A father and the best fro-yo sandwich he's ever had!

This past Father's Day I decided to make a real special desert for a real special father, my husband! An awesomely delicious treat that we all enjoyed!


So after surfing my favourite blogs, I came upon this most amazing desert that I knew he would absolutely love. Homemade Lemon Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches.... never attempted before, but hey, he's worth it!

Check him out with his Father's Day loot: FIFA shirt, BBQ toys and omellete maker in hand!

So this is how you start. Get two 8 inch square pans. Cut some parchment paper and layer it so it will hangover on each side, then spray with a pit of Pam.

Make the batter and divide it between 2 pans and spread evenly (a little tricky because of the paper moving and slipping.... but it's worth it!)

Bake using the directions below and let cool completely in the pan.

Make the blueberry compote and let cool as well.

Having prepared the froyo- or ice cream as directed with the lovely lemon zest and juice, get ready to assemble it all together.

Blend the blueberry compote into the lemon froyo and make nice swirls.

Then dollop the froyo onto the bottom cookie.

Spread it all around in an even layer.

Flip the top layer over the froyo and press gently. Wrap it in foil and leave place in freezer for at least 3 hours ( I left mine overnight).

So easy and simple... take this little present out of the freezer, it just comes out so nicely because of the parchment paper.

Cut the edges so it's smooth, try not to eat all the edges!!!!

And there you have it. A fabulous healthy alternative to store bought ice cream sandwiches. Portion controlled, and lower fat with with Frozen yogurt.

See Brent loving it... yummmmm!!!

I served it with a few berries on the side and ate it with a fork... but you can just pull them out of the freezer and enjoy them as a cool and creamy snack!

Here's the recipe:

LEMON BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Adapted from http://www.shutterbean.com/2013/lemon-blueberry-ice-cream-sandwiches/ who adapted it from Gourmet Magazine 

For lemon ice cream:

2 pint premium vanilla ice cream ( I used frozen yogurt for half the calories and all the taste!)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For blueberry compote:

1 cup blueberries

1/8 cup sugar

2 (3-by 2 1/2-inch) strips lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For sandwich layers:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make lemon ice cream:

Let ice cream sit out for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, until it reaches the consistency of soft serve. Transfer ice cream to a large bowl and stir in lemon zest and juice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze while making compote and sandwich layers.

Make blueberry compote:

Cook blueberries, sugar, and zest in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, thoroughly crushing blueberries with a potato masher, until juices are released and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Stir together lemon juice and cornstarch, then stir into blueberry mixture. Boil, stirring, 1 minute (mixture will thicken).

Transfer blueberry compote to a bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Discard lemon zest.

Make sandwich layers while compote chills:

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter baking pans and line with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side, then butter foil ( I used parchment paper and cooking spray).

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.

Divide batter between baking pans and spread into thin, even layers with offset spatula. Bake until golden-brown but still tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.

Assemble sandwiches:

Dollop tablespoons of blueberry compote all over ice cream, then swirl it gently through ice cream with a spoon. Spoon all of ice cream over 1 sandwich layer (in pan) and spread evenly using clean offset spatula. Invert second sandwich layer over ice cream, pressing gently to form an even sandwich. Wrap baking pan in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.

Transfer sandwich to a cutting board using overhang. Trim edges if desired, then cut into 12 pieces. 

Check out this live testimonial!

Skinnied Up Banana Splits

I love the taste of a banana split, so one day, I decided to make a healthier version of this favourite treat of mine.

Start by cutting up some strawberries and bananas into bite size pieces.

Then, instead of using ice cream, choose a frozen yogurt. Chapman's has the best selections and they are ususally 50% less fat than real ice cream.

See, half a cup has 130 calories and 3g of fat, compare this to ice cream- 290 calories and 18g of fat (ok that's Haagen Dazs, but still!!!).

 

Et voila, just add some drizzle of chocolate sauce!

Here's a closeup... nice, eh? This little treat was less than 200 calories, so go ahead and impress your friends and family... just remember to put it in a fancy serving dish and you will think you are at one of those fancy gourmet desert places.

Little Sister's Birthday Party

Not too long ago we celebrated my little sister's birthday- my lovely parents hosted the festivities and fun was had by all!

So Melanie and I showed up with our matching Old Navy Heart Sweaters.

Some weird Moustache person came.

Of course, Stephanie Sachs came.

...and the birthday girl of course, who brought her little giraffe friend Sophie.

My lovely mother... (missing in photos- Brent, Barrie and my Dad- but they were there too!)

We grilled kebabs- chicken, pork, lamb, beef and sausage... ooooh, so good!

Delish fresh veggie salad.

But Julie's absolute favourite is this desert that my mom makes for her every year. Rice Krispy crust ice cream cake. My mom makes the crust with peanut butter (yummmm- added protein) and instead of ice cream she used caramel chunks frozen yogurt. Good healthy alternatives mom!

Look at Stephanie looking on at the spectacle. Our tradition- we all hold pinkies and make a wish and then the Birthday Girl blows the candles out and all our dreams come true!

Julie's polka dot presents.... I love the wrapping paper/bags my mom uses. Always so bright and full of fun patterns- I LOVE POLKA DOTS!

After the festivities... let me tell you, father and daughter had to nap, there was just too much excitement!

Chapman beats the Cow

It sure has been hot for the last couple of days. So I thought it would be appropriate to share with you my new discovery for the summer. I had posted about the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich a while ago, but let me tell you... I think I found a better one.

It's name is Chapman's Frozen Yogurt Vanilla Sandwich. And he is the WINNER!

Here are the 'deats'- 130 calories, 3g fat, 1g fibre... and it does have a few ingredients that you can't pronounce... but it's a nice alternative to the old fashioned Eskimo pies... remember those?

Here it is- it's really good I tell you and you buy a box of 6 I think for $5.99, a lot less expensive than the other guys. I really like Chapman's Frozen Yogurt Product line.

Skinny Cow makes for a refreshing summer treat

Interesting but true! I find that in this wieght loss journey, it's important 'now' and forever never to feel deprived. So I found this 'ice cream' (because it's not ice cream at all) treat called Skinny Cow. It's a giant Vanilla Sandwich... and it's good!

It comes in chocolate or vanilla 'frozen dairy product'- it's not for the very pure people out there. But when you have a craving and you see all those ice cream trucks rolling around... this will do.

It only has 130 calories, 1.5 g of fat and even 2g of protein. So go ahead and enjoy in moderation! It's that the key to enjoying life eh?

Skinny Cow to the Rescue

Well I used to love high fat and sugary ice cream- like Rolo and Reese's, horribly unhealthy, I know. And the worst part was that I used to eat most of the container and it would be gone in a week (or less sometimes). My whole thing now is 'portion control' and healthy alternatives.  So look what I found at the store recently... SKINNY COW TO THE RESCUE!

Aren't these cute? Tiny little 157ml servings. I bought one of each of the flavours, of course I had the chocolate with brownie bits, Brent had the Caramel swirl and Melanie had the Cookies and cream. Mine was ok, it tasted a bit 'processed', but the others- which were white ice milk product (not ice cream) were a lot better. There's were good and I would by them again.

Check out the nutritional dets... this little cup has 150 calories, 1.5g of fat, 3g of fibre? where's the fibre from??? Anyways, I just loved them for a treat - because they were around $2.00 each- but mostly because you had your little portion and that was it, there wasn't anymore lurking in the freezer calling out your name.

Delicious and Nutritious- Fibre One Haystaks

Fibre One Peanut Butter Chocolate Haystacks (http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/367)

A great Alternative to package cookies. They taste so good, you don't even know they are good for you! 

 Ingredients:

2 Cups Fibre One Cereal

3 oz Dark chocolate

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Directions:

Melt bar and peanut butter in microwave until smooth, at 30-second intervals. Be careful not to burn or overcook. Stir chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Add cereal and gently toss till coated. Drop onto wax paper, making 6 stacks. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens (about 30 minutes). Serves 12.

Nutritional Information for 1 Stack:

71 calories, 4g fat, 12 carbs, 5g fiber, 2g protein

Okay, but I took it a little farther last weekend, I made a decadent looking desert. But it was a low fat, tasty treat with berries, chocolate and this new product I found at Longo's.

This was my Vanilla Sandwhich Base!. It's 98% fat free.

Here are the nutrional details. Only 130 calories, 1.5g of fat and even has 4g of protein. So that makes this tasty desert just around 200 calories. It was so decadent, our little house guest thought this was better than something you get in a fancy restaurant!