Greek Yogurt Key Lime Pie

I have a new excuse for the last post this week.  I wrote a recipe out for the UWC after I brought in the pie.  That says something about the popularity of this one, I think.  Mainly, the fact that this is easy (super easy; exceptionally easy) and that it is about 200 calories per slice makes it almost impossible to resist. 

When I first started trying to lose weight, I found this "cheesecake" recipe online.  All it called for was a container of plain or vanilla greek yogurt and some Jello sugar free cheesecake pudding mix.  I made this all the time for dessert. 

Since then, I have made many variations of this.  However, I hadn't made a pie until last week. 

Greek Yogurt Key Lime Pie
4-5.3 oz containers of light greek key lime yogurt (Yoplait or Dannon are good)
1-1 oz box of Jello sugar free, fat free cheesecake mix (not prepared)
1  premade reduced fat graham cracker crust
1/2 container light Cool Whip

1.)  Empty the greek yogurt into a bowl.
2.) Mix the cheesecake mix in.

3.) Scoop into the premade graham cracker crust.
4.) Smooth the filling out.

5.) Cover with the Cool Whip.
6.)  Chill for at least an hour and serve.

Unofficial #7--stand back.  This pie goes fast.
 

The other great thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile.    Change the flavor of the yogurt and you get a new pie.  You can also drizzle chocolate sauce on top (which would be great for coconut or banana or raspberry pie).

Mango Cheesecake Parfait

Yesterday, I ate pizza for two meals and it was GOOD.  Really good.  However, I felt REALLY bad.  Of course, the whole day was a bit of a mess on my part.  It began okay.  I had set my alarm for 8 AM to get up and Remy on his morning walk.  Because it had rained (yay for rain!) the night before, I was conflicted about what to wear. I checked the weather and it was a bit cool, so I put on jeans and a tshirt then took Remy out.

Within five minutes, I was hungry and thirsty, but Remy wanted the longer walk because he didn't get one on Friday.  It seemed like a good idea anyway, since the park was probably a mud hole.  I walked him around the neighborhood and he was in rare form.  He barked at a bunch of dogs.  A bunch.  Even dogs that he normally would ignore, he barked at.  My patience was wearing thin.  Finally, we got back to the complex.  I had to throw Remy's poop bag away, so I went to the right.  Remy, however, was desperate for his breakfast, so he went straight.  My feet started to slide in the mud, and I tried to right myself.  I thought I had managed it, but my other foot slid when Remy try to pull me towards the apartment again (not that he has that much power). I started to fall, grabbed out for the stupid bushes and still hit the ground.  I was caked in mud and Remy was not sympathetic at all.   He wanted breakfast.

After that lovely experience (and a shower), I went back to bed.  However, I had plans so I had to get up eventually.  Between the fall and missing my exit to Jill's house, I was finished.  Pizza for lunch!  Then, I had a birthday party for a friend's son, and I went for pizza and cake there too.  I won't go into the other things I ended up eating yesterday.

So I was determined to be better today.  And I was.  Part of that "better" came from not falling on either of Remy's walks today :-)  The rest of it was from a lovely dessert I made myself for a late night snack.

I do this "cheesecake" a lot and I use a lot of variations.

Mango Cheesecake Parfait

1/2 a medium mango
1 container greek yogurt (I used Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla)
1/4 box of Jello sugar free cheesecake pudding mix

Slice the mango.  You can use another mix in/layering agent here.

Mix together the yogurt and cheesecake pudding mix.

Layer the mango and the yogurt (I only did two layers of pudding with fruit in the middle, but if you use a container that isn't as wide, you can use more).

Top with whipped cream and a cherry (or other toppers).  Crushed graham crackers would work here too.

It is about 130 calories and it fills in that need for something sweet after dinner.

Apparently my new blogging day is Sunday

So, I still don't know what day it is.  Or I was just too crazy tired this week to post on a Friday.  I'm not used to teaching every day anymore.  Really, I've never been used to teaching the same prep every day. 

Also, my plan for this week's post didn't happen, for a variety of reasons.  I blame the weather.  However, this post is even BETTER than my original plan. I'm notorious for having a single banana left over.  That does not support the making of banana bread, really.  I have used a lovely recipe that my vegan friends Phil and Judith sent me.  It is Polka Dot Banana Bread from Chocolate Covered Katie.  I just figure out what it needs for however much banana I have.  Awesome. 

The other--read lazier--thing I do with leftover single bananas is banana muffins using the small batch mixes.  Sometimes I use the Honey Bran mix, but I was in a corn muffin mood this week.  Also, I had blueberries and blueberries can only make things better, so I added them in too.

Banana Blueberry Corn Muffins

1 pkg. Jiffy corn bread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 banana, extra ripe
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1.) Preheat the oven according to the corn bread mix directions (400 degrees Farenheit)
2.) Spray a 6-tin muffin tin (I needed an extra cup)
3.) Mix banana, egg, and honey together.
4.) Add the Jiffy mix, cinnamon, and milk. 
5.) Stir until combined.  Avoid over working it or the muffins will be tough.  Lumps are okay.
6.) Add blueberries and mix gently.

7.) Fill the muffin tin.  Divide the batter evenly between the tins.  As I mentioned above, I needed a seventh.

8.) Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (About 15-20 minutes)

Remove them as soon as they have cooled a little or the bottoms will get damp/gummy. 

Of course, if you are making them in the morning for breakfast, there won't be enough time.  I always eat them when they are hot.  I won't eat all six though.

Now, for a last minute explanation of  the lack of photos.  Tony Awards.  That is all I have to say.  I've made a variation of these muffins a hundred times, but with no photos.  However, the Tonys kept me too distracted to actually take photos when they needed to be taken, so fail.  I got the important ones though!

And on that note, I will go back to prepping for class tomorrow.

I know what day it is, I swear

Summer confuses me.  I have a horrible time keeping track of what day it is.  However, that problem will soon be solved (ish) as I start teaching next week.  Of course, that actually might not help much, since I teach five days a week.  We shall see.

My hope is that I will actually have a blog post on FRIDAY this coming week. Super sigh.

Now, on to the important part:  the food! Lately, I have been buying a lot of fruit.  Summer berries.  Yummy.  I made strawberry biscuits, but I have more strawberries.  What ever am I to do with them?

While I was Pinteresting this week, I kept finding these recipes for Monkey Bread of various sorts.  Most people don't know this, but Monkey Bread is one of my favorite things EVER.  I love it.  However, it is a bit difficult to make small batches of it.  Generally, my mom would make it in a bundt pan.  That's a lot of Monkey Bread and I would eat it all.

Why I never thought of this, I do not know, but I saw a recipe for Monkey Bread for Two from Sweet as a Cookie on Pinterest.  Pudding mix is not a standard addition to Monkey Bread, but I'll try it!

Then, I saw this recipe for Strawberry Vanilla Monkey Bread from Dessert Now Dinner Later.  I had never thought about using fruit in it!

Since I can't leave anything alone, I sort of combined the two for a Strawberry Cheesecake Monkey Bread.

Strawberry Cheesecake Monkey Bread for Two

1 small can of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits (not Grands, just the small 6-biscuit tube)
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Cheesecake Pudding Mix
8 strawberries, sliced/chopped (or enough to alternate between the biscuits)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Grease two baking dishes.  You can use a muffin tin, if you don't have little ramekins.  Place them on a lined baking sheet. Don't make my mistake and just toss them in the oven.  They will overflow some strawberry juice (or it might just be because I didn't and fate does that to me).

Cut the biscuits into quarters, roll them in the pudding mix (not prepared), and then place them in the ramekins.  Alternate the biscuit with the strawberries.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  The biscuits will rise and fill in gaps.

Once all of the biscuits and strawberries are layered in, sprinkle any left over pudding mix over the tops.

In a separate ramekin (because I am lazy, I just used the pudding mix ramekin), microwave the butter and sugar until it is melted.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange extract (these are all optional).   Mix it together, then drizzle it over the top of the Monkey Bread ramekins.

Bake them at 350  degrees Fahrenheit for about twenty minutes, or until they are brown on top and cooked through.

Let them cool for five minutes (if you can, because they smell so good). 


I will admit that the cheesecake flavor doesn't really come through, but I might try it with some cream cheese added in, but that might cause some problems.

The good news is that this was a 330 calorie breakfast, which isn't too bad. The bad news is that I want a traditional Monkey Bread now. 

Or even just this one: