See larger image Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker (Kitchen) List Price: $145.00 USD New From: $71.99 In Stock Used from: $50.00 In Stock Release date February 1, 2005.

Spring or Fall, ice cream is always on the menu. But if you truly want to go decedent, go Greek. Greek yogurt is super thick and rich because it is made with added cream and most of the liquid whey is drained off.

If you want to make your own Greek yogurt to go in your Greek ice cream, learn from the master maker Fage.  I've provided all the secrets they reveal in Fact on Fage Greek Yogurt.

Due to its high calorie count, Greek yogurt is not for everyday. But Greek yogurt ice cream is delicious enough to forget the calories for a specific event.  Surely, you can think of something to celebrate so break out the frozen yogurt maker and turn a blind eye to your diet.

It's not enough just to drain regular yogurt, so make sure you use or make real Greek yogurt.

Decedent Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

This is a deliciously aromatic soup that goes with just about any main dish. It's the perfect way to use homemade yogurt that is on the thin side. Just reduce the amount of water in the recipe.

Although there are quite a few ingredients, the cooking process is quick and simple.  Feel free to strain the whole spices before adding the cilantro and curry leaves. Tip: basal is a good substitute for curry leaves if you can't buy them locally.

How To Make Ghee

Ghee is the process of separating the solid milk fat from the liquid. It allows butter's use under high heat without burning. If you don't want to take the time to make ghee, just use more oil in its place. But you will miss the wonder buttery flavor that it adds to the dish.

• Use unsalted pure butter for best results.
• In a sauce pan, bring the butter to a slight boil, stirring continuously until the water is evaporated.
• Strain to remove sediment.

In traditional Indian medicine, ghee is considered to have many health benefits including improved digestion and absorption of nutrients. It is, however, 100% fat so use sparingly.  If you buy ghee, make sure it's true ghee and not just hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Asafoetida

This pungent but smooth flavor herb is similar in taste to leeks.  It's used as a digestive aid in India and the Spanish used it to fight the 1918 influenza pandemic. Studies also show that it's effective in managing asthma and treating the common cold and bronchitis.

Both Aroma and Amazon have stopped distributing the Aroma AYM 606 directly. Amazon continues to have it on its site but the unit is sold through a third party. This may pose a problem in trying to get additional jars and lids. Also the price increased from $30 to $45.

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Aroma Housewares has recently come out with a new space age looking electric yogurt maker. It definitely deserves a second look when shopping for that yogurt maker you know you can't live without.

Aroma seems to have read the reviews and designed their unit with customer-in-mind features that we all love.
Enjoy making yogurt at home with easy-to-use digital controls. Makes over 5 cups of yogurt; enough for the whole family. 8 separate cups allow for different flavors to be made simultaneously- so everyone in the family can create their favorite! Fully customizable digital timer for a variety of yogurt recipes.

Here's 7 reasons why you might want to add this yogurt maker to your shopping cart.

1. Price matters and at under $30, Aroma got this one right.
2. This yogurt maker comes with super easy to understand and read digital display panel and programmable timer. This is a must have for those who want optimal time control; something you can't get with a turn dial. No programming skills required. Just enter the hours and minutes (if any) desired and you're making homemade yogurt. If you want more control over your yogurt's tartness and texture, go digital.
3. Great feature of 8 instead of the usual 6 cups and they are BPA-free plastic. Each yogurt cup holds 5 ounces.
4. Love the screw on leak-resistant lids especially if you pack these in your lunch.
5. A rare feature for the price, the Aroma comes with an automatic shut-off, which many users find important. Remember though that even when the yogurt maker shuts off, the incubation doesn't stop. You will still need to put the cups in the refrigerator to finish the process.
6. Both cups and lids are dishwasher safe. This is not as common as you would think.
7. This yogurt maker gets 5 out of 5 Stars (but only 3 reviews to date). Will keep watching and checking before adding this one to the TOP Yogurt Maker list but it looks like it is heading in that direction.

Dimensions are 13-2/5 x 11-2/7 x 6-2/3 inches and it comes with a 1-year limited warranty. Recipes included.

About Aroma Housewares

Aroma Housewares is based in San Diego, California. It's been in business for 25 years. Products include rice cookers, water kettles, coffee makers, ice cream makers, indoor grills, deep fryers, toasters, woks, food dehydrators, juicers and now an electric yogurt maker.

In 2002, the company had a problem with their juicers that forced a recall. They resolved the issue and appear to have a clean track record otherwise.

See larger image Probiotic Miracle Dog Probiotics for Dogs (360 servings) (Misc.) New From: $39.99 In Stock

We love and treat our pets like our children but sometimes forget that they are not human especially when it comes to giving them treats.

If you are tempted to give your dog a bite of even your best homemade yogurt, you should reconsider. While probiotics will improve your dog's digestion symptoms, human yogurt can cause your pooch more harm than good.

Lactose Intolerance

Just like people, dogs can suffer from milk sugar (lactose) sensitivities that can result in skin irritations, diarrhea, constipation and dehydration.

The Sweet Kiss of Death

We love our sweet treats but sugar can literally kill your pet. Their digestive systems aren't suited to process sugar. Bacterial overgrowth can not only cause yeast infections but result in disorientation and even seizures.

Doggie Diet

Do your best friend a favor and feed him foods designed just for dogs. Manufacturers spend millions on developing healthy foods for your pets so take advantage of the research.

The Case for Probiotics for Dogs

Studies indicate that probiotics may prevent dogs (and other pets) from having liver problems, protect against some strains of E. coli., inhibit the growth of yeast and colon cancer and defend against the fatal Listeria bacteria.

If your pooch is suffering tummy issues, skin problems or allergies, add probiotics to his daily meal and expect to see improvements in a couple of weeks.  Of course, see your veterinarian if your dog is suffering significant or unusual symptoms.

See larger image Spoonfuls of Germany: Culinary Delights of the German Regions in 170 Recipes (Hippocrene Cookbook Library) (Hardcover) By (author) Nadia Hassani List Price: $24.95 USD New From: $16.20 In Stock Used from: $13.99 In Stock

Quark is a yummy cultured curd cheese similar to American cottage cheese with a texture between cream cheese and sour cream. It has a tart but mild and creamy taste.

It's super easy to make and, as with all cultured foods, is great for your digestive and immune systems.

Quark makes fabulous desserts such as cheesecakes as it work well in baked dishes; use it as you would ricotta in cooking.  It also makes a favorite sandwich and pancakes in its native Germany, Poland and Netherlands. To get the flavor of these countries' cooking, be sure to check out the recipes in the book Spoonfuls of Germany (although the references to quark are too few).

Quark is made with the bacteria mesophilic lactococcus, which is most common in cheesemaking. This culture is not readily available but you can use filmjolk, kefir or buttermilk instead to easily make quark in your electric yogurt maker.

Make Your Own Quark

Since you will not likely find quark in your local grocery store and making your own is always better, follow the recipes below to enjoy this European delight.

You can make it with 2% buttermilk or add a little cream for a thicker, richer version. Quark is often sold flavored with herbs and spices but don't add salt if you want an authentic quark cheese.

Since quark is a non-aged cheese, the milk you use must be pasteurized.

Quark Buttermilk

• 1 quart buttermilk
• Bring the buttermilk to room temperature (68-77°F 20-25°C) on the stove or in the microwave.
• Do not over heat or your quark will have a gritty texture.
• Incubate in your yogurt maker or other heat source (100°F/38°C) for about 8-9 hours.

Kefir or Filmjolk Quark

• 1 quarter filmjolk  or kefir
• Bring the filmjolk or kefir to room temperature (68-77°F 20-25°C) on the counter or partially warm in the microwave and let sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
• Incubate in your yogurt maker or other heat source (100°F/38°C) for about 4-5 hours.

With using either buttermilk, filmjolk or kefir, you will need to drain the excess whey (which you can add to a smoothie or use in cooking).

Best to strain in the refrigerator so the incubation process stops correctly. The Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Cheese Maker works perfect for this.

In Europe, cheesecloth is used to drain the whey, which gives quark its distinctive wedge shape. Use the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Cheese Strainer for this method.

See larger image LA DOLCE VITA SET OF FOUR PARFAIT GLASSES ()

Parfait means perfect in French but the traditional recipe is packed with fat and calories. Frozen custard rich in egg yolks, sugar, whipped cream with a little  fruit puree may taste fabulous but has no place in the majority of American's diet.

While French Women Don't Get Fat, this is one diet lesson we don't need. The American yogurt parfait is a perfect healthy alternative that is fun to eat and loved by kids.

It makes a great breakfast and will fill you up quick for a longer period .  Without that afternoon craving, you don't be ravished by lunch or tempted by unhealthy fast food that will only pack on the pounds.

Drink the Coffee But Don't Get the Parfait

TIP: Don't try to replace the little bit of effort in making your own yogurt parfait with a Starbuck's Fruit and Yogurt Parfait because with 320 calories and over 9 teaspoons of sugar, it's no diet food.

Instead, give this yummy recipe a try for one week and see and feel the difference. It's about half the calories of the commercial brand and has no added sugar. Be sure to use zero-calorie stevia if you do need to sweeten.

• 6-8 ounces homemade yogurt
• 1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) berries
• 3 tablespoons low fat granola

Stir the flaxseeds into the yogurt. Put half the berries in the bottom of a parfait or similar glass. Add the yogurt, followed by the remaining berries and top with the granola.

The beauty of parfaits is in the layering so don't leave this step out because it will make you feel fabulously decedent while you are indulging in this low calorie, high protein breakfast.

Flaxseeds For Weight Loss

Who knew that high calorie flaxseeds were a weight loss food (52 calories per teaspoon). High in fiber, antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids, these tiny little seeds are a power pack of nutrition.

• Flaxseeds help stabilize your blood sugar levels so you have less cravings.

• Flaxseeds increase your metabolism so you burn more fat.

• Flaxseeds increase your energy levels so you feel more like exercising.

And they are so good for your overall health:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Reduces risk of cancers, especially breast cancer
• Enhances the immune system
• Reduces inflammation and the pain of arthritis
• Hydrates your skin to make wrinkles less visible
• Reliefs skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis

Take a day or two and indulge in yogurt smoothies. They will fill you up without filling you out and are not only good for you, they taste fabulous. The recipe below has a super gut buster that will help you lose even more.

Dieter Beware!

Don't make the mistake of buying or making high fat, high sugar yogurt. This is no time to indulge in creamy rich Greek yogurt or yogurts like Stonyfield Farm's Chocolate Underground with almost 9 teaspoons of fating sugar!

Get an electric yogurt maker and make your own yogurt, with low fat milk and sweeten with a natural low calorie sweetener such as stevia. It's super easy and so much better for your body!

Don't worry about using a thickener since you will be drinking your yogurt.

Don't Diet, Régime

SUGAR FREE MATCHA GREEN TEA FRAPPE LATTE MIX 4 LBS BULK $75.99 Time Remaining: 22d 13h 39m Buy It Now for only: $75.99

Régime is French for diet and none do weight loss better than French women. The reason French Women Don't Get Fat is yogurt.  They eat it at least once every day to fill up fast.

With just 150 calories in a cup of plain yogurt, it is the perfect weight loss food.  But it's also the better weight loss food because yogurt contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which has been shown to increase your fat burning abilities.

Eating yogurt can help you lose 81% more belly fat.

Your Healthy Yogurt Smoothie Régime

Who says you have to suffer? You get an incredible 6 yogurt smoothies on this diet! And they come with a super weight buster and appetite suppressant! Learn more about  Green Tea Matcha Frappe powder.

Green tea increases your metabolism and stabilizes your blood sugar levels so you feel less hungry.

Mix in a blender and drink slowly.

Each drink is around 300 calories depending on the amount of milk you need to add and the fruit you select.

1800 calories is considered a safe and healthy number to keep your metabolism high and your blood sugar levels stable and still lose weight.

You can reduce your calories to 1500 with 5 smoothies but don't go lower.

See larger image The Best 50 Buttermilk Recipes (Paperback) By (author) Christie Katona, Thomas Katona List Price: $4.95 USD New From: $1.61 In Stock Used from: $1.61 In Stock

Similar to buttermilk and kefir, filmjolk (or fil mjolk) is the Swedish version of fermented milk. It's sometimes referred to as yogurt and can be make thicker by using a portion of half and half.  It's milder than most yogurt and certainly milder than buttermilk or kefir.

As milk, filmjolk (pronounced feel-myulk) is rich and thick and makes fabulous smoothies. It can be used in any recipe you would normally use buttermilk. It makes great dips, salad dressings, cream cheese by draining the whey or, made with whipping cream, sinfully delicious Creme Fraiche.

No Yogurt Maker Required

As with buttermilk and kefir, filmjolk does not require the use of a heat source. Nor do you need to boil your milk prior to adding the culture and, in fact, the milk can be used cold right from the refrigerator in starting the process.

Fil Mjolk Yogurt Starter ORGANIC $9.50 Time Remaining: 29d 13h 12m Buy It Now for only: $9.50

• Filmjolk ferments at room temperature in 12-24 hours.

• Just add the filmjolk culture to your milk and mix thoroughly.

• Pour in a container, cover and keep at a temperature of 70 to 78 degrees.

• Wrap the container in a towel if your kitchen is cool or at night.

• So the temperature stays consistent, use a container that is 64 ounces or less.

• It is necessary to refrigerator, about six hours, once the milk is fermented to the desired consistency in order to stop the process.

• Filmjolk starter can be serial cultured in the usual manner.

Although you can use milks other than dairy in making filmjolk, the end result will be a thinner consistency. Also, as it needs the lactose or sugar found in dairy milk, it will not re-culture with as much success in non-dairy milks.

Filmjok Probiotics

Filmjolk is made with the probiotics Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides.  L. lactis is used extensively in the production of buttermilk, cheese and kefir. L. mesenteroides is used in fermenting or "pickling" vegetables. It can quickly lower the pH of undesirable micro-organisms and inhibit their development.

You can order filmjolk at Nick's Natural Nook on ebay.  Nick's supplies either fresh or dried culture. Both are 100% organic. Instructions are included.

Get started today making filmjolk! You'll be thrilled you did.

Tart but light and smooth Bulgarian yogurt is about more than just location.

Its unique probiotic strain was discovered and officially named Lactobacillus bulgaricus in 1907. The strain was later identified as a subspecies of Lactobacillus delbrueckii but is still referred to as L. bulgaricus.

To be true Bulgarian yogurt, both L. bulgaricus and
the probiotic bacteria  Streptococcus salivarius
subspecies thermophilus must be present.

In Bulgaria, this yogurt is called sour milk or Kiselo Mlyako. Originally made from sheep's milk, Bulgarian yogurt has long been credited with the unusually long lifespans of Bulgarian peasants.

Bulgaria has an unusually high population of people over 100 years old and Bulgarian yogurt is considered, at least in Bulgaria, to be the healthiest yogurt in the world.

Cultures for Health out of Wilsonville, Oregon is a supplier of a top rated, true Bulgarian yogurt starter.

Their Bulgarian starter is made using organic milk and can be serial cultured for nearly endless batches.

Decedent Bulgarian Yogurt

What makes Bulgarian yogurt decedent is making it even thicker and richer with three parts whole milk and one part whipping cream followed by straining the excess whey (recommended method by Cultures for Health).

Not your low calorie or everyday yogurt, decedent Bulgarian yogurt is definitely a treat but one that you should at least try once. Use it to make tarrattor; a fabulous traditional cold cucumber soup and you won't feel so guilty for all that decadence.

Special Instructions for Cultures for Health Bulgarian Starter

• The starter (one precious dehydrated teaspoon) is shipped in a barrier sealed dairy carrier.  Use 1/2 teaspoon and store the other half in a cool, dry place.
• You make one cup of yogurt with the 1/2 teaspoon starter and use that cup as the starter for all future batches.
• Follow the normal yogurt making process using your electric yogurt maker.
• Incubate for 7 to 10 hours.

Re-culture Your Starter

• Use about 2 tablespoons of your last batch Bulgarian yogurt to start the next batch.
• Be sure to use the the prior batch within 7 days or the starter will be less or even completely ineffective.

Cuisinart ICE-40 Flavor Duo Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker (Kitchen) List Price: $145.00 USD Release date June 1, 2008.

UPDATE: Sadly, this beloved ice cream/ frozen yogurt maker is rumored to be discontinued.  Amazon still lists it on its site but it is out-of-stock and if it will be back in stock is unknown. Check out the ICE-30 instead.

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Can't decide on just one ice cream or frozen yogurt favor? Then you are going to love the Cuisinart ICE-40 with its dual bowl compartments that makes two-1 quart portions of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet or sherbet.

TOTAL SCORE: 4.6

• 2 quarts
• Dimensions: 14.2 x 16.9 x 10.9 inches
• 3 year warranty

This Cuisinart ICE get the highest customer rating of all the ICE machines.

The salt and crank method to frozen dessert making is so yesterday. But there is a trick to these modern machines: leave the bowls in the freezer overnight or at least until when lightly shaken no liquid can be heard.

If you fail to do this, you will be disappointed...until you use the runny ice treat to make a yummy smoothie.

You will get a soft serve consistency after the 20 minutes of processing but it will firm after freezing for a few hours.

The insulted bowls are not dishwasher safe.

More Customer Feedback:

• Sleek attractive look
• Best ice cream I've ever tasted
• Tweaking recipes to individual taste is fun too
• Cut the sugar in half for a healthier treat
• Works well using all milk instead of milk and whipping cream
• Easy for kids to use
• Clean up is super easy
• Works exactly as described
• Love the two bowls!
• Recipes are for a larger quantity than one container size