A luscious, berry-laden dessert that's good for you and that incites dreams of next-year's garden

These days everyone's drawing up his or her "bucket list". Mine is more of a "next-summer list." "Next year in Jerusalem" (the well-known phrase that's recited at the end of a Passover Seder) for me is "next year in the garden".

Hubby and I already are envisioning our next-year's crop--and on that list go some new berry vines we'd like to try to plant. One of those involves "something to replace those grapes", as hubby says with a hint of disgust. (I think this means he's over them.) For the past several years our grapevines have been a disappointment--huge and showy but with fruit that has seeds, is tasteless and over which we have to do constant battle with the birds.

Hubby is of a mind to pull out all the grape vines and replace them with a berry patch--blackberries or raspberries--and give that a try.

Yesterday's dessert, Banana Raspberry Rice Pudding, was full of some delicious raspberries--the kind we hope we're growing this time next year. The recipe from Prevention magazine was billed, in essence, "sometimes things that taste delicious and are beautiful also may be good for you at the same time."

This certainly was. It contained fiber-rich brown rice, potassium-filled bananas, and raspberries to die for. All this had creamy banana pudding (sugar-free, of course) wrapped around it. On top was a lavish blob of sugar-free whipped cream. Truly good to look at and good for you! The raspberries gave the "tart" element in the "tart-sweet" mixture and was such a terrific dessert, one truly forgot that consuming this dish was like eating health.

Although we obtained our raspberries from the produce department of our local grocery store, we can dream dreams of the day when they're as close to us simply walking out our back door.

Banana Raspberry Rice Pudding

1 package instant banana pudding mix

2 cups skim milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 medium banana, sliced thinly

2 cups fresh raspberries

sugar-free whipped topping

In a medium bowl combine pudding mix, milk and vanilla. Using a wire whisk mix well. Fold in rice and bananas. Spoon into eight dessert dishes. Chill 2 hours. To serve top with crushed raspberries and two tablespoons full of sugar-free whipped topping. Serves 8 (about 1 cup per serving).