This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Melissa B. Congrats!

If you haven’t jumped on the yogurt superfood bandwagon, you might just be inspired to do so after this post.  You may remember some of my posts about the benefits of yogurt.  Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D for strong bones, contains active cultures that support a healthy gut, and makes for a healthy, low-fat snack.

While there are a TON of yogurts on the market, I adore the smooth, creamy taste of Greek Yogurt.  And I recently learned that I can cook with it too!  Stonyfield invited some bloggers to a reception to discuss the versatility and nutritional benefits of yogurt with Nutritionist Kate Geagan.  The discussion was heavily focused on their new Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt and we had an opportunity to sample a variety of dishes…all made with yogurt.

While I was aware of the general benefits, I had no idea that I could cook and bake with it. Greek yogurt adds creaminess and body to dips and sauces and is a great substitute for cream, cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta cheese.  Greek yogurt can also be used to tenderize meets, giving them a rich, tart flavor. Check out some of the dishes we sampled, all made with yogurt:

My favorite dish was the Ozo Salad with Zucchini, Mint and Yogurt Cheese. Rather than using something like Feta, which is traditionally used in salads like this one, they used yogurt cheese. The process can take several hours, but the taste is so worth it.  Be sure to check out their entire collection of yogurt-inspired recipes.

One of the interesting things I learned about Greek Yogurt is that there are a lot of Greek-style yogurts on the market, and very few authentic Greek yogurts.  So how do you know if that Greek yogurt you bought is authentic?  It stays on the spoon when you turn the spoon upside down!

Stonyfield is committed to USDA-certified organic yogurt.  Choosing organic means that your yogurt is free from toxic chemicals, antibiotics, and synthetic growth hormones.  A product that’s labeled “natural” can still contain the above and so much more.

We’ve been purchasing Stonyfield’s products since my son was a baby.  I am impressed with their commitment to the environment and to products I can feel good about giving my family.

Win It! One of you will win a Stonyfield gift bag with coupons for products! Simply leave me a comment with a product you’d like to try from the site, or something you liked or learned from the site. Comments will close on October 12, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

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No compensation was received for this post. I attended a media event and was provided information and samples.