Today is National Milk Day! This day was created to commemorate the day milk was first delivered door to door in little glass bottles. I love a good glass of milk, usually with a little chocolate added. I also love smoothies, milkshakes and ice cream. Cornbread, oats, cakes and grits are all made with milk. Like fried chicken? Chances are it was made with a milk and egg mixture too. Milk is so versatile and so very good for us.

Think about this. Milk is produced by all female mammals. Why? To nourish their young babies. So of course, it is packed full of nutrients that a body needs regardless of the species. Some of the most popular milk consumed by humans is cow, goat and sheep. While they are all good for us, I am going to share some basic facts about cow’s milk as it is the most commonly drank in the U.S. but goats milk is a very close second.

One cup of whole milk contains 8 grams of protein. Better yet, it is a complete protein meaning it has all nine essential amino acids for the body to function at its very best. This makes it a far better, natural alternative to the protein drinks so many companies push you to buy. This same cup of milk also contains 28% of the daily recommended level of calcium, 24% of the daily recommended amount vitamin D, 26% of the Riboflavin or B2 and 18% of the vitamin B12 you need, just to name a few.

Drinking milk has long since been associated with bone health, but it also promotes muscle repair and helps prevent muscle loss later in life. Whole milk has also been shown to reduce the risk of obesity, according to studies published on pubmed.gov. It helps you to feel full faster and therefore helps keep you from overeating. According to research led by professor Peter Elwood of Cardiff University, drinking milk can lessen the chances of dying from illnesses such as coronary heart disease and stroke by up to 15 to 20 percent and his research also showed how drinking milk helps lower your blood pressure. Milk also contains choline which is known to help regulate sleep patterns, increase learning in children and help with memory retention in the elderly.

Fun Facts:

Lactase Persistence, the ability of humans to digest milk as an adult, is only common among Europeans and those of European ancestry, as a unique mutation. Most of the global population, including about 90% of Asians and approximately 95% of Native Americans, have some degree of lactose intolerance.

Al Capone, an American gangster, was responsible for expiration dates on milk bottles. It is believed he was looking for a legitimate business that could fund his lifestyle after the end of Prohibition. It was also believed all stamping equipment for milk expiration dates was under his control.

Putting a frog in the milk bucket was an ancient Russian way of keeping milk from going sour. While this may seem gross, studies have shown that this may actually work but only with some frogs. There are some species that have antibacterial peptides in their skin. Speaking of animals, platypus have no nipples, and milk simply flows from their skin. Weird!

As a result of Breyers adding excessive amounts of additives in their ice cream to cut costs, it has been determined their product no longer contains enough milk and cream to meet labeling requirements for ice cream, and must be labeled “Frozen Dairy Dessert” in the U.S., or “Frozen Dessert” In Canada. Check those labels, folks. You never know what you are truly eating otherwise.

Milk can be and was used for creating a type of plastic that is odorless, biodegradable, antistatic, insoluble in water and virtually nonflammable. It began production in the 1900’s and ceased around the time of World War II. The main reasons for its downfall were the inability to mold once it set, its tendency to splinter or warp if it was made into sheets that were too big and the fact that milk was needed more as a food source than a cheap way to make plastic.

These are just a few of the great benefits of milk. It is also incredibly adaptable. If you don’t care much for milk but still want to enjoy the benefits, there are many ways you can ingest it. Make your breakfast with milk, from oats to cereal and even omelets or frittatas. Dinner can be another way to include milk or dairy products, from sauces to toppings. Even dessert can get in on the action, from enjoying milk and cookies to a bowl of ice cream. This week I am including recipes that use a good amount of milk to make. Make your grocery list and include some milk. Then meet me in the kitchen this week for some delicious recipes using milk.

Caramel Vanilla Latté Steamer

This is a great one to either start or end your day.

¼ cup caramel sundae sauce

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups milk

Caramel sundae sauce, for garnish if desired

In a saucepan, combine caramel sauce and vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in milk until blended. Heat in saucepan over medium heat until steaming, 3 to 5 min. Don’t let it boil if you like the froth. Pour into two large mugs. If you like froth, you can use an electric whisk or immersion blender to froth heated milk until it reaches desired consistency. If you prefer whipping cream, you can use this instead of frothing. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from dairygoodness.ca

Horchata

1 ½ cups rice

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whole milk

5 cups hot water

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (add to taste)

In a mixing bowl, add rice, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon sticks. Pour hot water into mixture and stir until sweetened condensed milk dissolves. Allow mixture to come to room temperature. Cover bowl with plastic wrap then refrigerate mixture for a minimum of 4 hours. Refrigerate up to 12 hours for a more concentrated flavor. Uncover mixture and remove cinnamon sticks. Strain mixture to separate the rice. Reserve liquid. Add rice and 1.5 cups of strained liquid to blender. Blend for 3-5 minutes until rice is liquefied. Strain blended rice back into reserved liquid. Blend horchata mixture again if still gritty. Serve over ice with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Recipe adapted from mexicanfoodjournal.com .

Chocolate Chai Tea with Milk and Honey

This is one of my favorite teas!

1 tea bag chocolate chai tea (I get mine from Reasors or online, but you can use any tea.)

8 oz hot water

¼ cup milk

2-3 tsps. honey, to taste

Boil water and pour over tea bag in cup. Let steep 6-12 minutes depending on how strong you like your tea. (I actually steep for 15 minutes. This also allows it cool some.) Stir tea and remove tea bag. Meanwhile, heat milk to just steaming. Add to cup with tea and stir to combine. Allow to cool slightly. Add honey and stir. (Honey is great when added to tea, but it can’t be added to boiling hot water so you must allow it to cool.) Stir and taste. Add more honey if needed.

Rice Pudding

1 ½ cups cooked white rice

2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp. unsalted sweet cream butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

cinnamon

nutmeg

Mix the cooked rice, 1 ½ cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Whisk egg and remaining milk in a bowl. Add about 1 cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg while stirring. Stir the egg mixture into the rice. Cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm and garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Recipe adapted from spendwithpennies.com

BBQ Shrimp & Grits

For Grits:

1 cup coarse stone-ground grits

1 ¼ cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 ½ cup whole milk

¼ tsp salt

4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 ½ cup finely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

2-3 dashes of Tabasco sauce, more or less to taste

For Shrimp:

½ cup unsalted sweet cream butter

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp sweet paprika

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 Tbsps. Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional-I prefer chopped green onion.

For Grits: Combine milk, broth and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add salt. Whisk in grits and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until creamy, about 15-20 minutes. When grits are done, stir in bacon, cheese, and Tabasco. For Shrimp: When grits are about halfway through cooking, melt butter in a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Then cook garlic, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add oregano, thyme, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring so spices don’t burn. Add Worcestershire and lemon juice and simmer for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, until they turn completely pink, about 8 minutes. Transfer grits to a platter or individual bowls and top with barbecue shrimp. Garnish with parsley before serving if desired.

Recipe adapted from thedailymeal.com .