Nom nom nom

A while back, I’d seen these yummy little froyo cups for dogs at a picnic, but had a hard time finding a local store that sold them. Then I thought, “Well, jeez, if it’s just yogurt and fruit without sugar, I can do that.

I’ve been making these little froyo cubes for Izzy for the past couple summers, and she loooooves them. Here’s what I did to make the pictured peanut butter parfait version:

2 cups of plain yogurt (we use non-fat)
3/4 cup of peanut butter (nuked in the microwave for about 20 seconds to make it runny)

Fill the ice cube tray about 1/3 full with yogurt, then put teaspoonfuls of the melty peanut butter on top. Shake the tray to even it out if necessary. Then drop teaspoonfuls of more yogurt on top. Freeze overnight.

Another variation I use is to fill the whole tray with yogurt, and then stuff a couple pieces of kibble or blueberries (fresh or frozen) into the yogurt. If you’re using fruit (remember: no grapes or raisins!), make sure pieces don’t sink to the bottom— I found a couple of cubes hard to get out of the trays when the blueberries stuck.

Enjoy!

I haven’t tried this yet, but my Uncle Robert emailed it to me yesterday and I just haaaaad to shaaaaaaare. YUM.

—

Yesterday, thinking about a refrigerator full of strawberries and the need to do something about them, I started ruminating (actually it would have been pre-ruminating, kinda like mentally salivating) about what to do.  The meds I am currently on dictate I be very careful with my diet and sugar.  Here is what I came up with.  It was very tasty, very strawberryish, and probably somewhat healthy.  We had it for breakfast today which obviously validates its authenticity as a healthy addition to you day’s food intake.  I also believe for the traditionalists out there that you can use real sugar, real whipped cream, real sour cream, and real cream cheese.  In any event you must use real strawberries.  If you substitute blueberries, for example, for the strawberries, you need to call it something else.

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Learned from a fellow member of the Park Slope Food Coop.

2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts
8 rosemary crackers, crushed
Dash of kosher salt, pepper
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
Zest of 2/3 of a lemon
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Flour
Egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 475º. Split the chicken breasts and pound till on the thin side. Dip in flour, then egg, then in mixture; lay on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

My dad made this for me once when I had the worst chest-flu of my adult life, and it cured me within a day. The elderberry is a natural decongestant, and the warm wine cozies you right to sleep. But! It’s also just good on its own, sans death-warmed-over-feeling.

1 750ml bottle of red wine (I like Shiraz, myself)
4-5 tbsp elderberry jam
1 stick of cinnamon
10 or so whole cloves

Bring red wine to a simmer in a saucepan. Melt the jam in the microwave— make it really soupy— and then pour into the saucepan. Bring the whole thing to a boil once, then leave it on simmer. Drop in the cinnamon and cloves; serve when it tastes spiced enough for you.

In honor of American Junk Food Weekend (aka, Superbowl Sunday), I present you with a childhood favorite of mine.

5 hot dogs, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed potato chips (I preferred wavy/ridged)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sweet relish
1 tbsp mustard

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix everything together in a medium-sized bowl, and fill 8 hot dog rolls with mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until nice and toasty-brown on top. Let cool (mixture is hot inside) for a few minutes and enjoy.

Alternatively, you can just initially bake as many as you want in that sitting, and refrigerate the mixture to use over the next couple days.

8 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 c sugar (superfine if you can get it, otherwise granulated)
5 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp espresso (room temp)
1/2 c + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 c unsweeted cocoa, plus a little extra for dusting

(I also add some semisweet chocolate chunks for extra melty goodness.)

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt chocolate in double-boiler; set aside to cool. Beat sugar and butter in medium-sized bowl till fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then coffee.

Sift the flour & cocoa together and then stir in the cooled chocolate. When thoroughly combined, add the chocolate chunks, if you want. Spread into greased 8x10 pan and stick in the oven. 25 min for brownies without extra chocolate chunks; prolly 7-10 minutes longer with.

Let cool for 10 minutes before dusting with cocoa, and then cut & remove.