Because They're Worth It

Ahh, key limes! It's just starting to cool down here but it's still rather humid and in the 8o's. I'm not complaining. I'll take it. But to cool down I made these key lime frozen yogurt sammies for Labor Day while it was much warmer. Don't you want to catch that drip with your tongue?

Yes, key limes are cute but they require a little elbow grease. I have a juicer but these little suckers are so tiny so you really need to juice them by hand. To get the full effect and to yield the most juice use a wooden reamer.

Your shoulders may burn a little and you develop a little sweat on your upper lip, but it will be worth it in the end. I promise. Besides I couldn't pass up this great photo op. These key limes were lovely and tangy!

This frozen yogurt couldn't be simpler. It only has 3 ingredients that you mix together and throw in the ice cream maker til frozen. Mine took a little while to freeze so I just poured it into a freezer container and plopped it in the icebox.

I wanted to make homemade graham crackers but I just haven't had the time. In the meantime I used packaged ones and they worked just fine. Any cookie or biscuit would work here. Just place a scoop of the yogurt on one cracker, sandwich with the other and refreeze.

Key Lime Frozen Yogurt from Southern Living

• 1 (32 oz.) container whole milk French vanilla yogurt
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (about 1 bag of limes)

Whisk together all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Refrigerate overnight (see note). Pour mixture into the freezer container of a 1 1/2-quart electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.) Cover and freeze until desired firmness.

Makes about 6 cups.

NOTE: It's best if you refrigerate this mixture overnight even if it is cold. It will speed up your freezing time in the ice cream maker.

I used fresh key limes but regular limes or bottle key lime juice would work just as well.

I used Horizon Organic Whole Milk Vanilla Yogurt and full fat sweetened condensed milk. Fat free can be substituted.

I made about 10 graham cracker sandwiches then I ran out of graham crackers. I found a box of Nilla wafers in the back of the pantry and improvised. I liked these because they were easy to pop in your mouth (which I did several times!) and because the vanilla was a nice compliment to the key lime, but my sister loved the graham cracker version.

I can't get over their cuteness!

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Shades of Blue(berry)

I have to say... these popsicles are quite the lookers. I had so much fun photographing these blueberry vanilla yogurt pops and all their components. I don't know which picture I like best. They make me want to eat blueberries until I turn into Violet Beauregarde.

If you don't want to use blueberries (and I don't know why you wouldn't!) you could use cherries like the original recipe called for. I'm sure strawberries and peaches would be fantastic too!

This adapted recipe comes from Pops! Icy Treats For Everyone. There are so many different and unusual recipes in this book such as Mango & Chile Paletas, Persimmon Pudding Pops, PB & Sesame Raspberry Pops, Blueberry Cheesecake Pops, Root Beer Float Pops, Caramel Latte Pops, Mojito Pops....Do I have your attention?! There is something in this book for everyone so I suggest you take a looksie the next time you're at the bookstore or your local library.

These pops were not only pretty, they were tasty and healthy and simple to make. They were lightly sweetened with honey but I added a little vanilla sugar for something extra. The blueberry flavor shone through but it was balanced out by the tanginess of the yogurt and fragrant vanilla. They were icy and creamy at the same time with the added bonus of the whole berry tucked inside.

Blueberry Vanilla Yogurt Pops adapted from Pops!

• 2 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup grape juice
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar (optional)

Combine 2 cups of the blueberries with the grape juice, yogurt, vanilla extract, honey and vanilla sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.

Pour the blended mixture into molds leaving 1/2 an inch of head space. Evenly divide the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries into the molds. Using the handle of a long spoon or a skewer gently push some of the blueberries down into the mold.

Insert sticks and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.

Makes 8-10 pops- depending on size.

NOTE: The original recipe calls for 3 cups cherries (2 c. blended, 1 c. added to blended mixture) and cherry juice.

I have to admit, I had a couple of these for breakfast on my way out the door. It's the perfect travel companion :-)

Slurp!

Since the POM Wonderful people were so gracious in sending me a case of 100% Pomegranate Juice, I decided the first thing I'd make with it was a smoothie. My husband and I drink smoothies almost every weekend with our breakfast and it just seemed the natural choice.

Did you know POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice has more antioxidant power than red wine? My FIL is a fan of red wine for this reason, but now there's a healthier option for him since drinking red wine for breakfast really isn't an option for most people :-) Drink it alone or add it to a smoothie. The pomegranate juice in this smoothie adds a brightness, the honey sweetness, the yogurt creaminess and the strawberries body. It's good and good for you!

Strawberry POMegranate Smoothie

• 2 ripe bananas
• 8 oz. yogurt
• 4 oz. POM Wonderful Juice
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 12 frozen strawberries

Place all ingredients in blender in order as they appear above. Blend well til the frozen strawberries are smooth. Scrape the honey down off the pitcher sides if necessary. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with a fresh strawberry and a straw.

Makes 2 tall servings- about 4 1/2 cups.

BTW, I added a cool little feature at the bottom of my blog. Go ahead, take a look, I'll wait.........................Okay, you back? Isn't it fun? You can add it to your side bar or anywhere on your blog. Click here to get one!

And while you're at it, click on over to Donna's blog to her Spring Fever Giveaway!

For My Momma

I made this cake for my mom for Valentine's Day. She is a huge orange and chocolate fan. Borderline obsessive, if you ask me. I took Ina's recipe for Lemon Yogurt Cake and substituted navel oranges and tangerines for the lemons. You can also use her recipe for Orange Pound Cake, but I wanted to use yogurt, so I chose to adapt her oh, so famous version.

Rather than topping this yogurt cake with a typical white sugar glaze, I chose to top it with a semi-sweet chocolate glaze. I adapted Martha's white chocolate glaze for this. It tasted just like one of these. The flavors meld together over time and taste best the next day and the day after that, if there's any left.

Orange & Tangerine Yogurt Cake adapted from Ina Garten

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated orange and tangerine zest (1 orange and 1 tangerine)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange tangerine juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, orange and tangerine zest, and vanilla.

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup orange and tangerine juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the orange-tangerine sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool completely then top with glaze (recipe below).

NOTE: DON'T be tempted to skip the parchment paper step. I know you think you can grease and flour the pan really well and it'll come out, right? WRONG! Since you don't allow the cake to cool completely before turning it out, you NEED the parchment paper lining. It helps the cake release from the hot pan without breaking. I've skipped this step before and paid for it with a broken cake :-(

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Glaze adapted from from Martha Stewart

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted plus more if needed
• 2 tbsp milk, plus more if needed
• 2-1/2 ounces best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk. The mixture should have the consistency of thin sour cream. Add the melted chocolate and whisk until glaze is smooth. If it is too thin, add more sugar, 1 tbsp at a time; if too thick, add more milk, 1 tsp at a time. Use immediately.

NOTE: Makes enough glaze to cover a 9x5x3-inch loaf. White or milk chocolate can be substituted. Start with a minimum amount of milk. I added too much and had to add more sugar, so it wasn't as chocolaty as I had intended. Though it was still good. This would be awesome on homemade doughnuts!