While it's easy enough to make some homemade chocolate syrup for you or the kids to stir into your raw milk once in a while, if you don't have some on hand, now there's something even easier. I don't know why I didn't think of this myself…
Recently we started going to a new farm to pick up milk from our own cows as part of a herd share program, which is the only way to obtain raw milk here in Michigan. We love having raw milk again! Our past two dairies had to shut down their raw milk operations due to insurance reasons or family dynamics. For a few weeks we bought the very expensive, local, grass fed, low-temp pasteurized milk, but I didn't love the taste and it had a heavy ‘mouth-feel' in my opinion; besides, we really wanted all the benefits of raw milk for our family again. We're very thankful to have found a new option that we are so happy with! (At the conference last weekend I stopped at one of my favorite booths, the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, and got our new farmers these cool t-shirts.)
So after our son and I and another friend toured their farm, the sweet couple took us into their kitchen to try some. We were blown away at how light, sweet and fresh it tasted. They said that it's partly because of their breed of cows (read more: Guernsey Milk full of A2 Goodness) and also because of their cooling set up and how quickly they can get the milk cold.
Just for fun they wanted our son to try something. They pulled out their maple syrup and stirred a teaspoon (maybe 1 1/2?) into his glass of milk. He said, “Wow, it tastes like vanilla ice cream!” We've made our homemade vanilla ice cream for years with maple syrup, so I don't know why I didn't think of this, but it's a nice switch from plain milk or milk with the chocolate syrup once in a while, AND you're getting all the raw milk nutrients as well as some nutrients from the maple syrup, too, as long as you use real maple syrup.
Let me know if you try it and what you think!
zq says
Will it be possible for you to email me the source of your milk? I’ve been having a very difficult time finding a good source of raw milk (through a herd share obviously). I look forward to hearing form you. Thank you.
Z.Q.
KitchenKop says
@ZQ where do you live?
Michelle says
I mix cocoa powder (organic, planning on buying raw once this packet runs out) with a few drops of stevia. My toddler loves it! I made it yesterday with a drop of mint extract as well…super yum!
Jennifer @ 20 something allergies and counting...down says
Add a little pumpkin pie spice too, and it’s a scrumptious alternative to chocolate milk! I’m actually drinking some right now. 😀
Renee Russo says
Hi Kel, would you mind forwarding my contact info to your milk source as well? Happy Thanksgiving!
ValerieH says
I bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker 18 months ago. It only seems to work with sugar. I haven’t tried maple syrup. Honey went OK but the kids didn’t like the flavor. Since I eat low carb I have tried erythritol and xylitol. The ice cream doesn’t freeze and get thick.
Instead I use the most organic sugar, palm sugar or sucanat and use less than the recipe calls for. I purchased the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cookbook. The french vanilla calls for 3/4 c sugar and I usually use 1/2 c with no noticeable difference.
I like the chocolate milk idea. One of my kids decided she doesn’t like fat in milk. She won’t drink milk. I’ll bet she will drink chocolate milk though. is the extra sugar worth it for the milk nutrition? Not sure if it’s a good trade off. She eats cheese and grassfed butter.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
We have a Cuisinart and use it all the time for homemade ice cream with syrup, see my recipe in the link above.
I’d say a little sugar now and then is worth it to get raw dairy into our kids. Probably not every day though… It’s great that she does eats cheese and grassfed butter!
Kelly
Diannna A says
Sounds wonderful. I am sure I am dense, but I can’t figure out where you are getting this amazing milk. Are you willing to share this info?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Same as above, I’ll forward your info to our farmers. 🙂
Diannna A says
Thank you Kelly!
Lucinda says
It sounds like you get your milk where we do…I don’t think there is another farm with that description around here!! It is the best milk–even better than the raw milk I grew up on!! Enjoy!!!
Leah G says
We LOVE our raw milk so much we just bought not one but two babies jerseys. Both A2. One was born Friday morning. we’re so excited. its almost like having another baby. cant wait till spring when they wean and come home with us!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Yay for you!!!! 🙂
Michele says
We’ve been doing this for years…we had just a small amount of maple syrup to our raw milk and then add egg yolks and cream when we have it. My sister, who is a WAPF chapter leader and conference speaker, calls it a lymphatic milk shake. It is so good!! It was the only way I could get eggs into my son when he was younger. The eggs make it a thicker consistency and if you want, you can add in a bit of raw cacao. Yum yum!
Mary @ Homemade Dutch Apple Pie says
If you don’t mind me asking, where do you get your milk now?
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
I’ll forward your info to our farmers, as I’m not sure if they want their info public. (I had asked them but haven’t heard back yet.)
Kel
[email protected] Homemade Dutch Apple Pie says
Ok. Thanks.
tiffany says
Congratulations! We have been operating a small herd share program for a few years now. Its beautiful to see so many people interested in becomeing healthy. Children are healthier, and even people that could not drink milk, can tollerate raw milk.
We are near lansing, and just opened up a few more shares as the girls are making lots of milk, and will be accepting new share holders the first week of December.
Enjoy that milk hun…. There is just so much to do with it.
Tiffany Rich
Andrea Jones says
My kids drink raw milk this way and love it. We call it “maple milk” at our house. Yum!!!