Have you ever found yourself at the grocery store in the yogurt isle looking at all the choices that are available and wondering what tastes best? We certainly have! Joe and I eat a lot of Greek yogurt since it’s packed with protein and makes a great breakfast or snack. Sometimes I even eat a Greek yogurt in place of dessert during the week. At over $1 per yogurt, I want the yogurt I buy to taste great, not just okay.

While I prefer plain yogurt, Joe is a huge fan of all things blueberry. So on Saturday we decided to sit down with six different yogurts for a little taste test. We tasted them all so you don’t have to!

Here’s how we put together our taste test:
-The yogurts we selected were based on what was readily available at our local Super Target. I know there are a couple other widely available blueberry Greek yogurts that were not included, which is only because our Target only had these varieties in stock.
-A few of the yogurts aren’t “Greek” yogurts (Noosa and Siggis) but were thick strained yogurts, so we included them in the test.
-We wrote down our thoughts independently and came to the following conclusions…

WINNER
Chobani 0% Blueberry Greek Yogurt
Flavor Notes:
We have eaten a lot of Chobani over the past couple years, but I was curious to see how it stacked up in comparison with all the other yogurts we tried. Ultimately, it was a very tight race between Chobani and Liberté, with Chobani edging out Liberté by a nose. What won us over was the smooth, creamy consistency and the fact that despite being non-fat, it wasn’t pasty at all, unlike some of the other yogurts we tried. Additionally, we really loved the real blueberries in the fruit mixture. Our only complaint was that we wished it was a little less sweet.

RUNNER UP
Liberté Non-Fat Blueberry Greek Yogurt
Flavor Notes:
This yogurt was new-ish to both of us. I’ve had the plain variety a few times over the past month, but we had never tried the flavored varieties, like this blueberry. Coming in second place, Liberté won us over by having the best true blueberry flavor out of the bunch with a smooth, creamy consistency and real blueberries in the fruit mixture. Joe wished it was a bit thicker, but the sweetness level was perfectly pleasant. In fact, Joe thought that combining the Chobani and Liberté 50/50 created his perfect version of blueberry Greek yogurt.

HONORABLE MENTION
Fage Fruyo 0% Blueberry Greek Yogurt
Flavor Notes:
This was the first time I’ve seen the Fruyo variety of Chobani in stores. I’m a big fan of the plain 2% Fage, so I had high expectations of this Fruyo. Unlike the traditional flavored Fage, which comes with a side car of fruit mixture, this variety has the fruit blended into the yogurt. My first impression was how sweet the yogurt tasted, a little too sweet for both of us, but we couldn’t get over the great texture. It was ultra creamy and had zero pasty taste. We also loved the blueberry flavor. If it had been less sweet I think it may have been the winner.

OTHERSNoosa Australian Style Blueberry Yogurt
Flavor Notes:
Neither of us had ever tried Noosa before, but I had heard good things about this Australian-style yogurt. One container (8 oz) is considered two servings, and each 4 oz serving has 150 calories, meaning it’s much more decadent than the other yogurts in the bunch. After tasting it, we can totally see why! Joe and I both agreed that we loved this yogurt, but it would probably make a better healthy dessert rather than a breakfast yogurt. We loved the blueberries and creamy, rich texture. It just seemed a little indulgent for everyday.

Trader Joe’s 0% Blueberry Greek Yogurt
Flavor Notes:
We shop at Trader Joe’s every week, so many times Joe ends up getting Trader Joe’s blueberry Greek yogurt to save us from making another trip somewhere else just for Greek yogurt. However, after this taste test, I’m thinking we might need to reconsider our strategy! This is one case where Trader Joe’s does not deliver. The yogurt was tart, pasty and left our mouths feeling dry. Additionally, it didn’t deliver on blueberry flavor.

Siggis 0% Blueberry Yogurt
Flavor Notes:
I’m not exactly sure what makes something “Icelandic-style” like Siggis claims to be, but we were not impressed with this yogurt. I am a fan of many different types of yogurts, but you couldn’t pay me to eat a whole container of this stuff. Both Joe and I felt like it was absurdly tart, almost as if it contained an entire lemon. The blueberry flavor was nonexistent and it left us with a sour taste in our mouths. Definitely something to skip!

What are your favorite brands of yogurt? In your opinion, did we get it right with our taste test?

Madison

First things first, the winner of the giveaway is…

Elizabeth, send an e-mail to madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com and I’ll get your gift card in the mail! And thank you for all the beauty recommendations. I’m excited to try some of them out!

Grilling season is finally here! Does that make anyone else crazy excited? Joe and I both love to grill, and this year I’m trying to beat him out for title of “grill master” in the Hofmeyer house. Usually I prepare the veggies/meat to be grilled and Joe is in charge of the actual grilling, but last week I decided to do a little grilling on my own. First, because I really actually love to grill. And also because Joe was mowing the yard and wanted to get done before it began to rain.

I have to admit that I think I did a pretty darn good job with this chicken. Since I’ve overcooked many a chicken breast on the grill and I hate serving dry chicken, I decided to switch up my method a little bit this time. The result was flavorful, moist chicken that didn’t taste dry in the least bit.

For starters, I cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally so that they were thinner and required less time on the grill to reach a safe temperature. Second, I made a brine solution for the chicken with water, sugar and salt, then let the chicken sit in the brine for hours in advance (I popped them in the brine solution before work so they were ready when I got home.) And third, since I didn’t want to wait any longer for the chicken to marinate in the barbecue sauce, I pierced the surface of the chicken with the tines of a fork and brushed the barbecue sauce on top so that the sauce could get into the meat in less time.

If you’re looking for an easy, flavorful chicken recipe to kick off grilling season, I would highly recommend this recipe. Especially if, like me, you have had a tendency in the past to serve your dinner guests dry chicken. Be a better host. Eat better chicken. That’s what I call a win-win.

Honeyed Asian Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
*2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
*8 cups water
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/4 cup salt
Barbecue Sauce
*1/4 cup ketchup
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*2 tablespoons soy sauce
*2 tablespoons honey
*1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
*1/2 teaspoon chili powder
*1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions
*Bring water, sugar and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place chicken breasts in a large bowl with the water. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 6 hours up to 8 hours.
*Heat grill to medium heat. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients for barbecue sauce. Stir until well combined.
*Drain chicken breasts from brine mixture. Pierce the chicken several times with the tines of a fork to create holes for the barbecue sauce. Brush chicken with the barbecue sauce on both sides. Place directly on grill and cook, covered, 5 minutes. Flip; brush with additional barbecue sauce. Cover. Turn grill off. Keep grill covered for 5 to 7 minutes more or until chicken breasts are cooked through and no pink remains. Allow chicken to rest 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Happy Grilling!
Madison

Happy Friday, friends! Now that the weather is getting warmer and summer is just around the corner, I find I’ve been thinking about beauty products a lot more than usual. Perhaps it’s because my freckles are starting to appear again and I’m no longer ghastly pale. Or maybe it has something to do with craving a little update to match my summer wardrobe. I like to think that spring cleaning your makeup is just as important as spring cleaning your house, though my hubby might disagree.

It’s been a while since I did a giveaway, hasn’t it?

Well, I think that it’s time to change that, so today I’m giving away a $50 Sephora gift card to one lucky reader.

There are two ways to enter:
1. Leave a comment below letting me know about your must-have summer beauty product.
2. Tweet about the giveaway (@MadisonHofmeyer), then leave a second separate comment letting me know that you did.
The giveaway will be open between now and Monday, May 20th at 10 p.m. I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, May 21st!

Madison

Today I’m excited to take you on a little tour of our dining room, also known as my favorite room in the house. It’s not the room we spend the most time in,
but it’s certainly my favorite. The way the colors came together and the little details, it all just works.

This room is technically a bedroom. When we purchased the home, it was decorated as a kid’s bedroom, and had two doors, one that opened to the kitchen and the other to the hallway.
It was a little strange to have a bedroom (that we didn’t need) that opened into the kitchen, so when we moved in we took the door off the hinges between the bedroom and kitchen
and turned it into a dining room. It’s been a great place to entertain friends and familyand I couldn’t imagine our house without it!
Though I suppose when we have more than one kid, we might need to think about turning it back into
a bedroom. Here’s a little look at my favorite room in the house:

Our wine glasses and bottles were stored away in the cabinet in our previous apartment. This wine rack from Pottery Barn fit perfectly
into the corner of our dining room and gives us a place to display some of our favorite bottles of wine.
Although we bought our wine rack at Pottery Barn, we recently discovered you can also buy a very similar model at Costco for much cheaper!

If I had to pick one picture that sums up my decorating style, this would be it. The silver table (which I’ve had forever and was purchased at a second hand store, I believe)
is classic with a little hit of something special. We currently have it filled with odds and ends for entertaining, like paper napkins, place mats and the like.
The wall color we chose is Benjamin Moore Rockport Grey; I couldn’t be more trilled with the results. It’s warm enough to feel cozy instead of cold.
The rug was newly purchased from West Elm.

The drapes are also from West Elm. Instead of putting the rod right above the windows, we installed the rod as close to the ceiling as possible, leaving a little bit of excess at the bottom,
to give the room a taller and more dramatic feel.

This painting, which my mom found at HomeGoods last year, is my favorite piece of artwork in the house.
And it happens to fit perfectly between the doorway (to the kitchen) and the pantry.

Since the dining room is technically a bedroom (and was used that way when we bought the house), we had a decent-sized closet to work with.
Since we didn’t need the closet to store clothing, we installed closet organization systems from The Container Store so I could store some of my larger
kitchen appliances. We are short on pantry space in our kitchen, so this was a real lifesaver.

And finally, the light fixture. When we first saw the room, it was decorated with bright green paint and was fashioned as a kid’s bedroom.
The light fixture (which appears to be original to this 1952 house) was on my hit list of things I had to remove asap! But, once we painted
the room grey, the light figure really grew on me. In fact, I would dare to say that I love it now. Since unique and quirky antiques are
in style these days, it seems ashamed to get rid of such a fun and different addition to the room.

And that’s that! Thanks for taking a tour with me. Up next week? Our master bedroom.
Madison

Some of my favorite bloggers, like Jenna and Gina, have been putting together the best posts where they share little bits of their life. Jenna calls it her virtual coffee date, Gina talks about having a virtual wine date. Perhaps we can sit down and eat a cookie together and talk about life lately?

Life is good lately. Like so good I can hardly believe that the life I’m living is mine to enjoy. But my heart has been with those who are struggling. There have been times in the last couple years where life was anything but good. It was beyond hard and I felt like every day we were existing rather than thriving, and it was so hard to trust in God’s plan. During those times, I remember reading blogs that were raw and honest and it gave me comfort to know that I wasn’t alone. If you’re walking through the valley in this season of life, take heart! Know that God’s plan is perfect. His path for our lives isn’t always clear to us, but he truly does work through all things for the good of those who love him. My heart is with you.

On a lighter note, I’ve been seeking inspiration. It’s been a long time since I refreshed the list of blogs I read daily, and I’m in desperate need of some help from you all! Do you have any blogs that you have recently discovered that are beautiful, uplifting, inspiring? They don’t have to be food blogs necessarily (some of my favorite blogs are lifestyle blogs) they just need to be a breath of fresh air. Maybe they are even “big blogs” that you have heard of but I haven’t. Share them in the comments below, pretty please!

My dad, step-mom and little sisters are coming to visit in a couple weeks! This will be the first time that they will see our house in Minnesota so Joe and I are working hard to get our lawn and outdoor space in fighting shape. We had a landscape architect come to put together a plan for our backyard last week, too. We currently have plenty of yard but no patio/deck in the back to put our grill/table/chairs. We’re hoping to put a stamped concrete patio out back this summer. Exciting? Yes! But how in the world is concrete so expensive?!

I’m also incredibly thankful for all you who read Espresso and Cream. My blog isn’t a big blog, it’s very modest at best. And I’m starting to realize it may always stay this little space on the internet and may never grow into anything more. But each comment, e-mail and conversation I have with one of you just makes my day. Thanks for taking a few moments out of your day to read and interact. I love it so.

Madison

P.S. – The World’s Best Cookie Recipe can be found on my sister-in-law’s blog! (and pictured above)

Good morning, friends, and happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day and got to spend time with your family. My mom was in town for the weekend, and while the weather wasn’t quite as warm as we had hoped it would be, we managed to spend a lot of time outside working in the yard, going on multiple walks and even taking a nap outside in the yard. Bliss!

A couple years back, Joe and I took our moms out for Mother’s Day brunch in Des Moines and had the absolute worst experience. We waited an hour to get seated and then after placing our order, we waited another hour to get our food. To top things off, the food was cold when it arrived at the table! But since it took so long to get our meal, we decided to just eat the cold food and call it a day. Ever since that Mother’s Day, we’ve sworn off eating out on Mother’s Day. Instead, I’m happy to make breakfast at home. It’s personal, less expensive, and, let’s be honest, healthier, too.

Earlier this month our new neighbor brought us a jar of fresh, real maple syrup he had tapped from his trees up north just days before. We have been looking for a reason to enjoy it for a while now, and Mother’s Day breakfast seemed like the person excuse. Joe isn’t big on pancakes with syrup (he hates how they get soggy) so waffles were our breakfast food of choice, along with cheesy eggs and fresh strawberries. For a great , basic waffle recipe I consulted the Better Homes and Gardens Red Plaid Cookbook and adapted it for my taste, which means adding mashed bananas and cinnamon, a little whole wheat flour for heartiness and a little less butter for health.

Whole Wheat Banana Waffles
These waffles get a great crispy texture when you cook them on the higher end of  your waffle maker’s heat range. When making them, I heat my oven on low (about 200°F) and put the cooked waffles in the oven to keep them warm and crispy while I bake the remaining waffles. I think this would also make fantastic pancake batter as well.

Adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens Red Plaid Cookbook
Serves 4 to 6 people
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal (optional, you can just sub all-purpose if desired)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
*Heat waffle maker according to manufacturer’s directions.
*Meanwhile, combine all dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
*In a second bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Add wet ingredients to try ingredients and stir until combined. Spoon batter (my waffle maker needed about 1/2 cup batter per waffle but it will vary based on the type of waffle maker you have) onto waffle maker and cook according to manufacturer’s directions.
*Serve with desired toppings, such as maple syrup, peanut butter, sliced bananas, and/or Greek yogurt.

Happy Friday, friends! And happy early Mother’s Day to all you moms out there celebrating this weekend! My mom is coming to town for the weekend. We don’t have any major plans for the weekend, but I’m excited to have her in town just to spend time together.

I’ve gotten questions from a few people asking what races I’ll be doing this spring/summer/fall. Quite an understandable question, since Joe and I typically try to put a half marathon and a couple other races on the calendar throughout the warmer months. However, this year we have zero plans to race. Sure, we might sign up for some 5k races here and there, but the long runs are not in our plans. And here’s why:

Recently people have been talking about this article by Michael Boyle about “Why (most) Women Shouldn’t Run” that sparked a lot of debate. Many women runners and bloggers I follow responded with outrage. I’m a runner, not a fast one or a great one, but I’ve logged my fair share of miles in the past. Half marathons, 12 milers, 10 milers and shorter races, too. But I wasn’t outraged by the article. In fact, the idea that I shouldn’t spend an hour or more on the treadmill or out pounding the pavement made me feel relieved more than anything.

If we’re being real, the true reason I ran long races in the past was so I could continue to fit into my skinny jeans and maintain my current weight. Sure, I felt super accomplished after completing my 12-mile race last summer, but I don’t love to run for the sake of running. I do, however, love to be active and break a sweat almost every day. But lately the idea of logging anything more than 3 miles sounded like torture.

The concept of high intensity cardio training paired with weight lifting isn’t new to me, but the idea that it could be enough to keep my weight in check without long and boring steady-state cardio sessions really appealed to me. After reading the article, and doing a bit more research on my own, I decided to give the concept a try.

Over the past four weeks I have give up long runs and elliptical/arc trainer sessions and introduced shorter, high-intensity workouts (quarter mile intervals, treadmill sprints, burpees for time, sprints at an incline, etc.) about 20 to 25 minutes in length paired with strength training (both lifting weights and body weight exercises).

I’m not an expert in the topic by any meals and am certainly not a personal trainer. But what I can tell you is that in the month that I’ve been changing things up I haven’t gained any weight. My weight has stayed very consistent and I feel like I look more toned. It feels as though the added lifting has added some muscle which has taken the place of some of the fat in my body composition, though the only way to truly tell would have been to do a body fat analysis.

Since people have such mixed opinions on the topic, I’m not going to assume one way is right and another is wrong. If you do love to run long distances and are doing for the mental benefit, then heck you should keep doing it! But if you are like me and don’t have a passion for running long distances or spending 45 minutes on the elliptical every day, I think it’s good news that you don’t have to in order to stay fit and trim.

These days, Joe and I typically try to get to the gym 4 or 5 days a week, and the other days we try to find a way to be active outside the gym. Sometimes that is a long walk with Nutmeg, other days its hours of yard work, a game of tennis or an at-home workout (we’ve been loving the Crossfit-type body weight workouts you can do in about 15 to 20 minutes at home) in the yard when it’s pretty outside. Oh, and Fridays are always yoga night at our gym for a 90-minute hot yoga class that kicks our butt.

I guess that’s the world’s longest way of answering a very simple question, but since I’m a sucker for hearing what is working/isn’t working fitness-wise for other people, I thought I would share.

Have any of you had a similar experience? What do you find works for you?

Related and interesting reading:
NY Times article on the 7-minute workout (picture above)
Jen’s post in response to the article I mentioned8 Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training from SHAPE Magazine

Once upon a time I used to be someone who said that they only wanted to enjoy baked goods in their real, sugary, buttery form. If I was going to have a piece of cake, then gosh darn make it a real decadent piece. Just not too often and only as a special treat. However, Joe and I have found our taste buds changing lately. Joe has never been the one with a sweet tooth (that would be me) but lately I’ve found my sweet tooth fading and my ability to enjoy a super sugary dessert is long gone.

I didn’t talk all that favorably about our cleanse, and I’m afraid that I only highlighted the things that I didn’t enjoy about the experience. However, one of the best things about the cleanse was the removal of all sugar (other that natural sources) from our daily routine. At first I really missed my nightly dark chocolate, but after a couple weeks, I found that healthier treats, like tofu pudding or a little whipped coconut milk with fresh berries was more than enough to satisfy my craving. In fact, after the cleanse ended I went out to buy dark chocolate. But the dark chocolate has sat unopened since I bought it. I just don’t crave it like I once did.

These cookies fall squarely into the “less sweet” dessert classification. I’m not sure they can relaly be called healthy since they do contain their fair share of butter and some regular old sugar, too. But they are not nearly as sweet as a traditional cookie and contain a whole host of good-for-you ingredients like banana, almond meal, oat bran and whole wheat flour. They have a soft, cake-like texture that Joe and I loved and they stay soft and moist for days after baking, similar to banana bread.

I’ve been putting one of these cookies in Joe’s lunch as a treat each day this week and enjoying one after dinner now and again. They also taste great crumbled atop yogurt if you’re looking for a little something special at breakast.

Healthier Peanut Butter & Banana Cookies
Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter (I used creamy natural from Trader Joe’s)
1 egg
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon banking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour

Directions
Heat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, peanut butter, egg, banana, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla. Stir until well combined and smooth. Stir in the almond meal, oat bran and whole wheat flour until well combined.

Spoon dough by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Press down in a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and puffed up. Cool 10 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Baking!
Madison

Today I’m so excited to kick off a new series on Espresso and Cream! I’ve been obsessed with the “My Morning Routine” series on Bon Appetit’s website. For those of you not familiar with the series, it gives a little peak into the morning routine of famous people. I’m love getting to see how other people eat (and more specifically start their morning) so I’m going to do something similar with some of my favorite bloggers and people.

First up, my friend Natalie Borton. Natalie shared her “No Fat Talk” story last year on E&C. She is beautiful inside and out and a true champion for women and real beauty. Natalie and her hubby live in California (jealous!) Here’s how she starts her mornings…

6:00 My husband’s alarm goes off. Since I work from home and basically wear my pajamas all day, I keep sleeping until he’s done showering and shaving, then crawl out of bed by 6:30 or so to start the day. We always aim to sip our coffee together and have some quality time before the work day begins. Friday mornings are the best—definitely the most leisurely and pleasant.

7:30 I lace up my running shoes and head out for a quick jog—usually for just twenty minutes or so around my neighborhood.

8:00 I like to have slow, restful mornings. When I get back from jogging, I try to do my bible study homework, read, and do some blogging while eating breakfast.  I usually rotate between a green smoothie in a bowl with granola (or just a regular old smoothie in a glass); a bran muffin with green juice; avocado toast with salt and pepper; and oatmeal—it all depends on how I’m feeling that day. If the weather is nice, I love to sit outside in my backyard to eat and watch my puppy obsess over chasing her tennis ball.

9:00 I walk upstairs to my home office and begin working, which usually starts with me catching up on emails, touching base with my intern on her projects for the day, and making sure that content is posted or scheduled to post on Darling Magazine’s website.

Thanks for sharing, Natalie!
-Madison

Hey, friends! Checking in with a quick Saturday post. I didn’t plan any recipes of my own to share with you for Cinco de Mayo, but I haven’t forgotten you all together! This weekend I had the opportunity to share some Cinco de Mayo Taco and Margarita recipes on Kare 11, our local Minneapolis NBC station. There are five tacos and five margaritas that I can assure you are all totally delicious. There’s even a gluten-free taco and margarita!

For the video and the recipes, click here!

Happy Saturday!

Madison