Strawberry Lemonade Frozen Yogurt

I have been dying to make frozen yogurt in our ice cream machine!

With Easter on Sunday and the sun showing itself a little more, now seemed like a good time to try it. Especially this recipe. It just screams spring!

Strawberry lemonade frozen yogurt tastes exactly how it sounds...like strawberry lemonade! A strong strawberry flavor with a little tartness from the lemon. However, the yogurt isn't very prominent, like in most frozen yogurt recipes. I was interested in how it would taste using the maple syrup, and it came out great! The syrup is not even noticeable.

Instead of the Greek yogurt we used plain homemade yogurt and filtered out some of the water using a coffee filter. But that's just us...use Greek yogurt if that's easier!

This frozen yogurt would be so refreshing in the summer!

Strawberry Lemonade Frozen Yogurt

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 cups strawberries (sliced)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Put sliced strawberries, lemon juice, and maple syrup in a blend and pulse until smooth.

2. Add yogurt, blending until evenly incorporated.

3. Place mixture into fridge for 1 hour.

4. Put in ice cream maker using manufacturer's instructions.

5. Soft serve: serve immediately; hard serve: freeze for several hours, removing from freezer 30-60 minutes to soften before serving. The frozen yogurt will become more icy when frozen.

Recipe from: http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2602370067&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=1682219&link=aHR0cDovL2tpdGNoZW5zaW1wbGljaXR5LmNvbS9zdHJhd2JlcnJ5LWxlbW9uYWRlLWZyb3plbi15b2d1cnQv&frame=1&click=0&user=0

Chai Tea

I've only had chai a few times before, and the only thing I remember about it some kind of sweet taste. Having heard raving reviews from my parents about it, I decided I needed to change that.

We had all the ingredients (well, except whole cloves...but ground cloves ended up working fine), so I decided to make it, which was fun and different because I had to grind up all of the ingredients.

The chai made the house smell wonderful. In fact, I think I need a chai scented candle so I can smell chai all the time :)

I did have a bit of a problem with the condensed milk though. Apparently it is as slow as molasses (at least that's how it felt!) and having only a small hole in the can did not help. At all. My arm got tired of holding it, even after I punched four additional holes in the top!

The day was gray and dreary, making the chai even more satisfying. I now understand completely why everyone likes it so much!

Chai Tea

Serves 10

Ingredients:

10 cups water

2 tsp. bay leaves

2 tsp. fennel

5 whole cloves or 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

3 white cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks

5 tea bags (Lipton)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Boil 10 cups of water.

2. Crush up bay leaves, fennel cloves, white cardamom, and cinnamon sticks using a mortar and pestle. Add to water. Boil for 5 minutes.

3. Turn down heat, add tea bags, and steep until black, about 10 minutes.

4. Add sweetened condensed milk.

5. Remove tea bags when chai turns a creamy golden-brown color.

6. Strain and enjoy hot or cold!

Recipe from: Dr. & Mrs. Ketchum

Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar

Turns out my dad doesn't like squash...

...which I only found out after I put a dish of it on the dinner table.

My dad and I are the only ones here this week while my mom and sister are in the Netherlands. That means I got the squash all to myself. However, this was not a bad thing.

I'm actually quite proud of this squash–multiple things could have gone terribly wrong with it!

1. The butternut squash was sitting on our counter for absolutely forever. I have no idea how long they last, but apparently a really long time!

2. It was my first time making it, and there was no set recipe...just a few quick directions from my mom before she left.

I did find out a few things though...

It is difficult to fill a jelly roll pan with water, then put it in the oven. Yep, it spilled. Probably putting it in the oven then filling it with cupfuls of water would be a better idea. You learn by making mistakes!

It is also very hard to get the pan back out of the oven when the squash is finished. I have no ideas for an easier way than just being careful, and not filling the pan too full with water.

The butternut squash is very hot when it is done! I was a little impatient, and went right at it after one minute of cooling. I survived, but next time I think I'll wait five minutes.

When all was said and done though, the squash was very yummy–and as a bonus, I didn't have to share!

Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

water

1 butternut squash

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Cut butternut squash in half.

2. Scrape out seeds.

3. Poke holes in the outside skin using a fork.

4. Fill a cookie sheet with edges (such as a jelly role pan) with about 1/2 - 3/4 inches of water.

5. Place butternut squash halves face down in water. Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour.

6. Carefully remove from oven. Place butternut squash halves on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

7. Using a spoon, scrape squash from skin into a serving dish.

8. Mix in about 1/4 cup butter (adjust to taste).

9. Sprinkle brown sugar on top, until mostly covered, about 1/4 cup. Serve hot.

Recipe from: Kris Faber