I remember the post for this awesome No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake was hilarious and witty.  I even remember thinking to myself, “Oh, that’s good!”  Then I feel asleep and I can’t remember one word of it.  Just that it was funny and amazing.  Best post ever.  Too bad we all won’t get to read that one.

So, I made you a SUPER EASY low-fat No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake.  You will love this.  I even store it in the fridge in the little 8 ounce Mason jars that are all the rage right now.  Perfect to take to work in your lunchbox or pack for a picnic.  Great to keep your portions in check as well….if given a whole cheesecake to pick at I will, most likely, eat the whole thing.

I used Chobani 0% Plain Greek Yogurt to cut back on the fat and calories….whipped it together with 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese (my fave!) and then blended in some blueberries, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.  So good.  The worst part is the graham cracker crust but there’s not much of it and the buttery, cinnamon-y crumbs just add the perfect crunch to satisfy any cheesecake craving.

I will be making these a ton this summer.  You will be too.

No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake

Makes 4 – 8 ounce servings.

1 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese (I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese)

8 ounces 0% plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

4 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blueberries

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cream cheese, greek yogurt, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until smooth.  Add the blueberries and pulse until thoroughly combined.

In four separate small serving dishes, divide the cracker crumb mixture evenly and press into the bottom of the dish.  Top each with the cream cheese mixture, dividing evenly between each dish.

Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.  Serve with a few blueberries as a garnish.

Note: This can be made up to 3 days in advance.  Cover and store in the refrigerator.

That’s when the idea for this parfait popped up.  And Chobani.  They had a hand in this too.  If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram you would have seen the tower of Chobani Greek Yogurt they shipped to me a few days ago.  I’m not lying…it was a tower.  We had a guest when the boxes arrived and they were in disbelief.  They thought I had opened a small store that only sold large containers of Chobani.

What’s even better is we LOVE Chobani, it is always in the house.  And see how I refer to their yogurt as Chobani….like a bandage is a Band-Aid and a tissue is a Kleenex.  When we refer to yogurt in our house we call it Chobani.  I think some people think we’re nuts.  We’re not.  I don’t think.  Maybe a little.

Back to this awesome “pie for breakfast” creation.  I roasted the strawberries because I thought….what the heck, let’s roast some strawberries and see what happens.  What happens is awesomeness.  Syrupy, juicy berries….incredible eaten warm but just as delicious chilled.  This is a great way to use up a surplus of berries or even some berries that may be near or past their prime.

I also used refrigerated pie crust to make this even more simple to throw together.  You can skip this step but the crunch of the crust just makes it taste like dessert and crunch is good.  I wouldn’t skip it.

Like I mentioned before, this is great for breakfast but I’ll also be making it to serve as dessert this summer.  Refreshing, healthy and satisfying.

Note: If making the components ahead, store them in airtight containers until ready to serve.  The pie crust will get soggy if left to sit for a long period of time.

Roasted Strawberry Pie Parfait

Serves 4

1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 teaspoons granulated sugar divided

1 refrigerated pie crust (I used Pillsbury)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

16 ounces Fat Free Vanilla greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of sugar.  Spread the strawberries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a separate small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Roll the pie crust out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Prick the entire surface with a fork  and sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the pie crust being sure to cover the entire surface.  Bake the crust in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes or until the crust begins to turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Once the crust has cooled, break up into small pieces and place in a small bowl.

In small glass bowls or ramekins, cover the entire bottom with the crumbled pie crust.  Top the crust with a layer of strawberries and then spoon the yogurt over the strawberries to cover completely.  Continue to layer with crust, strawberries and yogurt until the bowl is full.  Serve immediately.

This “crawl” was no different except my plan to visit four cupcake bakeries in one day wasn’t a good plan at all.  We had to cut the trip short and only visit two because mass amounts of sugar and buttercream can quickly turn you against any type of pastry for an extended period of time.  I’ve recovered and am ready to visit the final two.

My plan for “The Cupcake Crawl” posts (which will now happen over a period of time instead of the planned one day) was to post reviews on all four in one post and name a “winner” for the day.  Plans change….and so did this one.  Instead, I will post a review for each bakery on its own and rate them using a 1-5 cupcake system, 1 being poor….5 being Ah-mazing!  I also take price point, location and interior design into consideration when rating an establishment.

Let’s start with Iced by Betsy….oh boy.   This place is incredibly cute!  It’s housed in a renovated train station in Royersford, PA.  I have to tell you, this train station was a major flashback to my past.  I only ever remember it being abandoned, I passed by it almost everyday when I was a child so it’s pretty frickin cool that they saved this building and turned it into a cupcake bakery!  It’s an exciting establishment for a town that seemed to be on the decline a few years ago.

The interior of the building reminded me of an Eloise story, pink and black stripes…a little girl’s dream come true.  The young lady working the counter was so sweet and very knowledgable, she was able to explain all the flavors in great detail making it even harder to decide.  They offer several beverages and Philly Bean Coffee to accompany your treat.

Let’s get to the cupcakes.  Divine.  I couldn’t believe it, really.  I’ve had cupcakes at some of the most famous cupcake bakeries in New York City and Iced by Betsy could easily rival them.  No kidding.  This is a cupcake destination worth driving to even if you’re not in the area.

We ordered:

• 24 Karat – Delicious carrot cake baked with organic freshly grated carrots. Frosted with velvety smooth cream cheese frosting and topped off with walnuts and a sugar carrot.
• By Popular Demand – Our signature dark chocolate cake filled with decadent dark chocolate mousse. Frosted with a simple and sweet vanilla buttercream and topped with a swirled
  chocolate chip.
• Pucker Up – A moist lemon cupcake filled with tangy lemon curd. Frosted with velvety smooth cream cheese frosting and topped with candied lemon peel.
• Life by Chocolate – I forgot the description but just get it…it’s chocolate for crying out loud!

All were ridiculously awesome.  I don’t even know how else to describe them.  Moist and sweet with a ton of icing (which I know a lot of people dislike but take some off and eat it…..it’s pretty simple.)  They’re rich and sinful….you only need one but I had to try them all.  I wanted more but my stomach told me to come back another time.

If you love cupcakes and live in the area you need to go here.  Seriously.  Take a good book, your laptop, iPad or a friend that you’ve been meaning to catch up with.  Order a cupcake and a cup of coffee…I promise it will be the highlight of your day.  This place truly makes me smile.

You can visit their site, Iced by Betsy, for hours and flavors of the day.  Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for tempting photos at the crack of dawn.   It will make you rethink that bowl of oatmeal.

Rating:

I’ve been dying to share my new favorite things.  It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post on something I can’t live without and these two items are definitely on my list.  I carry them both everywhere, every day….no joke.

The Water Bobble

This isn’t a new item at all and I’m on my second Bobble already because Landon confiscated my first one.  They’re that awesome.  Katie received one about a year and a half ago as a gift and we’ve never looked back.  Talk about helping the environment, this BPA free plastic bottle has its own filter so you can fill up wherever you are.  No longer do you have to worry about filthy water (although I will still give the side-eye to a shady water fountain in the park.)  The best part….you can replace the filter and reuse the bottle…over…and over…and over again.  How’s that for green!  The filters come in a variety of colors and the bottles come in three different sizes.  Bonus…one filter equals 300 plastic bottles!  Check them all out here.

The Big O Key Ring

I received this as a gift and couldn’t even dream of the possibilities.  The Big O Key Ring is O-mazing!   I carry a giant handbag….all.the.time.  It’s like the abyss, I can’t even tell you what’s in the bottom of that bag but I hated digging in there looking for my keys, especially in a parking garage or on a dark street.  Keys need to be accessible.  This key ring makes that happen.  Ninety percent of the time I have it hooked on the outside of my handbag…..the rest of the time I wear it as a bangle, hook it on the stroller, hang it on my water bottle, the treadmill, my belt loop, gym bag, diaper bag….should I go on?  I think you get the gist.  It’s sooooo easy to unhook and I love the colors that are available AND it’s made of high quality weather resistant leather, it will always look fantastic!  The ladies who thought of this product are genius.  I didn’t even know I needed it until I had one.  Now I want every color.  I’m hooked! (pun intended.)

You can order your Big O here.

As a parent, they’re so simple to throw together for a quick lunch for the kids.  You don’t even need to think about it…you can pull off this delicious concoction before coffee! (gasp!)

Lately, however, you can’t pack peanut butter (or many other nut products for that matter) in your child’s lunchbox for school.  In fact, there’s a huge sign on the front door of my daughter’s school that states “This is a nut free zone!”  This is something I don’t recall ever seeing when I was in school many, many years ago.

Now, please understand, I do take the whole food allergy issue seriously.  A friend of mine has a son that is allergic to pretty much everything.  As a parent, I can’t even imagine the angst this would cause when sending your child to school every day.  Fortunately, she’s a very laid back mom and handles all incidents with swift calmness….if that makes any sense at all.  I would freak out.  Totally.  I’m that mom.

Landon has a friend that is only allergic to peanuts….the babysitter warned me of this so I’ve been experimenting with other nut butters. (She confiscated his sandwich the other day. Can’t say I blame her.)  You all may have seen the macadamia nut butter recipe during the Twelve Days of Cookies back in December.  Well, this new one is a huge winner!  The added cinnamon and vanilla give it a little extra umph that hazelnuts need, it’s the opposite of that “other” hazelnut spread…you know, the chocolate hazelnut spread that is all the rage right now. Because this is vanilla…right…opposite.  Ok, I’ll stop.

And, for all of my time pressed friends out there in the internet world, this is soooooo incredibly easy.  It takes 4 minutes.  It’s almost silly to buy any type of nut butter at the store.  Seriously.

Cinnamon Vanilla Hazelnut Butter

Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups

2 cups roasted/unsalted hazelnuts (I purchased my nuts at Trader Joe’s)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Place the hazelnuts, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process the nut mixture until they turn into a creamy consistency, approximately 4 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  (I used Mason jars.)

The mixture will keep for approximately 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

What I don’t like is when the UPS or Fedex truck stops in front of the house and then proceeds to pull away without leaving behind goodies.  This happens a lot, we must be the place to stop and check the nav. Or they just like looking at my dead shrubs which were pruned a little too aggressively and are causing me to wonder if they have retired permanently.

Well, the UPS guy stopped the other day and he DID leave a package from my new friends at Bob’s Red Mill.  It was super exciting because it contained some product samples to create some new recipes with!

One of the products they sent was their 10-Grain Flour, which immediately made me think of pancakes.  I don’t know how but I knew a whole grain pancake was going to be a difficult challenge.

Let’s talk about my idea of the perfect pancake…..light, fluffy and golden with crispy, lacy edges that add a bit of crunch when you bite into them.  Unfortunately, you can’t eat these everyday or you, too, will be fluffy…..but not so light.

My multi-grain pancakes are delicious but they are not like the pancakes I described above.  These are light and nutty, they also have a more complex flavor due to the variety of grains used in the flour.  They are also slightly thinner than pancakes made with white flour but I like this….you could easily make a breakfast wrap with these.  Best of all….you can eat these everyday.  Not 12 everyday but they are healthy enough to become part of your regular breakfast rotation.

It took me several tries before the family agreed this was the winner.  Bonus points for the freezability of the pancakes….just slip a piece of waxed or parchment paper between each pancake and stack them.  Wrap them in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag and freeze.  Great for a quick weekday breakfast!

Whole Grain Pancakes

Makes approximately 12 pancakes

1 cup 2% milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1/2 cup 2% plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain flour

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 tablespoons baking powder

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and yogurt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, 10-grain flour, brown sugar and baking powder.  Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined thoroughly.

Heat a non-stick griddle over medium heat and pour approximately 1/4-1/2 a cup of pancake batter onto the pan to form the pancake. Be sure to leave enough space between each pancake because they will spread a lot.  Let the pancakes cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form, approximately 2-3 minutes and then flip them over.  Cook for an additional 30-60 seconds and then remove to a baking sheet and cover with foil to keep warm.

Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

Curry aside, the wheat berries had a chewy texture similar to steel cut oats but better. They paired well with the fruit and nuts mixed into the salad.  I added scallions, celery and goji berries to my recipe just to give it more depth of flavor.  (You can find out more about goji berries here.)

I, also,  stayed more fruity with the dressing in this version.  It was a great plan and is definitely flight friendly.  In fact, I would suggest packing some in a small storage container and taking it with you….it’s excellent for travel, whether on a plane, train or automobile.  This salad will not disappoint.  Sure beats those overpriced meal boxes they sell in coach.  And I have to admit….first class isn’t much better.

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 8 as a first course, 4 as a main course

For the dressing:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup orange juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of one lemon

For the salad:

1 cup uncooked wheat berries (note: I purchased par-cooked wheat berries so the cooking time was only 15-20 minutes.)

1/2 cup Goji berries

1 large apple, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large pot, cook the wheat berries according to the package directions.  Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, orange juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, olive oil and lemon juice.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked wheat berries, Goji berries, apple, celery, scallions, parsley and pecans together until combined.  Pour half the dressing over the salad and stir thoroughly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Prior to serving, pour the remaining dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I had a craving for them recently and I thought about making my homemade chocolate pudding to freeze into pops but I know a lot of you don’t have time for that kind of shenanigans. So, I bought a ton of different flavored pudding and then stood in my kitchen staring at all of them hoping a fabulous new flavor would jump up and smack me in the face. That didn’t happen, exactly, but I did come up with something pretty awesome….and EASY! And QUICK!

I started with something healthy and kind of threw that all out the window BUT you could health it up if you wanted. Sub out the homemade whipped cream for fat-free Cool Whip and that will work. It’s going to knock down the creaminess several notches and will give it a little bit of an icy texture but they will definitely be lower in fat. If you don’t eat all of them yourself in one day you can leave the recipe as I created it. I promise your skinny jeans will still fit tomorrow.

They’re so tasty and light, I will be serving these as a dessert this summer. Who needs cake?!? Well, cake would be good with these too. But that’s a recipe for another day.

Strawberry and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Pudding Pops

Makes 12 Pudding Pops in a standard freezer pop mold (you can also use paper cups, just wait for the pops to begin to firm up in the freezer and then add the sticks.)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioners

1 - 1 ounce package Jell-o Cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix (sugar-free/fat-free)

2 cups 2% milk (you could use any milk except skim)

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix, milk and vanilla bean paste stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. Approximately 3 minutes. Fold in the strawberry preserves and 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream until combined. (you may have leftover whipped cream….use a spoon and eat it. Do not share.)

Pour the mixture into molds, or cups if using, and insert the sticks into the center of the pops. If you’re using cups, wait approximately 20-30 minutes before adding the sticks.

Freeze for 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Landon was stealing the props. He LOVES these! (He’s a little banged up from a face plant at the indoor playground….just wanted to put that out there.)

Enjoy!

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Lately I’ve noticed some signs of aging….puffy eyes, wrinkles, a little less than firm skin.  If you’ve reached middle age you know what I’m talking about.  And there’s that balance….happiness and confidence combined with a mad dash for any beauty regimen that will help slow down the decline of your youthful skin.

While sitting on a bench in the wonderful play area at Chik-Fil-A last week, I brought up this aging dilemma to my long time friend, Jen.  We then found ourselves Googling different procedures we had heard of in search of the most successful, least invasive course of action….all while our children were playing on (and licking) the playground equipment.

I have no problem with the whole “aging gracefully” plan but if there’s something out there to make the aging gracefully process happen later, like….10 years maybe, I’m in.  Just let me know what that is.

For now, let’s just go with the….you are what you eat plan.  I have found that garbage in, garbage out is pretty much how life works.  If I eat garbage (pizza, candy, cupcakes), I feel like garbage.

This Asparagus Soup is not garbage and it’s full of fiber AND it tastes great.  I won’t lie…it’s not like a Cream of Asparagus Soup you’d get in a restaurant because it’s not loaded with butter and cream. (mmmm, butter and cream.)  But it is filling and delicious. And most importantly, healthy.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Makes 4 Servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

1 pound asparagus, chopped (break off the woody ends and discard before chopping)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

4 cups low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

In a large pot, heat the oil over med-high heat.  Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the asparagus and continue sauteing until they turn bright green.  Add the garlic and thyme, cook for 2 minutes and then add the stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.

With an immersion blender, puree the mixture until all the asparagus is no longer in large pieces.

Stir in the Greek yogurt and puree for one minute.

Serve immediately. (Note: For the garnish, I sauteed some asparagus tips seperately and topped the soup before serving.)

This is Lucy, she’s middle aged too.