Joy's of Homemaking- Cuisipro Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker Review and Giveaway!

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

It's no secret that I love to cook! Ever since I was a little girl I kept a recipe box and tucked away every yummy sounding recipe I could get my hands on. I then started collecting cookbooks. I have been cooking and baking since I was 8. Cooking can be such an enjoyable experience but when lacking the proper tools it can also be a frustration. I love finding new kitchen gadgets that make my life easier! Cuisipro has a wide selection of uniquely designed kitchen gadgets that every homemaker can appreciate!


About Cuisipro:
Cuisipro combines functionality and aesthetics to produce popular, professional kitchen tools. Cuisipro product designs emphasize function; all products either offer an original function or they are functional advancements of existing tools. Many tools are also designed around Cuisipro's signature oval shape, offering consumers comfort and the ability to fit normally bulky tools easily into smaller spaces. The company enforces rigorous testing standards on the highest quality materials, and most Cuisipro tools are warranted for 25 years against defects.

My Cuisipro Experience:
My family loves yogurt! So when the opportunity arose for me to review for Cuisipro I selected to review their line of yogurt making products. I was sent the Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker, extra yogurt jars, Yogurt Starter and the Yogurt Cheese Maker.

My family normally buys organic plain yogurt, but it is not cheap. For a quart we were spending between $2.50 and $3.00. Making your own yogurt at home is much more cost effective. I can buy 1 gallon of organic whole milk for $4.99. I use 1 quart to make my yogurt and in the end spend only $1.25 for one quart of fresh organic yogurt!! Now in the beginning you will need to purchase a yogurt starter. This cost around $3.00. Once you have your yogurt made you will use a bit of the yogurt as your starter when you make a new batch. Making your own yogurt will save your family so much money over time and it is so easy to do!

To make yogurt in the Donvier Yogurt Maker you first need to heat your 4 cups of milk. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave. After heating the milk you add in the thermometer and wait until the milk cools to the "add starter" level. Once the milk has cooled to the proper temperature, pour some of the milk into one of the yogurt jars. Mix the starter in the one jar and then pour into the rest of the milk. From here all you need to do is pour the milk mixture evenly into the jars, add lids, add yogurt maker cover and set your timer! You will want to set the yogurt maker timer for a minimum of 10 hours. The timer will beep when complete. Be careful not to let your yogurt cook too long or it will result in yogurt that is too thick. Once complete your yogurt can be refrigerated up to 3 weeks! You can add fresh fruits to create flavored yogurt or use your yogurt for smoothies or to make yogurt cheese!


Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker Features:

• Make up to 6 cups/1.5 L of light, creamy, nutritious yogurt.
• Electric timer has digital LCD countdown display.
• Warning beep 10 and 5 minutes before automated shut-off at end of cycle.
• Features settings in half-hour increments, from 4 to 14 hours.
• Create up to 8 different flavors at a time; use only the freshest ingredients.
• Includes thermometer & eight 6-oz break resistant, BPA free plastic jars.
• Temperature ranges from 90°-120°F/ 32°-49°C during yogurt-making process.
• One year limited warranty.

Here is some information I found on the health benefits of eating yogurt from Dr. Sears website:

10 REASONS YOGURT IS A TOP HEALTH FOOD

1. Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. Many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack, and another enzyme contained in some yogurts (beta-galactosidase) also helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient persons. Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process, partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic. In our pediatric practice, we have observed that children who cannot tolerate milk can often eat yogurt without any intestinal upset. While the amount varies among brands of yogurt, in general, yogurt has less lactose than milk. The culturing process has already broken down the milk sugar lactose into glucose and galactose, two sugars that are easily absorbed by lactose-intolerant persons.

2. Yogurt contributes to colon health. There's a medical truism that states: "You're only as healthy as your colon." When eating yogurt, you care for your colon in two ways. First, yogurt contains lactobacteria, intestines-friendly bacterial cultures that foster a healthy colon, and even lower the risk of colon cancer. Lactobacteria, especially acidophilus, promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids. The more of these intestines-friendly bacteria that are present in your colon, the lower the chance of colon diseases. Basically, the friendly bacteria in yogurt seems to deactivate harmful substances (such as nitrates and nitrites before they are converted to nitrosamines) before they can become carcinogenic.

Secondly, yogurt is a rich source of calcium - a mineral that contributes to colon health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Calcium discourages excess growth of the cells lining the colon, which can place a person at high risk for colon cancer. Calcium also binds cancer-producing bile acids and keeps them from irritating the colon wall. People that have diets high in calcium (e.g. Scandinavian countries) have lower rates of colorectal cancer. One study showed that an average intake of 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day is associated with a 75 percent reduction of colorectal cancer. As a survivor of colon cancer, I have a critical interest in the care of my colon. My life depends on it.

3. Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients. Culturing of yogurt increases the absorption of calcium and B-vitamins. The lactic acid in the yogurt aids in the digestion of the milk calcium, making it easier to absorb.

4. Yogurt can boost immunity. Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream. Some studies have shown yogurt cultures to contain a factor that has anti-tumor effects in experimental animals. Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections. Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase. This results in temporary lactose malabsorption problems. This is why children often cannot tolerate milk for a month or two after an intestinal infection. Yogurt, however, because it contains less lactose and more lactase, is usually well-tolerated by healing intestines and is a popular "healing food" for diarrhea. Many pediatricians recommend yogurt for children suffering from various forms of indigestion. Research shows that children recover faster from diarrhea when eating yogurt. It's good to eat yogurt while taking antibiotics. The yogurt will minimize the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines.A 1999 study reported in Pediatrics showed that lactobacillus organisms can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

6. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections. Research has shown that eating eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures daily reduces the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina and decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.

7. Yogurt is a rich source of calcium. An 8-ounce serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium, one-half of a child's RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult RDA for calcium. Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.

8. Yogurt is an excellent source of protein. Plain yogurt contains around ten to fourteen grams of protein per eight ounces, which amounts to twenty percent of the daily protein requirement for most persons. In fact, eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures, contains 20 percent more protein than the same volume of milk (10 grams versus 8 grams). Besides being a rich source of proteins, the culturing of the milk proteins during fermentation makes these proteins easier to digest. For this reason, the proteins in yogurt are often called "predigested."

9. Yogurt can lower cholesterol. There are a few studies that have shown that yogurt can reduce the blood cholesterol. This may be because the live cultures in yogurt can assimilate the cholesterol or because yogurt binds bile acids, (which has also been shown to lower cholesterol), or both.

10. Yogurt is a "grow food." Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with intestinal absorption problems grow: the easier digestibility of the proteins and the fact that the lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of minerals. And even most picky-eaters will eat yogurt in dips and smoothies and as a topping.

Making Yogurt Cheese:

I was blown away at how simple it is to make yogurt cheese. You simple add 3 cups plain yogurt into the yogurt cheese maker, put lid on securely, and refrigerate overnight. After you do this simple process, drain off the whey (it will be floating at the bottom of the cheese maker) and remove your yogurt cheese. You will want to store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Yogurt Cheese Maker Features:

• Yogurt cheese is low-fat alternative to cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream & whipping cream.
• Converts 3 cups of yogurt into 1 cup of yogurt cheese in about 24 hours.
• Get a thinner yogurt cheese in as little as 2 hours.
• Sealed container prevents odor transfer and provides storage.
• Unit consists of plastic container and stainless steel fine-mesh strainer.
• Dishwasher safe - top rack.

These two products offer healthy alternatives to commercial made foods, are easy to make and will save you money! I am quite pleased with the results and recommend them for every family.


BUY IT: You can purchase the Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker and the Yogurt Cheese Maker directly from Cuisipro here or from a retailer near you, click here for location.

WIN IT: Cuisipro is giving one Happily Domestic reader a Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker! $50 Value.

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Giveaway ends Sunday , September 26th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.(MST). Winner will be drawn by the random number generator at Random.org and will be notified by email. Winner will also be announced on this blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
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Thank you to Cuisipro who provided me with the products for review free of charge. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received to conduct this review and giveaway.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*