‘Yogurt Parfait’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Mix and Match Yogurt Parfaits {Dole Fruit in Jars}

July 28, 2014 · Ad-Free

An easy and pretty breakfast is my favorite way to start the day. Let’s get creative with a little mix and match yogurt parfait.

Breakfast is always a struggle. And it likely will be a challenge until forever.

Mostly because my kids love sleep more than they love eating breakfast (and I don’t blame them one bit!).

And during the school year, we’re always leaving the house so early, if breakfast hasn’t been planned ahead, it just isn’t happening.

Which pretty much means I plan ahead all.the.time by way of a well stocked kitchen.

We eat yogurt on the daily. Tons of different kinds. Fruit on the bottom. Plain vanilla. Fruit mixed throughout. Greek yogurt. Yogurt straight up. We are equal opportunity yogurt eaters.

Our favorite way to eat Greek yogurt in particular is to make parfaits with fruit. It is an easy way to sweeten Greek yogurt just a touch, and by making parfaits, everyone can have the yogurt exactly the way they like it.

Our go-to for the fruit layers is the line of fruit in jars from Dole. For a million different reasons, but most of all because I don’t need to worry about peeling and cutting the fruit. Or if it’s in season. Or if I have any leftover. I just portion out what I need, and the rest goes in the fridge.

Easy peasy.

We layer the Greek yogurt with the fruit and either granola or our favorite crunchy cereal (this morning, we used Honey Bunches of Oats with almonds; perfect little sweet crunch). A little drizzle of honey or agave nectar on top and we have a delicious, healthy breakfast that we all agree on. It’s quick to make and we can personalize each one easily so everyone is getting the exact flavors they love the most.

Which pretty much means more honey on mine because neither of the kids like honey.

Weirdos.

But I mean, really… when your breakfast looks this pretty, who wouldn’t want to dig in?

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Recipe: Peachy Keen Grilled Chicken

March 15, 2012 · Narrative

Last month, the folks at Betty Crocker were looking for recipes to show off Yoplait’s new Lactose-Free yogurt line. I pitched them two ideas, one was the yogurt parfait I shared with you a few weeks ago, and the other was this recipe for grilled chicken. Our temperatures in New Jersey have been flirting with Spring, and it has hit the mid- to high 60s a few times this past week. Something I am more than a little excited about. And when I think about warm weather, I think about grilling.

Unfortunately for me, my grilling is largely relegated to the indoors kind. When the kids and I moved 2-1/2 years ago, as we moved the grill, we found that it had been housing a little family of who knows what over that winter. So that was the end of that. Truth be told, I’m a huge scaredy cat when it comes to grilling and all things gas. I happily left it to The Ex. Since the demise of our outdoor grill, I’ve been doing all my grilling indoors on a grill pan.

Whether you do yours inside or outside, this is a super simple recipe that is figure-friendly and easy enough to whip up for a weeknight meal. I paired it with a side of brown rice and a bowl of fresh fruit, and even though it was early February when I first worked on this recipe, we caught a hint of Spring in every bite.

Tomorrow morning, there will be a special Land O Lakes sponsored post, and tomorrow night, a giveaway from the generous folks at OXO, so you’ll want to be sure to stick around for that.

Until then…
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The Message? Live Positively

June 9, 2011 · Narrative

“Be like a duck and let it roll off you.”

When a drop of water hits a duck’s feathers, it’s like a little bead and rolls right off them. The mantra “be like a duck and let it roll of you” is something we refer to in our family (and extensions thereof). I introduced the kids’ old babysitter, Jamie, to the credo early last year, when she was having problems with her roommates. There was a lot of quacking going on for a few months for her, but it all worked out. She moved in with us for the summer, and distanced herself from the trouble. Girls that really weren’t her friends. For me, it’s akin to “don’t sweat the small things.” Will this problem still haunt you five years from now? Next week even? No? Then move the heck on. Most problems in life are like that. Little annoyances that pop in and threaten to ruin an otherwise good day.

A nap-free three-year-old who is having a pre-dinner meltdown? I could get aggravated by it, but the easiest (and best) solution for all was to scoop everyone up, pack up a quick picnic dinner and head to the park for the kids to blow off some of their steam and unbridled energy.

An 8-year-old who frets about a friendship? Explain that we don’t have to be friends with everyone, but we do have to be kind. It was a lesson we talked a bit about again last week.

Nick’s school had “Olympic Day,” which is like their version of an end-of-year field day. As one of the Class Moms, I had to be there for a large portion of the day (note to self: wear sunblock next time to avoid farmer’s tan). Midway through the morning, I caught sight of one of Nick’s classmates, Dan, sitting down on the grass in tears. There’s nothing like seeing a boy at that age cry, whether he’s mine or not. It does nothing shy of break my heart. They’re supposed to be all tough and macho and muddy, full of rough and tumble. When they crumple, I do too. He was being picked on by another classmate.

“He keeps calling me names. He’s not being nice. And it’s my birthday!”

I felt terrible. His eyes welling up again as he was trying to tell me what happened. He was trying to fight back the tears. Nick had wedged himself in the middle, literally and figuratively, and was taking sides with Dan. My kid, who weighs all of 63 lbs soaking wet, was sticking up to the bully-of-the-day for his friend. Man, I love that kid.

“Do you know what I tell Nick all the time? Be like a duck and let it roll off you. Ignore what the other kid is saying to you. Walk away. Go hang out with your friends and forget about his words. He is just trying to get a reaction out of you.”

“But he’s ruining my day. It’s my birthday!”

“YOU are in control of your day. He is not. Don’t let this seep in and ruin it for you. You can’t cry on your birthday. Let’s think about how you’re going to celebrate. Are you doing anything special with your family?”

“Yes,” he said, brightening up immediately, “We’re going to Sonic!”

Sonic really *does* make everything better, doesn’t it?

There are many lessons I work on regularly to impart on my kids. Not getting bogged down by other people’s negativity is a huge one. Sometimes you can’t help the things that happen to you. It’s not in your control. What you CAN control, however, is how you handle it. How you react to your situation. And I’ll be darned if someone else is going to ruin my day (or my kids’) just for the sport of it.

It’s about living positively. And living passionately. And living intentionally.

These are small, but hugely important, lessons that I want to drill into my kids because they are lessons that can serve them well for years to come, whether they’re 3, 13 or 53. I can teach them to clean up after themselves, to do chores around the house, how to cook a solid meal while paying strict homage to the food pyramid, and how to master the multiplication tables even if it kills us all, but all those things pale in comparison to learning how to treat others and how to treat themselves.

Be nice. Live life. Love others. Can I get a chorus of kumbaya?

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail asking if I wanted to attend an event put on by Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. In Atlanta. They’ll pay my expenses. So besides the fact that I practically live on McDonald’s yogurt parfaits and am powered some days solely by Diet Coke and lots of laughter, I get an opportunity to cross Atlanta off my bucket list of cities never visited? I didn’t even need to finish reading the e-mail to know my answer. But then, being all practical and all, I read it through to the end. During my visit, I get to visit with top leaders from Coca-Cola and learn about their message of living positively. Pinch me. I’m a lucky girl. I can’t wait to hear what they have to say. And, um, hello Atlanta! And a few hours on a plane where someone isn’t pulling at me asking me for goldfish, milk with a straw and how to do remainders in division? Color me happy.

So that’s next week’s adventure. In the meantime, though, the folks putting on the event would like some help from you … are there any burning questions you have for the masterminds behind Coca-Cola and/or McDonald’s? Something you’d like to know? Ask? Say? Please share with me so I can share with them.

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