I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Greek yogurt saved me at the Fancy Food Show last summer. If you’ve never been to The Fancy Food Show, you absolutely must go some day. It’s gigantic. It would take 4 days to really see everything there. I had two days, and needless to say, worked up an appetite.

I know, working up an appetite at a food show doesn’t sound right. I could eat about 20% of the food there, which was a lot more than I was expecting.

But you know me…I can’t go all day and just eat ice cream, cheese, and chips. My body needs some protein.

Right after I found the falafel people, I stumbled upon the larger-than-life Greek yogurt booth. They were handing out individual serving size cups of yogurt – not a bite of yogurt, but a whole darn cup. For most people, that might not have been a big deal but for this gluten-free, refined sugar-free girl I was thrilled.

Just one cup of plain Dannon Oikos 0% Fat Yogurt has 22 grams of protein, 240 milligrams of potassium, and 25% of your daily calcium needs. No added sugar. Dannon® Oikos® is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture.

Some yogurt along with a handful of almonds was the perfect snack that keeps me going for hours. I stock the individual serving size cups for travel and busy mornings.

You can make dessert with it, too. It’s got a creamy tang that gives this chia seed pudding a smoother texture. Instead of traditional whipped cream, I used a mixture of heavy whipping cream and Dannon Oikos yogurt. You get a sweet-tart tang that compliments the fruity, spicy pudding.

My favorite way to eat this pudding is to get a little whipped cream, pudding, and some gingery cookie crumbs all in one bite. Oh my goodness.

Other Gluten-Free Chia Seed Recipes:

• Chocolate Chia Pudding
• Strawberry Coconut “Milkshake”
• Magic Cookie Power Bars

What’s your favorite way to use chia seeds or Greek yogurt? Share your favorite recipes in the comments.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Chocolate Chia Pudding

I’m completely obsessed with this gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, raw superfood pudding! I know I’m a little late to the party when it comes to this recipe but it’s just so good that I had to share it with you.

Complete truth – I’ve eaten this every day for the last week.  Yes, it’s healthier – which I’ll get to in a minute – but that’s not why I like it. I have a secret tapioca pudding obsession. There’s something about the creamy pudding and the bite of the tapioca pearls that I just love. I even included my favorite tapioca pudding recipes in my book – but I rarely make it because it’s more of a guilty pleasure than a healthier treat.

Chia pudding is so similar in texture and mouthfeel to tapioca. There’s the creamy, gel-like pudding that is formed when the seeds are soaked in liquid and chia seeds themselves get slightly soft.

Chis is full of good-for-you-stuff, too, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidents, fiber, calcium, iron, phosphorous, magneesium, niacin, zinc, folate, and copper. According to Dr. Weil, the seeds don’t have to be ground to make the nutrients available to your body, either.

This chia pudding satiates my hunger and has improved my digestion.  Yep, I’m hooked.

I’ve been using Salba, a brand of chia that touts higher nutritional value than other types of the tiny seed. If you can’t get Salba, no worries. Regular chia seeds work just as well and are still a nutritional powerhouse.

My favorite way to make this is with unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze (now soy-free…love it!) and a few tablespoons of dried fruit. Feel free to use any type of liquid you have on hand.

Have a favorite chia recipe? Share it with us!

Other Chia Recipes

• Oat, Almond, & Date Muffins with a Chia Egg Replacer from She Let Them Eat Cake
• Fluffy Buckwheat Pancakes from Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom
• Pumpkin Chia Pudding from Choosing Raw
• Magic Cookie Power Bars from SS&GF
• The Chia Cheat Sheet & 10 Raw Recipes from Natural News

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 53 comments | Add to del.icio.us

My clue that fall has officially arrived is the onset of pumpkin recipes that pop up all over the blogoshpere. Fall shows up in Texas a little slower than most places.

It doesn’t stay long, either.  Leaves change color and drop from the trees all within a couple of weeks.

While I love the milder weather here in Dallas, I miss the longer fall season that I grew up with.  My family would drive to southern Ohio where my dad grew up and breathe in the glorious reds, oranges, and yellow leaves that painted the rolling hills.  I still get a little homesick when I walk outside and smell the rich, musty scent that only comes from dew clinging to fallen leaves.

left to right: my sister, Lorie, my dad, and me

And the comfort food that came with it…my Grandma Ruth’s pumpkin pie, warm apple crisp, creamy rice pudding all topped with whipped cream.  Cornbread dressing, pumpkin bread, and roasted winter vegetables.

It’s finally cooled off a little here but the leaves are still green. Instead of waiting on Mother Nature to work her magic, I decided to create a little bit of fall with this Pumpkin Pie Pudding.

It won’t be long, though, before the trees are bare. I’ll walk outside, breathe deep, and think of home.

Roasting Your Own Pumpkin

For some reason, canned pumpkin has been scarce the last couple of years.  I started buying the little pie pumpkins and roasting them myself. After their cooled, I scrape the flesh into my food processor, puree it, and freeze it.  If you don’t know how to roast a pumpkin, see my tutorial.  And, make sure to save the seeds and roast those, too.

Some other pumpkin recipes:

• Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bars from Ginger Lemon Girl
• Pumpkin Shrimp Bisque from Jenn Cuisine
• Pumpkin Cheesecake from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Pumpkin Spice Latte from A Year of Slow Cooking
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from Beyond Rice & Tofu
• Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake from The Daily Dietribe
• Crustless Pumpkin Pie from Gluten-Free Easily

What smells and flavors remind you of fall? And, if you have a favorite pumpkin recipe share it in the comments below!

Find other great recipes at Real Food Wednesday & Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2010. | Permalink | 49 comments | Add to del.icio.us