Greek Yogurt

Back in my elementary school days my mom used to put yogurt in my lunch just about everyday. It was usually the Trix kind...yes, like the cereal. I kind of grew tired of it once I figured out that the texture was unlike anything else: decidedly goopy. So I've spent the last 10 years of my life yogurt-free, until about two weeks ago. I finally cashed in on the Greek yogurt fad and I was pleasantly surprised! The texture was creamy and smooth, like ricotta cheese, and it had the tangy yogurt taste without too much added sweetness. My favorite is the blueberry flavor of Fage, which comes in a cute package with the yogurt on one side and the blueberry syrup in the other, reminiscent of the Dunkaroos and "cheese and crackers" of my childhood (you know the ones...with the fake cheese and the little red plastic spatula for spreading the weird cheese-like substance). The only problem is that these individual yogurts cost at least $2 a pop if you're lucky. Kind of an expensive snack. So I decided to opt for buying the big container of plain yogurt and making my own syrup to go with it. Here's a really easy recipe for raspberry syrup:

Ingredients:
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Bring all ingredients to a bowl in a saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and raspberries start to break down. Do not over-stir.

Remove from heat and refrigerate.

What you end up with is a delicious and healthy alternative to a bowl of ice cream after dinner!