Sweet Deliciousness!

It's summer in Atlanta already. We just skipped right over spring and went straight to those hot, muggy days. Ick.

While long hot days generally don't have me craving a piping hot bowl of apple crisp topped with a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream or a warm piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream (although, really, is there ever a bad time for that?), they do get me flipping through my cookbooks for light, fruity, refreshing answers to my ever-present sweet tooth.

After consulting my new favorite cookbook, Fresh Food Fast (by Cooking Light of course), I have fallen in love with the light, creamy and deliciously fruity Strawberry-Banana Pudding.

How bad can that be?

The crunchy yet soggy vanilla wafer crust layered with creamy, smooth vanilla pudding gently folded into the cloud-like whipped topping makes my mouth water.

The soft, ripe bananas cubed and mixed into the pudding ever so gently, hide behind the wafers just waiting to be discovered in my mouth. Finally, topped with luciously sweet strawberries that are seeping sugar from their pours, this dessert has earned a place in my personal Dessert Hall of Fame.

(She says as she licks her lips.)

Strawberry-Banana Pudding

(from Cooking Light's Fresh Food Fast cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 (3.4 oz.) package of instant vanilla pudding

1 Cup of fat-free milk

1 (8 oz.) container of fat-free whipped topping

3 ripe bananas, diced

1 1/2 Cups vanilla wafers

2 Cups of fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine pudding mix and milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Fold in bananas.

2. Layer 3/4 Cup of cookies in bottom of an 8x8 glass dish.

3. Spread half of pudding mixture over cookies.

4. Repeat with remaining cookies and pudding mixture.

5. Top with sliced strawberries. Serve immediately or cover and chill.