Although, it really isn’t summery here right now- but maybe for those of you managing the heat, this will be perfect for you. Last night it was about 55 degrees and wet and rainy- feel free to send a little bit of that heat our way!
Last week while we were grocery shopping, Abigail lit up when she saw a display of plums in the produce department. We’ve kind of been in that place where there just isn’t anything fresh and tasty- between seasons here. Any day now I expect an e-mail from the strawberry patch, and the farmers market opens next week, but in the meantime, we’ve gotten bored with what is available. The black plums were a welcome sight, and as I loaded up a bag, I really hoped that they were sweet and juicy and wonderful.
I cut a pair up for the kids for lunch that day and we were rewarded for our purchase- they are perfect right now, and such a welcome addition to our diet. After I cut the plums up for the kids, I decided to dice a bit of plum up for myself, for I had my own plan for this sweet and juicy fruit.
Something I’ve become rather fond of is plain yogurt. Call me crazy, but the more I eat it, the less I enjoy yogurt that has been sweetened. I don’t buy a low-fat or fat free plain yogurt- just straight up plain yogurt. And not Greek yogurt either. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I really don’t like the Grek style yogurt that makes everyone else swoon. It’s just too thick and when I dig into it I feel like I’m eating a bowl of sour cream- not yogurt. Blech. So plain old plain yogurt it is, and then I can sweeten it myself it I like. Sometimes I’ll add a small scoop of homemade jam and swirl that in, but mostly, I like to use a variety of local honey to add just a touch of sweetness.
About that local honey. If you suffer from seasonal allergies at all- I highly recommend you try to find a local honey to add to your diet. As local as you can get. Those bees feed off of the same pollen that causes you to go crazy at certain times of the year- by eating the honey, your body can naturally build up the antibodies that prevent allergic reactions. Just a teaspoon a day can build up your bodies natural defense systems- but it needs to be local honey. That delightful artisan honey from the other side of the country is nice, but it’s not going to cut it for allergy defense.
Anyway. I add a small drizzle of honey to my plain yogurt, and then I simply add a scattering of fresh fruit. In this case- I added the diced plums. Oh, was this good. This was so good, and it is something that I will continue to eat throughout the summer as different fruits come into season. Next it will be strawberries, then blueberries, then raspberries, then blackberries and peaches. It’s a nice, delightful snack that is perfect to have for breakfast, lunch, or as an afternoon snack. The yogurt is packed with probiotics and proteins that will give you a great boost of energy to accomplish the most daunting of tasks. When I have homemade granola on hand- I may add that as well, to add a bit of crunch to the bowl, but mostly, this is what makes me smile when the weather is warm. If the idea of plain yogurt scares you a bit- no worries, it’s tasty with vanilla yogurt as well, but then I think I might skip the honey drizzle.
