Frozen Yogurt

Who doesn't love a little frozen treat at the end of a hot summer day?  This recipe for frozen yogurt is spectacular. I found the recipe on EatingWell but opted to decrease the sugar a bit since the fruit adds so much sweetness on its own.  If you are planning ahead, it sets up nicely after freezing for a few hours but you can certainly still eat it right away if you can't bear to wait!  You can buy fruit in a frozen package, but I think it is most flavorful if you chop up fresh fruit and freeze it yourself.  I used peaches in the batch below.  Be patient if it seems to jam up in your blender/food processor, if you help it along by mixing it around it a few times it will blend nicely.

16 oz fruit, chopped and frozen
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix ingredients in blender or food processor. Store in freezer. Serves 4.

Mickey Oreos

Alright, so this isn't exactly a recipe...but it is food related and too cute not to share.  My sister had a Mickey themed party for her one year old so I volunteered to make some Mickey Oreos.  I dipped mini Oreos in chocolate and attached them to a big Oreo. I threw them in the fridge for a bit to help the chocolate firm up nicely. Then I dipped the big Oreo in red chocolate (Candy Melts from a craft store) and finished them off with a couple sprinkles for his buttons.

Frozen Mocha Dessert

This recipe came from my aunt and has been a family favorite for years.  It is smooth, rich and oh-so delicious! I use lite cool whip and 1/3 less fat cream cheese and it still turns out great.  If you will serve it in the evening you may want to consider using decaf coffee.

24 Oreos, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
16 oz cream cheese
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 Tbsp hot water
2 Tbsp instant coffee
12 oz cool whip or 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Mix most of the crushed Oreos (reserving a small handful for the topping) with melted butter and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Chill in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the dessert. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it becomes fluffy. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup. Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Remove pan with crust from the freezer and pour cream cheese mixture over the crust. Top with crushed Oreos and chill in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight.