Popsicle, Popsicle.

 

It's summertime out there whether the temperatures agree or not. And summertime means frozen treats! A few of my mama friends told me about their popsicle molds and making their own. It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time so last week at the grocery I tossed them into my cart and didn't look back.

My first attempt was not super sweet (says the husband) but they were still tasty. O didn't seem to mind one bit as he sang a popsicle song in the backyard while he enjoyed his. It was certainly not difficult but he was very impressed so I'll take the compliment. 

Frozen Berry Yogurt Pops

This made exactly six pops.

1 cup frozen mixed berries

1-1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

Juice of half a lemon

Agave nectar

Blend it all up in your blender. I tasted mine at this point to see how they were. Then pour into molds and freeze for at least 4 hours. I would have loved to make them with Oliver but I knew that the waiting would be the hardest part...for both of us...so I did it during nap time. They are a pretty healthy and easy summer treat. Next time, mango! JJ also suggested trying out an adult version, maybe a mojito pop. Sounds good to me. What do you think?

Give Me A Beet

I decided to branch out of my normal range of cooking and bought some beets. A friend told me that she makes beet chips for her kids and they love them. I was impressed so I decided to give it a try. 

Now I'm going to be completely honest with you and say that these didn't turn out all that great. I think the mandolin slicer that I used didn't cut them thin enough and we had some issue, burned edges and soggy centers. But the few that survived were very tasty and Oliver wouldn't eat a single one...but the beets are incredibly beautiful and I couldn't stop taking photos of them.

I based my recipe off of Martha's and this one too. I added salt, rosemary, and garlic to the sliced beets and cooked them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. My goal was to get Oliver to try something new but that didn't work. I'm willing to give it another go but I think I need some tips. Anyone have any thoughts? If nothing else it's sparked my interest and most likely means that I will get a mandolin of my own one day. 

On Kindness

It's really easy to walk around in a grumpy mood sometimes. The weather, lack of sleep, or just getting up on the wrong side of the bed can really put me in a mood. But do you know what is better? Being nice. Today we had to do one of those mundane tasks, of going to the grocery. Under prepared as usual. I'm tired of picking out meals and no matter how much I ask for a grocery fairy, she doesn't appear. But I put on my favorite hat and went out in the misty morning anyway. We made the best of our trip by getting a coffee and trying to have fun. Here's where the nice part comes in. My little guy was done with being in the cart and pretty frustrated that I wasn't finished shopping yet as he strained to grab a box of cereal from the back of the cart. We ran into a friend that works at the bakery and stopped to say hello. Having a child of his own, he recognized that look of irritation from the babe and  the frazzled mama look in my eyes. So he gave him a freshly baked pretzel. It was a simple and kind gesture from him and it made our morning. Oliver was happy for the rest of the trip, I got all of the meals, and it even gave us the extra half hour to stop by and say hi to his grandparents. You never know how a little gesture can change the outcome of someone else's day.

Image source: Pretzels

Snack Attack

I am a serious snacker. I have found that since I've been home with the baby, I have a hard time figuring out what to eat for lunch if there are no left overs. I usually end up making something that is quick but not very filling so then there I am at 3:00 back in the kitchen.

So I'm pinning my hunger squashing hopes to this homemade Larabar recipe that I found over on Little Monter, which she found over on Chocolate Covered Katie. It's really easy and super tasty! I made a few changes to the recipe based on my serious dislike of raisins and subbed in apricots instead and went with all almonds. Once my little man is a bit older, I think he'll like these too!

Recipe
1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup dates
1/4 apricots
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 Tbsp water as needed

Pulverize quick oats in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients minus the water and pulse until well combined. Line a 3x9 loaf pan with parchment paper and press the mixture into the pan. Add water if it's not workable. Or you can roll them into little bite-sized balls. Stick them in the fridge in an air-tight container and they should last at least two weeks. For my first attempt I made them into bars, but I think next time I'll try the balls and see how they work out. Mine were a little crumbly so I think a little more water would have done the trick. The vanilla extract sort of made them taste like raw cookie dough, yum. You can portion them out ahead of time for an easy snack on the go!

I also will make this disclaimer that the dried fruit makes these very sweet, so have a glass of water on hand. Enjoy!

Source: http://www.littlemonsterbaby.com/2012/02/homemade-larabars.html