What’s your favorite yogurt?

I like the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts. I like the feeling of gently stirring the yogurt and finally seeing the little pieces of strawberries, blueberries or cherries. I like the taste and the feeling in my mouth as the sweet fruit and the creamy yogurt come together.

Just recently I thought, “Why should I spend money buying small yogurts when I can buy a big one and save money?” But the answer was, “Hey. If only the big yogurts had fruit-on-the-bottom!”

And more recently I thought, “Why don’t I make my own fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt?” So I did. I bought a large, 32 oz. vanilla yogurt, fresh blueberries, and a blueberry jam. Then, I

• Washed my hands well

• Dumped the vanilla yogurt into a large glass bowl

• Squeezed the blueberries just enough to break them open, and added them to the bowl

• Added one heaping tablespoon of blueberry jam to the bowl

• Mixed the whole thing gently – to preserve the aura of fruit-on-the-bottom

• Tasted my creation – YUM!

It tasted so good. My yogurt became a regular part of my meal plan — I especially enjoy it for dessert. After blueberries, came strawberries and strawberry jam, and then self-pitted cherries and cherry jam.

Besides the good taste, I can now have LOTS of fruit-on-the-bottom, extra sweetness from the large vanilla yogurt and from the jam, and the peace of mind knowing that the fruit I add is fresh.

What next? Mango, cantaloupe, pineapple and mandarin orange yogurt?

Last night for a snack I ate a bowl of my cherry yogurt, a bowl of baked beans, and a grape juice and tonic water concoction. The noises in my stomach at bedtime were telling me something. I think they were saying, “Experiment with your food hobbies all you want — but please feed me only one of them at a time!”

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com