Why not take the heat off a summer's day by serving some rich, tasty, homemade frozen yogurt to your family? To learn how to make frozen yogurt, read the directions below.

• Frozen yogurt is a low-fat and healthy alternative to traditional ice cream. You can make your own preservative-free frozen yogurt at home with just a few common ingredients. The recipe detailed below will make about one quart of tasty vanilla flavored frozen yogurt.

(Creative Commons photo by stu_spivack)

• To make about four servings of frozen yogurt, you will need the following ingredients and supplies:

1. 3 cups Greek-style or strained yogurt
2. 3/4 cup sugar
3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4. An ice cream maker
5. Mixing spoon
6. Mixing bowl

• To make frozen yogurt with a creamy texture, you'll want to either use Greek-style yogurt, which is thicker and has less moisture than other types of yogurt, or remove the excess moisture from regular yogurt. If you use unstrained yogurt, your frozen yogurt will have an icy texture.

• To remove moisture from yogurt, strain it using the following process:

1. Place a wire mesh strainer over a container or bowl
2. Place two layers of cheesecloth in the strainer
3. Put the yogurt in the cheesecloth
4. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in the refrigerator overnight

• Once strained, the amount of yogurt will reduce by about half. For example, if you start with two cups of yogurt, you will end up with one cup of strained yogurt.

• To make your frozen yogurt, follow these steps:

1. Place the yogurt, sugar and vanilla in your mixing bowl
2. Stir the ingredients until they are well blended and the sugar has dissolved
3. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 45 minutes to an hour
4. Remove the bowl from the fridge and transfer the yogurt into an ice cream maker
5. Place the ice cream maker in the freezer and freeze the yogurt as long as required

• Once you have perfected the art of making frozen yogurt, you can alter the basic recipe by:

1. Straining and then using various flavors of yogurt
2. Using a combination of flavored yogurts to create new and unique flavors
3. Using mint, almond or other flavored extracts instead of vanilla
4. Serving your frozen yogurt with fresh fruit, chocolate chips, sprinkles, coconut, or your choice of other toppings

• Whether you serve your homemade frozen yogurt for dessert or as a mid-day snack on a hot summer's day, it's sure to be a hit. Best of all, it contains less calories and fat than ice cream.