Blueberry Frozen Yogurt in Minutes

I am super excited about this one. I made frozen yogurt in my office at work. No ice cream maker. No cooking required. It literally only takes a minute to make! Plus, it's fat free. You can make this at your desk. And only 2-3 ingredients are required. 

1 (6 oz) container nonfat plain Greek yogurt

3/4 - 1 cup blueberries (frozen)

1 tbsp honey

The most important thing is to have nicely frozen blueberries. The cold from the berries in direct contact with the yogurt is what causes the yogurt to freeze & have that nice ice cream-y texture.

Start by folding the honey into the yogurt. Don't stir. Stirring will make it too thin & runny.

Next add your frozen berries direct from the freezer. The berries will begin to clump together. That just means it's working.

Finally cover with plastic wrap & place in the freezer for five minutes (if needed - it will depend on how cold the berries are).

Scoop out & enjoy. :-) This recipe serves 2 at 120 calories a serving approximately.  You may need to adjust the amount of honey depending on personal taste.

This recipe has a strong yogurt flavor that is softened by the sweetness of the honey. The berries have a soft texture that comes from the partially frozen juicy inside. It's not so cold however that it hurts sensitive teeth. It's a very filling dessert (from the protein in the yogurt & fiber in the berries).

This is a great way to enjoy healthy & convenient frozen yogurt. Or just use it to impress your co-workers by making frozen yogurt at your desk. Either way this is a new favorite for me.

Orange yogurt with granola topping

It's Day One of eating clean in 2014, and I'm already feeling lazy! (Perhaps I stayed up too late enjoying the last of my 2013 flaming hot Cheetos while welcoming in the new year.) So when I'm low on motivation I rely on two things: benefits review & convenience clean eating.
Benefits: better blood sugar & looking forward to the pound a week I'll definitely be losing!!
Convenience food: YOGURT

I LOVE Greek yogurt! You can get plain nonfat Greek yogurt pretty inexpensively nowadays. My two favorite places to buy it is Ruler Foods (one of Kroger's chains) & of course, Aldi. Both stores sell 6 oz containers for less than $1, and at Aldi you can buy a nice huge tub for just over $3. Greek yogurt is just regular yogurt that has been strained more, so it has less liquid. This makes it thicker & it has about double the protein. That sour yogurt flavor is also much stronger, so if that bothers you, you might want to just use regular nonfat plain yogurt as opposed to Greek for the recipe below.

For the granola:
1/2 tbsp oatmeal
1/4-1/2 tsp steel cut oats (this makes it extra crunchy & helps keep you feeling fuller longer)
1/2 tsp sucanat (I bought mine at the health food store for about $6. I know that sounds like a lot, but you use it so much less & in smaller portions than regular sugar that it lasts a long time. It tastes sweet & has a strong molasses flavor.)
Sprinkle of cinnamon (makes it tastes warmer & sweeter)
Dash of salt
Tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil- just enough to coat your oatmeal

Combine all these in a bowl, making sure it's well blended. Spread it out on a cookie sheet & put under the broiler to toast.

While that's toasting, cut up 1-2 ripe oranges (1 orange if you like the sour tastes, 2 if you prefer sweet), and add to a bowl with 6oz Greek nonfat yogurt. I also grate a little of the orange zest into the yogurt for added flavor. If you leave any flesh of the orange on the peels, make sure to squeeze the juice out into your yogurt. Don't waste any of your fruit!

When the granola is toasting (it only takes a couple minutes, so watch it carefully), add to your yogurt & fruit, with a pinch more sucanat if you like. If your yogurt is still mot sweet enough, add some pure maple syrup or agave nectar, just a few drops at a time till you have it just the way you like it.

This breakfast runs around 250 calories (add 60 more if you had 2 oranges instead of one) & takes about 5-7 minutes to prepare.

There you have it - kick off Day one of the New Year!