Yogurt Parfait

Happy National Dairy Month!  I love yogurt and could eat it every day.  I prefer Greek yogurt for its thicker heartier taste but flavored Greek yogurt is expensive when you buy the individual containers.  So, I decided to make some parfaits to keep in the freezer for a quick snack.  

All you need is yogurt (I chose Greek nonfat plain yogurt), berries (I chose frozen since they were not in season yet), chopped almonds, and honey.  Oh, and some containers. 

The containers are 1.2 cup and seem to be a good size.  It is a hearty snack at that size and some days I am not hungry enough to finish it so I am looking for a little smaller containers. 

Here is how to make them:

 Scoop in some yogurt.

 Top with berries. 

 Repeat.

 Top with almonds.

 Then honey. 

 Smoosh the lid on.

 And place in the freezer.  This will make 4 containers this size (but of course I only have 2). 

I like to take these to work as an afternoon snack - just pull in out of the freezer in the morning and it will be ready to eat in the afternoon.  If you want this for a morning snack, then pull it from the freezer the night before and it will be thawed and ready to enjoy by late morning. 

I love these because I could make a bunch (if I had more containers) and not have to worry about having healthy snacks for work or the weekend.  They would be in the freezer ready to go!

 I was worried about the almonds getting soggy but they provided the perfect crunch even after being frozen and thawed!

YUM!  What is your favorite snack?

Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

 We were given some asparagus a few weeks ago.  Asparagus is a favorite around here and normally we boil it or grill it - grilling is my favorite!  It is so easy!  But, since we had about 6 bunches of asparagus I had to come up with a new way to eat it. 

I like asparagus as a side dish, but decided to try it in a pasta dish.  Here is what I did:

You need:

- 2 cups penne pasta

- 1 bunch asparagus cut

- 2 chicken breasts

- 2 tablespoons flour

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 1 cup milk

- garlic

- Parmesan cheese

1. Boil water, add pasta and cook for about 6 minutes.  Add asparagus then cook until asparagus is done. 

2. Meanwhile - cut the chicken up into cubes and cook with the garlic. Set aside when done

3.  Make white sauce - add butter to pan and let it melt (over medium heat). Stir in flour and let boil, add milk and stir until thickened.  Add some minced garlic (to taste). 

4. By this time everything should be cooked - mix it all together and you are done!  

I really liked this but Michael doesn't like the asparagus in with the pasta.  I made double what we would eat so I could freeze some for lunch.  I portioned the leftovers into containers and froze them.  They reheat well but the asparagus doesn't look as good when reheated - it still tastes just fine but it looks a little deflated. 

If I make this again - I would marinate the chicken before hand and add some more garlic to the sauce.