honeydew popsicles

I love Food Network.  It's the only show I miss after we cancelled our cable.  Luckily for me I have a subscription to Food Network magazine.  Yay!  Most of the recipes are pretty normal, but every once in a while I see one that I think is SO weird it can't possible taste good.  And so of course I have to try it out for myself.

I found a recipe in my most recent issue for several fruit sauces to top cheesecake.  Most of them looked pretty innocuous, but one for a honeydew-avocado sauce stood out.  The ingredients were few and the directions were speedy and straightforward.  I even had both a small honeydew and an avocado sitting out that I didn't know what to do with.  What had I got to loose?

I made the sauce easily just out of curiosity (I didn't have any cheesecake, but I thought I could maybe freeze the sauce until I made one).  It was a hot day, and the sauce seemed thick, sweet and juicy.  I immediately thought POPSICLES!  I was able to make 10 popsicles out of the sauce, and Liam loves them!  He keeps asking for more every day.  We have a strict one popsicle a day rule at our house, so he's got enough for a few more days.  I tried to take a photo of him smiling while eating one (he really likes them, I swear!) but between him being a bit of a serious kid and him eating his popsicle very seriously, I couldn't get the photo I wanted.

Why do I call these "honeydew popsicles" and leave the avocado out of the title?  Well, partially because you can't taste the avocado in them (speaking as a person who HATES them) they just help the popsicles become thicker and creamier, and partially because I don't want the title to scare people away from a good thing.  Try them.  You'll thank me!  And Food Network Magazine.



Honeydew-Acocado Popsicles
(recipe by Food Network magazine, frozen by me)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed honeydew melon
• 1 small avocado (peeled and pitted)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

1. Puree all ingredients together until smooth.If sauce is still lumpy, strain through a fine-mesh sieve with a ladle.  Pour into popsicle molds and freeze at least 2 hours.  

note: makes about 10 popsicles depending on the size of your molds.  Recipe makes 1 3/4 cups

8 uses for lemon juice and simple syrup

I think fresh squeezed lemon juice (it really makes a difference) and simple syrups (especially flavored ones) get the short end of the stick in the kitchen.  Either people don't remember to use them, don't know what to do with them, or think they are too much work to make.

You don't know what you're missing!

I like to make a big batch of each and keep in bottles in my fridge.  Bonus if you put them in pretty bottles.  I always find super cheap but pretty and functional bottles in places like Marshall's.

The simple syrup especially lasts forever because you only need a splash most of the time.  My favorite uses for these two include:

1. a splash of lemon juice to brighten up a soup.
2. lemon juice mixed with powdered sugar over crepes (Jeff is a master of crepes!)
3. lemonade.
4. lemon drops (cocktail, not candy.  Hmm, now I need to try making the candy...)
5. a splash of lemon and/or syrup used with a soda stream.
6. a splash of lemon and/or syrup mixed in tea.
7. a splash of lemon and/or syrup sprinkled over fruit.
8. Add fruit  to lemon juice and simple syrup to make freezer jam.

Making Simple Syrup
Making simple syrup, flavored or plain is soo easy, and just takes a few minutes.  In a small saucepan pour in an equal measurement of sugar and water (say 1 cup of each) and bring to a boil  Stir.  When the sugar has completed dissolved into the water, turn off the heat, let cool, pour into a sealed container of your choice and store in your fridge.  So easy.  If you want to up your game and flavor the syrup, either stir in an extract once the syrup has cooled, steep some teabags for several minutes in the syrup while still hot, throw some herbs (thyme, lavender, whatever) into a mesh bag and steep for a few minutes while still hot... the possibles are almost endless!

Boil the sugar and water

pick an optional mix-in

If your mix-in is not an extract then add and steep in syrup while still hot.  I used three bags of green tea in 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water, the green tea flavor is mild.

If you want your syrup to be a pretty color be careful about which add-in you use.  Green tea gives a nice mellow flavor, but is an unattractive green color.  I put mine in a blue bottle to hide the color!

Liam and I each have a new favorite drink.  His is Green Tea Lemonade.  Mine is the grown up version, the Green Tea Lemon Drop.  Oh yeah.  That's right.  I added green tea to my simple syrup for a refreshing summery twist on the originals.

Green Tea Lemonade (makes 1 serving)
1/4 Cup green tea simple syrup
1/4 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 - 1 Cup cold water

Mix together and serve.

Green Tea Lemon Drop (makes 1 serving)
I used a shot glass for measurement

1 part vodka
1/2 part lemon juice
2 parts green tea simple syrup
lemon slice garnish (optional)


Hopefully this will get you thinking about other fun ways to use lemon juice and/or simple syrup.  I know I'm still thinking of fun uses!

wake-up smoothie

Liam is a smoothie addict.  I'm pretty sure that he would eat all his meals in smoothie form if we let him.  I figure if I'm already making a smoothie for him I might as well make enough for everyone.  Between me getting bored quickly using the same recipe all the time, and my available ingredients always changing I am always looking for new smoothie ideas.

This recipe was adapted from one I found on the Self magazine web site.  They have some great ideas, but I usually have to alter them a bit until I get them how I want them.

I really do not think of myself as a hippie, so I had to laugh a bit at this smoothie recipe.  It calls for both almond milk and chia seeds, both things I currently had on hand.  I had some almond milk on my freezer left over from the last time I made it here.  Almond milk freezes really well.  If you don't have any, that's fine.  Just use regular milk.

I totally forgot to take pictures of the process, but really it's a smoothie.  How many photos can you really take of a few ingredients sitting in front of a blender?

The kids (and I!) loved this smoothie.  It wasn't too sweet, but you couldn't taste the carrot-y vegetable taste.  Both kids sucked theirs down in a second and Liam tried to beg seconds.  I probably could have made a second batch without worrying about it going to waste.  Considering I only got to drink a third of this, it was pretty filling too!

This might be the quietest they have every been while awake and in the same room.

Note to self: it is difficult to take a photo of yourself holding a smoothie plus two wiggly boys.  And brush your hair first!

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wake-up smoothie

by Liesl August-28-2014

a delicious fruit and vegetable smoothie that will keep you filled up all morning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 8 oz can pineapple chunks including juice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 carrot
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

1. Throw all the ingredients in a blender together. Turn on high and leave on for about 2 minutes, until everything is pureed. Pour into glasses and drink immediately. If your blender isn't very strong cut up the carrot before blending to help.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins 
Cook time: 2 mins 
Total time: 7 mins 

Yield: 1-3 servings

creamy pineapple popsicles

So this creation all came about when I was really craving a Dole Whip.  If you don't know what that is you need to get yourself to Disneyland A-stat.  I wanted to make creamy pineapple-tastic popsicles that tasted super fruity and creamy, if they were healthy-ish as well, bonus!

These definitely measured up.

Okay, you're probably confused, thinking, "Um, this doesn't remotely look popsicle-y". You'd be right.  This recipe made enough to fill both my tiny and regular sized popsicle molds, and I still had half left over to put in my ice cream maker (and then the freezer).  Sweet, right?

All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and pineapple juice.  And a blender.

Liam doesn't smile all that well when prompted.  Does any kid?  But seriously, the second he hears me get the blender out he races to the kitchen because he knows it is his job to turn the blender on and off.  A responsibility he gave himself...

"I can turn it on now, okay?"

Make sure you hit the popsicle mold onto the counter several times to get rid of excess air bubbles once it's been filled.

Time to put the caps on.

I always have to watch Liam like a hawk during this step because he likes to put the cap on halfway, then take it out and suck on it.  If I let him, he'd finish all the popsicles before they were even frozen!

I have two popsicles molds (and I'd like to get more) because Liam goes through them crazy fast in the summer, and I like to have the option of making flavors in bulk, or switching it up and having multiple options all at once.

"They are finished.  Can I eat one now?!"

Jack wanted to help too, but unlike his brother, he can't open the freeze solo just yet.

Freeze these for at least an hour.

Sweet.  Two sets of popsicles and I still have half left!  Time to get out the ice cream maker...

I always keep the frozen part of our ice cream maker frozen and ready for occasions just like this.

Just pour it in and follow the instructions on your ice cream maker.  If you don't have one, that's okay.  Just put your mixture in the freezer in an airtight container and eat like ice cream.

So good!

Make sure you stir or otherwise mix these a little before you pour them up or they will separate.  They have started to already here.  No big deal though.  The end is more pineapple and the rest is creamier.

Seriously though, Jeff and I might eat these all before Liam gets a chance to... They are so good!  They taste like a million calories, even though they are around 100 each.  Awesome, right?  If you like pineapple, or creamy frozen treats, totally give these a try!

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creamy pineapple popsicles

by Liesl July-21-2014

like a Dole whip in popsicle form.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 can pineapple juice concentrate
• 2 cups water

Instructions

1. Pour all ingredients into a blender and well, blend. Make sure liquid hasn't started to separate before pouring into popsicle molds. Tap gnetly but firmly on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Freeze popsicles at least 1 hour.2. Remaining liquid should be poured into an ice cream maker. Then follow manufacturer instructions. Mine say to leave in ice cream maker for 30 minutes, then remove to the freezer in an airtight container. Skip the last step and put your mix start into the freezer if you do no have an ice cream maker. Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 1 hour 5 mins Cook time: Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Yield: 18 servings

limeade cocktail

I'm getting really good at making cocktails.  I specialize in "I want a cocktail but barely have ingredients.  What can I make that won't taste gross?" drinks.  Yeah, its a thing.  This one is very refreshing and is similar to a mojito.

I finally found a good use for the wild amount of mint growing crazy in my backyard.

This is a great cocktail because it uses only three ingredients (plus ice) and you can make any amount you want easily.

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limeade cocktail

by Liesl July-15-2014

cool and refreshing cocktail

Ingredients

• 4 parts limeade
• 1 part dark rum
• 4 leaves per glass mint

Instructions

1. In each glass muddle 4 mint leaves and add a small handful of ice cubes. You can make the rest in a single glass, or make a large pitcher full. Add one part dark rum and 4 parts limeade. Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 2 mins Cook time: Total time: 2 mins Yield: any amount