Homemade Frozen Pumpkin Yogurt, Among Other Things

Among other things...Hmmm...Yes.

Me and my opinion are very...um...loud...On Facebook. And yes, this does often draw me some loud comments in return. All well and good. Up until the point you tell me I'm lost, deluded, a victim. Okay, so my opinion differs from yours, but that doesn't make me lost, deluded, a victim or wrong any more than your differing opinion makes you the same. I am a great fan of freedom of speech - obviously, I'm a writer - but I don't believe anyone's freedom of speech is also freedom to be an asshole. Because when you go and repeatedly make inflammatory comments on someone's FB posts, then when the fur starts to fly, sit back and say, "Geez, we're all friends, it's only FB, you really need to calm down and have some chamomille tea" you are are excercising your asshole muscle, not your freedom of speech. I see it like this - it is against the law to yell "FIRE!" in a crowded area, right? Well, going to someone's FB with the intention of commenting to start a rumble? That's akin to yelling "FIRE!" in a crowded auditorium. Plus, if you want me to consider your point of view, just as I'd like others to consider mine - I've learned that you respect the beliefs and opinions of others, even if you don't agree with them, and you start an adult dialogue. This is an art form that has been forgotten of late in this country. And, even after the elections are over, it's still going to be divisive, rude, partisan, shrill and hateful. Why? Because that's just how we Americans are. I would LOVE to be proved wrong.

Another "Among other things..." - I have decided to jump feet-first into the self-publishing arena. I have several projects in various stages of progress and will (with any luck) have a Christmas anthology of 3 historical romance novellas out by the beginning of November, with a full-length novel soon to follow. I need a clone (or 2) and possibly a wife (to do housework, childcare, cooking...so I can get this all done. Oh, and I should probably step away from the Facebook...but I can't help myself there, and that wicked Words With Friends game? It's enriching my vocabulary. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it like a bad toupee on a bald man.

Now then, I think that takes care of my "Among other things..." so, here we go. A few months ago, I finally caved and asked Sherry to send me an invite to Pinterest. That's another great time-waster, by the way. I can't tell you how many recipes I've pinned for dinners, chicken, crockpot, *desserts*...so many that I will likely never ever use, even though I sit here, drooling on my keyboard over such yummies as pumpkin pie cheesecake bites. Yanno? But the homemade frozen pumpkin yogurt really intrigued me. Of course, being me, and therefore contrary, I used the recipe as a guideline, and came up with my own. What follows is my own tweaked frozen pumpkin yogurt recipe and probably way too many pictures of the "making it" process. Yes. One of the pictures is of me, tasting the treat. (And yes, I washed the spatula before I put it back in the mixture.)

 

1 large can of Libby's easy pumpkin pie mix (30 ounces)

1 large tub of  non-fat or low-fat vanilla yogurt (this one was 32 ounces)

Strain the yogurt (I used a metal hand-held collander/strainer) into a bowl, add the pumpkin, start mixing. (I tried the mixer, but it splattered and made a big mess, so I stopped)

 

 

 

 

 

 

YUM! Tasting to check the balance of spices. You can add pumpkin pie spice, or if you're me and don't have pumpkin pie spice, use cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Go light on the nutmeg, okay? Oh, and you don't necessarily have to add any more spices, if you got the right canned pumpkin stuff.

 

 

Now, if you have an ice cream maker, you can put the mixture into that and churn until it reaches the desired consistency...OR, you can do like I did, cover it and stick it in the freezer, stirring every half an hour until it reaches the right consistency. This picture is what it looked like first time I pulled it out to mix it. Immediately below, when it was "done."

 

 

Did I say YUMMY?

 

***Now, I made a bigger recipe than the one I based this on, so I still have frozen pumpkin yogurt in my freezer. I put it in a plastic container and covered it. It WILL freeze hard as a brick, but just stick it in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, and you'll be able to scoop some out. It make look crunchy and cystally, BUT, it didn't make a difference to the consistency once it thawed a bit and as I stirred it in the bowl. If that changes after my next interlude with this nummy treat, I'll let you know.

 

So there you have it. Equal parts of non-fat/low-fat vanilla yogurt strained, the canned Libby's easy pumpkin pie mix, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) to your taste (but not necessary)...stick in the freezer and stir, stir, stir. Then you eat, eat, eat.

 

I *am* going to make this for Thanksgiving. As I didn't add any sugar (the recipe I based mine on did add sugar), this should be fairly diabetic friendly, which is important if you're going to make this at Thanksgiving like I am, and don't want your turkey-coma'd family members who are diabetic also in a diabetic coma. Just sayin'.