Cultured dairy found at Costco last week

This new product I discovered last week in Costco is Epoca Cool Plus Original Flavor. It is priced at $9.79 /case. Each case contains 5*10 bottles.

As mentioned on the package, this cultured drink is made with 5 different live and active bacterial cultures and it is fat free/ gluten free. According to Epoca website, 

"Our Probiotic and Cultured Dairy Beverages contain five live and active cultures; Lactobacillus casei, Bifidus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, STR. Thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus.

With these beneficial bacteria, our products can help to regulate human digestive system and keep immune system stronger.
And, added vitamin A, D, and C make the products more nutritious and boost energy for daily uses.
To keep our product healthy and maintain good quality of products, we use only US Grade A Non-Fat Milk along with good quality of ingredients. And, make our product contains 0 grams of fat."

Take a close look at the nutrition fact

Cultured drink contains high percentage of Vitamin C, 25% of daily value in each bottle.  Five bottles/pack can help you easily storage them.

Cultured dairy, aka fermented milk products, reduces the lactose (milk sugar) in the milk, transforming milk into a rich source of immune-building probiotics that is lower in naturally-occurring sugars and higher in Vitamins B and C

Cultured dairy generally makes it much more digestible by breaking down the casein (milk protein) that can be very troublesome for many

It also increases the enzymes in the milk (even pasteurized milk that is then cultured has a boost to its enzyme capacity), which helps to digest the components of the milk.

I will go ahead and enjoy my bottle of cultured dairy! Btw, all of the cultures work the best if you drink them 2 hrs after your meal. Do not drink them if you haven't had anything in your stomach because the acid in your stomach will kill these bacteria.

Source: http://www.drpompa.com/additional-resources/health-tips/239-benefits-of-cultured-dairy-cultured-vegetables-recipes

New item discovered in Costco -- Rockwell's Coconut Chips

Time: Feb 11, 2014
Location: 2370 Ottawa st, Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada

As always, Port Coquitlam Costco is one of the most often visited Costco that I usually go to. During this shopping, I discovered a new item that is recently carried by Costco, that is Rockwell's Coconut Chips.

I like coconut a lot. However, the other dried coconut is not really my favouriate. It is too hard to chew and a little pricey compare to other dried fruits. This coconut chips is not much different from potato chips but in smaller pieces, more like crunches. It serves as a great snack and provides a good source of fiber. Here is some nutrition info.

I opened it immediately once I got home. This is how they look like.

The coconut chips is crispy and has strong coconut flavour (it is made from real coconut). It also works as almond flakes. Whenever you need almond flakes, coconut chips can be a good substitute.

I also would like to introduce a recipe with coconut chips being one of the ingredients since baking and cooking are my life. It is called "coconut crisps":

Meal type: Dessert

Prepare time: 15 minutesCook time: 20 minutesLevel: LowServes: 20 servings

Ingredients:

1) 3 extra large egg whites, 1/3 cup icing sugar (40g);
2) 1.5 tbsp butter (22g), 1.5 tbsp corn or vegetable oil (20g);
3) 3 tbsp pastry flour (30g);
4) ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp white sesame seeds, 3/4 cup Rockwell's coconut chips (150g).

Directions:

1: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at low speed for 1-2 minutes. Add icing sugar and beat for another 30 seconds.

2: Melt butter in a microwave oven, add corn oil and stir. Then pour into the beaten egg whites. Beat for 30 seconds at low speed.

3: Sift in 3 tbsp flour and beat for another 1-2 minutes at low speed. Add in all ingredients in Ingredient (4), and gently stir to mix.

4: Line a large baking sheet (18 x 13-in) with parchment paper. Spread the batter onto the baking sheet as thin as possible using the back of a spoon. Cover the entire surface and make sure that the coconut chips don’t overlap on each other.

5: Preheat oven at 350F/175C. Bake for about 15-18 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.

Note: Cut into small squares while almond crisps are still warm. Cool completely on a rack before store in an airtight container.

It tastes great with a cup of mango juice or smoothie at your choice! Enjoy!

For fans of Costco and myself

I have an addition to Costco. It makes me uncomfortable if I don't shop at Costco once a week. Sometimes, I only spend $20 to $50 bucks at Costco. Other times, I might spend more than $200 at Costco. I shop at many different Costco locations in Vancouver and would like to share some great deals and experiences with all of you!

Fiona Liu