Homemade Yogurt Push Pops

Seriously, I am so eager for SPRING to really get here.  I am aware that the calendar hanging on my refrigerator says that spring is here, but when I walk outside I begin to doubt my calendar.  Or maybe it is global warming, who knows?  Anyway, in my STRONG anticipation of warmer weather, I created these sweet little babies and I vowed today to stop wearing long sleeved shirts.  That is, until the predicted 12 inches of snow fall on the ground overnight.  Grrrrrrrrr.......  Then my long sleeved shirts may, just maybe, will end up over my head again.  :-)

My boys sampled the push-pops today with delight.  And trust me, they were soooo easy to make.  So, I no longer have to buy their organic yogurt sticks, I can make them.

I made two different types.  Chocolate honey and strawberry honey.

Here's what you need.....
-Whole/Full fat Organic Stonyfield plain yogurt (buy plain so you can control the sweetness level)
-Organic Fruit (frozen or fresh, pureed in bullet, blender or food processor)
-Organic chocolate syrup
-Local honey (raw that you slightly warm till liquid or local that has been warmed to the temperature below raw, ask your bee keeper for specifics)
-Push pops (I bought mine here from Amazon)

Pour desired amount of plain yogurt into a glass bowl.  Add desired amount of chocolate syrup and honey, stir well.  Pour into your clean push pop container.  Place in freezer
or
Pour desired amount of plain yogurt into a glass bowl.  Add desired amount of pureed organic strawberries and honey, stir well.  Pour into your clean push pop container.  Top with a slice of fresh strawberry.  Place in freezer.

I did not add the stick to the push pop until the yogurt was completely frozen.  This allowed for easier storage in my freezer.  When the boys wanted to try one today, we removed the push pop from the freezer, allowed it to set out for a little while and then stuck the push pop stick in the bottom of the push pop container.

Now, I will admit these were slightly more "icy" than the already made Stonyfield yogurt sticks we buy, I need to further research this to see what makes the commercial brand smoother.

Let me know when you try this recipe and what your family thought.  :-)

Homemade Ranch Recipe (Powder, Salad Dressing and Veggie Dip)

Remember when it comes to spices and dairy...it's all ORGANIC here!

Homemade Ranch Powder
2 1/2 Tbsp dried minced onions (processed in food processor or blender to make a fine powder)
1 tsp dill (process/grind with minced onions)
7 tsp parsley flakes
3 tsp sea salt (Redmon's or Celtic.  Remember real sea salt is NOT all white.)
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and store in a glass jar.  Remember this is the real stuff, no junk in here, so it may clump a little.   Just open your glass jar and loosen ingredients with a butter knife before measuring.


*I have started blending everything except the salt and garlic in my bullet.  Makes a finer ranch dressing in my opinion.  :-)

I bought this glass jar at Whole Foods.

Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing
1 Tbsp of your Homemade Ranch Powder 
1 cup mayonnaise (I used Hellmans but will soon be switching to homemade mayo)
1 cup organic buttermilk (You can buy this at The Downtown Farm Stand, Whole Foods and I just called Meijer to ask them to start carrying it...keep your fingers crossed.)

Mix ingredients together and chill before serving.  I used my Pampered Chef salad dressing Measure Mix and Pour.  It worked great.  This salad dressing is sooooo good.  


Homemade Ranch Veggie Dip (I haven't made this one yet.)
1 3/4 Tbsp of your Homemade Ranch Powder
2 cups of organic sour cream

Mix together and enjoy!

Homemade Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

About a month ago I invested in a new appliance.  An ice cream maker.  But not like the one you are thinking of, not the one I have sitting in the garage collecting dust.  You know the one that requires you to walk down into your basement, scoop out a bunch of softener salt, carry it back upstairs, empty out your ice cube maker and then lug everything out into the garage to make the delicious treat you are yearning for...homemade ice cream.  Nope.  This beauty can sit on your counter top or store away in your cabinet.  The canister stays in your freezer so it is always ready to make you a cold, creamy treat.

I found mine at Amazon.com  The brand is deni and Amazon is the cheapest place we found it with free shipping.  Target also carries it, but for $10.00 more.

So, as I was flipping through the recipes that came with the ice cream maker, my eyes landed on the one that would be my first, adapted of course to make it organic...Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream.  Oh my!  We all love this recipe.  This recipe is not for the weak at chocolate heart.  If you do not care for rich, silky, deep chocolate with loads of peanut butter flavor, this may not be your favorite.  But stay tuned, I am working on a light homemade peach recipe.  There's something for everyone here.  :-)

Homemade Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

1 cup organic heavy whipping cream
1 cup organic half and half
1 cup sugar (from cane, not beet sugar)
4 oz. egg substitute
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla (not imitation)

1.  Combine cocoa and sugar in a mixing bowl, processor (I used a food processor and it worked great) or blender and mix.
2.  Blend in peanut butter and eggs.
3.  Add cream, half and half and vanilla.
4.  Beat well and chill thoroughly.
5.  After it is well chilled remove canister from freezer and pour your chilled, liquid into the canister and make some ice cream!  It took mine 26 minutes until the ice cream was finished.

I will say, for us, the recipe tasted better after we let it sit overnight in the freezer in an air tight glass storage bowl.  I am thinking to add pretzels and maybe a few marshmallows to this recipe next time.

Enjoy!!