March 31, 2024

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is finally upon us! At TruJoy Yogurt, we celebrated the arrival of warmer weather with our fourth production run so you can rest assured that there is plenty of TruJoy to pack your freezers with this spring!

Going into our first full summer season, or Frozen Greek Yogurt Season, there was no shortage of things to do - from roadtrips across Texas and on into the Land of Enchantment, to preparing for more launches there was hardly an idle moment and certainly not one that wasn’t truly filled with joy!

Story Series - So what is Lemon Velvet?

A funny question i’m asked from time to time is ‘what is the velvet in Lemon Velvet?’ The obvious answer is that it has to do with smooth, creamy and velvety texture. But like everything TruJoy, there is more to it than that. I’ve even had one customer claim that she could literally taste the velvet - full disclosure, I have no idea what velvet tastes like - but I love it! Everything at TruJoy is done with intention, so I thought that y’all might enjoy hearing the story behind one of our most popular flavors.

Growing up, every year Mom would make Lemon Velvet ice cream for us around Easter time time. The recipe came from an old family cookbook and every year there was a ton of excitement Mom would pull out the ice cream maker to make Lemon Velvet for us. I have vivid memories of pouring ice and rock salt into a wooden bucket before churning.

When I first started working on the recipe that would ultimately become TruJoy Yogurt, I figured the family recipe for Lemon Velvet Ice Cream would be a good way to learn the basics of making frozen treats. After mixing all of the cream and sugar for that first batch, I quickly realized why Lemon Velvet was a once a year treat and that a lot was the recipe was going to have change a lot to reach the nutrition specs that TruJoy Yogurt would need to hit in order to be truly different.

And so why the purple pint for Lemon Velvet? I’d like to tell you that it had something to do with royalty… but in reality I wanted to dress Lemon Velvet up in the kind of purple, velvety suit that I imagine Snoop Dogg might wear.

It’s funny to see a SKU and a barcode next to a name that used to be printed in a family cookbook. The first store to re-order TruJoy Yogurt since our launch with the United Family of stores was the Albertsons Market in Carlsbad, NM - and what flavor did they order? Lemon Velvet! I literally do not know a soul living in Carlsbad, but clearly someone out there is loving Lemon Velvet. I am so grateful to have shared this little piece of my childhood thousands of people now. The old family recipe and the Lemon Velvet that you know today are very different, but they have a few things in in common - they are made with love and made to be shared with those you love. Lemon Velvet is an ode to Mom, so next time you pick up a pint of it, please think of her!

While I am thanking Mom, I thought you might also like to know that she is the one that came up with the name ‘TruJoy Yogurt’ - I had another name in mind… but one day we were talking about it in her kitchen and she said “Why don’t you just call it ‘TruJoy’, it’s ‘Yogurt’ spelled backwards, but with a ‘J’”. The name stuck, (after the owner of the trademark very gracefully relinquished it which is a story for another time). I wish I could tell you that I had listened to all of the advice mom ever gave… but I sure am glad I listened to this one!

West Texas Road Trip

As you might recall, we recently launched with the United Family of stores which took us far beyond our urban distribution. This launch is obviously good for business, but it it even better for our mission - to make the world a happier and healthier place - because our products are now available in more communities, 15 to be exact! Our new range makes the healthier choice that much easier for folks in rural areas where choices are often more limited and healthy living is typically not as celebrated.

To spread the word in these new markets, I loaded the cooler down on dry ice and hit the road. Leaving from Austin, I visited stores in San Angelo, Midland, Odessa, Carlsbad NM, Abilene, Lubbock & Amarillo and did demos in nine different stores.

It was a lot of driving but the mileage was worth it. From conspiracy theories to new ideas on how to enjoy TruJoy (Root Beer Float anybody?) I learned so much from our new customers. Perhaps my biggest takeaway from the trip however was that TruJoy Yogurt is not only a cleaner option when compared to other frozen dessert alternatives but it can also truly compete with full fat, high-fructose corn syrup & artificially flavored ice creams - and win!

At a demo in Midland, a couple walked passed by the demo table and I offered a sample. The husband snubbed me but the wife stopped and reluctantly gave TruJoy a try. She was surprised by how delicious our Frozen Greek Yogurt is called her husband back to try. He was shocked by his first bite and asked to try the other three flavors that I had on hand. He truly couldn’t believe how delicious a healthful and natural alternative could be and asked where in the store he could find them. About twenty minutes later the couple passed by again, they had four pints of TruJoy Yogurt in their cart. They stopped to thank me, he told me that he goes through 1/2 gallon of Bluebell every two days and that he was grateful that he had a healthy option now that tastes even better.

There is no doubt that there are a ton more folks like this out there and just this one encounter, showing someone that the healthy choice can be more delicious, makes the 1,400 mile roundtrip worth it. I am already planning another trip West in April!

Launch Updates

Now that our products are available at KeHE, it is relatively easy for us to add new stores to the growing list! This month we added Natures Own Neighborhood Grocery in Kansas City, MO, The Sunflower Shoppe in Fort Worth & Colleyville, and Ann’s Health Foods Market in Dallas.

With our upcoming launch with Whole Foods Market in May, our products will be available through UNFI, the other major distributor, and we hope to add a number of other independant stores in time for the summer!

Charlie

The Lagniappe - a Savory Yogurt Recipe: Herby Greek Yogurt & Kale

It’s no secret that Greek Yogurt is the #1 ingredient in TruJoy Yogurt, but there are so many ways to use Greek Yogurt as the star of a dish beyond just the typical bowl with granola and berries. This Herby Yogurt & Kale recipe is a great way to enjoy Greek Yogurt beyond breakfast and before dessert!

While on a trip to London at the beginning of the year, I was lucky enough to visit one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s (my favorite chef, who I draw a lot of inspiration from) Deli’s where they served a similar dish. After the trip, I reached out to the Deli for the recipe and they gave me some clues. After a few attempts, this is what I came up with and I wanted to share it with you!

Ingredients:

• 2 C Greek Yogurt (preferably full fat)

• 1/2 C Sheep’s Milk Yogurt (can sub Sour Cream)

• 1/2 T Orange Zest

• 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

• 2 T Fresh Dill, minced

• 2 Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly

• 3 T EVOO + more for drizzling

• 2 T Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 Bunch of Kale, stems removed & shredded

• 2 T Dried Coriander

• 2 t Hawaij

• 1 t Garlic Powder

• Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F

• On a parchment lined baking sheet, toss the Kale, 2 T of EVOO, Garlic in EVOO and a healthy grind of Salt & Pepper. Take the time to massage the oil into the Kale so that it is nicely coated. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing several times throughout, until Kale is crispy but not burned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

• In a large bowl, combine the Greek Yogurt, Sheep’s Milk Yogurt, Orange Zest, 1 T EVOO, Green Onion, Dill, Dried Coriander, Garlic Powder, Hawaij, a pinch of salt and a good grind Pepper. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate.

• Once the Kale is cool, take half of it and combine with the Herby Yogurt and mix. Leave the remaining Kale, Pumpkin Seeds and toasted Garlic for topping.

• To serve, spread the Herby Yogurt in a shallow bowl and top with the remaining baked Kale, toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Garlic.

You can serve it as a dip with pita chips & veggies, top roasted veggies or grain bowls with it, or smear it over baked salmon.

Greek Yogurt is a nutritious base for so many dishes, beyond just Frozen Greek Yogurt - I hope you give this one a try, but remember to save room for dessert!