This post was sponsored by
a2 Milk® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I
received complimentary products to facilitate my review. Nothing contained below should be considered medical advice.
Momma Told Me: Don't cry over spilled milk.
When I was a young girl every single meal was accompanied by a glass of chilled milk. Sometimes it had chocolate syrup in it, or a fancy colored spiral straw, other times I was simply told to drink it or I would get no dessert. Day in and out, Momma would place a glass of milk in front of me until I came to expect it. More than expect it, look forward to it. After all, I wanted to grow up big and strong, just like my father, and years of watching him chug a tall glass each night was more than enough to inspire visions of
milk turning me into some form of young girl super hero.
And then my cousin, 3 years younger than me, at a T.G.I Fridays, or some other similar fast casual sit down restaurant, taught me one of the worst childish habits I've carried with me since. There's a reason they put kid's beverages in cups with lids. But on this magical day the restaurant had been out, I clearly recall because my Aunt was raising quite the havoc with the manager on duty when it happened. Blurp. Blurp. Blurp. Whoosh. Blowing into her straw she'd created a volcano of milk bubbles- bubbling the contents of her glass right over the edge. As we both erupted in giggles I resolved milk would never be so boring again.
Of course I love dairy- and what's not to love? Oh, that mild discomfort hours down the line? That little grumble of tummy troubles that causes me to shift in my seat? I've always known it wasn't lactose trouble- Jay has lactose trouble, and that doesn't compare to my tussles. No, I like to think of my dairy interactions as playful roughing between old friends. Sure it might be a little inconvenient after the fact but I'm still going to bring up the good old days and slug my buddy on the shoulder as I down another glass. That was until I began buying milk alternatives for Jay.
I kind of became complacent. I forgot my long lost friend, and all of those memories we'd shared. The milk stains on the table, the half of a cookie soggy at the bottom of my glass, the taste, the texture. I reached for whatever was on hand because it was convenient, and because I knew I wouldn't have any arguments from my stomach later. So I was shocked to learn that 1 in 4 Americans experience discomfort after drinking milk; yet only 3-4% of the population is clinically diagnosed with Lactose Intolerance. What about the other 20%? Did they give up on milk over some playful gas or tummy grumbles? Do they continue to drink their beloved white gold while ignoring the results?
As it turns out there is a protein in ALL conventional and organic milks called the A1 protein, which is known to trigger 'Post Dairy Digestive Discomfort.' It is entirely unrelated to lactose and in no way associated with that which ails those who are lactose intolerant. (If you have a diagnosed lactose intolerance this will not help you.) However, the removal of this protein, through heirloom a2 cows results in a naturally A1 free milk without any genetic or post milk production altering. You could say that
a2 Milk® is milk the way mother nature intended it- and it could be the most authentic dairy solution to everyday self diagnosed dairy discomfort.
a2 Milk
® is also a great way for people who previously avoided real milk due to possible minor post-dairy digestive discomfort to begin getting their servings of important vitamins and nutrients again. a2 Milk
® contains approximately 6x the amount of calcium as soy beverages, 8x the protein of almond beverages, and approximately 6x the potassium of rice beverages. And it's now available at
select retailers in California. That's all the excuse I needed to get out my best milk bubble blowing straw, and whip up a delicious cookie recipe!
While a2 Milk
® won't help those clinically diagnosed with Lactose Intolerance, because it contains the same amount of lactose as regular milk, it may be a good solution for that 20% of the population with self diagnosed post-milk tummy discomfort. So I'll be trying a2 Milk
® out in all 3 varieties, Reduced Fat, Whole, and Fat-Free over the next few months to see if I can reconnect with my old childhood friend again. a2 Milk
® tastes just like 'ordinary' milk and is chocked full of all the natural milk nutrition I've been missing out on- so I can find an excuse for another cookie or two.
In fact, I devised a whole new way to enjoy cookies all together; cookie dough stuffed cookies- or 'cookie dough cookie sandwiches' if you want to get technical. Go ahead and make my egg free cookie dough recipe just for snacking with a spoon, or whip up one of our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes to slather it on and wedge between them. You simply can't go wrong- as long as you have a tall glass of ice cold milk by your side. And that's exactly what I'll have by my side the next few months as an official a2 Milk
® Ambassador. You can expect plenty of delicious milk-worthy recipes in your future as you follow me here on my journey!
Of course you better believe the first thing I did after tasting a2 Milk
® was grab a nice thick straw and blow bubbles to my heart's content.
a2 Milk® certainly does have me feeling like a kid again- I might even go make myself a tall glass of freshly stirred chocolate milk right now....It's after midnight and my favorite milk glass is calling me.... Now, tell me, do you tend to avoid milk due to minor post-dairy digestive discomfort? What's your favorite way to drink milk? Go ahead, tell me, did you ever enjoy blowing bubbles?
What Daughter Says: a2 Milk® isn't my mother's milk. You can't get it from just any cow (sorry, Daisy.) So some tears might just be shed if I discover my carton's empty.
Cookie Dough Stuffed Cookies (Egg Free Cookie Dough)
Click here for the printable Cookie Dough Stuffed Cookies recipe
