Pumpkin Pecan Frozen Yogurt

This wonderful, full-flavored, kid-friendly pumpkin yogurt is great for snacks or dessert, and so easy! Blessings...

Recipe:

4 cups frozen Vanilla Bean yogurt, softened (see note)

1/2 cup canned or cooked pumpkin

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients; mix well. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm.

Yield: 8 servings, 1/2 cup each
195 calories
4 gms. fiber

Note: I use Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean frozen yogurt. The flavor is very good, there are live yogurt cultures in it, and there is 3 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup serving.

This recipe was adapted from Taste of Home's "Light and Tasty" magazine.

Berry Yogurt Scones

Different kinds of breads for breakfast, whether served with fruit and tea on an early workday morning, or alongside an egg dish being enjoyed with guests on the weekend, are such a wonderful change of pace. This recipe is adapted from one that I cut out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine years ago. The original recipe was made with fruit yogurt and was difficult to work with because the dough was very sticky. Greek yogurt is thick and causes the dough to be much denser and sturdier. The addition of dried fruit adds great flavor and a bit of fiber. Fresh fruit, unless it is a hard fruit like apple, would not stand up to the kneading of the dough.  Blessings...

Recipe:

2-1/2 cups biscuit mix such as Bisquick

1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling on top

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup vanilla 2% Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dried blueberries or cranberries

1. Combine biscuit mix and 1/4 cup sugar.

2. Stir together egg, yogurt, berries and butter.

3. Combine the two just until mixture comes together.

4. Scrape dough out of bowl onto smooth work surface. Dough will be very thick and dense. Knead 8-10 times so that dough is well combined and forms a smooth mass.

5. Gather dough up and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Pat into a 6" circle and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cut into 6 wedges.

6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes rotating pan halfway through baking time. If the scones are already browning, cover them with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Yield: 6 servings
317 calories each
2 gms. fiber
Note: I have found that the best way to tell if a scone is done is to use a sharp knife and cut through one horizontally. If it still appears sticky or doughy, give it another minute or two.

Cherry Blossom Salad

This is a fun and tasty way to get yogurt into the diets of those you love, especially those that don't love yogurt, like my hubby. He loves soft-frozen dessert yogurt, but the only way he will eat any other kind of yogurt is if I sneak it in on him. He loves this cherry gelatin salad. I used Greek yogurt because it is thick like sour cream, which the original recipe called for, and because of the high protein value. This would be a great snack for kids. This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Betty Crocker's Cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups boiling liquid (water or the syrup drained off the cherries)
1 6-oz. pkg. cherry-flavored gelatin
2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt (I used 3 5.3-oz containers of yogurt)
2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries or 1 can (1 pound) dark sweet cherries, drained
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1. Pour boiling liquid over gelatin in a mixing bowl, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Cool.
2. Whisk in yogurt until smooth or beat in with a hand-mixer. Chill until slightly thickened but not set, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in cherries and pecans. Pour into a 7 1/2 x 11 3/4-inch baking pan or 6-cup ring mold. Chill until firm.

Yield:  15 servings
115 calories each
.6 gms. fiber
3 gms. protein
Note: My calculations are based on using Tillamook Greek yogurt