Breakfast or Dessert Parfait

I have never been much of a breakfast eater or a fruit eater, so , for me to like this parfait really says something.  About a month ago my mom came to Ohio to visit me.  One morning she made herself a parfait and offered to make me one, but not being a parfait lover, I said no.  She then forced me to try hers (as moms do), and 2 minutes after trying hers,  I was eating my own.  Later that day, I had one for dessert after dinner!

The secret to this delicious parfait is the topping.  Many dieters have trouble eating parfaits because the granola topping is usually high in fat, and a parfait with out the topping just isn't a parfait.  Special K with Strawberries makes the perfect crunchy topping for a parfait; it is low fat, healthy, and delicious.  Another great thing about parfaits is that it's nearly impossible to get tired of them, since you can change them up so much.  Usually, I use blueberries and strawberries, but you can use any combination of fruit you feel like.  Not only can you change up the fruit, but you can change up the yogurt flavor as well.  I use vanilla most of the time.  Another great combo would be blueberry yogurt with strawberries and bananas.  The combinations can go on and on.  I've never tried it, but you could also switch up the Special K cereal.  I believe they make not only a yogurt and berries flavored cereal, but also a chocolate flavored one (which would be good with vanilla yogurt and strawberries).  Another little special touch I like to add to my parfaits is some chopped nuts.  I usually use almonds, but walnuts would be delicious as well.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. yogurt
• 1/4 c. chopped fruit
• 10 nuts coarsely chopped
• 1 handful Special K cereal

Start with a small dollop of yogurt in the bottom of the bowl / cup.  Next, add half of your chopped fruit.  Layer that with a small amount Special K and half of your nuts.  Repeat steps again.  Serve immediately (so the cereal doesn't get soggy).  Enjoy!!!

Meet the Fam :)

Okay, so here's my first blog post.  I would like you to meet my family!  While it doesn't have anything to do with dieting, it's still important because they will, at times, be a part of this blog.

The only humans in this family are me and my hubby Dan.   We're on the front porch of our rental home taking pictures with his new iPhone! How exciting!

Dan and I recently had to move from our beautiful home in Michigan down to Ohio due to a job transfer.  We are squeezed into a rental house much smaller than our Michigan one, but we are making due.  Dan works 40+ hours a week and I stay home and cook for him (and sometimes clean).  I usually cook meals large enough for a family of five because Dan is 6'8" and eats enough food for 2 people.  So, I get a serving, Dan gets 2, and he has 2 left for work the next day.  We are going on our third year of marriage and loving every minute of it.  We enjoy spending time outdoors and taking our dogs on daily walks (weather permitting).  We also love going to our church every Sunday!  No plans to have children for this couple, but if it happens... it happens! :)

Now for the more exciting members of the family...

Our eldest child is Smokey the Bear.  He is a grouchy old bear and the only person in the world that he likes is my husband.  Don't get me wrong, he's not a mean cat, but he won't come up and sit on any one's lap but Dan's.  We found him while driving through my mom's neighborhood.  He was a stray and Dan almost ran him over, but luckily I screamed just in time.  As soon as he was in Dan's arms he started purring as loud as a motorboat.  It was love at first sight.

Next came Moose.  Moose is a little over 2 years old but still acts just like a puppy.  He is a small German Shepherd.   We originally got him for protection when we first bought our house... haha.  Look up an antonym for protection and it will say "Moose".  He is, however, so uncontrollably hyper that he may jump on someone to give them kisses, scare them and then chase them a few miles down the road.  He's obnoxious, but we love him.

I'm a cat lover.  One cat just will not do.  Especially when Smokey is such a daddy's boy.  So, of course, I had to get another cat.  We adopted Meemons from The Humane Society.  He was an adorable little kitten.  The first night we had him I discovered his love for licking faces and cuddling.  He loves to lick chins and up noses and he always curls up right on your shoulder and lays his head on your chest.  Soon after the first night we had him, Dan and I discovered that he is definitely possessed.  One of his favorite things to do when he's not running around like a madman is climb up walls.  Yes.  He climbs walls.

You know the saying "which came first: the chicken or the egg"?  Well I'm not really sure which came first: Rogue or Nubbins.  So, in order to save the best for last, we'll start with Rogue.  Rogue is a purebred Sable coat German Shepherd.  Many people mistakenly think that she is a mixed shepherd, when in fact she is more German Shepherd than Moose.  She has very good bloodlines and is of Czech and German descent (Moose is American).  We got Rogue in another attempt to have a protective dog, as well as to have a playmate for Moose.  Unlike Moose, she pretty much fulfills the protective part of her job.  She loves to bark at people and stalk people (it looks scarier than it sounds).

Okay, and now for the love of my life.  NUBBINS!!!  Back when we lived in Michigan, Dan and I would go to the humane society at least once a week.  We love animals and I guess we loved our heart breaking for all of them every time we went...?  Anyway, on one of our usual weekly visits, we fell in love.  Not that we didn't fall in love hundreds of times before on our visits, but something about this one was different.  Nubbins was the cutest little kitten we had ever seen.  She is a Manx and has no tail.  I don't even know where to start with Nub.  She is cute and cuddly, but she can have her Diva moments.  She is beyond obsessed with food and eats twice as much as the other cats and yet, even being full grown, she's only half their size.  Yes, I do have a miniature tailless cat :)  It just doesn't get any better than that.

And now for some fun family photos!

Here is a picture of Dan, Smokey, and Nub.

Here... let me zoom in...

Best buds

The couch is Smokey's domain.  You can find him there 95% of the day.  Literally.



This was nub on the first day that we got here.   It's the cutest picture ever.  Meemons is peeking at her in the background.

Soon afterwards they became best buds...

Dumb and Dumber

I told you Nubbins is obsessed with food.

This is her usual post.