Tip: The many uses of yogurt

In the last couple of years, I have grown to really enjoy plain low-fat yogurt in the morning mixed with granola and fruit. Not only is it filling, but it's a nutritional breakfast that is low in fat and filled with protein. Recently, I attempted to use plain yogurt in other ways and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

I first used it as a base in salad dressings replacing mayonnaise, such as in the case for coleslaws and creamy dressings for greens, and it worked wonderfully. I then decided to expand its use in dips. I'm a huge fan of onion dip with potato chips and I was very pleased when I realized that yogurt could easily replace most of the sour cream, if not all, in my dips. I was amazed that yogurt could actually turn my guilty pleasure into something that is actually nutritious - if you ignore the potato chips of course....

Finally, I discovered yogurt cheese, or what is referred to as labneh in the Middle East. Yogurt cheese is extremely versatile and easy to make. All you need to do is place a large sieve over a bowl, into which you place either cheese cloth or a large paper coffee filter. Next, you fill the filter with yogurt, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The yogurt will drain off all its moisture and what will be left behind is a very thick and creamy yogurt that rivals cream cheese! You can then mix in all types of herbs or seasonings to add flavor. I used dried Herbes de Provence for one batch, and garlic and herbs for another. Both spreads were delicious on crackers and bagels. After reading a little more about it, it even seems that yogurt cheese can also be used in low fat desserts as a substitute for cream cheese, such as in light cheesecake recipes.

So to sum up, yogurt can easily replace mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, while being more nutritious, higher in protein and lower in fat. I recommend it's many uses to anyone... whether you are on a diet or not!

Tip: How to soften brown sugar

There's nothing more aggravating than getting ready to bake and realizing that your brown sugar has hardened and it's filled with hard clumps. As you scrape at it, some of it ends up flying everywhere and you regret ever having started this project in the first place. The next time this happens to you, try this neat trick. Simply pop your brown sugar container into the microwave and heat it up for about 30 seconds on High. The heat will cause the molasses in the brown sugar to soften, which will in turn make the brown sugar smooth again! It's fast and it works every time!

Tip: How to clean your microwave in minutes!

I recently learned an amazing trick to clean your microwave oven really quickly, and I just had to share it. You simply have to begin by putting a bowl of water in your microwave and then heating it on high for a few minutes until the water is steaming. When you take the bowl out, you'll notice that all the hardened bits of food that are stuck everywhere will have softened because of the steam, and can then be wiped off really easily. No scrubbing, no strong products required...it works like a charm!