Chocolate and coffee frozen yogurt

So ... I made a whole lot of yogurt recently, and then I decided that I needed some frozen yogurt.

So I made some. With chocolate and coffee. Because that's how I roll.

This made enough of the base mix for about 2 batches of ice cream in my ice cream maker. Or maybe 1 1/2 batches, considering I ended up with a bit less than two quarts, but you're better off making two batches than overfilling the freezer bowl and making a mess or under-churning..

Vanilla butternut extract is one of my favorite extract. I use it mostly in vanilla ice cream, but it's great it other things - like this chocolate frozen yogurt.

The bourbon makes this an adult ice cream, but you can certainly leave it out, if you prefer.

Chocolate and Coffee Frozen Yogurt

1 quart Greek-style yogurt (store-bought or homemade)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 cup cold-brew coffee concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla butternut extract (optional)
Up to 1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. whisk well to combine. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before churning in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions (dividing into multiple batches, if necessary).

Transfer to containers and freeze until firm.

Yum

Homemade Creme Fraiche in the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is hugely popular these days. It's quite interesting to me. Pressure cookers have been around since grandma's day. Slow cookers have been around quite a long time, too.

Electric pressure cookers are a little newer, but until the Instant Pot came along, they weren't all that popular.

The Instant Pot, however, has a cult-like following. People name them. There are Facebook groups devoted to the pot. It's ... amazing.

37 Cooks, a group blog I belong to, is doing a challenge using the Instant Pot, so I've been experimenting with different things. While I'm completely comfortable with both stovetop and electric pressure cookers, the Instant Pot is indeed different.

For one thing, it has a LOT more buttons. It has buttons for steaming and for soup and for meat and for yogurt.

And it has a freakishly friendly beeping sound. It's cute rather than annoying.

When I saw the yogurt button, I knew I had to use it to make ... creme fraiche.

You didn't see that coming, did you?

If you've never used creme fraiche, it's a lot like sour cream or Mexican crema or similar productus. If you're looking for creme fraiche at a grocery store, it's likely to come in a small tub for a high price - if you can find it at all.

I make creme fraiche quite often, even when I don't actually need it for something specific, because I know I can find a use for it. You see, I make it whenever I have leftover buttermilk and leftover heavy cream at the same time. Which happens a lot more often than you'd imagine.

As I've experimented with different ways of making it, I've found that it doesn't need to be heated - leaving it at room temperature overnight is sufficient.

On the other hand, if I put it somewhere a little bit warm, like near the stove when I'm cooking, or in the oven with the light on (right next to the yogurt jars that might be in there), it seems to work better. So of course I had to try making creme fraiche using the yogurt setting in the Instant Pot. Of course.

Creme Fraiche

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup buttermilk

Place the cream and buttermilk in a jar. Stir.

Place the jar on a rack in the Instant Pot. Close the lid and set the cooker for yogurt and 6 hours. When the time is up, taste the creme fraiche. It will be a lot looser than after it's chilled, but taste for tartness. If you want it more tart, cook for an additional 2 hours or more.

Refrigerate the creme fraiche.

Yum

Homemade Yogurt (KitchenAid Precise Heat Bowl)

Okay, you'll probably see a lot of recipes that use the Precise Heat Mixing Bowl because:

1) I spent a decent amount of money on this thing, and it wants to justify its existence in my kitchen.

and

2) I'm having fun testing it to see what works well.

and

3) I don't see a lot of recipe for it online. So I think it would be helpful for people to have some recipes to use.

and

4) Although the recipes here are written featuring the bowl, they could certainly be adapted for people who have fancy things like slow cookers or stoves. The advantage of this bowl over other sorts of cookers is that you can set an exact temperature. It makes sense for some things, and is just convenient for others. But still, the recipes can be made using other methods.

This time, I tackled yogurt.

I've made a lot of yogurt using a lot of different methods, mostly using low-tech methods like putting the yogurt mixture in a quart jar in the oven with the light on. Or putting it in a very-well-insulated container. Neither of those allow precise temperatures. So I figured I'd give it a shot in the magical precise bowl.

And, hey, it worked really well. Possibly the best result I've had so far.

Homemade Yogurt

1.5 liters* whole milk
1 7-ounce** container Fage Total*** yogurt

Put the milk in the Precise Heat Bowl with the cover on. Heat to 180**** degrees.

Turn the heat down to 110 degrees and wait for the temperature to go down. The bowl will beep a few times at first, but then it will stay silent. It won't tell you when it's down to 110 degrees, so you'll need to check it once in a while. You can remove the lid for faster cooling, and if you're puttering around in the kitchen, you can stir it a few time.

The milk will probably form a skin on as it cools. You can skim that off or whisk it in. Your choice.

When the milk is at 115 degrees or below, whisk in the yogurt. Set the timer for you preferred time. Four hours is about the minimum and will result in a very mild yogurt. I prefer 6-8 hours, which results in a yogurt that's a little more tart.

You can use the yogurt as-is, or strain it to make a Greek-style yogurt. I prefer it strained. A lot of people strain through cheesecloth or jelly bags, but I find that a fine-mesh strainer works just fine. I refrigerate the yogurt first, since that also helps it thicken a bit. Then I gently scoop the yogurt into the strainer and it doesn't fall through the holes. Obviously, if you push at the yogurt, it will go through the holes. So don't do that. Just lay it in there gently. As it thickens at the bottom, you can gently move the yogurt from the bottom to allow it to strain some more.

Once the yogurt is strained and is as thick as I want it, I put it in a bowl an whisk the heck out of it to make it smooth and silky because that's what I like. You could also use a stick blender, rather than hand-whisking. It will seem a little thinner after whisking, but will thicken again as it sits.

Depending on how thick you like your yogurt, you'll end up with about a quart of yogurt and a pint of whey (the liquid that drains). I use the whey instead of water when making bread, but you can discard it. Or use it in soup. Or ... there are a lot of other uses.

*This doesn't need to be super-precise. 6 cups of milk is close enough. I used Fairlife milk which comes in a 1.5 liter container, so it was a convenient amount for you. If you want more yogurt, you can use a half-gallon of milk.

**You don't actually need to use the whole container. It will work just fine with less. But I didn't need yogurt for any immediate use, and I knew I was going to have a lot of yogurt later. So I tossed in the whole thing. But if you're scooping out of a larger container, 1/4 cup will be fine.

***Use any plain yogurt you like as long as it has active cultures. I'd suggest reading the label and choosing on that's just milk and cultures. Thickeners and sweeteners and whatnot aren't needed.

****I've tried this heating to 160 degrees, which is what many commercial yogurt starters suggest, and the results were pretty much identical. Any temperature between the two should be fine.

Yum

Blueberry yogurt, anyone?

Let the yogurt games begin.

Ice cream with blueberry yogurt. Yum.

I just got an email that said, "Results of a national taste test that revealed nearly two out of three consumers prefer the taste of Yoplait Greek blueberry over Chobani."

I generally don't like to pick sides when it comes to products, but I totally get this. My husband generally doesn't like yogurt, but when we got some of the Yoplait Greek to sample quite some time ago, he liked it. And not just, "ugh, I'll eat it if I have to." He was happy to eat it. He liked it.

That says something.

And I have to agree. There's something really appealing about the Yoplait Greek Blueberry. Here's where I used it to make ice cream.

And I used the pineapple yogurt to make cake here. I want to do that again with the blueberry.

So, I'm more than happy to help promote Yoplait's taste-off, where they're inviting consumers to try their yogurt and make comments. Check the Twitter feed - they're allowing the Chobani fans to comment as well. Got to love that.

On a first come, first serve basis at GreekTasteOff.com,Yoplait is supplying the first 5,000 visitors with the goods to conduct their own taste test at home, including gift cards for free yogurt.


In addition, Yoplait is conducting Taste-Off taste tests at grocery stores all over the country. I'm really hoping they show up at a store in my neighborhood. Not that I want to be on a commercial or anything, but I love it that they're taking the risk and seeing what consumers really prefer.

Have you tried the Yoplait Greek? What do you think?

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Yoplait to promote the Taste Off, but I was not required to offer my opinion on the product. However, I wouldn't have posted this if I didn't really like it.

Yum

Pineapple Yogurt Loaf Cake

Sometimes I get an idea in my head and I can't shake it. Like I had this idea to make a quick bread using Greek yogurt and self-rising flour.

Except I didn't have any self rising flour.

But that's easy. I always have baking soda and baking powder.

This all started when the nice folks at Yoplait sent me some of their blended Greek yogurt and a recipe for frozen blueberry breakfast bars.

The bars sounded good. Besides breakfast, I thought they'd be great for an afternoon snack or even dessert. But once the weather gets cold, I'm really not that interested in eating frozen foods. So I set the recipe aside.

And time passed. And I became obsessed with this idea of a quick bread with just a few ingredients. I mean, I've seen quick bread and biscuit recipes that are nothing more than yogurt and self-rising flour.

But I wanted a bit more than that. A few ingredients rather than two.

The first loaf was a complete train wreck. And when I say complete, I mean complete. It was gummy and nasty and inedible.

And then I was on a mission. I wanted to make a yogurt cake, and I wanted it to be good. I added more ingredients. I got closer. Then I removed some. Added some others. It was getting better, but still not blog-worthy. More yogurt, less yogurt. Milk. No milk. No eggs, one egg, two eggs, three ...

Finally, I got a loaf cake I liked. It's close to pound cake, but a little lighter. With bits of pineapple from the yogurt. A little sweet, but not too much. Moist, but not gooey. It rose nicely, but didn't dome at all, so maybe next time I'll add just a teeny bit more baking powder - I'll be trying 2 teaspoons. If you live closer to sea level than I do, for sure I suggest that for sure you add more leavening.

So, here's what I ended up with:

Pineapple Yogurt Loaf Cake

1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup, 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 eggs
2 5.3-ounce containers Yoplait Greek Pineapple Yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9x5 baking pan with baking spray - I used a ceramic pan, but metal should be fine.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the yogurt and beat until well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until blended, then add the flour to the wet ingredients and beat until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake at 325 degrees until the cake bounces back when lightly touched on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean - about 65 minutes.

Let the cake cool for a minute or two in the pan, the remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a rack.

Soooo.... are you curious about the blueberry bars? Here's the recipe I was given. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds pretty good. Maybe I'll make it ... when the weather warms up.

Frozen Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Recipe courtesy of Yoplait. Used with permission.
Get your yogurt and granola in a frozen bar that you can "grab and go" for breakfast or for a snack any time of day.

Prep Time: 15 Min
Start to Finish: 3 Hr 25 Min

2 1/2 cups Cascadian Farm organic oats & honey granola
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 containers (5.3 oz each) Yoplait Greek blueberry* yogurt
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons Cascadian Farm organic oats & honey granola, coarsely crushed

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups granola and the melted butter. Firmly press in bottom of ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Freeze about 5 minutes or until cold.

Spoon yogurt over crust; gently spread to cover. Sprinkle with blueberries and crushed granola. Freeze about 3 hours or until firm.

Remove from freezer 10 minutes before cutting. To make bars, cut into 5 rows by 2 rows. Wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap. Store in freezer.

These bars can be stored tightly wrapped in the freezer up to 2 weeks.

*You can use any flavor of the Yoplait Greek yogurt for this recipe.

Yum

Two "almosts" and a "maybe"

You probably realize that food bloggers get a lot of free products to try out And I'm always willing to sample new things and write about them if I like them or if I can fit them into a recipe.

Sometimes I get things that don't quite make the cut. Not that they're bad products, but sometimes it's just something that doesn't fit my favorite flavor profile.

Melty, melty

First on that list is Melt Organic Spread. I use a lot of butter, but I was willing to give this a try. It's got healthy fats and it's a spreadable consistency. I thought it might be an interesting alternative for spreading on toast.

Because toast happens a lot around here. Bet you couldn't guess that.

Unfortunately, one of the healthy fats in Melt is coconut oil. I don't like coconut. But, hey, there are products with coconut oil that don't taste like coconut, so I was willing to give it a try. And ... no go. I could taste the coconut.

My husband couldn't taste the coconut, and he liked the flavor of the spread, so he'll be eating the rest of it. So, yeah, it's a fine product, just not in my shopping basket.

Yo!

Next on the "I almost loved it" list was YoCrunch yogurt with Trail Mix M&Ms. Sigh. Trail mix. Apparently there are raisins on the trail, and raisins are the second food that I've disliked since childhood. Right there with the coconut.

The itty-bitty M&Ms were cute and the bits of peanut added a nice bit of crunch, but I picked out all of the raisins before I added the toppings to the yogurt, and that's just silly. There's no way you'd believe I was wild about this product if you've read this blog for a while and you know how I feel about raisins. So there was no sense writing a big long post about this product.

If you like raisins, M&Ms and peanuts, you'll probably like this product. Again, it's just personal taste, but it's also a matter of honesty. I'm not going to tell you I love a product if I'm picking bits out of it before I eat it.

YoCrunch has a LOT of flavors, and I've tried a few others, and they were perfectly fine. Just not this time.

Catsup, Ketchup ... this ain't it

I read about a sun-dried tomato ketchup and couldn't find it in any local stores, so I sent a sample request to the company.

Not long after, I had two lovely bottles of the ketchup to try. And it was interesting. Thick, with a deep, rich, roasty flavor. It was good, but I couldn't really pass it off as table-ketchup after years of being conditioned to think of ketchup as a different sort of thing.

This is a ketchup that would be good on a gourmet burger but maybe not on a basic backyard burger where you'd be looking for the familiar flavor. It would be a great start for a barbecue sauce. It would work well in a marinade or sauce or ... a whole lot of things.

But, honestly, this isn't going to totally replace my mass-market familiar ketchup. It's just not.

I am, however, thinking about a few recipes where it would be stunning, and would be so much better than using ketchup or tomato sauce or tomato paste. That sun-dried tomato flavor is really interesting, and it deserves a better platform than meatloaf.

So there ya go. Three products that I didn't totally love, but maybe you will. Which one of these sounds interesting to you?

Yum

Pineapple Yogurt Ice Cream

When Yoplait contacted me about an Emmy party, I said, um, huh? I didn't recall being nominated for an Emmy and I wasn't sure how that related to yogurt.

But then they explained that is was all about a benefit for breast cancer, and I said okay, let's eat some yogurt. Or, in my case, let's make some ice cream.

Besides getting some swag from Yoplait, I got my choice of yogurt flavors, and I was freakishly excited to see that Yoplait had a pineapple yogurt.

Way back in the stone age when yogurt was promoted as health food eaten by Tibetan wise men who lived to 200 years old*, I was pretty skeptical of the stuff.

But then I discovered pineapple yogurt. And I loved it. And then pineapple yogurt disappeared. I don't know where it went, but the flavor vanished. *poof* Gone.

Elizabeth Moss at the Emmys.

Every time I passed a display of yogurt, I'd look for pineapple. Which was easy enough back in the olden-yogurt days when there weren't as many brands.

Now, there are a lot more choices. But I still couldn't find pineapple. Every once in a while I'd spot pina colada. Which is close, except I don't like coconut. I always thought it was odd that there were so many flavors of yogurt, but no one made a pineapple yogurt.

Why?

I mean, it's not like I was looking for some sort of exotic fruit.

I muddled along adding fresh pineapple to yogurt once in a while, but I was a little giddy when I found out that now Yoplait makes a pineapple Greek yogurt, so now I can buy pineapple yogurt whenever I want it. It's a heck of a lot easier to buy a little cup rather than buying a whole fresh pineapple when I only want a little bit.

And just like their blueberry yogurt that I sampled before, this stuff tasted natural. Not like pineapple-flavored candy. Like actual pineapple. With bits of pineapple. And it made a really nice frozen dessert.

*Okay, I was a kid. Maybe I remember the commercials wrong. But it had something to do with exotic wrinkled people eating yogurt.

Pineapple Yogurt Ice Cream

2 5.3 ounce cups Yoplait Greek blended pineapple yogurt
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whipped cream flavored vodka

Combine all ingredients and chill well. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a storage container and freeze until firm.

Serve.

About the Emmy party:

Jane Lynch.

Yoplait provided photos from the Variety + Women In Film Pre-Emmy Party presented by Yoplait Greek.

They said that the party, held at Scarpetta at Montage Beverly Hills, "feted this year’s female Emmy nominees" right before the 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony.

Stars including Jane Lynch, Julie Bowen, Zac Posen, Jon Cryer, Elizabeth Moss and more walked the red carpet and lent their support to Yoplait Greek yogurt’s breast cancer initiative by licking and signing yogurt lids.

Inside, they celebrated the honorees and snacked on cups of the new blended Greek yogurt and appetizers including yogurt-filled strawberries.

So there ya go. Emmys, yogurt, and breast cancer awareness, all in one neat package.

Yum

Yogurt "cheese" Caprese

Maybe you've heard of yogurt cheese. I don't know if, technically, yogurt cheese is actually cheese, but it tastes like cheese. And that's good enough for me.

The best thing about yogurt cheese is that it's incredibly easy to make. There's only one necessary ingredient. And then you can add a touch of salt, if you like. Easy peasy.

Then, it's just a matter of time. The yogurt needs to drain, which makes it thicker. And thicker and thicker. The longer the cheese drains, the thicker it gets.

You can stop draining when the cheese is a soft, spreadable consistency. Or you can drain even longer until it gets to the thickness of cream cheese.

And then you have a cheese that tastes a lot like cream cheese.

For straining, this time I use a tamis, which is basically a flat strainer. Before, I've use a fine-mesh metal strainer - and it does need to be a pretty fine mesh. Or, you can use a strainer with larger holes, but line it with cheesecloth before straining.

To make your yogurt cheese

Just put some plain yogurt (you can start with regular or Greek style yogurt) in the tamis or strainer, put that on top of a bowl to catch drips, Put a cover over the top, and put the whole shebang in the refrigerator.

If you want to encourage faster straining, you can stir the yogurt occasionally, but don't push it through the strainer.

When it's as thick as you like, transfer it to a storage container and stir to smooth it out. Add a little salt, if you like. I think a little bit of salt is a good idea. And that's it.

You can use it like you'd use any soft cheese - spread it on crackers, use it to make dip, or ... how about some caprese.

Okay, technically a caprese salad is tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. But this is very similar. And very good.

And then, I decided to make sandwich with some tomatoes and cheese - on a biscuit.

Tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches are one of my favorite things, and this was similar - but with the cheese in the place of the mayonnaise. And then, to guild the lily just a little, it was on a bacon biscuit.

Yogurt Cheese Caprese

Tomatoes, sliced, as needed
Yogurt cheese, as needed
Fresh thyme

Arrange the tomato slices on a plate. Add a dollop of yogurt cheese to each slice - about a teaspoon for a smaller tomato or a tablespoon or more for larger tomato slices.

Strew fresh thyme leaves over the top of the tomatoes and cheese.

A drizzle of good balsamic vinegar would be appropriate, if you like.

Serve.

Yum

Blueberry Yogurt Ice Cream

The great thing about getting samples of foods is that I can talk my husband into tasting them, even if it's not something he'd normally be enthusiastic about.

Like yogurt.

Recently, I got samples of Yoplait's new blended Greek yogurt, in the blueberry flavor. I thought it was pretty good, but what was really surprising was that Bob liked it. Not, hmmm, well, if I was starving in a desert somewhere, I'd eat it, but he actually ate some as snacks.

Instead of having a super-sweet blueberry flavor, like jam was mixed in, this had more of a fresh blueberry flavor. I thought it was pretty darned good, too.

And then, this happened.

Blueberry Yogurt Ice Cream

2 5.3-ounce containers Yoplait Blended Blueberry Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup creme fraiche*
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl - or better yet, in a large measuring cup (for easier pouring). If your ice cream maker requires it, chill the mixture for a few hours. I've been using a Breville Smart Scoop, and since it has its own compressor, I can get away with churning before the ice cream base is totally cold.

Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a storage container and freeze until firm.

*If you don't happen to have creme fraiche, just use an extra 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

I received samples of the Greek yogurt from Yoplait. I was not required to write about the product.

Yum

Straw-nana Smoothie

Here's a quick smoothie for you - taking advantage of some strawberry yogurt.

I love bananas, and they're a perfect smoothie ingredient since they thicken the smoothie so well. And, if you've got a banana that's a little beyond perfectly ripe, it's perfect for smoothies.

Straw-nana Smoothie

1 cup strawberry yogurt
1 cup milk
1 banana
Pinch salt
Splash vanilla extract

Add al the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.

Yum

Avocado Dip and #TheRealKettleChips

Let me admit this right upfront. I used to be a potato chip purist.

Yup, I was never fond of flavored chips. Oh, I'd nosh on the occasional flavored chip if someone else was serving. But I pretty much only bought plain chip. Boring, right?

But recently, I've become acquainted with flavored chips that I like, so when I got the opportunity to sample Kettle Chips and write about them, I got my dip ready (recipe below) and eagerly awaited the testing.

Kettle Chips aren't exactly new - they've been made in Oregon for over 30 years. That's a lot of spuds. Many, many, many spuds.

Here's what they said about themselves, "Thirty years ago, we pioneered the kettle cooking style that’s become the gold standard for all-natural hand-cooked potato chips. We cook real, unpeeled potatoes in small batches for a superior taste and a signature crunch. And we continue to pioneer bold, unique flavors that people really seem to love. Did we mention we got our start selling our chips out of a van? It doesn't get much realer than that."

So no wonder I didn't know about them years ago. That potato-chip-selling van probably never cruised my neighborhood.

It must be a popular product, because apparently there are a lot of copycats on the market, playing off the "Kettle" concept. But the folks at #TheRealKettleChips say, "We’ve been making great-tasting, all-natural chips since 1982. When you open a bag of Kettle Brand Potato Chips, you know you’re getting real chips made with real ingredients by real people."

@KettleChips is encouraging everyone to answer the question, "Why is real food important to you?" over here. Everyone who answered will be entered to win $250 on that site.

And if you're concerned about such things, they had the first potato chip verified by the non-GMO project and will have 16 of them verified soon. They're working on having all of their products verified as soon as possible.

Also, there are no trans-fats, no preservative, no MSG, and no artificial flavors or colors. You can also find lower-fat and baked chips, as well as organic chips and even an unsalted chip. Something for everyone.

But what about the flavor? I didn't try every flavor they make - there are 24 different flavors - but I did some serious sampling with help from my chip-munching husband, and so far we've liked the flavors we tried. It's not just the flavor, though. I like the texture. Solid enough to hold some serious dip, but not tooth-breakingly hard. Just enough crunch.

And a nice amount of flavor without making you feel like you're dipping straight into a spice jar with a spoon. I mean, yeah, I want a lot of flavor, but I also want to know I'm eating a potato chip.

Want to know what the 24 flavors are?
The regular chips are:

• Sea Salt & Vinegar
  
• Sea Salt
• Jalapeño
• Backyard Barbeque
• Spicy Thai
• New York Cheddar
• Honey Dijon
• Sour Cream and Onion
• Sweet Onion
• Fully Loaded Baked Potato
• Unsalted
• Cheddar Beer
• Jalapeño Jack
• Red Chili Salsa with Mesquite

Krinkle Cut chips are:

• Zesty Ranch
• Buffalo Bleu
• Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
• Cheddar & Sour Cream
• Classic Barbeque
• Sea Salt

Reduced Fat chips are:

• Reduced Fat Sea Salt
• Reduced Fat Krinkle Cut Sea Salt & Vinegar
• Reduced Fat Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Baked chips are:

• Bakes Sea Salt & Vinegar
• Bakes Honey Hickory Barbeque
• Bakes Sea Salt
• Bakes Cheddar & Roasted Tomato
• Bakes Sour Cream & Onion

Organic chips are:

• Organic Country Style Barbeque
• Organic Sea Salt
• Organic Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
• Organic Sweet Chili Garlic

My favorite (so far) is the Buffalo Bleu, but I certainly haven't tried them all. If you're looking for a different sort of dip, this avocado dip is pretty danged good, and it was perfect with those Buffalo Bleu chips. Unlike guacamole, this dip doesn't go brown quickly, so you can make a larger batch and keep it refrigerated for use over several days.

Avocado Dip

1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon dry chopped chives or 1 tablespoon fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lime juice

Combine all of the ingredients and blend well, mashing the avocado until the mixture is smooth. It's fine if you have a few "bumps" of avocado, but this isn't meant to be chunky.

Serve cold or at room temperature and keep unused portions refrigerated.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kettle Brand. The opinions and text are all mine.

Yum

Super-Simple Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

I was testing a new ice cream maker and didn't want to run to the store for heavy cream. And I wanted to test it RIGHT AWAY, so I didn't want to make a custard and then have to wait for it to chill.

There was a recipe in the book that suggested taking 3 1/2 cups of flavored yogurt and churning it as-is.

Well ... okay.

But that's not what I did. Because that's not exactly what I had. Ya gotta go with what you have.

This recipe is merely a suggestion. This is what I had, so it's what I used. And it worked. If you like sweets, you could add more sugar, but this was fine for me.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

1 16-ounce container Chobani fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
About 8 ounces* Chobani 0% plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl (That batter bowl works well) and stir until everything is combined and you no longer feel the grittiness of the sugar in the bowl. (Oh! Look! A wooden spoon would be perfect for this!)

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

When it's done churning, transfer the ingredients to a storage container and store in the freezer.

*I didn't measure, but I had about half of a 16-ounce container left. Close enough.

Yum

Chocolate naner smoothie

You might notice that I don't use sugar or any other extra sweeteners in most of my smoothies ... but I do sometimes add a pinch of salt.

It's not that I want a salty smoothie, but salt counteracts bitterness. You might say that your food isn't bitter, but there are hints of bitterness is a lot of foods, and by adding that teeny pinch of salt, the bitterness disappears and the drink seems sweeter. Magically. Without added sugar.

And, of course, salt enhances flavor. So if you're using the right amount of salt, your food should taste more like itself. But it shouldn't taste like salt.

I don't add salt to every smoothie I make. Some of them don't need it. Others do.

Of course, if you're watching your salt intake, maybe you don't want that teeny pinch of salt. It's totally up to you. My theory is that since I use so few processed foods in my cooking, we're way ahead of the game in terms of regulating salt.

I saw a chart once that showed that for most Americans, the salt they add to food, either in cooking or at the table, is about 20 percent of their intake. The other 80 percent is from dining out (with fast food being a huge culprit) and processed foods. That's something to think about.

This chocolate banana smoothie benefited from that little pinch of salt in two ways. First, chocolate is inherently bitter, so the salt smoothed that out a bit, which made the drink seem a little sweeter. And second, it brought the chocolate flavor alive a little more. I tasted this without the salt first, then added it and felt that the difference was impressive enough to suggest using it in the recipe.

The cocoa I used was from Ingredient-Supply.com, and I used their Bergenfield Rosewood cocoa. You'll be hearing more about their cocoas in future posts.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 banana
1 tablespoon cocoa
Teeny pinch of salt
1 cup Greek-Style yogurt
1 cup milk

Blend until smooth and a little frothy.

Slurp.

This would also be good as an evening indulgence with a bit of coffee or chocolate liqueur. Or both.

Yum

Morning Smoothies

I've been posting smoothies on Facebook, but I figured I'd post 'em here, too. Because why not.

These are just a few of the ones I've been making for breakfast. Maybe one of them will inspire you.

Strawberry Smoothie

Hand full of strawberries hulled and rinsed.
1 6-ounce container Wallaby Yogurt 0%
Wallaby yogurt container full of fruit juice blend

Blend-o-rama.

Drinkie, slurpy, drinkie.

The berries were the last of some fresh berries I bought. I'm guessing about 1/2 cup. The juice mix will remain unnamed. It wasn't great on its own, but it worked in the smoothie.

It was a little bit tart, but I'm okay with that.

Did you know that this is THE YEAR OF PURPLE?

I didn't know that either, but that's what my new BFFs at Frieda's Specialty Produce told me when they shipped me a whole bunch of purple food.

Mmmmm. Purrrrrple.

One of the things they sent was a 100% juice product with acai. The label says its a M.O.A.B. superfruit blend (Most Optimum Antioxident Beverage).

I don't know if I feel better, but it tastes pretty good.

Today, it went into my ....

Purple Smoothie

1 10.5 ounce bottle M.O.A.B
1 6-ounce container Wallaby Yogurt 0% Greek yogurt
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Blend until frothy.

Slurp, slurp.

Is my tongue purple???

Okay, here's a question. What's your favorite PURPLE food?

Now for something NOT in the "Pink" Family

A lot of the smoothies I make are pink. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry - or a purple-y pink like the one with the acai juice. This time, the drink is a little more in the creamy pale yellow camp, but it's still packed with flavor. I like this one so much, I might repeat it tomorrow.

Or maybe not. I might change my mind before then.

BMPV = Banana Mango Peach Vanilla

1 banana
1 cup Silk Fruit & Protein Mango Peach
1 cup Chobani nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 teeny pinch salt

Blend it like you mean it.

Even though the yogurt is thick and the banana is solid and the Silk stuff had some body to it, when this was blended it was still of a nicely drinkable consistency.

Purple on the Outside

Besides the juices I got from Frieda's. I also got some purple passionfruit. They're only purple on the outside, though. I used one in a smoothie.

Passionfruit Banana Smoothie

1 banana
Pulp from passionfruit
1 7-ounce container Fage 2% yogurt
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

I've started posting some recipes on my Facebook page. Some are repeats of what's here on the blog, others are recipes that probably won't be posted here.

You can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cookistry. Stop by and say "hi!"

Yum

Strawberry Smoothie (and how to freeze strawberries)

When strawberry season is in full swing, of course you want to eat as many ripe, fresh berries and you can. The temptation, of course, is to buy vast quantities of berries every time you see them.

The problem, though, is that fresh strawberries don't have a long shelf life. You need to use them quickly.
Or, you need to figure out a way to save them.

One of the easiest things to do is freeze the berries. When thawed, they're not the same as fresh, but there are plenty of uses for frozen berries, and in some cases the frozen berries are preferable.

In smoothies, for example, the frozen berries help chill the mixture so you don't need to add ice which dilutes the mixture.

To freeze berries, just lay them on a sheet tray so they're not touching and put the tray in the freezer.

When the berries are frozen through, put them in a zip-top plastic bag or other storage container. They'll stay frozen separately, so you can take out as many berries as you need, whenever you need them.

This smoothie is great for breakfast on the go. The Good Belly and yogurt also make it soothing for your tummy.

Strawberry Smoothie

1/3 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 cup pomegranate blackberry Good Belly
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately.

Yum

Pineapple Frozen Yogurt

One of my all-time favorite food combinations is pineapple and yogurt. Preferably fresh pineapple and Greek-style yogurt. And it's a pretty healthy treat, right?

Of course, my next step was to put some machinery to use and change that simple treat into ... well, another simple treat. Pineapple frozen yogurt. There's no cooking required and not a lot of ingredients. If you've got the pineapple and the yogurt, I'll bet you have the rest.

For the yogurt, I used mostly Wallaby 0%, but didn't have quite enough, so the rest was 2%, Use whatever you have. But you do want a Greek-style yogurt, or it will end up too icy. As it is, it freezes pretty solid, but after a few minutes it warms up to a nice consistency.

Or just eat it right out of the machine, when it's a nice soft serve consistency.

Pineapple Frozen Yogurt
Recipe © by www.cookistry.com. Do not republish without permission.

I was playing photo lighting. I think I like this one.

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
2 cups Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Put the pineapple in your blender and blend-blend-blend. Scrape the sides down. Blend again until it's smooth.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it's all nicely mixed and as smooth as you can get it..

Dump the blender contents into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. This is really nice straight out of the machine as a soft-serve dessert, or you can freeze it further.

Yum

Yopa! - It's yogurt

I love yogurt. Particularly Greek-style yogurt. Getting my husband to eat it is a whole other story. If it's in a recipe, he's fine with that, but otherwise, he's not so interested.

Since his recent release from the hospital, I've been trying to get him to eat more "healthy for your tummy" foods. His poor abused digestive system needs some special attention, but trying to convince him to eat yogurt was an uphill battle until I said the magic words.

"Honey, I need to write about this Yopa! yogurt, and I'd like you to sample it."

He's always willing to try samples of foods that I'm writing about, even if it's something he's pretty sure he doesn't like.

I offered him some of the vanilla yogurt with chocolate chips. He tried it without the chips, and then with the chips added in. This is kind of a cool feature - the add-ins are in a separate part of the container, so you can add them in or not. Munch them alone or stir them in.

And ...

He liked it!

Well, then, that's interesting.

Since he still can't eat large portions of food at one sitting, I make sure there are plenty of snacks around, so he can have a little something between meals. The little containers of yogurt in the 4-pack are perfect for that, although I might pick up a few of the larger single containers for hungrier days. Because, seriously, the guy needs to put on some weight. Although the Yopa! yogurt is fat-free and lower in calorie than some of the snacks we've got around here, it's a healthy snack that'll be good for his tummy.

What I also like about the smaller packs is that they're a snack without being half a meal. You know what I mean - you're hungry between meals and the next thing you know you're eating lunch an hour early and sometimes that's just a bad idea.

Or I'm home from running errands, and I want something NOW. A little container of yogurt is just enough to keep the snacking demons away so I can prep for dinner without eating half of the mise en place. And since I'm not a fan of super-sweet foods, a little container of vanilla yogurt with dark chocolate chips is just sweet enough for breakfast or dessert.

And for me, the lower-calorie feature is a bonus, because I'm not looking to start putting on weight along with my husband. So it's great that we have one snack that's good for both of us, and makes this a good fit in a balanced diet.

And besides, Yopa! is kind of fun to say. Yopa! Yopa! Yopa! Bonus points for that.

If you're not into vanilla yogurt with chocolate chips, there are also fruit flavors with granola, and a vanilla yogurt with almonds. I think I'm gonna try that one next. I'm kind of nutty.

So tell me, are you a yogurt fan? What flavors do you like best? Do you like mix-ins?

Speaking of balance, gold medalist Gabby Douglas is an expert, and she's challenging you to take the Yopa! Taste Challenge where you can win a variety of prizes, including $10,000! Just "like" Yopa! on Facebook for a chance to win and to grab a coupon for $.50 (or more!) off one cup of Yopa! Authentic Greek Yogurt.

I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.

Yum

Tropical Drinks and some new yogurt

Yogurt is like peanut butter.

I bet you're wondering how I'm going to make sense of that statement, right?

Well, it's like this. There are certain brands of peanut butter that I know I like. So I tend to be pretty brand-loyal. Unless, of course, I have a really good reason to try another brand. Like I have a coupon for free peanut butter. Or someone sends me some peanut butter. Or I succumb to some advertising campaign.

But most of the time I don't stray too far from familiar territory, because I don't want to be stuck with a jar of peanut butter that I don't like.

That's exactly how I feel about yogurt. You see, I joined the ranks of yogurt-eaters quite late, and I'm pretty picky. I'm not fond of regular yogurt. I love Greek-style yogurt. And I don't like yogurts with a lot of additives.

So right there, my list of favored yogurts is pretty small. But ... there are new yogurts showing up at the store every day. At one store I go to, the yogurt section seems to be getting bigger every day. The sour cream and cottage cheese have been evicted to different coolers to make space for the new yogurts.

But it still takes some encouragement for me to try a new brand.

When Wallaby Yogurt contacted me, it was a perfect opportunity to try the yogurt risk-free, and I availed myself of their generosity. Much yogurt eating ensued and after extensive research study tasting snacking, I've decided that this is a brand that can stay on my shopping list.

And here's the REALLY awesome thing.

Most of the nonfat yogurts rely on thickeners of some sort. And that's the part that I don't like. It makes the yogurt thick, but the texture is all wrong, and sometimes it doesn't behave well in recipes. And it tastes ... not good. Nonfat is fine, as long as it doesn't mean there are things added.

But the Wallaby nonfat is just nonfat milk and cultures. No goo-gum or whatever else is used as a thickener. Yup, that works for me.

So, now that I've got this wealth of yogurt, how about a recipe? How about we have a drink to celebrate?

The pineapple/orange/banana juice in this recipe isn't a combo - it's a juice flavor I found at the grocery store. It tastes mostly of pineapple, so if you can't find it, use about 1/4 cup orange juice and 3/4 cup pineapple juice, and you'll be just fine.

The banana and the yogurt add a bit of thickness to the drink. If you like, you could blend this with ice cubes or serve it over ice. And of course, it can be made without the rum. Of course. But maybe not.

Tropical Paradise
Recipe © by www.cookistry.com. Do not republish without permission.
1 banana
1 cup pineapple/orange/banana juice
1/4 cup Wallaby nonfat yogurt
1 ounce banana rum
Fresh pineapple chunks (for garnish)
Orange slices (for garnish)

Put the banana, juice, yogurt, and rum in your blender. Blend until smooth and frothy

Pour.

Stab some pineapple chunks onto a skewer and use that to garnish the drink. Perch an orange slice on the rim of the glass.

Drink. Eat garnishes.

Repeat.

Do I hear steel drums in the background? Jeeeeell-low bird, somethingabouta banana treeeee...

Yum

Party Streamer Potato Pancakes with Confetti Yogurt

Potatoes get such a bad rap, sometimes, right? But it's not their fault people insist on slathering them with butter and sour cream.

Potatoes on their own have plenty of good things going for them. A skin-on, medium-sized (5.3 ounce) potato has just 110 calories, more potassium than a banana and almost half your daily value of vitamin C (45 percent). And you get that with zero fat, sodium or cholesterol.

And they're so versatile. And tasty. And attractive. I mean seriously, when I was growing up, potatoes had brown skins or red skins. Now there are potatoes with purple, pink, and yellow flesh, and as much variety in the skins. I've got to say that it makes presentation so much prettier.

When I got an offer to compete in 2013 Munch Madness Potato Goodness, I was intrigued. Hosted by Knuckle Salad and Kitchen Play, and sponsored by United States Potato Board, this is a recipe playoff, with predictive bracketing and public voting to determine the winner.

Oooh, I like cooking contests. And I love potatoes.

Now that winter is (mostly, sort of) behind us, it's time to shake off the winter coat, winter colors, and winter cuisine, and spring into ... well, spring. These potato pancakes are light and the topping is bright. The flavors are fresh and the multi-colored vegetables are perfect for spring.

I used white, red, and purple potatoes. If you don't happen to have multiple colors, you can still make the dish, but I do think the purple potato adds great color that you won't get from anything else.

Meanwhile, the topping includes crunchy cucumber, zesty radish, and herby chives. The colors peek through the yogurt like bits of rainbow confetti. You can lighten this dish up even more by using a lowfat or no-fat Greek-style yogurt. But even if you're using a full-fat yogurt, it's a lot lighter than sour cream.

When you're preparing the potatoes, drop the julienned strips cold water. This keeps them from browning. Drain them well just before you mix. I used rather small potatoes, so it took five to get the 2 cups of julienned potatoes. If you're using larger potatoes, figure 2-3 will be fine.

As far as cutting all those vegetables, your best bet is to use a mandolin that will do the julienne cuts for you. You could also shred, but you wouldn't get the same visual effect. It would still taste good, though.

Party Streamer Pancakes
with Confetti Yogurt
Recipe © by www.cookistry.com. Do not republish without permission.

For the pancakes:
2 cups peeled and julienned potatoes
1 small zucchini, julienned.
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, and cut into thin ribbons (to match julienne size)
1/3 red bell pepper, cut to match julienne
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
Butter/oil. for cooking

For the yogurt:
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 small pickling cucumber, small dice
1 teaspoon thinly sliced chive
1 radish, small dice
Pinch of salt

To make the pancakes:
In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, zucchini, scallion, and red pepper. Sprinkle with the flour and salt. Stir well to coat the vegetables with the flour (and this keeps you from getting flour lumps. Add the eggs and stir to combine.

Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat and add butter, vegetable oil (or a combo of the two) - just a little bit to coat the pan very lightly. Using a medium scoop or large spoon, portion the vegetable mixture into the pan, flattening the scoops as you go to make pancakes. Unless you've got a huge pan, you'll probably be cooking this in batches.

Cook until the pancakes are browned on one side, then flip and cook on the second side until they're browned the vegetables are cooked through. The first side you cook will be more eggy and pancake-looking, while the second side will give a much better view of the vegetables.

As you cook, it's inevitable that bits of vegetable will detach from the pancakes. You shouldn't have a lot of them - just a few. Make sure they're cooked through, and save them for a garnish.

I usually move potato pancakes to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any extra fat - these shouldn't have a lot, but you can do the same. If you need to keep them warm while you continue to cook, you can put them in a slightly warm oven..

To make the yogurt:
Simply mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. You can make this well ahead of time, if you like, and keep it refrigerated until serving.

Serve the potato pancakes warm, with a dollop of the yogurt on top and a garnish of the spare bits of cooked vegetables and/or a few bits of chive. Pass more yogurt at the table, if you like.

Thanks to Knuckle Salad, Kitchen Play, and US Potatoes, for sponsoring this event and inviting me to participate!

For more potato goodness, go visit your favorite spuds on Facebook and Pinterest.

Yum