Milk....

[djpandemic]

I just read a blog post Cherry wrote on milk. She tried some shelf stable milk and liked the fact that it did not need to be refrigerated. There is another option out there called Nido. Traditional powdered milk has all the fat removed and tasted HORRIBLE but Nido has all the fat and although it takes a little getting used to, it is quite palatable. I keep a can of it in my pantry for when I run out of milk (I need milk for my <i>cafe con leches</i>). Shelf stable milk still needs to be kept cool after it's opened so if you are vanning without a fridge or cooler it's not the best option. Nido is powdered and lasts for a long time. It is simply mixed well with cool water and tastes surprisingly good. It is found in the ethnic section of the grocer near the Hispanic food and is worth checking out.

 

[4x4tour]

"Nido" is "neat-o".... lol, couldn't resist...&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Good info, I will check to see if my grocer stocks it (gotta have my carnitas). &nbsp;Would be nice to stock some with my dreeze dried stuff.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

 

[Guest]

You can get shelf stable milk in small 8 ounce boxes too. Perfect for your morning tea/ coffee with enough left for a bowl of cereal or whatever else <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>They don't work well for me since right now I'm drinking about a half a gallon of 2% a day.<br><br>Speaking of powdered things there's also PB2 which is powdered peanut butter. It's a fabulous low fat/ low calorie source of protein!<br><br>

 

[sl1966]

<div>How does the powdered milk compare in taste though? Milk has always been a major prob and that's with me living in sticks and bricks home. It always goes bad before I can use it all up. I use it mostly for cooking and don't have a lot of dishes I eat that call for it. I know I could just drink it but it's not something I drink normally any longer. It's not an Asian lactose thing either since the mom's Spanish blood solved that for me.</div><div><br></div>PB is great with green apples!<div><br></div>

 

[Suanne]

<div>How does the powdered milk compare in taste though?&nbsp;... I use it mostly for cooking and don't have a lot of dishes I eat that call for it.

</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I use powdered instant milk a lot for cooking and don't notice any difference in taste.&nbsp; I'm not much of a fan of drinking it plain, tho'.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Apples and peanut butter ... yum ...</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Suanne ... who had some powdered nf milk in her protein drink this AM</div>

 

[djpandemic]

Nido is nothing like powdered milk. It is very palatable. I use it for coffee, cooking, cereal and drinking and is worth a try.&nbsp;<img border="0" align="absmiddle" src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[Guest]

This is something I would definitely have to try before buying. I checked out their website and see they also have a version with added vitamins so that would be worth checking into for me as well since it would mean not having to carry a case of ensure. I'm going to see if I can't find some samples somewhere.<br>

 

[Wild_E]

Hi there,<div>I am allergic to Milk, highly allergic to Milk so I use alternatives.</div><div><br></div><div>Most of the alternatives also have the Tetrus type boxes, they can sit on a warm shelf for a few years before you use them. Even after opening, I have had them in a cool place for a day or two before they went bad.</div><div><br></div><div>My Favourite type is Almond Chocolate Milk, it is a little too tasty and does not need to be refrigerated as it does not last the day. There are some that are refrigerator only brands and types, which I mostly stay away from unless I will be at&nbsp;someone's&nbsp;house, who has a fridge.</div>

 

[VanFan]

Funny, I've been read about and experimenting with ways to use of milk when cooking in small quantities.<br><br>It's easy to make small batches of yogurt without electricity or refrigeration, but you need to be able to store it under refrigeration/ice or eat it warm and immediately start your next batch.<br><br>Night before last, I made quick and dirty Ricotta using a cup of milk.&nbsp; It produced between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of cheese, which I stuffed into manicotti shells along with sauteed onions, garlic and spinach, then topped with marina and baked.<br><br>There are different ways to make this, but I added about 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice and maybe a teaspoon of salt to a cup of whole milk and heated it to 185* over low heat, stirring often.&nbsp; After letting the mixture cool for 10 minutes or so, I poured it into a mesh strainer lined with a piece of muslin and let the whey drain off for 20 minutes or so.&nbsp; (The whey is supposed to be very nutritious and make a good drink, but I passed on that this time.)&nbsp; The result was a tasty cheese, although the curds were not as distinct as the store-bought variety.&nbsp; Much less expensive though, and no waste.<br><br>From the little bit of reading I've done, I gather that queso fresco can be made in much the same way.&nbsp; Making simple cheeses in one-meal quantities seems like a good way to use that extra milk.&nbsp; One important note:&nbsp; Ultra pasteurized, shelf stable milk will not work.&nbsp; Powdered milk might.&nbsp; I need to try it.<br><br>Vickie<br><br>

 

[4x4tour]

Vickie,&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Being a New Yorker most of my life, it still amazes me that Californians have no idea what Baked Ziti is, or Manicotti, for that matter...&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mmmmmmmmm, I'm hungry now...&nbsp;<br><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>

 

[Ryan24]

I love cereal, and since you can get the big bags pretty cheap I am looking at this as being a possible staple of my road diet. Any advice about the milk alternatives' ability to make a good tasting cereal?

 

[WanderingRonin]

I grew up drinking Nido and it is a very nice substitute for milk. Great idea for van living! Just add water. I add brown sugar to mine... and add it to powdered chocolate and you got yourself a great treat. Actually, I used to mix Nido with brown sugar and ovaltine and just eat that in powder form... a very addictive kid snack. Or you can add water and have a great drink. It is the best tasting powdered milk out there. I am glad they are still making it.<div>I also used to mix a small batch just to dilute eggs for scrambling... Great flexibility and stays fresh. Indeed, it does eliminate the need for refrigeration.<br><div><br></div></div>

 

[Journeyman]

I &nbsp;buy a gal. of milk every two weeks and &nbsp;it never goes bad on me. Personally I don't think that any substitute milk has all the nutritional values that real milk does, but I could be wrong. I enjoy MILK, not creamer, in my morning coffee and will find a way to keep it refridgerated while I'm on the road once I get there. I also keep powdered milk stored for emergencies. I'll look into Nido as an alternative.

 

[bcnya]

I also buy the big bags of cereal and just sprinkle on the powdered milk and add some water-no different then reg milk taste wise at least I can't tell it.<br>

 

[Kisatchieman]

<P>I recently tried some SACO mixndrink powdered skim milk from walmart and it tastes pretty good on cereal. Didn't drink any outright, as I've never been&nbsp;much of a milk drinker, so don't know how it would taste that way. The box contains three packets which make 1 quart of milk each.&nbsp;Seems like the price was around $3. </P>

 

[She]

You guys are better than Amazon reviews. I'm buying from where else......<font><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leche-Entera-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1327325606&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Amazon</a><font size="4" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); ">.</font></font> Noticed the container of whole eggs...powdered lower down. Might try that too.&nbsp;

 

[ice_maiden]

She... they also make sour cream power, butter or margarine powder, tomato powder, heavy cream powder, whip topping powder&nbsp; <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"> I am about to order a pound of sour cream powder and some other stuff from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.barryfarm.com/">berry farms</a>..&nbsp; They sell on Amazon too but it is cheaper if you go to their website..... BTW the OvaEasy brand seems to have the best reviews for whole eggs... That's the ones I think I will try first.<br><br>Ha ha ... I just spent the last few days researching and experimenting with some of this stuff for my blog<br>