Yogurt Parfaits

Sometimes, well, a lot of the times, the extra effort is definitely worth it.

(Rambling Side Note: It makes me giggle when someone misspells 'definitely' to look like 'defiantly'. I imagine they have really strong feelings about the subject and would fight you for it. "I defiantly think Star Trek is better than Star Wars." or "David Tennant is defiantly a better Doctor than Christopher Eccleston." Anyhoo ...)

When it comes to homemade, I've told you before how I feel. It's amazing how easy some things are to do, and how much cheaper they are to make from scratch.

Homemade yogurt is a good example. For the cost of a gallon of milk ($3 for me) and some cheesecloth, you can make it at home and know exactly what's in it! You can sweeten/flavor the whole batch when it's done, or do it by the serving. I like to keep it plain and flavor it by the serving so I can use the plain in place of sour cream or mayonnaise in recipes. Out of that gallon of milk, I got 3 pint jars of Greek yogurt, plus a bit more. I also got 2 quart jars (plus some) of whey. Whey is great to use in smoothies, and in place of liquid called for in yeast breads. You can also check this link for lots more uses. For the name brand of Greek yogurt (tastes better than store brand) it usually costs between $3 and $5, depending on sales and brand, for the 16 ounce container. Cheaper and better for you - I can get behind that!

This morning I made Honey-Vanilla Granola, from my friend Leah's recipe. It is so easy and delicious. It's a big batch, but it's pretty tasty so I'm not sure it's going to last long! Start to finish for me? 25 minutes. (15 of that, hands-off.)

I also threw together a strawberry sauce. I've been taking advantage of the strawberry sales this summer and buying them up. I wash, trim, and freeze them so I can use them throughout the year. The sauce was simply strawberries, a touch of sugar, and almond extract simmered together. I cooled the mixture and popped it in the blender to get it smooth.

Later, I'll layer the yogurt, granola and strawberry sauce to make parfaits for the kiddos. Purchased at the store, the parfaits are easily $1.50 apiece, and full of unpronounceable ingredients.