Autumn's Special Yogurt

A young friend of mine (named Autumn) concocted this super simple, super yummy yogurt dish. It's perfect for right after holidays and other occasions when you might have leftover whipped cream (whether the real deal, Redi-Whip, or Cool Whip).

• yogurt of choice
• whipped cream of choice
• fruit, if desired

We used vanilla yogurt with a nice spoonful of Cool Whip swirled in this morning. Mmmm... My kids all dipped their fruit into it (one had a pear, one had a clementine, and one had a banana).

Enjoy!

Mom's Banana Pudding

This is comfort food for me: it immediately takes me back to childhood and my mom's cooking. Why? Because it's so hard to find this anywhere else. One bite and you'll never be tempted again by the banana-flavored pudding restaurants try to pass off. This is vanilla pudding layered with sliced bananas and Nilla wafers. Mmmm.... Even better--you cook it in the microwave!

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. four (don't level off the scoop--it's not a precise meas.)
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 c. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• 3-4 eggs
• 4 sliced bananas
• Nilla wafers (about half a box)

1. In a 4-cup microwave safe bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the milk, stirring. Heat the milk mixture in the microwave until hot (about a minute and a half or so). Beat the eggs in a different bowl and slowly add some of the milk mixture to the eggs to temper them. When eggs are warmed up a little, add the egg/milk mixture back to the original milk mixture. Microwave at 80% power until thickened to soft pudding, stirring every 30 seconds. This may take as little as 1.5 minutes or as long as 5+. You'll know when it's thickened--it will look just like pudding!
2. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Layer wafers, bananas, and pudding, lining the bowl with wafers first. You can eat the pudding warm, but we like it better chilled. So, make this in the afternoon and you can eat it for dessert. The longer it sits, the soggier the wafers become.

Serves 6

Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is a part of my weekly routine. It's super easy--especially the way I make it. Since I refer to it often, I thought I'd share my process. Here's what you need:

1. An inexpensive yogurt maker! (Sure, you can make it without the little incubator, but they can be had for $20 and are so convenient; my favorite is the Salton one pictured--you can use a regular quart-sized canning jar in it and then make some fresh yogurt before you're completely out of the previous batch.)
2. Some yogurt starter. (I use Yogourmet right now, but I might try something new next time I buy some; again, you can use some of your own yogurt, but it will eventually lose potency. If you have some freeze-dried starter on hand, you can always whip up some yogurt. You can also use 1/2 cup of storebought yogurt as long as it has live active cultures in it.)
3. A candy thermometer (if your yogurt maker doesn't come with one).

Here's what I do:

1. Heat 1 quart whole milk to 180 degrees or so (about 10 minutes in my microwave).
2. Let milk cool on counter to somewhere around 110-115 degrees (my thermometer is from a yogurt maker I used to have--not the one above--and just has a nice, idiot-proof little red space to watch for... not sure the exact temp.).
3. Add starter and stir.
4. Pour milk mixture into yogurt container (a quart jar for me), cover, and incubate for 6 hours or so (it can go a couple hours longer if you need it to).
5. That's it! I heat the milk up while I'm getting breakfast ready, let it cool while we eat and I clean up the kitchen, add my starter and am done for the day.
   

Homemade Cottage Cheese

After being without power for a couple of days, I had an abundance of milk that needed to be used quickly... so I made a few quarts of yogurt and then did a little research. Homemade ricotta and cottage cheeses are super easy to make! The finished cottage cheese product actually reminds me of ricotta cheese in texture, but is infinitely better than either of those storebought products. It's sweeter than storebought, creamier than storebought, and doesn't come with any weird additives. This is so good that I think it would make an excellent warm weather dessert with fresh berries!

Recipe from Alton Brown (I halved it below)

• 1/2 gallon milk
• 3/8 c. vinegar
• 1/2 t. salt (slightly more if you use kosher salt)
• 1/4 c. heavy cream or half-n-half

1. Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 120 degrees (about 5 minutes over medium heat).
2. Stir in vinegar; remove from heat and stir for a minute or two until the curds and whey separate (this is so cool! The whey is a yellowish, greenish liquid; the curds are the solids that will come together). Let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Pour into a dishtowel (or cheesecloth) lined colander.* Drain for 5 minutes. Gather up the towel, and rinse the cheese under cold water for 3-5 minutes, squeezing and moving it the whole time.
4. Dump cheese into container, add salt, and stir/cut into smaller pieces. It will be slightly dry at this point and look more like ricotta cheese than cottage cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. When ready to eat, add the cream and stir. Mmm....

*If you make bread, you can save the whey and use it in your bread making in place of water! In this case, make sure you drain the cheese over a large bowl. You'll get about 7 cups.

Makes 1 1/2 cups or so.

Toddler Smoothies

My boys (17 months) are very interested in learning to eat with utensils. This is theoretically great because it means one step down the independence-from-mommy road. However, after a recent attempt to eat yogurt, I not only took lots of funny pictures, but I stripped them down and sponged them off pretty thoroughly. Hmmm... Cottage cheese, oatmeal, mashed potatoes--these sorts of foods provide great learning experiences. Something "thinner" like soup or yogurt presents a problem. Then, the lightbulb went off: my boys love drinking through straws! (So does my daughter). So I'm now giving them yogurt via smoothies! They love them, it's an easy way to get a little fruit and plain yogurt into their little tummies, and the cleanup is minimal. If you have a toddler (or a grown up--we all like these) in the house, you might consider the following easy smoothies (I've included some from Wholesome Baby Food.com that use pumpkin--one of our favorite yogurt mix'in's!):

Berry Smoothie

2 c. plain yogurt
1 very ripe banana (I stick bananas in the freezer when they start getting ripe and use them for smoothies)
1/2 c. frozen berries (blueberries are a must; others can be added in as well)
squirt of lemon juice or spoonful of orange juice concentrate

Blend it all up and serve! This makes enough for each of my kids to have about 1/2 cup and me to have a bit more. If I'm serving all five of us and it's a significant part of breakfast, I'll double the recipe.

Autumn Smoothie

1/2 cup plain, vanilla or banana yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of ginger
1 frozen banana

Combine in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Serves one grown-up and one baby.

The Autum Spoon A new twist on the Autumn Smoothie

1/2 cup plain, yogurt
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of ginger
1 banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until a thick consistency is created. Add some wheat germ for even more cling!

Banana Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients:
1-cup milk or plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
(or homemade puree pumpkin)
1 banana
dash of cinnamon

Directions:
Blend in blender until smooth and foamy.
Serve immediately.

Easy Homemade Ice Cream

This is Carrie's husband's family's recipe for homemade ice cream, and it is super easy. Homemade ice cream, if you have an electric maker, is a breeze to make, and everyone thinks it's such a treat. This makes a lot, so serve it when you have a big group over for a cookout. There's no cream in it, so I suppose it's lower in fat than most ice creams. But, who cares about that! The point of homemade ice cream is sweet indulgence on a hot summer's day.

2 cups sugar
5 T. vanilla
5 eggs (I usually use the pasteurized egg beaters--1 1/4 cups--since you don't cook this ice cream)

Beat together (in canister). Add 1 big and 1 small can evaporated milk. Then, fill to the ice cream maker's fill line with whole milk. Stir it up and start the motor! That's it! Couldn't be easier.

This ice cream is a great base for just about any topping you can imagine. It's especially good with a fruit topping made from whatever fruit happens to be in season (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.).

Easy Baked Custard

This is an easy baked custard that you can adapt almost infinitely to any diet out there. I concocted it during one of our low-carb crazes (I inflicted one of my trials on my brother and sister-in-law and learned two important things: it gets sweeter as it cools, and you need to make sure you use the correct amount of sweetener). Enjoy!

3 eggs
2 c. dairy (see below)
1/4 c. sugar or sugar substitute*
1 t. vanilla

*if using a "measures like sugar" box of artificial sweetener, use at least 1/4 cup. If using the little packets, use a little less.

Whirl all in blender. Pour into four ramekins. Place ramekins in 13x9-inch pan and fill pan with about an inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until set. Can top with seasonal berries if desired.

Serves 4

Dairy Options (these all have similar outcomes):
**low-cal: half skim milk and half evaporated skim milk
**low-fat: half skim milk and half non-fat cottage cheese (or use evaporated skim milk for either of these)
**low-carb: half cottage cheese and whipping cream (this one is our favorite)
**truly decadent: all whipping cream
**ordinary: whatever dairy/milk you have on hand

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Pops

Simple and refreshing in the hot weather!

Recipe from Superfoods Rx

12 paper or foil baking cups, 2 1/2-inch size (or Popsicle molds)

zest and juices of 1 small lemon
2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
1/4-1/2 c. sugar
1 pint blueberries

12 Popsicle sticks

Line 12 (2.5-inch) muffin pan cups with fluted paper baking cups (or just use a Popsicle mold). In a bowl, blend the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, and sugar until smooth. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the mixture among the paper-lined muffins pan cups (or mold). Freeze for 1 1/2 hours, or until almost firm; insert a Popsicle stick in the middle of each pop. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours. For longer storage in the freezer, cover with plastic wrap. To serve, peel off the paper liners from the pops; let stand at room temperature 4 to 6 minutes to soften slightly for easier eating.

Blueberry Yogurt Shake

This is my favorite smoothie recipe--simple, healthy, and refreshing! It makes a great "snack" for kids mid-afternoon. It's also a great breakfast drink.

Recipe comes from Superfoods Rx

1 c. nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (or bottled, from concentrate, whatever)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 very ripe banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth and frothy. Pour into glasses and serve.

Serves 2

Cream Cheese Balls

Cream Cheese Balls are a favorite with my three kids. My toddler loves to help me make them, so they work as an activity as well!

Divide one block of cream cheese into small squares (I cut the block in a grid with a knife, getting approximately 40 squares or so). Then, roll the squares into balls. Roll the balls into some sort of crumb mixture (wheat germ, Cheerio crumbs, etc.).

You can serve them immediately or freeze them for later use. I've found it helpful to freeze them even before first serving them since the warmth of your hands makes them very soft at first. Simply pull from the freezer 10 minutes or so before serving.

Pumpkin Yogurt

This remains one of my toddler's all-time favorite things to eat; so far my boys (1 year old twins) love it, too! This is an early meal I start feeding my babies--as soon as they can have yogurt, they can eat this concoction. A great way to pack some beta carotene into lunch time: pumpkin is a super food. It's very free form, but I do follow a certain ratio:

1 spoonful canned pumpkin
1-2 spoonfuls plain yogurt

Mix together and serve! Now, here are the frequent additions: dashes of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and/or nutmeg (cinnamon and ginger are regular companions); spoonful of applesauce; mashed banana...

Meatless Manicotti

This is a recipe Carrie and I grew up eating--and enjoying! The filling can be made ahead of time and frozen; the entire thing can be assembled ahead of time and frozen.

14 manicotti shells (1 box)
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 (1.5-oz.) envelope Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix*
1 6-oz. can tomato paste*
1 1/4 cups boiling water*
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

*Betsy sometimes substitutes 1 jar spaghetti sauce for these three ingredients. Our mom has also discovered a homemade version to substitute for the mix that's fresher-tasting and much lower in sodium: Saute 1/4 to 1/2 c. chopped onion and 1/4 to 1/2 c. chopped green pepper until vegetables are soft. Add 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1-1&1/2 tsp. brown sugar, and 1 tsp prepared mustard. Then add the tomato paste and water as the recipe calls for. Proceed as usual.

1. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Saute zucchini in butter in large skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cottage cheese and 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Stuff shells with cheese mixture. Arrange in single layer in shallow 2-quart (13x9-inch) baking dish.
3. Stir together contents of seasoning packet, tomato paste, and water. Spoon this (or spaghetti sauce) over manicotti.
4. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until hot and bubbling.

Serves 4-6.

Cheese and Tofu Stuffed Shells

I am not a tofu fan normally, but this is one of those recipes in which you can't tell tofu is present. It's very tasty, much the same as any other cheese-stuffed baked pasta recipe. It's also fairly light in calories and filling at the same time, no doubt because tofu replaces extra cheese. I assembled this dish earlier in the day and just popped it in the oven before dinner. I've included suggestions for short cuts and doubling the recipe at the bottom.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 11th edition

• 12 jumbo pasta shells
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 small)
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onion (1 small)
• 8 ounces tofu, drained
• 1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
• 1 beaten egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
• 1/2 of a 6-ounce can tomato paste (1/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a saucepan cook carrot and green onion in a small amount of water till tender; drain.
2. For filling, in a medium bowl mash tofu with a fork. Stir in the carrot-onion mixture, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the egg white, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. For sauce, in a saucepan combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, garlic powder, and, if desired, fennel seed. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, unocvered, for 10 minutes.
4. Stuff each cooked shell with about 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling. Place shells in an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish. pour sauce over shells. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven about 25 minutes or till heated through. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. If desired, serve with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

To double:
Since tofu seems to come in 12-ounce or 14-ounce packages, if you double this, I would suggest simply using whatever size tofu package you find and making up the difference with ricotta cheese. Jumbo shells come at least 24 to a box, so doubling would be no trouble there.

Taking short cuts:
Substitute a jar of spaghetti sauce for the sauce ingredients. Buy pre-shredded cheese. Skip the carrot/green onion step.

Vegetarian Casserole

My good friend Rachel gave me this recipe as part of a small collection when I got married. It's yummy! It can be served to all ages, as long as your babies have had all the ingredients before, because it's a nice, soft texture. We've even eaten it without the mushrooms and tomatoes (having everything else on hand), and it's still good!

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon thyme
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can Navy beans (drained and rinsed)
  
• 2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
• sliced tomatoes

1. Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms, and herbs in butter until onions soften.
2. Combine all ingredients but Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and tomatoes.
3. Place mixture in greased 13x9-inch pan. Top with Parmesan/bread crumb mixture and sliced tomatoes.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, uncovered.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

These are a little different than regular pancakes--more the feel of a crepe, actually. They are definitely worth a try. My toddler and twins DEVOURED them--seriously, my toddler ate 10 of them at one sitting. They are very good plain or with a fruit syrup over them. These would also be good for the low-carbers out there. I can just fit 1 1/2 recipes in my blender.

from More With Less; official title is "High Protein Pancakes or Waffles"

Combine in blender:
1 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whirl at high speed 1 minute. Bake on lightly greased griddle or waffle iron. Serves 3 as a main dish.

(Makes approximately 30 pancakes)

Black Bean Lasagna

I have a dear friend (Barb S) to thank for this unbelievably yummy recipe. I remember once serving this lasagna to a table full of college guys who couldn't get enough. It's worth a try. You can freeze the filling or the entire thing. Simply thaw overnight and proceed.

9 lasagna noodles
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
30 ounces seasoned tomato sauce (like spaghetti sauce)
12 ounces cottage cheese (low-fat)
8 ounces cream cheese (fat free or low-fat)
1/4 cup sour cream

1. Cook noodles.
2. Cook onion, green pepper, and garlic in the oil. Add one can of beans mashed, the other can whole, tomato sauce, and cilantro if using; heat through.
3. In a separate bowl, combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream.
4. Layer pasta, beans, cheese twice (in a 13x9-inch pan). The third time only layer pasta and beans. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Add final layer of cheese mixture and let stand 1o minutes.

Each serving has (roughly) 350 calories and 9 grams fat.

Yogurt-Cheese Pie

An untried, but yummy sounding, recipe from More With Less (a Mennonite Cookbook). It's similar to Refrigerator Cheesecake, which was quite tasty.

Prepare and cool:
9-inch graham cracker pie shell (Betsy's note: you could buy this!)

Combine in a small saucepan:
1/3 cup milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Stir to soften gelatin. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves.

Combine in blender or mixing bowl:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sugar or 3 tablespoons honey
dissolved gelatin mixture
Whirl or whip briefly. Chill mixture 20-30 minutes or until it begins to set. Pour into pie shell and chill.

serves 6

Options:

* Sprinkle with nutmeg.
* Put 1-2 cups fresh berries or sliced bananas into pie shell before pouring in yogurt mixture. Chill and serve within 8 hours.
* After filling sets, top with any thickened fruit.
* Instead of pouring filling into pie shell, layer with fruit into parfait glasses.

Cottage Cheese Pie

Another untried recipe from More With Less (a Mennonite cookbook), but sounds similar to Refrigerator Cheesecake which Betsy's family likes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Have ready 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry or graham cracker pie shell.

Combine with mixer or blender:
2 egg yolks (reserve whites)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/3 cup sugar or honey
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
grated lemon rind

Beat until stiff but not dry:
2 egg whites

Fold (egg whites) into cheese mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell and sprinkle top with:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Bake 1 hour (at 350 degrees), or until filling is almost firm in center. A slightly soft center will set as pie cools. Top with a fruit sauce if desired.

Serves 6-8.

Cottage Cheese and Spinach Gratin

This is a great way to sneak some vegetables into your children's diet if they like eggs!

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison





Original Recipe (my shorter, everyday adaptation follows)

2 bunches spinach, stems removed
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups small-curd cottage cheese (low-fat or nonfat is fine)
salt and freshly milled pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil an 8x10-inch gratin dish.
2. Cook the spinach with the water clinging to its leaves in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until wilted. Press out liquid, but reserve it. Finely chop the spinach.
3. Beat the eggs and add the herbs and cheese along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Stir in the chopped spinach and the reserved cooking liquid. Pour into the prepared dish and bake until set, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into diamonds or squares.

Betsy's Everyday Adaptation

1 box frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions and drained (let cool slightly)
5 eggs, beaten by hand with whisk
parsley if I have it
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds or dillweed (herbs de provence, basil, etc. are also good)
2 cups cottage cheese (any size curd and/or amount of milkfat)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease gratin dishes, or 8x8-inch pan.
2. Combine drained spinach, beaten eggs, herbs, and cottage cheese. Pour into pan. Bake until set, about 45 minutes. This can also be reheated in microwave for hungry toddler's breakfast (or assembled the night before and popped in the oven when you first get up).

Refrigerator Cheesecake

This is a very light chilled pie with a consistency similar to yogurt. It's good with a fruit topping. It does not set up very firm. I calculated the calories (minus the crust) to be about 175 per serving. I couldn't fit all of the recipe in a 9-inch pie pan (maybe a deep dish?), and the recipe says it makes 6 servings! They're big servings! It's a nice compliment to a starchy and/or spicy dinner.

from More With Less (a Mennonite Cookbook)

Prepare graham cracker crust or line 9-inch pie pan or 8x8-inch baking pan with graham cracker crumbs. Combine in saucepan:
1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1/2 c. cold water
Warm over low heat until dissolved. Combine in blender:
dissolved gelatin
1 1/4 cup water
2 cups cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Whirl until liquefied. Add:
1/4 cup lemon juice
Blend until well mixed. Pour into crumb crust. Chill until set.

Serves 6