Simple Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits

I'm sure it surprises no one that I have very few problems getting my kids to eat any of the sweets I make.  (Except the donuts....but like I said yesterday, I'm working on that one.)  But meals (be it breakfast, lunch or dinner), that's an entirely different story.  If they had it their way, it'd be donuts (the fried variety), mac & cheese, hot dogs and pizza for every meal.  So I'm always looking for creative ways to hide or present the good stuff in a way that has the kids fooled.

Now my kids have this affinity for those little yogurt parfaits you can find in the yogurt section of the grocery store.  You know...those overpriced little containers of yogurt that are loaded with sugar and fake fruit.  So this morning I decided to make my own version.  I'm not sure why I didn't do this sooner.  They are ridiculously easy to throw together...and make them in a wine glass and the kids will think you hung the moon.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these will become a more regular staple on the breakfast menu....I can use more smiles like this in the morning.

Baked Blueberry Donuts

After seeing several people post about the greatness of the Wilton Donut Pan, I figured I had to give it a try.  The kids are so obsessed with donuts that they ask for them pretty much every weekend.  If I could get them to buy into this healthier, baked version, then I don't think I'd mind as much if they had them for breakfast.

Jeremy actually made the first go at it last weekend.  He followed the recipe that came with the pan (and even had to make his own buttermilk because I forgot to buy some).  His creation was a basic baked donut with a rich, chocolate glaze.  The verdict:  Lizzie thought they were out of this world.  Maddie, on the other hand, told him she'd stick to the unhealthy version.

There was some batter leftover from his attempt, so this morning I pulled it out of the fridge and decided to see if I could doctor it up and win Maddie's approval.  I added a bunch of fresh blueberries and coated them in a basic white glaze.  I'm not sure if it had to do with the batter being a week old or coming straight from the refrigerator, but the donuts didn't rise as well as they did last week, but the results weren't half bad.  To me, they tasted like glazed blueberry muffins.  Again, Lizzie gave them 2 thumbs up (but then again, when does she not?) and Maddie...yeah, she took two bites (the second one was forced upon her by me) and turned up her nose at them.  I am determined that I will get this child to like the baked donut...and I still have some different recipes up my sleeve.  Don't count me out yet!