Ways to Enjoy Yogurt

There is nothing like the taste of cool, refreshing, yogurt on a hot day, a busy day, or any kind of day.  If you know you’re going to be on the go all day, a couple pints of yogurt make a great meal all by themselves and take seconds to pack.

But that is just the beginning.  Yogurt really shines in the company of fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables.  Stir in some raisins, coconut, and sprouted sunflower seeds for a quick snack.  You can also try chopped almonds, pecans, or sesame seeds.  If you plan ahead and add the raisins a day or two before, the raisins will infuse the yogurt with their sweet flavor.  This raisin-flavored yogurt forms a great base for fruit salad.  Cut up apples, pears, peaches, grapes, melons, or whatever fruit is handy, stir into the raisin/yogurt mixture and top with chopped nuts.

If you have a blender, you can whip up some excellent smoothies.  The simplest smoothie consists of a pint of raw yogurt, a banana, and a little bit of sweetener blended together.  The sweetener can be dehydrated cane extract, maple syrup, or honey.  With honey, it works best to dissolve it in a bit of warm water and add the mixture to the smoothie.  If you have soaked dates or apricots in water for another recipe, the leftover syrup is another great addition to a smoothie.  You can add just about any fruit to your smoothie—some favorites are oranges, berries and melons.  For best results, peel fruits first.  Watermelon and cantaloupe impart an excellent flavor.  You can also add special supplements to nutritionally supercharge your smoothies—a bit of molasses, a pastured egg yolk, some raw butter or coconut oil.  Smoothies are a tasty and easy way to get a boost at any time of the day.

Having trouble getting your children to eat their yogurt?  Try giving them a frozen yogurt treat.  You can substitute raw yogurt for the milk and cream portion of an ice cream recipe and increase whatever ingredient you’re using as your natural sweetener to taste.  Once the ice cream maker has turned it into ice cream, stuff it into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.  You now have a nutritious and tasty snack that your children will beg for.
Getting bored with the sweet?  Try the zesty.  Yogurt can be substituted for sour cream in cucumber salad.  Mix a pint of yogurt with a teaspoon of dill or celery seeds, a bit of finely chopped onion, a pinch of sea salt and a bit of finely chopped green pepper for the sauce.  Thinly slice two cucumbers and smother with the sauce, let chill for at least an hour, and enjoy.  Or, try adding it to soup that needs a little extra something.
The ways to dress up your raw yogurt are truly endless.  But from time to time, do remember to enjoy plain yogurt straight from the jar.  There’s nothing like it.