Tag Archives: farmer’s market

Cinnamon Raisin Farmer Cheese

Back in my college days at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, I used to visit a great farmer’s market that had yummy farmer cheese.  It was slightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon and raisins.  Recently shopping at the grocery store I stumbled upon plain farmer cheese and thought I would have to re-create this delicious cheese spread!

Farmer cheese is an unripened cheese that is made using rennet and a bacterial starter to coagulate milk creating the cheese.  The curds separate from the whey and the whey is drained off along with most of the lactose. Farmer cheese can be made from cow, goat or sheep milk.

To create my recipe today, I used Friendship farmer cheese which is carbohydrate free with just a trace of lactose.  (Yes, making it very FODMAPs-friendly!) The plain farmer cheese provides 4 grams of protein and just 2.5 grams of fat and only 40 calories for 2 TB.

This tasty cheese spread is great on toasted bagels (of course GF and FODMAPs friendly if you are following the low FODMAP diet), rice cakes, or even as a dip for carrots sticks. 

All you need is some raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup and the farmer cheese and you are all set to make this yummy recipe!

Hope you give Farmer cheese a try!  Here’s the recipe.

 

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Cinnamon Raisin Farmer Cheese (low FODMAP)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. farmer cheese
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 TB maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins

Instructions

  1. Stir ingredients together and refrigerate.
  2. Spread about 2 TB on your favorite cracker, bread or use as dip for baby carrots.
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Destination: Puerto Rico

Russ and I headed to Puerto Rico for well-needed down time.  Why Puerto Rico?  We wanted to visit a tropical location that we have never visited.  We also wanted to get there on a non-stop flight.  Puerto Rico fit the bill and exceeded our expectations.

First, the people of Puerto Rico were very friendly and seemed to be always laughing.  I like that!

You have got to love the colors in Old San Juan.

So beautiful, right?The old town center was so quaint and had such visual appeal.

The highlight of our trip was an excursion we signed up for to go zip lining in the rain forest.  Hmmm….I did not know that part of a relaxing vacation required putting on a helmet!

We just signed up and really were not sure what to expect.

In fact, I really did not expect to be scaling wet slippery rocks up a waterfall.  This was not on my “relaxing” down time plan….but we had a blast!

Seriously….did I sign up for this?

After the hike, we were treated to one of the tour guide’s Aunt’s home cooking.  How cool is that?

Including an assortment of appetizers…I particularly loved the little corn meal fritters on the right.  So yum!

Empanadas, fried batatas (Batatas Fritas) and sorullitos (corn meal fritters).

We also visited a local farmer’s market….because that’s what nutritionists do on vacation.{or maybe that’s just me!}  Russ is so good and always goes along with my fun plans….

We found all sorts of local produce…

and…this looks cool but not sure what it is!??

and even found some aloe.

And of course, we drank rum from a coconut.  

We also acted like tourists and visited The Castillo de San Cristóbal,  a Spanish fort that was built to protect the city of San Juan from outside attacks. This San Juan national historic site is definitely worth a visit.

Very cool place and it’s amazing that it was built in the 1500′s!

Great sites.  (Including that cute guy,right?)

I love this sculpture that represents the legend that a prayer procession of the women of San Juan, led by the Bishop, praying for salvation of their city during a British siege of San Juan ultimately led to the British turning away from the attack.

Puerto Rico is  island is full of culture and although a part of the US, is so rich in it’s own culture…you really feel quite far away.

Walking the beach, relaxing poolside, exploring and even zip lining….Puero Rico delivered.

But as always, it’s great to be back home.