in insulin, which can help you transport sugar into the muscle, where it turns into glycogen. Alongside this, it stimulates muscle protein repair and growth.
5. Chocolate milk is generally much cheaper than most recovery products. Sometimes it can be close to 1/3 of the price of your average recovery beverage.

So, next time you finish your workout, consider grabbing a bottle of SMC chocolate milk instead of an expensive recovery beverage. You’ll probably see the same results by drinking a more delicious, natural, and nutrient-packed beverage.

South Mountain Creamery does dairy differently! South Mountain Creamery is an all natural dairy farm offering glass bottled milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream, and a variety of specialty vendor products delivered to customers’ homes throughout Maryland, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Sign up for home delivery today and have milk delivered straight to your door: www.southmountaincreamery.com

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Celebrating National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month

June isn’t just for celebrating dairy products – it’s also National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month! Summer is just around the corner, which means plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables will be available!

Eating fruits and vegetables provides health benefits. People who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories; and none have cholesterol.  Fruits also provide nutrients vital for health, such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid).

• Calcium: Calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth. It is also needed for normal functioning of muscles, nerves and some glands.
• Folate: Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.
• Iron: Important for healthy blood and normal functioning of all cells.
• Magnesium: Magnesium is necessary for healthy bones and is involved with more than 300 enzymes in your body! Inadequate levels may result in muscle cramps and high blood pressure.
• Potassium: Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure.
• Sodium: Assists in normal cell function throughout the body. Most diets contain too much sodium, which is often associated with high blood pressure.
• Vitamin A: Keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps protect against infections.
• Vitamin C: Helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

10 Tips to Help you Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Make it Visible: Keep a bowl of whole fruit on the table, counter, or refrigerator.

Think about Taste: Buy fresh fruits in season when they may be less expensive and at their peak flavor. Add fruits into your recipes for a sweet treat!

Think about Variety: Buy fruits and vegetables that are dried, frozen, and canned (in water or 100% juice) as well as fresh, so that you always have a supply on hand. Dazzle your plate with color! Eating fruits and veggies in a variety of colors — red, dark green, yellow, blue, purple, white and orange — not only provides eye candy for your plate, but mixing things up also gives you a broad range of nutrients.

Don’t forget Fiber: Make most of your choices whole or cut up fruit, rather than juice, for the benefits that dietary fiber provides. Fruits and vegetables provide fiber that helps fill you up and keeps your digestive system happy. Diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects, including decreased risk of coronary heart disease.

Be a Role Model: Set a good example for children by eating fruit and vegetables everyday with meals or as snacks.

Wake up with Fruit: At breakfast, top your cereal with bananas, peaches, or strawberries; add blueberries to pancakes; and drink 100% orange or grapefruit juice. Or try fruit mixed with yogurt!

Fruit for Lunch: Pack a tangerine, banana, or grapes to eat, or choose fruits from a salad bar. Individual containers of fruits are easy and convenient, too!

Fruit and Veggies with Dinner: Try adding pineapple to coleslaw, or include orange sections, dried cranberries, or grapes in a tossed salad.

Snack on Fruit: Dried fruits are easy to carry and store, making them great snacks.

Keep Produce Safe: Rinse fruits and vegetables before preparing or eating them. Rub fruits briskly under clean, running water to remove dirt and surface microorganisms. After rinsing, dry with a clean towel.

South Mountain Creamery is proud to partner with Gude Brothers in Middletown, MD to bring you the freshest, local produce straight to your door. Learn more about our produce and home delivery at www.southmountaincreamery.com

10 Uses For Milk… Besides Drinking It!

10 Uses for Milk… Besides Drinking It!

Sure, you can drink milk, but have you ever considered using it around the house? Check out these 10 different uses for milk!

1. Thaw frozen fish: Use a milk bath to thaw your frozen fish! Milk acts as a natural moisturizer to restore hydration and flavor back to frozen fish. Try leaving a piece of frozen fish in a milk bath in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Polish tarnished silverware: Soak tarnished silverware in sour milk for 30 minutes. Wash in soapy water to polish and brighten your silverware.
3. Repair fine china: Have fine china with hairline cracks? Put a piece of china in a big pot, cover in milk and simmer for 45 minutes. The proteins in milk bond with the clay, sealing the crack.
4. Create an industrial-strength hand cleaner: Regular soap just not working? Create a paste of oatmeal and milk. Rub on hands to remove grime and soften skin. Try adding lemon juice to help with exceptionally greasy messes.
5. Stain remover: One of the best ways to get rid of ink stains on clothes is to soak the stain in milk. Adding vinegar to the milk while soaking with help to break down and lift the stain.
6. Shine patent leather: Run a milk-soaked rag over patent leather shoes. For deeper shine, apply milk to shoes, let dry, and buff shoes to a shine. This method also works on patent leather purses and jackets. You can even apply milk to a clean cotton swab to wipe scuff marks off patent leather.
7. Helps swallow large pills: Milk coats the throat and protects te stomach lining as the pill breaks down. Be sure to check with your doctor first, as milk can react with some medications.
8. Cool a spicy mouth: The casein in milk helps to lessen the problem of a burning mouth after eating spicy food.
9. Boost the flavor of corn: Milk can boost the flavor of corn on the cob. Check out South Mountain Creamery’s corn on the cob recipes on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/southmtcreamery/corn-recipes
10. Condition Hair: Fill a spray bottle with cold milk and spray hair thoroughly. Gently comb hair and rinse after 30 minutes. No need for conditioner!

South Mountain Creamery does dairy differently! South Mountain Creamery is an all natural dairy farm offering glass bottled milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream, and a variety of specialty vendor products delivered to customers’ homes throughout Maryland, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Sign up for home delivery today and have milk delivered straight to your door: www.southmountaincreamery.com

Taken from the November 2013 issue of Dairy Herd Management

Celebrating National Dairy Month

June is National Dairy Month! 

Whether it’s ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, or a cold glass of milk, South Mountain Creamery encourages you to purchase more local dairy products to celebrate National Dairy Month. Dairy is the third largest agricultural commodity in Maryland. There are over 520 dairy farms across the state!

National Dairy Month was created by the National Dairy Council in 1937 and to celebrate the dairy industry and to promote dairy consumption. Today, milk is still considered a nutrient-rich powerhouse. From essential minerals like calcium, to its body building protein and vitamins, milk remains the clear drink choice for a healthy lifestyle.

Celebrate National Dairy Month with SMC:

Include milk, Maryland’s official state beverage, in your diet. With nine essential nutrients, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, Vitamin B12, riboflavin, and niacin, dairy is a nutrient powerhouse! Find dairy-inspired recipes and ideas on the SMC Pinterest Board.

Join SMC on a guided tour. Learn about local agriculture and how your milk is made. All of our tours end with a delicious scoop of super-premium SMC ice cream. Visit our website for more information and to schedule your tour.

Experience Maryland’s dairy farms first-hand. The Maryland’s Best Ice Cream trail features eight dairy farms that produce farm fresh ice cream and sell it directly to consumers on the farm. Pick up your Ice Cream Trail Passport at SMC or any other participating creamery!

Sign up for Home Delivery. Drop the hassle of going to the grocery store every week and have milk delivered straight to your door! SMC is the return of the milkman, delivering to over 9,000 homes in DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. We have over 500 products available in our online store. Sign up for home delivery today.

Find other local Maryland dairy products near you at www.marylandsbest.net

How will you celebrate National Dairy Month?  Be sure to tag South Mountain Creamery in your celebration! #30DaysofSMCDairy

A Dozen Creative Ways to Use Egg Cartons

 Celebrating National Egg Month

A Dozen Creative Ways to Use Egg Cartons

Egg Carton Roses: Cut 1 slit into each corner of 1 egg cup and shape into petals. Repeat twice, making petals slightly smaller and roll together to make a bud shape. Hot glue the  layers together, offsetting middle layer so petals sit in spaces between petals of bottom layer. Create bouquets, wreaths, or use to cover a picture frame or mirror.

Egg Carton Flower Lights: A bit of creative cutting, a strand of Christmas lights, and a dab of paint can turn that boring carton into an adorable floral lighting string.

Grow Seedlings in Egg Cartons: The small cups are the perfect size for smaller seedlings.

Bird Feeder: Punch four holes in bottom half of an egg carton. Cut four 18-inch pieces of twine and attach to holes in corner. Fill carton with birdseed. Tie loose ends into knot and hang in a tree.

Get Organized: Egg cartons are the perfect way to organize “small stuff.” Decorate them and use for storing jewelry, beads, office supplies, buttons, craft supplies, nuts/bolts, and more.

Store Christmas Ornaments: Store smaller holiday decorations. They work like a charm, keep your ornaments safe, and save a lot of space.

DIY Fire Starters: Add a bit of wax, and some dryer lint, and voila! You have a handy fire starter for camping or cold winter nights.

Charcoal Grill Starter: Take a cardboard egg carton and place one piece of charcoal in each slot. This technique puts the kindling and coals into close proximity Make up several cartons and keep them on hand to take on camping trips, or keep in a safe place for those last-minute backyard marshmallow roasts.

Paper Mache Clay: Fill a bucket with 10 egg boxes and two glossy magazines. Tear strips into one inch pieces and soak overnight. Use a kitchen mixer to beat the paper to a mash. You can also use a drill with a plaster mixer attachment. Drain the mixture with a colander and an old pair of stockings or draining bag and squeeze out water. Dry into balls and add water to bring back to life!

Egg Carton Mancala Game: Egg cartons make the perfect game board, and you can use beads, marbles, or dry beans for the playing pieces. 

Sidewalk Chalk: Mix 1 cup of plaster of paris, 3/4 cup of cold water, and tempera powder (use more for brighter colors) in a container with your stirring tool. Let mixture thicken, and pour into egg cartons. Let sit one day for mold and chalk to dry completely.

Paint Cups: This idea will be popular with the kiddos, or if you are needing to use several colors at once.

SMC Supreme Eggs

South Mountain Creamery’s Certified Humane Eggs can’t be beat*! Our eggs meet the Humane Farm Animal Care program standards, which include a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, animals raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space, and the ability to engage in natural behaviors. Our laying hens are fed with food grown and harvest on the farm. See how SMC’s eggs compare to the leading brand: www.southmountaincreamery.com

*Disclaimer: SMC eggs CAN be beat! Try them scrambled or in a soufflé, quiche, crème brulee, and more! Visit our EGG-Citing Ideas Pinterest board for recipes, ideas, and more!