What's wrong with American milk?

[Dr. Obvious 49]

I don't notice any difference between fresh milk here and German fresh milk. Besides the fact that it comes in gallon jugs, my husband hasn't made any comment about it either.

[Mononoke28 134]

I had a nice glass of whole milk this morning and thought of this thread. It was deeeeelicious!

Diana

[Jasman0717 9]

I love milk

[StillThePrettiest 3]

wow, I cannot THINK how you've managed to score so many hearts and boxes, when you spend so much time on each and every post

our coffee has weird sort of shiny flakes in it

it looks like salt crystals... and while I can't expect any great quality from ANY instant coffee, it's most off-puttting

even if Dave just rolls his eyes and laughs when I make a fuss

[Jeraly 4]

I thought it was just cr@p in the water StP

As for milk - we get fat free and I think it tastes just fine I'm no milk connoisseur but it doesn't taste bad at all to me

Seconded on the bread though... I have mentioned it before but bread is meant to be SAVOURY and not taste like cake We tend to stick to bagels, English muffins or other such bready things. Every now and then for a treat we will get a proper seeded loaf that has been freshly baked but Jeremy actually doesn't like crusty bread

[StillThePrettiest 3]

I know! the poor people here have been brought up to be most distrustful of anything that isn't processed within an inch of its life... the suspicion with which my 'made from scratch' pancakes and banana bread and pizza bases (etc) have been met!

and the flakes in the coffee are there in the jar, Jeraly

like, before you add the water

Dave says it's just some quirk of the manufacturing process, but it's not NACHERAL, I tells ya

*ignores the fact that instant coffee is, by very definition, not natural*

[*julez* 124]

wow, I cannot THINK how you've managed to score so many hearts and boxes, when you spend so much time on each and every post

our coffee has weird sort of shiny flakes in it

it looks like salt crystals... and while I can't expect any great quality from ANY instant coffee, it's most off-puttting

even if Dave just rolls his eyes and laughs when I make a fuss

It sounds like you have Folgers crystals!! According to their adverts back in the day (when I was a wee kiddo) the crystals were what made the coffee the best. Now drink up and stop complaining!

In fact, according to their website, Folgers® Instant Coffee Crystals are carefully roasted to give you the right balance of flavor and strength. Enjoy the eye-opening aroma today!

RE: Milk. I really don't like milk much, other than in cereal and skim here tastes the same to me as the skim I had in my cereal in the UK.

[Jeraly 4]

I know! the poor people here have been brought up to be most distrustful of anything that isn't processed within an inch of its life... the suspicion with which my 'made from scratch' pancakes and banana bread and pizza bases (etc) have been met!

and the flakes in the coffee are there in the jar, Jeraly

like, before you add the water

Dave says it's just some quirk of the manufacturing process, but it's not NACHERAL, I tells ya

*ignores the fact that instant coffee is, by very definition, not natural*

People treat that with suspicion?! That's just weird... homemade is the BEST!!

And if the flakes are in the jar then that is... not right... I mean, we have a coffee maker that was given to us for free (that is rolling around in the back of Jeremy's van right now ) but we have instant too - just the cheapy store brand stuff and that doesn't have flakes in the jar... At least I don't think...

*runs to check*

Well whaddya know!? There aren't many which is why I never noticed them but sure as hell they are there!!!! They are probably some kind of miniature tracking devices so Big Brother can continue to watch us... maybe there is a special immigrant blend of coffee?!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

If you drink skim milk or 2% you probably wouldn't notice a difference. I think homogenization only really affects the taste of full-fat milk.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

yes, Julez; they're Folgers crystals... I don't like 'em

Dave reckons they were an accidental by-product of the processing system which Folgers then decided to make an advertising point... I don't know where he gets his cynicism, I'm sure

and Jeraly, to be fair, the most suspicion was expressed about the pancakes, because they're not thick and fluffy and poured out of a bottle which had been shaken for thirty seconds however, I'm gradually winning everyone round on that point

and the other comments have come because I have married into a family that seems incapable of deviating from a recipe, by ONE IOTA

so the fact that I see the recipe as a starting point, and keep fiddling about with ingredients, and don't *gasp* level my cups of things with a ruler, has made them all rather afraid

[Mononoke28 134]

Instant Nescafe also has those weird floaties, that's why I prefer the other type of coffee. But every now and then we'll make it with the instant kind and I just let it sit there so the floaties can dissolve and then stir.

Diana

[Jeraly 4]

and Jeraly, to be fair, the most suspicion was expressed about the pancakes, because they're not thick and fluffy and poured out of a bottle which had been shaken for thirty seconds however, I'm gradually winning everyone round on that point

and the other comments have come because I have married into a family that seems incapable of deviating from a recipe, by ONE IOTA

so the fact that I see the recipe as a starting point, and keep fiddling about with ingredients, and don't *gasp* level my cups of things with a ruler, has made them all rather afraid

We have very few measuring instruments so almost all of our cooking is done by eye I know roughly what a tablespoon is and what a teaspoon is... I get a bit confused by quarts and cups still but... I just whack it all in and hope for the best I must say I prefer to try a recipe by the book first then make changes once I have tried it and if there is a nice sounding recipe that has something in that I don't like then I just change it for something else I made chicken and Italian sausage with capers last night and left out the broth because it was too watery last time - it was much better

[StillThePrettiest 3]

be aware, just to add to the japes and high jinks that is living in America, that UK cups and US cups are different

I bought some new cup measures at Big Lots for $1

I figured that was a permissable expense

and I just use a dessert spoon for a tablespoon, and a teaspoon for a teaspoon

I don't buy Nescafe at all because of the milk formula thing

you can read more here if you don't know what I'm talking about

[Reba 2]

bleah...instant coffee is an abomination and should be outlawed under all circumstances

If you have a Dutch Oven there's a wonderful no-knead bread recipe over at Mother Earth News. I made it and its absolutely delish! Nice crusty bread (which I will point out that my American husband and his family were all rather suspicious of until they bit into the bread! Yes, to them bread is suposed to be mushy ) It takes about 18 hours all told, but it is well worth it, and really for the time, its pretty effortless.

back on topic, I never drink milk on its own anyway, and since milk went up to $4 a gallon, we've only been using powdered skim milk. Its fine in coffee, tea and cereal.

[raphael7546 0]

I personally was surprised to see how short the "Best by" dates are.

Me too!

I noticed Milk sours here really fast!

I'm used to 2% or skim milk and my hubby always buys whole milk. I can't stand the stuff.