Passover Prep: Egyptian Haroset

This past Sunday was supposed to be Mitzvah Day at synagogue.  We gather together and do volunteer projects and community service.  Thatkid and I signed up to bake and package cookies for Holocaust survivors.  So my brilliant plan was to make the cookies with Thatkid and then blog about how amazing they were, sharing the recipe with you.


But with the Covid-19 Pandemic closing schools, businesses, and religious services, we also cancelled Mitzvah Day.  So instead of sharing cookie recipes, I'm going to use these next few weeks to share Passover/Easter recipes.  Especially since we won't be traveling for either this year!

We'll start with the Passover seder, which is especially timely as I just figured out I may be in charge of making my own - for the first time in years!!!!  I really need to get on that menu prep and start buying things as the supermarkets make them available.

One thing I know I'll have is haroset.  Haroset, one of the most traditional Passover foods beside matzoh is a dish made by combining fruit and nuts.  The color and texture is supposed to resemble the mortar used by the Israelites in construction during their time of enslavement in Egypt.   This is one of the big differences between the Sephardic (Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/African) Jews and Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews.  I grew up in the Ashkenazi tradition with haroset that never resembled mortar.  Instead, the Ashkenazi haroset is made of grated apples, nuts, red wine, cinnamon, and honey.  It is sweet and light and exceptionally fresh tasting.  It also does not keep all that well.

This Sephardic haroset will definitely last until Passover next month!  Made with dates, raisins, and sugar, it is easy to see the resemblance to mortar.  It is also exceedingly sweet!  I'm excited to try it with horseradish - a necessary combination at a seder.  So sticky and sweet, I also think it would make an excellent filling for a cinnamon roll.  Or a Passover version of a cinnamon roll.

Egyptian Haroset (From Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook)

1 lb raisins

8oz pitted dates

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Place the raisins and dates in a bowl with enough water to cover.  Let stand for 1 hour
2. Add the sugar and whirl the mixture in a blender.
3. Transfer to a heavy saucepan and let simmer over low heat until the fruits are cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove from the heat and place in a jar.  When cool, sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Prepping for Pi Day: Fresh Lemon Pie

In the Jewish tradition, trees are planted to commemorate the birth of a child.   When a boy is born, the foreskin is buried beneath the tree following the circumcision.  The tree is supposed to grow along with the child, and when the child marries, the branches are used to create the chuppah, or wedding canopy.

We chose to use a lemon tree which has (4 years later) finally started fruiting!  Which is pretty exciting.  I mean, we got 2 weird looking lemons that never turned yellow last year, but this year we've got multiple lemons, and more on the way by the way this thing is flowering. 

So I really wanted to use the lemons to make a pie for this year's Pi Day pie.  Only problem?  I've never made a lemon pie before.  TMIL makes lemon meringue pie, and while in general my takes on her "classics" come out better than the original, this is one I just wasn't willing to mess with.  Not with Thatboy's obvious affection for it.  I didn't want to risk the comparison.

But, I can follow a recipe, and so I pulled out my James Beard Cookbook and gave it a shot.  And you guys?  The recipe was just no good.  No really.  I ended up with lemon soup instead of lemon curd and when I tried to figure out why I stumbled upon the fact that EVERY other lemon meringue pie recipe calls for boiling the filling, while my recipe tells you to take the filling off heat just before it boils.  Which (I learned) makes the cornstarch never activate and the filling never thicken.   I will say though, that Thatboy happily ate the pie with a spoon from a bowl and declared it the best lemon curd he's ever eaten.

Meanwhile I decided to move on to the next lemon pie recipe and see if I stood a better shot at that.  This one creates a lemon marmalade instead of a curd - using the entire lemon, peels and all.  Learning from my last mistake, I cooked this one for much longer than the recipe called for, making sure it got very thick before removing it from the heat.  In various forums I read, I noticed they mentioned you should be able to cut through the filling with a knife before putting it in the crust. 

And this time the filling set up!  A nice, tart filling that's perfect for the upcoming spring, holidays, and even Pi Day next week!

Fresh Lemon Pie  (From James Beard's American Cookery)

1 cup thin slices of unpeeled lemon

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups + 6 Tbsp sugar, divded

3 eggs, divided into whites and yolks

7 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt, divided

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 pie dough, pressed into a pie pan and baked

1. Place the lemon slices and water in a saucepan and simmer for 10-20 minutes (until the lemon rinds are very tender).
2. Add 1 cup sugar and simmer until sugar has dissolved.
3. Combine remaining sugar with the egg yolks, flour, and 1/4 tsp salt.
4. Temper the egg mixture by stirring in some of the hot lemon water.
5. When well combined, stir all the yolk mixture into the hot lemon water.  Continue to stir and cook over low heat until the mixture is thick (this took me almost 20 minutes.)
6. Add the butter and cool to room temperature.
7. Pour the filling into the crust and let cool completely.
8. Make the meringue topping. Preheat oven to 350. Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
9. Add the tartar and remaining salt.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
10. Slowly add the sugar and beat until combined.
11. Spoon the filling onto the pie and bake for 18 minutes.
12. Let cool completely before cutting!

Crave Wednesday: Heirloom Tomato, Watermelon, and Peach Salad

"I remember when August was when you got the best, sweetest watermelon."  Thatboy told me as he grabbed a piece from the fridge last week.  His remark was a commentary on the fact that watermelon has been pretty lackluster this year.  We've tried it from all different sources, including going to pick our own.

Those watermelon pictured above had all the hallmarks of a "good" watermelon.  Hollow sounding, a creamy yellow patch...but cut them open and they were white.  Not because they were some weird white varietal, but because they were just not ripe.

But we've also bought watermelon that when cut into, raised our hopes.  Gloriously pink, as though they had been photographed for the very definition of summer melon.  And they were completely lacking in flavor.

It wasn't just us who couldn't seem to get a handle on watermelon this summer.  On our way home from camping we stopped at restaurant for lunch where Thatboy was drawn in to the watermelon and beet salad.  And the watermelon was just as flavorless as those we had been finding all summer.  That salad had other flaws as well.  With gorgonzola and a balsamic reduction there were too many competing flavors.  Especially given that those flavors were each really heavy.  It was not the watermelon salad I would have made.  It was not the watermelon salad I have made.

Typically my watermelon salads are low on ingredients.  Watermelon, mint, and feta. Skip the balsamic and do a basic dressing with lime and olive oil.  Light and fresh.

This watermelon salad is slightly more complicated, but only slightly.  I love beets as much as the next girl, but their earthiness doesn't match the lightness of watermelon.  Peaches and tomatoes are a much more complementary addition.  The salty feta gets replaced with a more mild goat cheese.  And instead of just lime and oil, this dressing is almost mojito like with its honey and rum!  Which is perfect for those less than sweet watermelons.

Heirloom Tomato, Watermelon, and Peach Salad (From Cooking Light)

juice of 2 limes

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp white rum

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups cubed, seedless watermelon

1 1/2 cups sliced peaches

1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion

1/4 cup torn mint leaves

2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil

1 lb heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, honey, rum, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl.
2. Add watermelon, peaches, onion, mint, basil, and tomatoes and toss gently.  Refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve.

Trail of Crumbs: Chilled Blueberry Soup

I'm ready for fall.  Cooler temperatures, chili, apple cider.  This delayed summer is for the birds.  It's October, but feels like August.  It's like someone forgot to tell Mother Nature to send in the crisp clear air and cool breezes.

Instead of bowls of chili, hearty fall squashes, and roasted veggies, we're still doing light salads and cold soups.

I am a strong supporter of cold soups in the summer.  Chilled cucumber soup, cold gazpacho.  It's as if the summer produce flavors come bursting out when the soup isn't steamy.

Fruit soups for me always seem more like dessert.  Especially when honey and vanilla are prominent ingredients.  This blueberry soup is a really nice end to a late summer meal, but also works as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, or mixed with a little sparkling wine.

Chilled Blueberry Soup (From Trail of Crumbs)

6 cups fresh blueberries

4 cloves

1/2 cup liquid honey

1 vanilla bean or 1 cinnamon stick

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp creme de cassis

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1.  Rinse blueberries and and place all but 1 cup in a large pot.  
2.  Add cloves and honey.
3. Split vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into pot using tip of knife, and add scraped bean halves (or scrape cinnamon into pot and add stick).
4. Add one cup water and stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer about 10 minutes.
5. Strain, using back of spoon to crush berries through a fine sieve into a bow.  Discard solids.
6. Let soup cool.  Stir in lemon juice, creme de cassis, and vinegar.
7. Add more honey as needed.  Chill in refrigerator 4 hours.  Serve in chilled bowls with reserved cup of blueberries.

Trail of Crumbs: Figs Roasted in Red Wine with Cream and Honey

Oh what a weekend my friends.  Between TMIL staying with us, Yom Kippur, and Thatbaby's birthday party I am already exhausted.  And it's still the beginning of the week!  I think I'll be able to catch up a bit next weekend.  Well at least next Saturday.  Sunday's going to be a long fun filled day.  Just in time for next week!

I have a hard time taking it easy.  There's just so much I want to do!  So many things I want to take advantage of.  Like the last of the summer bounty, which we're still raking in here because of the weather.  Big, sweet, berries, red juicy tomatoes, and sweet ripe figs. 

Kim Sunee describes the taste of her first fig as "a sweetness...deeper than honey."  Their sticky sweetness sticks to Sunee's lips in a near sexual allusion.  For me, both figs and dates have a candy-like quality.  They are perfect on their own, no need for adornment.  And yet, a simple syrup made from roasting in red wine yields a pretty simple yet fairly impressive dessert.

Figs Roasted in Red Wine With Cream and Honey (From Trail of Crumbs)

12 to 18 fresh figs

1/2 bottle red wine

3 Tbsp honey

1 cinnamon stick

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp creme fraiche

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Remove stems from figs and cut a small X in top of each.  Place figs cut side up in an overproof pan.
2. Pour wine over.
3. Drizzle with honey.
4. With a knife, scrape cinnamon stick over figs, and add stick to pan.  Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until figs are tender, but not falling apart.
5. Gently remove figs using a slotted spoon and place on serving dishes.
6. Place pan over medium high heat, stir in sugar, and bring win to a boil.
7. Cook on high heat about 7 minutes or until syrupy.  Remove from heat.
8. Stir in creme fraiche.
9. Spoon wine and creme fraiche mixture over figs.

Trail of Crumbs: Wild Peaches Poached in Lillet Blanc and Lemon Verbena

Before TFIL was forced to give up alcohol due to his type 2 diabetes he was a big drinker  (probably part of the reason for his diabetes).  He loved aperitifs as much as he loved his with-dinner drinks.  One of his favorites was Lillet Blanc, a blend of white wines and orange liqueur.  The only time I've ever drank Lillet Blanc was when I was at the inlaws, so that's where my mind immediately went when I saw this recipe featured the sweet beverage.

Sunee begins the book with this recipe, which represents "where [she] is now" and harkens back to the first time she met her lover's daughter, the first time she tasted the sweetness of a wild peach.  I've had fresh peaches before, but not of the same variety she describes - blood peaches.  Wild peaches aren't exactly easy to find in these parts, most being cultivated on farms.  But I used what I had.

I love fruit for dessert.  For me, there is nothing more needed.  No cake, no ice cream.  Especially in summer, the sticky sweetness of fruit serves as a nice, light way to end the evening.  So I felt this was a delightful summer treat.  The peaches are tender, but not in the mushy way canned peaches would be.  And the sweetness of the fruit serves to balance the crisp Lillet in the sauce.

Wild Peaches Poached in Lillet Blanc and Lemon Verbena (From Trail of Crumbs)

6 medium sized ripe wild peaches

1 bottle Lillet Blanc

1/3 cup sugar

2 to 3 Tbsp honey

1 piece of orange rind

squeeze of fresh orange juice (from 1 quarter)

4-5 fresh lemon verbena sprigs

1. Cut an x in blossom end of each peach. Plunge in boiling water for about 30 seconds.  Remove and peel peaches.
2. Place peeled peaches in a large, wide, heavy bottomed pot.  Pour Lillet Blanc over.
3. Add sugar, honey, orange rind, and juice.  
4. Gently crush lemon verbena leaves with hands to release fragrance and add springs to pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and poach, occasionally turning peaches gently for even cooking, to to 30 minutes depending on ripeness, or until peaches are tender when pierced gently with tip of knife.
5. Carefully remove peaches and place in a large serving bowl.  Turn heat to high and cook poaching liquid 6 to 8 minutes or until thick and syrupy.  Pour over peaches.
6. Let cool and chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.

Peach Pie

Happy Pi Day!  I never ever ever remember to participate in Pi Day.  Well this year, that's going to change.  I actually remembered AND made a pie in advance that I could share with you.  This is NOT the season for peach pie.  Peach pie should ideally be made in the summer, with sweet, juicy peaches.  Preferably from Georgia.  But I am far from Georgia.  And it is far from summer.  But I am not one to be deterred when there is a holiday based upon a mathmatical constant that sounds like a delicious dessert.  I mean, how often does that happen?  So I went with the next best thing to fresh, juicy, Georgia peaches - frozen peaches.  Not as good, but a great substitute in a pi-nch. 

Peach Pie

2 1/2 cups flour + 4 Tbsp

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup shortening

cold water

1 cup sugar

4 cups frozen peach slices

juice of 1 lemon

 

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cut in the shortening with 2 knives until the mixture resembles little peas.
3. Sprinkle water by the tablespoon over the mixture, mixing with a fork, adding just enough water so the pastry holds together.  Divide the dough into 2 balls.  Roll one of the balls out and place in a 9 inch pie pan.
4. Combine the sugar and remaining flour in a large bowl. 
5. Add the peaches and lemon juice, tossing to combine.
6. Pile the fruit into the pie plate.  
7. Roll out the remaining ball of dough and drape over the fruit.  Crimp the edges and cut several vents in the top.  
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 35 minutes.

Oh the New Year!

The New Year has been treating us pretty well so far. It started out when I got spoiled opening up my stocking.

See, Thatboy and I have been together for almost 13 years. And I have spent all but one of those years spending Christmas with his family.  And although everyone else has a stocking, I don't.  So Thatboy and I started our own tradition of exchanging stockings when we got home from our Christmas trip.  This year was filled with all sorts of goodies for me, including a not pictured whisk which Thatbaby ran off with.

New Years itself we spent in Palm Desert with Thatmom and her boyfriend.  And I got a chance to cook a nice elaborate feast.  It's been forever since I've done that!

We started with some black bean and pancetta soup, which I didn't get a chance to photograph, but went over well with the whole crowd.

For the main course, Thatboy had requested a roast chicken, since it's been a while since I made one.  I was only too happy to accommodate.

 And since I was already roasting a chicken I thought I should make my life easy and roast some root veggies to go with it.  Especially since Thatmom loves roasted root vegetables.  This was a mix of carrots, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes.  And a handful of pancetta leftover from making the soup.

I also had the ability to make some homemade bread to go with our meal.  It's been a while since I've made bread - but it's one of my favorite things to make.  Although I prefer to do it at home with a stand mixer.

 As usual, we went overboard with the dessert.  Thatmom picked up a bunch of pastries and a chocolate covered caramel apple.  And I made fruit compote and applesauce cake.  The fruit compote because it's easy - and would have been fantastic over some vanilla ice cream.  And the applesauce cake because Thatboy loves this cake.  Well, to be fair, he probably loves any cake with cream cheese, but he raves about this one every time I make it.

 Fruit Compote

1 can of pears in juice

1 can cherries in juice

1 can halved apricots, in juice

peel of one orange, cut into slivers

1 tsp vanilla

1. Drain all the juices from the fruit into a small saucepan.
2. Add the orange peel and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add the fruit and the vanilla and continue cooking until heated through.

 Applesauce Cake

1 stick of butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup applesauce

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray.  Cream the butter in an electric mixer.
2. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the applesauce and blend.
4. Beat in the eggs.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
6.  Stir in the raisins.  Spread in the pan and bake 40 minutes, or until done.
7. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.

A-B-Cs

My boss held an orange in his hand, examining it.  "I don't like naval oranges,"  he informed me after a pause.  He told me stories of growing up in Orange County and having "orange fights" with his friends.  "You'd take a bite from the orange to open it up and then throw it.  The juice would explode all over the person."

I looked at him for a minute.  "Why would you waste a perfectly good orange?" 

I told him of my love for Cara Cara oranges.  He's never had, so I'm going to bring him in some on Monday.  And then I came home and decided that all this talk of Cara Caras and oranges was making me hungry.

Fruit salad with dinner was definitely called for.  They say you can't compare apples and oranges, but you can certainly combine them.  Add a couple of bananas in the mix and I can't think of a more classic fruit salad.

 Apple, Banana, and Cara Cara Salad

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp paprika

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup canola oil

poppy seeds

1 apple, sliced

1 cara cara orange, sliced

1 banana, sliced

1. Combine the mustard, sugar, paprika, and lemon juice in an electric mixer.
2. Slowly add the canola oil while the mixer is on.   Beat until thickened.
3. Add the poppy seeds and mix to combine.
4. Combine the sliced apple, orange, and banana.  Toss with the dressing.

Pineapple Pandamonium

"I'm really loving the salads we're having with dinners lately."

That's what Thatboy told me the other night.  And it's true.  I've been getting a little creative with our salads and dressings.

With the leftover pineapple from the Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich, I decided to make a tropical fruit salad.  Some pineapple, some mango, some coconut - all in a sweet pineapple dressing.

Serve this with something easy - like rice and chicken to jazz up the meal.  Or use it to complement something like tacos or terriyaki.  I warn you that it is VERY sweet - which makes it a very nice dessert too.  (Even though Thatboy thinks fruit isn't a real dessert.)

It also works well for breakfast, mixed in with yogurt or cottage cheese.  Fruit is ever so versatile.

Tropical Fruit Salad

1/2 cup of honey

2 Tbsp crushed pineapple

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt

1/3 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 avocado, sliced

 1/3 cup mango slices

2 Tbsp grated coconut

1. Combine honey, pineapple, and lemon juice in a jar.  Put lid on and shake, shake, shake, senora.  Add as much salt as you'd like and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Combine pineapple, avocado, mango, and coconut.
3. Dress with dressing when ready to serve.

Just Peachy

Although he has five senses, Thatboy is largely ruled by his sense of smell.  I'd make some remark about men and pheromones here, but I'm really just thankful he's sitting beside me right now since we just finished a grueling workout.

Nothing can make or break our dinner like the smells that emanate from the kitchen.  "What smells like feet?" is the constant question whenever I use apple cider vinegar.  Conversely, all I need to do is saute some onions and garlic and I have myself a happy husband. 

A couple weeks back I discovered another olefactory secret - my husband loves the smell of sesame oil.  So when I started making this dish, he immediately began peppering me with excited questions about dinner.

Which is good, because my husband also doesn't like mixing his meats and fruit. 

So when two senses are at work (taste v. smell) which one wins out?  In this case, smell.  Thatboy definitely liked this dish.  It probably doesn't hurt that it's a pretty good dish.   A much healthier take on sweet and sour chicken - no breading, no frying, but many of the same great flavors. 

Ginger Chicken with Peaches (from Martha Stewart)

1/2 lb frozen peaches, unthawed
1 red onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4  teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place peaches and onions on a large rimmed baking sheet
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, ginger, soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, sesame oil, and red-pepper flakes; toss to coat.
3. Rub chicken with remaining teaspoon vegetable oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken among peaches and onions.
4. Roast the chicken 25 to 30 minutes.

Meatless Monday!

You know how I don't participate in Wordless Wednesday? Well I tend not to participate in Meatless Monday either. It's not that we don't have meatless meals - we do. All the time. In fact, this past week we had meatless meals twice. I just never manage to think about blogging about them until Monday has come and gone and by then, well, what's the point?

It's easy to have a meal without meat though, especially in the summer when the produce is gorgeous enough to make a meal on it's own. And I'm very lucky to have married a man who doesn't balk at the idea of salad for dinner. I mean sure, he's likely to ask me where the protein is when I hand him a pasta and cheese dish, or a salad dish without chicken, steak or shrimp, but he doesn't complain. And one of these days I think I might actually be able to convince him that cheese is a protein.

My favorite salads consist of greens, fruit, nuts, and cheese. I think the nuts help with the whole "where's the protein" question. And since it's summer, grilled fruit is ever so seasonal. And it's a nice change to have warm fruit instead of warm chicken or steak. I used a pear here, but this would work equally as well with a stone fruit like peaches, nectarines, or plums. Even grilled apple could be delicious. Like most salads, the elements are easily interchangeable. Don't like blue cheese? Try it with chevre, feta, or even some nice romano. And of course the dried cherries could be apricots, cranberries, or raspberries. Mix, match, go crazy. And meatless.

Grilled Pear Salad
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette
2 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp pecans, toasted and chopped
2 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 pear
juice of 1/2 lemon
butter lettuce

1. Heat your grill or grill pan over medium heat. Mix 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and the sugar in a sauce pan and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Mix cherries, pecans, and blue cheese.
3. Slice pear in half. Sprinkle with lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette on each half. Grill each pear about 3 minutes per side.
4. Arrange lettuce on two plates and top each plate with a pear half. Place the blue cheese mixture in the center of each pear and drizzle the vinaigrette mixture over all.
   

Dressing up the Basics

I go through phases with both yogurt and cottage cheese. Phases where I just can't get enough of them, and phases where they are the last thing I want to eat. It always boils down to texture. During my no-cottage-cheese-phases I also have a hard time stomaching oatmeal.

Right now, I'm not so in to yogurt. Which is a shame, because our fridge is usually nice and stocked. It makes a fabulous breakfast whether eaten at home, in the car, or at my desk.

So what's a girl to do with a fridge full of perishable dairy? Dress it up enough so that it's virtually unrecognizable as yogurt. Chocolate? Fruit? Why, this isn't yogurt - it's a DESSERT!

Layers of chocolate and strawberries (a great way to use up some leftover strawberries from yesterday's salad) sound so decadent, but when it's really **sshhhhhhh**** whispers "yogurt" then you don't have to feel guilty about it. (But of course, if you want to feel guilty, you can always use the leftover wafer cookies to make ice cream sandwiches. Which is obviously what I'm going to do)

Chocolate Strawberry Not-Yogurt
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 chopped banana
crumbled chocolate wafer cookies
2 6 oz cups of strawberry yogurt

1. Place half of yogurt on bottom of each cup.
2. Top yogurt with half of strawberries and all of the bananas.
3. Top with a layer of crumbled cookie.
4. Place remaining yogurt on top of crumbled cookie.
5. Top with remaining strawberries.