Jazzing up whole milk, plain yogurt!!

I find that more and more these days I'm eating yogurt as a snack.  I buy big containers of whole milk, plain yogurt from Whole Foods.  The brand I buy is Cascade Fresh...which always makes me think of Cascade dish detergent.  Which makes me think of my oldest daughter's dishwasher mishap this week; she added "liquid" dish detergent when I wasn't home....the results reminded me of an old Brady Bunch episode with Bobby and a washing machine.  It wasn't funny at the time though...especially since I have wood floors in my kitchen! 



Back to the point of this post.....Cascade Fresh is a great product and a bargain at only $2.49 for a 32 oz. container.  It is packed with 8 live active cultures, and also is made without the rBGH hormone.  So fairly close to organic!  It is very creamy, with just the right amount of tartness & no added sugar or artificial flavorings which is important to me. 



I know a lot of people have trouble with the thought of plain yogurt at first.  I was one of those people.  I always had to buy my Yoplait custard style in differing flavors.  When we first started becoming aware of all the artificial sweeteners and additives that are in food these days (high fructose corn syrup and food dyes to name a few...not to mention splenda), I switched over to plain yogurt.  At first I added a smidge of pure maple syrup to to sweeten it.  But now I find that I don't even need the maple syrup....that the fruit I mix in it adds just the right amount of sweetness. I even find that I like to lick it right off the spoon when done serving....and that "tang" is just right! My girls eat it with a scoop of frozen organic blueberries (from Costco) and some honey drizzled on top.  Sometimes we add our homemade granola and call it a parfait!



Over the past six months I've done different things with the yogurt, but today I'll share with you what I've been doing the past couple weeks for my snack or lunch.  I haven't come up with a name for it, but here goes.....



1 organic apple, diced small

2 T unsweetened shredded coconut

2-3 T Newman's Own organic raisins

2 T pecans, diced small

1 squirt lemon juice

1/2 cup plain yogurt



Mix altogether and enjoy!!  Of course there are so many things to do with it.  In the past I've used my homemade granola, berries and raisins and made a parfait.  I've also been eating it with frozen blueberries, raisins, coconut and mini-chocolate chips (semi-sweet).  That I consider a dessert.  Can't go wrong with chocolate!  What do you put in your yogurt?  I'm always looking for new ideas!



Another option that some may find strange is that I mix in short grain cooked organic brown rice, then add fruit and raisins and coconut.  Think rice pudding before that really freaks you out.  It's one of my favorite ways to eat yogurt.  And it's really great for the toddler!!  The brown rice which is soo good for her is mixed in with the yogurt, which makes the yogurt thicker and sticks to her spoon better.  The result - less mess when she feeds herself.  And there's no getting around her feeding herself these days.  That's the only way she'll have it. 



*There has been on compensation to endorse the above products.  These are just products I love and want to spread the word to others.