November is National Bread Month and we admit: We’d rather have great bread than a steak! We received an email from nutritionist Dietitian Desiree Nielsen about healthier bread options, and we’re passing them on to you.

Bread often gets a bad rap with fingers pointing to it for empty calories, refined carbs, diet-unfriendly and more.

Desiree offers some myth busters so you can feel no guilt about enjoying bread in your diet. Disclosure: She partners with Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery, so these tips focus on sprouted grains.

But sprouted grains are great! Silver Hills sprouted breads were our Top Pick Of The Week earlier this year. We found Silver Hills breads to be much tastier than other brands we tried.

It’s not just sliced bread. Silver Hills also makes bagels, buns, and tortillas. We just had one of the bagels for breakfast!
 
 
MYTH: Whole Grain Breads are the Healthiest

This statement is largely accurate. We know that whole grains are healthy. But what many of us don’t know is that sprouted whole grains are even better, unlocking more nutrition your body can use. Sprouted grains:

 
 
MYTH: All Bread is Vegan

Beyond the basic flour, water, and salt, many breads contain additional ingredients. These can include fats; sweeteners such as corn syrup, honey, or sugar; eggs; or dairy-based ingredients like butter or whey. Read the labels, and if you want bread that is 100% plant-based, choose brands that are certified vegan.
 
 
MYTH: Bread Doesn’t Have Protein

For those looking to up their protein intake, turn to sprouted bread. When grains begin to sprout, vital enzymes are released, breaking down starch stores and digestive inhibitors.

This is why sprouted grains have lower glycemic index levels as well as increased soluble fiber and protein. Some, like Silver Hills sprouted breads, have 6–7g of protein per slice.

And by the way, the flavor of sprouted breads are more complex and flavorful than standard white or whole wheat breads.
 
 
Bread Isn’t Diet Friendly

Not all carbs are created equal. Eliminating bread carbs across the board means eliminating some great sources of fiber and nutrients.

Whole sprouted grains have complex carbs. Essential nutrients, like B vitamins and vitamin C, are made more available to the body, giving you a boost of focus, mental alertness, and greater energy to power through your day.

Are you ready to take a bite?
 
 
> What are sprouted foods?

> The history of bread.

> The different types of bread.
 

[1] The sprouted bagels are a real treat (all photos © Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery).

[2] Morning toast will be tastier and better for you.

[3] A sprouted roll for your burger is so much more flavorful than typical white bread rolls.

[4] Enjoy your meatball sub on a sprouted roll.

[1] A bowl of skyr with fresh fruit is a protein-packed breakfast or lunch (photos #1, #2, #3, #6, and #7© Painterland Farms).

[2] In a store’s yogurt section.

[3] Close-up on a cup.

[4] Compare the thickness of skyr on top, versus Greek yogurt on the bottom (photo © Cook’s Science).

[5] A bowl of thick, creamy skyr. It was eaten this way—plain, unflavored, unsweetened—until recent times (photo © Icelandic Provisions).

[6] The Painter sisters.

[7] Peanut butter apple dip with plain skyr. Here’s the recipe.

November 9th is National Greek Yogurt Day. We’ve written lots about Greek yogurt, and much less about its Norwegian-Icelandic cousin, skyr (pronounced SKEER).

With both Greek yogurt and skyr, more of the water is strained away, creating the extra-thick, creamy texture and mouthfeel.

Skyr is thicker than Greek yogurt and less tangy-an option for those who find plain Greek yogurt a bit too tangy (photo #4).

 
 
MEET PAINTERLAND FARMS SKYR

Painterland Farms is a fourth-generation organic farm owned by the Painter family. Sisters Stephanie and Haley Painter, who manage the yogurt business, are two of the four siblings of the current generation.

In the rolling hills of north-central Pennsylvania, they aim to preserve, showcase and utilize their family’s organic dairy and crop farm. They practice regenerative farming.

Painterland skyr is absolutely delicious. The sisters have created a brand of whole-milk skyr with five flavors, each high in protein and probiotics, and low in sugar (the total sugar in sweetened varieties is 7g).

Painterland skyr is thicker and creamier than the Greek yogurt standing next to it on the shelf. That’s because it has 6% milkfat instead of the typical 5% of whole milk Greek yogurt. (As with, say, 0% skim milk versus 1% versus 2%, you can taste the difference added by each percentage of fat.)

Each 5.3-ounce cup has:

 
The five flavors include Blueberry Lemon, Meadow Berry, Plain, Strawberry, and Vanilla Bean.

Painterland skyr is organic, non-GMO, lactose-free, and gluten-free. The brand is certified OU Kosher (Dairy).

One of the things we like best about skyr versus Greek yogurt is that skyr has less sugar in the sweetened flavors. Painterland uses organic cane sugar, but not that much of it.

It may not be the liking of those with a sweet tooth, who prefer a more preserves-packed yogurt. But we’re very content with the low level of sugar in Painterland skyr. It engenders a more subtle flavor that lets the clean, pure, creaminess of the yogurt shine through.

Here’s a store locator.

Discover more at PainterlandSisters.com.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SKYR

Skyr is a yogurt-like product that has been around for more than 1,000 years, since the days of the Vikings. (Greek yogurt has probably been around since )

It originated in Norway and became a diet staple in Iceland as well.

It’s believed that some version of skyr predates the Viking settlement of Iceland in 874 C.E. (although perhaps it was as early as 800 C.E.—here’s more about the Vikings) [source].
 
 
The Modern Progression Of Skyr

Icelandic skyr was and is made from skimmed raw sheep’s milk or cow’s milk.
 
Skyr remained a product known largely to Scandinavians until 2005. That year, it was first exported to the U.S. and sold at Whole Foods Markets. Licensed production began the next year in Denmark and Scotland.

The commercial distribution of skyr outside of Iceland increased in the 2010s. Marketing positioned skyr as a low-sugar, no-fat, high-protein product consumed as a snack. (In fact, it can be consumed in any way that yogurt is consumed, at every meal of the day.)

In 2012, 80% of exported Icelandic skyr went to Finland and 20% to the U.S. [source].

Skyr changed slightly in America: Some producers made it from whole milk in addition to or instead of a skim milk variety.

It was also made without rennet, an organic substance that contains the enzyme rennin. It can be obtained from certain animals and plants. And it is an essential component of cheese: it coagulates milk into curds and whey.
 
 
Is Skyr The Same As Yogurt Cheese?

You may hear of skyr being called a yogurt cheese. Some skyrs are made with rennet, which makes them technically cheeses. Why use rennet? It’s a natural coagulant that makes the product thicker.

The category of spoonable dairy products can be broken down into technical cheeses and non-cheeses.

The use of rennet turns skyr, and other products such as fromage blanc and quark, into cheese.

This is technically so, even though they look the same (relatively speaking) as yogurt, sour cream, or other soured and or cultured milk product that is made without rennet and is not a cheee.

You can’t tell the difference between these “cheeses” and “non-cheeses” by looking at them or tasting them. It’s all in the recipe.

‘Nuff said?
 
  
 > The history of yogurt.
 
 
> The different types of yogurt.

[1] Smile Farms sells red and green varieties of hot sauce(both photoa © Smile Farms.

[2] The first step is planting the seeds.

Smile Farms’ mission is to provide developmentally disabled adults with meaningful work opportunities at farms, urban gardens, greenhouses, and farm stands where they can grow and sell flowers, plants and produce in their local communities.

More than 250 farmers recieve valuable educational, vocational, and paid employment opportunities, tending to their crops with incredible care and pride.

In the hot sauce initiative, they experience the deep satisfaction of seeing their chile peppers go from seed to shelf, turning the literal fruits of their labor into a marketable product.

When you purchase Heat with Heart hot sauce, 100% of the proceeds fund jobs and training for these individuals.

All hot sauce orders are fulfilled by paid Smile Farms employees as well. It’s a wonderful endeavor.
 
 
GET YOUR HOT SAUCE

Head to SmileFarms.org.
 
 
> The history of chile peppers.

> The history of hot sauce.

> The different types of chile peppers.

[2] Andouille sausage (photo © D’Artagnan).

[3] Panko breadcrumbs are our favorite for just about any recipe (photo © Kikkoman).

It’s made spicy with Andouille sausage and Cajun shrimp

First, a bit of Food 101 on piquant vs. pungent:

2. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water (to prevent sticking), and set aside.

3. HEAT the olive oil in a large ovenproof saucepan, and add the diced sausage, pepper, onion, and seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and then, add the shrimp. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp become pink in color. Transfer the contents to a bowl and set aside. Using the same pan on medium heat…

4. ADD the butter and melt. Whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the milk. Once the sauce begins to thicken, add the grated cheeses. Whisk until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and black pepper.

5. ADD the cooked pasta, sausage, and shrimp mixture to the dish. Gently toss with the cheese sauce to coat.

6. COMBINE in a small bowl, the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and parsley. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs mixture over the pasta and cover with foil.

7. PLACE the pan into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take the foil cover off of the pan and bake for another 15 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

The exceptionally smooth, premium Bourbon from Canton Distillery, has won three packaging awards:

 
The decanter is a real keeper. You can fill it with whatever spirit you like after the initial whiskey is gone.

Aged and matured in a proprietary re-casking process, the Canton Distillery Brand Bourbon from Cooperstown Distillery has notes of sweet caramel, honey, and brown sugar, much like Kentucky bourbon.

The American Whiskey is aged in used Bourbon barrels. The mash bill is corn, rye, and barley. The taste profile has hints of vanilla and sweet caramel.

With Canton, Ohio the birthplace of the NFL, it makes sense that Cooperstown Distillery would pay homage to football with a glass football to hold its Canton Distillery brand.

Whether for yourself or as a gift, score yours at:

 
 
> The different types of whiskey.

> The history of whiskey.

> The difference between “whiskey” and “whiskey.”
 

[2] The same decanter also holds American whiskey.