I #WhipItUp With Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! Cheesecake Bites Recipe + A $15 PayPal Giveaway

Momma Told Me: Indulgences aren't for every day.

It's a great thing I'm not lactose intolerant because I love my dairy much too much to give it up in any capacity. Even as a young girl Momma would sneak into the fridge and split a slice of deli cheddar with me for an afternoon treat. We knew we were being bad- sure there's the calcium and protein, but dairy has a bad rep for being indulgent in a bad way. In college I had a habit of breaking into a pint of Ben & Jerry's every other night. Thankfully my metabolism kept up with my sweet ice cream cravings, but I find myself less lucky the older I get. These days I'm seeking a satisfying treat with much less guilt.

That's why I've replaced ice cream with yogurt. Gone are the late night candy bars and calorie packing guilt fests of dessert cravings. Instead I reach for a flavorful and satisfying option like Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! with just 100 calories per cup and the most decadent fluffy texture for that mousse like mouth-feel that's sure to pamper even the pickiest of sweet seekers. Available in 8 tempting flavors such as Strawberry Cheesecake and Lemon Meringue, Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! are packed with Calcium, Vitamin D, and that extra Protein kick Greek yogurts offer. Protein packed yogurt means a more indulgent edible experience and less stomach grumbling (a longer lasting full feeling) later!

Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! manage to pack 100 calories per cup into the same standard 3.4oz cup as traditional Yoplait Greek cups, while maximizing flavor and experience thanks to the extra fluffy whipped texture. I feel almost like a little kid again sneaking my dairy with Momma when my spoon slices into that frothy sweet yogurt. And Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! are perfect for an afternoon snack, last minute dessert or fulfilling breakfast. Just add your own favorite blend of fresh fruits, granola, nuts, and more to make a delicious parfait or oatmeal bowl!

Cheesecake is one of my personal vices- When there is cheesecake around I simply cannot control myself, so I generally do NOT allow cheesecake in the house. However, with Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! Strawberry and Blueberry varieties I can whip up (pun intended) some delicious single serving cheesecake bites in just a few minutes and a few hours of chill time. Just make a simple graham cracker crust with a pinch of sugar, daub of butter, and crushed grahams and press it into the ice cube tray of your choice (silicone will be easiest but plastic trays will do.) Then blend a dollop of cream cheese, fresh fruit, and the Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! of your choice for an instant cheesecake layer you can plop on top. Toss into the freezer for 4-5 hours then drizzle with a layer of liquid chocolate for one irresistible snack that surprisingly modest in calories.

These Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! Cheesecake Bites are perfectly satisfying and mess free ways to indulge during a warm afternoon or for a simple dessert- just try not to eat them all! best of all, you can experiment with different fruits and Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! for limitless flavor combinations! If you haven't tried Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! you simply have to; head on over to Publix where you can load a coupon for a $1 off the purchase of 5 Yoplait Greek 100 Whips to your account then stop by and pick up one of each flavor to host your very own taste test. I can't wait to hear what your favorite indulgence is! Check out our Cheesecake Bite recipe below then enter a special $15 PayPal giveaway for a chance at $15 to try all of the Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! on your own!

What Daughter Says: Thanks to Yoplait Greek 100 Whips! you CAN indulge every day!

 

One Momma Told Me reader will win $15 via PayPal to try the Yoplait Greek 100 Whip! flavors of their choice!

Cordial Cherry Cake Balls Recipe For Valentine's Day

Momma Told Me: Just roll with it.

I was a pretty picky child when I was younger, but there were few things I wouldn't eat if they were dipped in chocolate. I even distinctly remember even being coaxed into chomping a confection dipped cricket while on vacation once. But the cordial cherry was my nemesis. And every year, beginning in the Winter and rolling straight through Valentine's Day, boxes upon boxes would appear in our pantry cabinet. When Momma caught on to my disgust for the candy she began integrating them forcefully into boxes of ordinary chocolates simply to dissuade my appetite for sneaking one. While she could clearly tell the difference I wasn't about to risk biting into  shell that very well might begin leaking a syrupy liquid.

As I matured, so did my tastebuds, and I learned that I truly did like the flavors of a cordial cherry but that I simply couldn't get past the texture. Cordial, within the food world most often references a type of liqueur or a fruit 'suspended in a liquid and enrobed in chocolate.' This time of the year you'll find cordial cherry flavored confections from Hershey's Kisses and M&M's to chocolate meltaways for baking. While all of these can be incorporated into just about any recipe for a dash of flavor, I truly wanted to rethink the cordial cherry in texture and spirit, while still staying true to it's origins.

Cake balls are amazing- They are incredibly versatile and time saving when it comes to developing new twists on beloved classics. The only thing I, personally find a pain, is the traditional 'stick' they are presented on within their Cake Pop form. If you've ever tried to make cake pops, even with a mold/pan, you know the plight of dipping cake balls on a stick. It's simply no fun. That's why this Cordial Cherry Cake Ball recipe relies on the classic method of cake + frosting = cake balls for the majority of the work. This is truly a recipe so simple even beginning bakers can do it.

Start with one box of classic white (egg white recipe) cake mix, baked in a 9 x 13" pan. Once the cake has cooled flip it onto a clean surface and trim the majority of the browned surfaces off with a knife or cake leveler. I like to reserve the browned cake for my own reserve of cake balls- these taste the same but will not appear as 'white' when bit into. Combine the white cake with 1/2 tub of white frosting and 3 drops of Rum extract (optional.) Next, use a cookie scoop to drop rounded TBS sized balls of dough onto parchment paper. Gently take your index finger and hollow out a pit in the center of each dough ball. Most important in this process, you will need to pat dry your cherries with stems to ensure they don't seem moisture into the cake ball and cause separation.

Gently push your cherries into the center of the cake balls, rolling the cake mixture into a ball around them. While you can chill your cake balls while you wait to dip them I do not recommend freezing them as this can cause your confection to crack or spot after dipping. Melt your chocolate in a double broiler or Wilton's Melting Pot and dip each ball, by the stem, into the chocolate, gently rolling to coat all sides. Place your Cordial Cherry Cake Balls on a clean piece of parchment paper and refrigerate 2-3 hours, or until chocolate is firm. If you notice your chocolate is not smooth enough to dip, ad 1 TSP shortening at a time until it reaches an even texture (to slowly roll off a spoon.)

I've got to say these are super fun to look at, with the stems standing up, and very fun finger treats at any gathering.  I thought about adding some festive heart sprinkles to really dress them up for Valentine's Day but I kind of like their 'polished' presentation- almost like an over-sized dipped cherry. These will definitely be appearing next to the dipped oranges and apples on our spread this February 14th! The cake batter inside is especially moist and spongy when the rum extract is added, and the flavor is spot on indulgent, without any real liqueur.

My days of lavish romantic dates and dinnertime traffic on the way to that 4 course reservation may be gone, but I can still indulge in a little decadence and romance- and no more crumpled Cordial Cherry face! When it comes to a box of chocolates, what's your favorite confection? I always tend to go for dark chocolate covered nuts, or coconut squares, but a good caramel is quite indulgent to! Stay tuned for more Valentine's Day recipes over the next few weeks!

What Daughter Says: When in doubt, turn it into a cake ball.

Cordial Cherry Cake Balls

***Click for Cordial Cherry Cake Balls recipe.

Grimm's Fairy Tales + Blueberry Custard Pie Recipe

Momma Told Me: When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing.

When I was a young girl, no older than 4 or 5, Momma would call me into her bed each night (thinking back my bedtime was probably 4 or 5 in the afternoon, but I digress) to read me a story from the official Grimm's Fairy Tales compilation. It was a large paperback book with more pages than any I had seen before, outside perhaps Merriam Webster's Dictionary, and out of the top smiled a Persian cat bookmarking where we had last dropped off. Now these weren't the colorful storybook fairy tales of traditional childhood, these were the unabridged, dark and brooding adaptations much closer to the originals. And, while some might question Momma's thinking in choosing to share these from such a young age, I assure you she always read ahead to lighten the darker parts.

Naturally, as a little girl who knew that Disney's fairy tales and Grimm's actual tales were far from one in the same- that at the end of The Little Mermaid Ariel is in fact offered a knife to kill her beloved prince and return to the sea, and much like the modern Into The Woods feature film indicates the stepsisters in Cinderella did indeed cut off parts of their feet in an attempt to fit them into the Prince's slipper. Morbid as this may seem, my ultimate point is that fairy tales were never intended for children at all- many of the stories we have sweetened up with fairies and talking mice were in fact meant as cautionary tales to bored adults and the men and women of the king's court.

What does this have to do with Blueberry Pie, you ask? Well, after recently watching, and thoroughly enjoying, Into The Woods in theaters this past holiday, I was reminded of the Grimm's fairy tales my mother used to read before bedtime. One in particular stood out- the tale behind the nursery rhyme 'Sing A Song Of Sixpence,' perhaps one of the first retold recollections of an animated pie. While historians gather the actual pie was likely of minced meat, it is more colorfully told that blackbirds swiftly emerged from the crust of this berry pie, when placed before the king. As crazy as it sounds, and an element of the tale that seems more exaggerated rather than real there are numerous accounts of 13th century pies bursting of living creatures from birds and small animals to actual tiny humans (dwarfs.)

So, while I wasn't about to craft any 4 foot pies with small animals inside, I was inspired to try my hand at a traditional storybook pie- Blueberry with a Winter comfort twist. I'll be honest, I've only ever used blueberries in scones, and never handled fresh blueberries (primarily because they can be so expensive,) so I was a bit nervous when I set out. I happened to have 2 deep dish pie shells in the freezer from the holidays (so I can't take credit for those) which especially motivated me to get in the kitchen yesterday and give this recipe a try.

I'm no Martha Stewart, but there is something inspiring about working with fresh ingredients- watching the rich blue berries cook to a beautiful  purple. Naturally, halfway through baking I remembered I didn't own a pie crust shield (hard to believe, right) and had to emergency tent my crust rim to keep it from overcooking. Thankfully that worked like a charm, a few scalded knuckles later. I was skeptical about the streusel topping, but 20 minutes cooling on the window sill, in true storybook fashion, and this pie looked picture perfect- no small animals harmed in the making!

So try this Blueberry Custard Pie hot or cold (it was the biggest hit cold in our house,) and bake an extra to gift for a friend or neighbor- jut leave the birds out. As far as pie making goes this recipe's pretty straight forward, but the comfort level of a heaping slice does wonders after a long day. What was your favorite fairy tale growing up- what would you love to grab a slice and curl up while reading?

What Daughter Says: This recipe is sure to put smiles on your guests faces, no animals harmed int he making.

Blueberry Custard Pie

***Click here for printable Blueberry Custard Pie recipe.

Blog POP! Big Boss Ice Cream Maker #Giveaway + Sweet Corn Ice Cream Recipe

I received the following item in hopes I would share my genuine opinion here on the blog. All photos and thoughts contained below are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.

Momma Told Me: Your dad and his machines!

For as far back as I can remember, from the first 'da-da,' my father was 'the ice cream man.'

Well, not literally a man who drives around in an ice cream truck, of a cone mascot at a Foster's Freeze; no, he has worked for a company called Taylor Freezers for over 25 years. There have been times where our family has run into old acquaintances and we've had to clarify what that meant. One such hilarious occasion had a friend of my mothers thinking my father was involved in cryogenics. No, Taylor Freezers does not deal in people freezers, but actually a variety of restaurant food-service equipment ranging from frozen beverage machines to 'Quarter Pounder' grills. It is my father's job, as a service technician, to travel a very broad service area visiting establishments of an equally wide range, solving a variety of mechanical puzzles.

Why am I telling you this? You see, for as long as I can remember, despite my comprehension of what my father did for a living, he has always been the magical ice cream man to me. As a curly headed little girl I'd peer up and over the counter as my dad was magically handed free ice cream. (We could hardly walk into a local restaurant without the management recognizing and fawning over him.) Then, there was the magical year my father expanded from his small appliance bread maker fascination into a glorious machine I still covet to this day. Almost 20 years old now, and still running as good as ever, this metallic wonder was a shining beacon of my childhood. Carefully my Pop and I would measure out ingredients, patiently counting down until the mixture had chilled enough- then I would stare, in awe, as the liquid turned into creamy, sweet, ice cream.

There simply is nothing like fresh, home-made, ice cream. Whether you're doing it by hand in a tumbler, or with a small counter top machine like the Big Boss 2 QT Ice Cream machine. The freedom to control the type of dairy, and the diverse flavors is as fascinating as taking a tour of the Ben and Jerry's facility, itself. And don't get me started on the best part- licking the quickly melting, creamy, mixture of of the agitator blade, much like Momma's mixer blades when baking! This is one appliance every home can afford and should have whether it's for a last minute 2-ingredient sorbet, or a beloved slow churn family recipe.

Speaking of family recipes, Momma's Sweet Corn Ice Cream is one that has long fascinated all who have tried it. While some modern recipes call for straining of the sweet corn, after emulsion, I enjoy the light texture left behind when freezing it in. This is a custard based recipe that scoops nice and smooth after post-freezing (transferring it to a serving barrel or bowl and storing in the freezer) and melts like a rich pudding on the palette. I especially enjoy pairing it was goat's milk caramel sauce and caramel corn for an indulgent treat that would make a wonderful new addition to the holiday table dessert line up.

Not only have I been thrilled with the ease of clean-up, and the quiet operation of my Big Boss Ice Cream Maker, but I can enjoy my own custom blend of ice cream in just under 20 minutes. Now, if you've never owned an ice cream maker before, be warned, there are a few unexpected aspects of working with a mid-range, small output machine like this. For starters, you will have to prepare your mix a minimum of 2 hours in advance (Pop always did this the night before we planned on making ice cream). If the mix is not chilled thoroughly the bucket will defrost much quicker and not freeze as efficiently.

Using whole milk and heavy cream will always yield the best texture, cutting out the fat with soy or 2% substitutes is possible but will result in more ice crystals when freezing (meaning a harder product). Choosing a custard base, such as this Sweet Corn Ice Cream recipe will tend to chill faster in barrel based units like the Big Boss 2.5 Qt Ice Cream Maker. Lastly, always add any mix-ins last. Mix Ins will bring down the product temperature dramatically, and tend to clump at the bottom of the barrel if the mixture is not frozen enough.

It can be exciting to watch your recipe take form, as it freezes along the sides of the barrel, through the top of the unit. Just remember that pulling the shield off, or stopping rotation will dramatically lower the core temperature and set your ice cream back several minutes in the freezing process, so patience is the key to a successful texture! You will also want to have a 2.5 Qt tupperware or ice cream crock on hand to scoop your product into and send straight to the freezer once it has reached a firm frozen (soft serve) texture.

Most at home ice cream makers, like the Big Boss 2.5 Qt, come with a 'base' recipe book, that is great to get started. You can also find a wealth of recipes online, and several books dedicated to home made ice cream recipes. I like to find a favorite base and work on modifying it from there. If you find a great vanilla, it really is nothing but fun from there on out- the sky is the limit! We've already enjoyed several successful batches of homemade ice cream with our Big Boss unit, what would you make first with yous?

What Daughter Says: Homemade ice cream is more practical than ever, invest in a counter-top machine today- you'll wonder how you lived without it!

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

Click here for printable Sweet Corn Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

1 14 OZ Can Cream-Corn

1 1/2 C Half And Half

1/2 C Sour Cream

2/3 C Sugar

5 Large Egg Yolks

1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract

Caramel Corn To Top

Directions:

1. Whisk the corn, half and half, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 

2. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl.

3. Slowly whisk about 1/4 cup of the warm egg mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then pour into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon (about 5 MINS.)

4. Transfer the hot custard to a blender and pulse until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl or pitcher and stir until it has reached room temperature. Place in the fridge to fully chill 2-3 hours before adding to your ice cream machine.

One Momma Told Me reader will win a Big Boss Ice Cream Maker! Enter below and click the banner above to be taken to the official event Giveaway LINKY!

Brownie Ghosts- So Simple, It's Scary!

Momma Told Me: It's almost scary how easy it is.

If Momma taught me one thing in the kitchen it's that, as good as it is to go all out and impress people with your mad skills in the kitchen, it's even better to enjoy the praise knowing you've created something amazing with hardly any effort at all. Some people call them 'hacks' or shortcuts, but there's no shame in grabbing a boxed mix from the baking aisle when your 4th grader announces she needs treats for a class of 25, by tomorrow morning. You still want to be the cool mom, right- but you don't want to be the mom who's cool because she's perfected her 'living zombie' walk after slaving in the kitchen until 4 am.

Yes, there are things, awesome, amazing, life changing, things you find on Pinterest and file away for 'next year,' thinking one day you'll get around to them. And, of course, you never do. How many of those ideas on Pinterest look so easy and logical until you're several hours into a '10 minute' recipe and scrubbing dough off the ceiling? This, my friends is not one of those concepts. Anyone, yes, even your 5 year old, can assemble these Simple Brownie Ghosts, whether you bake the brownies from scratch, use a box mix, or hack up some squares from store-bought brownies, I'm not telling....

This idea is so simple, my friends, that I adapted it to an (almost) sugar free version for the sugar intolerant folks in my Thursday night bowling league. Am I Betty Crocker? No! I caught some Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownie Mix and Sugar Free Frosting on sale at my local grocery store. Viola- the only sugar ingredient was my Jumbo marshmallows! Are you ready for the super simple directions to these adorably wicked treats?

Simple Directions: Start with brownies- I do not care how you get brownies, I won't tell if you slaved over them for hours or not. Cut them into squares about 2" in width. Place 1 Jumbo Marshmallow atop each brownie square. Place the pre-made frosting of your choice into a microwave safe bowl and heat on high at 5 second increments until it can be stirred into an even liquid format. Spoon melted frosting over your mallows, allowing it to drip down the side like flowy ghost 'sheets.' Squirt some black food color or decorating gel on a plate and daub the end of a chopstick/skewer/cake pop rod (etc) into the black and daub tiny faces on your ghosts. Refrigerate until serving and enjoy!

It's really as simple as that- you can't go wrong. In fact, the messier the better, so go ahead an let your children pour the frosting and daub those faces. Some of my faces 'ran' from the warmth of the frosting and added even more character. These were a huge hit at my league, and just $5 served about 40 people a brownie bite each. If you want to get REAL fancy, use some seasonal toothpicks to decorate and make picking up the bites a little simpler for your guests.

What Daughter Says: If it tastes great and looks adorable, nobody will care how long it didn't take you to make them!

Apple of My Pie Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Momma Told Me: Who wants to bake in this heat?

Fall is here, and I know I'm supposed to be sentimental about warm cups of cider and freshly baked apple pie; but, living in Southern California, Fall is almost an extension of our Summer. This year we've also been waiting out an incredibly long drought, so the odds I'll see  good downpour, let alone chilly morning are looking quite dim. And, let's face it, who really wants to crank up the oven when the evening temperatures are barely dipping below 80? So I set out to fix this, combining my favorite chilled dessert cheesecake, with a classic Fall favorite; apple pie.

Cheesecake bars have been around forever, and make the perfect compromise to those who lack the kitchen skills, or patience for a 'from scratch' cheesecake experience. You still have to wait out the 'chill down' period in the fridge, but the baking and nail-biting is significantly reduced- and you can have a 'slice' whenever you want! While you could do this from scratch with your own rolled oats- I prefer the bagged cookie mix version. If ever there was a time of year where saving time int he kitchen was essential, this is it. So go ahead, whip up a pan of these indulgent, yet comforting, cheesecake bars today and let me know what you think!

I brought a tray of these to our (bowling) league Thursday and they disappeared before anyone could grab seconds. I dare your holiday guests to resist this dangerous combination of comfort foods! What 2 favorite desserts would you love to see combined?

What Daughter Says: I'll still be topping these with ice cream- it's much too hot for warm desserts here!

Apple of My Pie Cheesecake Bars

**Click for printable Apple Cheesecake Bars recipe