Mocha Almond Fudgsicles {#SummerOfThePopsicle Guest Post: An Edible Mosaic}

Ten weeks.  Ten weeks I've had the honor of welcoming talented bloggers to share my space here at girlichef!  And each and every week I want to reach into my screen and grasp a couple of popsicle sticks to bring back out.  There has not been a single one that I did not want to try!

Who's Holding the Stick: This week, please help me welcome another of my favorite blogging friends, Faith of the blog An Edible Mosaic.  Now, I'm sure exactly how long I've known Faith...a couple of years maybe?  But even before I knew her, I knew of her.  Aside from gorgeous photography and recipes that set my tummy a growling on her blog, she has an amazing cookbook with a prominent space on my bookshelf (and in my kitchen - every recipe I've tried has been delicious).  Plus a couple of fantastic smoothie e-books (along with Alyssa of Everyday Maven).  I could go on and on, but I want to let her speak...please help me welcome Faith!

 First I have to give a huge, heartfelt thank-you to Heather for inviting me to participate in her Summer of the Popsicle event. She is one of the sweetest bloggers I have had the pleasure of getting to know, and on top of that she’s a complete inspiration and incredibly talented. Thank you so much for inviting me, Heather!

So, popsicles!

Growing up, I was all about the frozen treats when summer vacation hit.

 I’d be out riding my bike all day long – with or without one of my friends in tow, it made no difference to me – only returning home briefly to simultaneously re-fuel and cool down with a deliciously frozen goodie. Which, I have to say, was usually a freeze-pop, because they were the most portable frozen treat…and when you’re a kid and riding your bike is your number one priority, portability is high on your list of demands.

Rainbow-colored, “fruit” flavored (haha, who knows how they get the fruit flavor, lol!) twin pops were also a favorite. And push-pops. Oh, and fudgsicles. Mmm, fudgsicles.

 And if a real treat was in order, I used to love going to a local ice cream stand and ordering a soft serve cone of what they called “Swiss Mocha” flavor, which was basically chocolate with a hint of coffee and toasted almond. Although it’s still a favorite of mine, Swiss Mocha seems to be an elusive ice cream flavor these days, which is why I decided to re-make my own version of it into healthy fudgsicles. Because when warm weather hits, I’m still all about the frozen treats.

These healthy beauties are everything I remember about Swiss Mocha: predominantly chocolate, with a hint of coffee and a touch of toasted almond. And the avocado? Other than the super velvety consistency of these fudgsicles you won’t even know it’s there.

Mocha Almond Fudgsicles

by a guest post from Faith Gorsky of An Edible Mosaic

Prep Time: 10 minutes (+ time to freeze)

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: dessert snack vegan almonds avocado frozen popsicles summer

Ingredients (6 fudgsicles)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) plain, unsweetened almond milk (or any plain, unsweetened milk you like)
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 medium avocados, pitted and flesh scooped out
• 4 tablespoons toasted, slivered almonds

Instructions

Puree all ingredients except the almonds in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary (the mixture will be about the consistency of pudding).

Add the almonds and pulse a couple times to coarsely chop and incorporate them.

Spoon the mixture into popsicle molds, making sure not to fill the molds over the “fill” line, since liquid expands as it freezes. (My molds are 2 1/2 oz/75 ml and I got exactly 6 popsicles.) Gently tap the mold a couple times on a hard surface to help any air bubbles escape.

Freeze for 30 minutes, then insert the sticks (waiting 30 minutes ensures that the sticks won’t sink all the way down).

Return to the freezer and freeze completely, about 2 to 3 hours more, depending on the size of your popsicles and how cold your freezer is.

To easily unmold the popsicles, dip the plastic bottoms in warm water and they should slide right out.

Once completely frozen and unmolded, I like to wrap each popsicle individually in plastic wrap so it’s easy to grab one whenever a craving hits!

These look so creamy and rich and like-they-belong-in-my-belly, Faith.  Thank you so much for taking over for me today and sharing these amazing fudgsicles with us!

So, once you're finished contemplating on how many times to multiply this recipe so that you can stock your freezer for the rest of the summer, be sure to drop by and visit Faith at her blog, An Edible Mosaic...or find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Creamy Rosewater-Cardamon Chuski w/ Almonds {food 'n flix: Monsoon Wedding}

When I chose Monsoon Wedding as our Food 'n Flix pick for this month, I mentioned that though I hadn't seen it in a while (years, really), I remember enjoying it.  The sensory experiences stuck in my head - the vibrant colors of India, the music and dancing, the family ties, and of course, the rain.

Sitting down to watch it again reminded brought all of the fine details into focus, and reinforced (to me, at least) why I consider this a foodie movie.  At just over three minutes in, food already gets a mention...in the form of pakoras.  A couple of minutes later, we see Varun learning to make a Coconut Curry.

Amidst the family madness surrounding a wedding, and the small love stories developing throughout, offerings of large containers of nuts, bottles of Scotch, jalebis sizzling in oil in the background, ordering a salt lassi or a glass of "the best chai in the world", mentions of cooking sesame chicken, and reaching for a samosa on a high shelf pepper the film.

What I really wanted to make was something featuring marigolds, as an ode to the event planner Dubey, and his new wife Alice...who could been seen munching on marigold heads and petals throughout the film.  Unfortunately, this is the one year that I didn't plant any.  And my back-up sources (my neighbors and our community garden) didn't seem to either.  So I had to form a new plan.

If you've seen the film, and you know me, you can probably guess where I'm going with this.  As a matter of fact, you're probably surprised that I haven't mentioned it yet.  That's right, Chuski (aka, ice pops)!  We see bride-to-be, Aditi, sneaking away with the excuse of getting a chuski when she and the ladies head into the congested city to pick sari's for the wedding party.  She is actually going to make a phone call to the married man she'd been having an affair with, and wasn't quite ready to let go of.  But she wind up with a dripping pink chuski that she passed on to Ria...who slurped it in the street, eliciting a catcall of sorts from a male passing by.  I mention because I adore the character of Ria, and her response makes me giggle.

But the chuski makes a reappearance later on in the film (again with Aditi), but this time eating one side by side with her soon-to-be-husband as they stroll and talk...and she finally comes to her senses and decides to devote herself to the cute, kind, available (well, to her...they are engaged) guy.

Yeah, I couldn't resist the ice pops.  Did you really think I'd be able to?

After I finished to flick to dancing and music and a happy ending, I promptly looked up the word "chuski", just to be sure that it meant ice pop.  It does.  Sort of.  It seems to be more of a general Hindi word meaning "ices" such as ice candy, shaved ice, snow cones, ice pops, and generally...frozen treats to keep you cool under the hot Indian sun.  Much like a nieve in Mexico.   Again, I really wanted to make one that was flavored and colored by marigolds, but since that wasn't an option right now, I went with another traditional chuski flavoring - rosewater.  Rosewater is used to cool and refresh, and I haven't used it in a while.  So, rosewater it was.  Now, I went the creamy route, which probably isn't very traditional - but it's ridiculously addictive and endlessly tasty...just one lick will leave you wanting more.

Creamy Rosewater-Cardamom Chuski w/ Almonds

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes (+ time to freeze)

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: dessert snack vegetarian soy-free sweetened condensed milk almonds rosewater popsicles frozen Indian summer

Ingredients (12 (2.5 ounce) ice pops)

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1-1/2 cups half & half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2-1/2 teaspoons rosewater
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1-3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

Whisk everything except the almonds together in a large measuring cup with a spout until thoroughly combined. Starting with just a drop, add enough food coloring to give you a delicate pink tint (if using).

Divide the toasted almonds evenly among your popsicle molds. Pour the mixture into the molds.

Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours, adding the popsicle sticks in at the correct time for your mold.

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This month's Food 'n Flix pick (hosted by me) was Monsoon Wedding!  Today is the last day for submissions, so if you've watched the film and cooked or baked something inspired by it, post it and get it to me by the end of the day.  More details here.

Join us next month with host Caroline Makes, and her selection, (the classic) When Harry Met Sally!


This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Spaghetti w/ Almonds in Cinnamon Honey Butter {cook the books: How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher}

"...since we must eat to live, we might as well do it with both grace and gusto."  ~MFK Fisher

Our latest Cook the Books selection, How To Cook A Wolf, was originally published in 1942, and concerned eating in a time of war and the food and money shortages that inevitably accompany it.  Author MFK Fisher (some say the first of the food writers) revisited and revised it in 1951, adding notes and additional recipes.

You can tell from chapter titles like "How to Be Cheerful Through Starving", "How to Be Content with a Vegetable Love", and "How Not to Be an Earthworm", that humor is as much a part of Fisher's writing, as is practical advice.   Both simple recipes and techniques for frugality run rampant through the pages, but nary a recipe for braised wolf or wolf's head stew, as the wolf is simply a metaphor for hunger.

When deciding what dish I wanted to make to represent this book, I flipped back through all of the recipes and marked a few.  Ones that had ingredients which I had readily available.  I thought it would defeat the purpose of cooking the wolf if I had to go out and spend money to make something.  I've made Fisher's Tomato Soup Cake several times, and (oddly enough) it is always a hit - plus I get to play "guess that secret ingredient".

But instead of using one of the recipes in the book, I decided to pull a passage that I'd made a note of from the chapter on "How to Distribute Your Virtue".  This chapter has to do with making things stretch...be it by adding half the sugar as you normally would to the pot when making a jam, baking things in the oven for future meals at the same time that you're baking tonight's dinner (saves energy), or by cooking double the amount of rice, potatoes, or pasta that you normally would since you already have the water boiling.

So, when I made Spaghetti with Pesto the other night, I decided to use a larger pot and cook double the noodles.  I separated them after I drained them, and rinsed the "extra" in cold water so that they wouldn't stick together.  I then tucked them away for the following day.

In some of the [notes added in 1951], Fisher mentions the things that you can do with those extra starches that you've cooked and saved on heat consumption...

"Ah, rice pudding, rich with raisins!  Ah, spaghetti baked with honey and shaved almonds in a buttery dish!  Ah, potatoes any way at all but perhaps especially mixed with egg and cheese and fried!  Ah."

Hmmmm.  Spaghetti with honey and almonds and butter. YES!  I kept tossing that idea around in my head, and decided that I would not be satisfied until I tried it.  Now, I didn't skimp on the butter, so this dish seemed almost decadent.  Naughty, even.  But lawdy, was it a delightful little splurge!  But a splurge that I didn't have to hit up the market for, everything was either in my pantry, fridge, or freezer.

"I believe that one of the most dignified ways we are capable of, to assert and then reassert our dignity in the face of poverty and war's fears and pains, is to nourish ourselves with all the possible skill, delicacy, and ever-increasing enjoyment.  And with our gastronomical growth will come, inevitably, knowledge and perception of a hundred other things, but mainly of ourselves."   ~MFK Fisher

Spaghetti w/ Almonds in Cinnamon Honey Butter

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes (using pre-cooked sp

Cook Time: 8-12 minutes

Keywords: breakfast entree pasta almonds

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

for the Cinnamon Honey Butter:

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey
• ~1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

for the spaghetti:

• 2-3 ounces Cinnamon Honey Butter
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 12 ounces cooked spaghetti

Instructions

making the Cinnamon Honey Butter:

Stir all of the ingredients together until well combined. Plop the butter mixture onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and roll into a small log. Refrigerate until ready to use.

making the Spaghetti:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add about 2 ounces of the cinnamon honey butter to the pan. As soon as the butter melts, add the almonds. Toss and stir until the almonds are coated in the butter, and they have started to turn golden, 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and toss in the cooked spaghetti noodles.

If you like, place another small pat of the cinnamon honey butter into the bottom of a baking dish (just large enough to hold the noodles). Dump the entire buttery noodle and almond mixture into the dish. Slide into preheated oven and bake for about 8 minutes, or until hot all the way through, with a few golden bits here and there.

Enjoy warm!

notes:

You will have extra Cinnamon Honey butter left over. Use it to spread on warm biscuits, or something along those lines.

If you like, fish out a spoonful of the toasty almonds before tossing in the pasta. Reserve and sprinkle over the top before serving. This is purely for aesthetic purposes.

I'm utterly enamored with and utterly confused by this dish all at the same time. When I read the line "Ah, spaghetti baked with honey and shaved almonds in a buttery dish!" in How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher, I knew that I'd never eaten sweet-ish pasta...and that I needed to remedy that immediately.

The scent reminds me of those stands at the fair that sell warm, freshly sugared nuts in cones. I can't resist those, either. Therein lies the confusion. Spaghetti is dinner (or lunch). Sweets are dessert (or a snack). But I couldn't stop eating it. So, I don't know how to classify it, but I look forward to inviting the chaos into many more meals...

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Our selection for this round of Cook the Books, How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher, was chosen by Simona.  Submissions are due today for this round (due Monday, July 29th), so if you're fast...you can still get in on the fun!

And if you want to join us, but haven't read the book or don't have time to post this time, we'd love to have join us in our next round, which I'll be hosting, with one of my favorite novels, The Baker's Daughter by the beautiful, kind, funny, amazing writer Sarah McCoy.  Seriously, I adore this woman as much as I adore the book!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Kale & Pepita Pesto

I had every intention of sharing a pie with you today.  I have several 1-pound baggies full of small, local strawberries that I froze at the beginning of summer.  And I was in the mood for pie.  But that all went downhill when I decided to stop at our community garden a few days ago.  I was heading home after running an errand under the steamy midday sun, and I decided to take a detour.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, as I get older, the years fly by faster and faster.  You mean, summer is already well on its way to being over?  When did that happen?  Stopping at the community garden has not even crossed my mind this year.  So, detour...

Piggy Burgers w/ Sundried Tomato Ketchup {she made, ella hace}

In our house, when you mention "burger", you can pretty much guarantee that seasoned ground beef patties topped high with lettuce, tomato, onion, and bacon (of course) are the first things that pop into everybody's minds.  Toasted buns slathered with condiments (what they are depends on the mood)...ketchup, mayo, mustard, guac.  Sometimes I'll put a fried egg or some frizzled onions on top.  I've even been known to squash some potato chips under my top bun.  Oh, and don't forget the cheese.  The ooey, gooey, melty cheese.  Or perhaps a creamier goat cheese or blue cheese layer.  Maybe a good mushroom and swiss burger?

Okay, I just fell head first into my own train of thought there, and almost got lost!

What I meant to tell you was that when my friend and she made, ella hace partner-in-crime Leslie suggested that we make BURGERS our theme this month, I told myself I was going to make one a little out-of-the-norm.  For me, at least.

It was easy, really.  Not long before that point, I had been flipping through a few new cookbooks that I picked up from the library.  One particular page that I had marked was one for burgers.  Pork burgers.  Yes, I took the pork on a burger beyond the bacon.

And really, a burger is no better than its condiments and toppings.  Fortunately, this one has a rich homemade ketchup made from the concentrated sweetness of sundried tomatoes, with a slight whisper of heat from one of my two favorite dried chiles, the pasilla.  Add to that some fragrant cilantro leaves, my latest obsession (kimchi), and a handful of crunchy pork skins?

This burger is definitely greater than the sum of its parts!

Speaking of great burgers, I am now wishing (as usual), that Leslie and I lived down the street from each other.  Because while the whole fam enjoyed this twist on our "normal" burgers, just the thought of Leslie's Roasted Poblano Burgers w/ Chile de Arbol Guacamole makes me whimper.  Pretty sure we're having burgers again this week.

Piggy Burgers w/ Sundried Tomato Ketchup

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 45 minutes (mostly unattended)

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: entree condiment pork sundried tomato American

Ingredients (8 (double-patty) burgers)

for the burgers:

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• green part of 6 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for the sundried tomato ketchup:

• 6 ounces sundried tomatoes (dry-packed or in oil, blotted)
• 2 pasilla chiles, stemmed & seeded
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ~1.5 cups water

to serve:

• 8 buns or rolls, split
• Quick Kimchi
• fresh cilantro leaves
• chicharrón (good fried pork rinds/pig cracklin'/pork skins)

Instructions

making the burgers:

Line a large baking sheet with wax paper; set aside.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, using your hands. Form into 16 thin patties (weighing about 2 ounces each - you'll use two patties per burger). Line the patties up on the prepared baking sheet, adding another layer of wax paper and stacking, if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

making the ketchup:

While the burger patties are chilling, combine all of the ingredients for the ketchup, except the water, in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes on low.

Scrape into the jar of a blender and add half of the water. Puree on high speed, slowly continuing to drizzle in the rest of the water (or as much as you need) to create a thick, smoothish sauce. Transfer to a bowl for use, or refrigerate in a container with a lid for up to 2 weeks.

cooking the burgers:

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut, olive, or vegetable oil. Add 4 of the pork patties to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate set in a low oven and repeat until all of the patties are cooked.

finishing the burgers:

Toast the insides of the buns or rolls on the hot cast-iron skillet before turning off the heat. Smear some of the Sundried Tomato Ketchup on the bottom buns and top with a pork patty. Spread another little daub of ketchup on those patties, and then top with remaining patties. Top each with some kimchi, cilantro, and chicharrón.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

notes:

Feel free to use single patties in a burger for younger eaters (or those with smaller appetites). For the ultimate experience, drink a cold root beer alongside these piggy burgers.

adapted from Smoke & Pickles by Edward Lee

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What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food?  Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes.  Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way. 

Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food.  We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out.  Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it.  Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you.  It's not a competition, it's a showcase.  We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it. 

Join me (here at girlichef) and Leslie in her kitchen (at La Cocina de Leslie) for some delicious food.

My Brown Bread, inspired by the Brown Breads of Ireland

One of the things that I remember most fondly about the food of Ireland was the Brown Bread.  That may seem cliché, or even boring, however it is anything but!  Every place you go, you'll find a different variation.  Images of rustic, craggy soda bread probably pop to mind - and yes, there is plenty of that.  And no joke - it tastes better in Ireland than it does in the US.   It's as if the gurgling streams and emerald landscapes are embedded in each loaf, and every bite you take helps Ireland take root in your soul.

Cherry Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles (#SummerOfThePopsicle guest post: Javelin Warrior}

Wait.  What?  It's Wednesday again?  Already?  I'll take it!  This past week has flown by in a whirlwind of preparation and enjoyment for and of the Food and Wine Conference in Orlando.  I'm just now shaking off the jet lag from Monday, and beginning for form cohesive thoughts.  Thank goodness I have one of my ridiculously talented and kind blogger friends dropping by to share a post with you today.

Who's Holding the Stick:  Today, I'm so excited to welcome the creator of Made with Love Mondays, Tuesday Tutor, and Food Fetish Fridays, Mark of Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv!  Please help me welcome him...and his gorgeous popsicles today.

Fear Conquered: Cherry Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

I almost never eat popsicles.

When I want something cold and frozen, it's almost always ice cream. Typically, I prefer scoopable ice cream. Although I'll never turn my nose up at a Klondike bar. (And I really need to learn to make a suitable ice cream bar replacement so I can stop buying Klondikes entirely!)

So why, of all things, am I sharing a popsicle recipe that doesn't even come close to resembling ice cream? Trust me, I'm scratching my head too. Because even though I made these, I'd still reach for that tub of ice cream.

But truthfully, these popsicles exist because I desperately wanted to participate in girlichef's awesome Summer of the Popsicle 2. Every Wednesday for the whole summer, different bloggers share delicious frozen popsicle (or popsicle-like) treats with Heather and I felt compelled to make an attempt. I mean really, I should be able to at least attempt making popsicles. Even if I rarely eat them. TA-DA! Cherry Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles!

But even if my admittedly inept take on popsicles isn't to your fancy, make sure to check out all the other possibilities over at girlichef's Summer of the Popsicle. Because there are some amazing combinations and nearly every one of them is easy to make.

And if you're not me, and if you have a hankering for something cold and frozen and sweet, you might just be happy to reach for one of these guilt-free indulgences rather than that Klondike bar. Which is probably a good thing, given I've already finished off the last Klondike bar...

Measure 8 ounces of strawberries and 8 ounces of pitted cherries (I used cherries I had previously pitted and frozen).

Transfer to a medium sauce pan and add 1/4 cup of purified water.

Add the juice of 2 lemons to the fruit.

Cover the sauce pan and bring the fruit to a simmer.

Simmer covered for 20 minutes until the strawberries have begun to break down and the cherries have softened.

Add the cherries and strawberries to a blender.

Puree the fruit until smooth.

Allow the fruit puree to cool, then pour into the popsicle molds.

Add your popsicle sticks, then freeze the popsicles for at least 6 hours (I freeze mine overnight).

To remove the popsicles, run the popsicle molds under hot water until the popsicles are loosened.

Cherry Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

by a guest post from Mark of Javelin Warrior

Prep Time: 10 minutes (+ time to freeze)

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: dessert snack vegan dairy-free nut-free soy-free frozen popsicles summer

Ingredients (varies)

• 8 ounces strawberries
• 8 ounces pitted cherries
• 1/4 cup purified water
• juice of 2 lemons

Instructions

Place strawberries and cherries (I used cherries I had previously pitted and frozen) into a medium sauce pan and add the purified water. Add the juice of the 2 lemons to the fruit. Cover the sauce pan and bring the fruit to a simmer.

Simmer covered for 20 minutes until the strawberries have begun to break down and the cherries have softened.

Transfer the mixture to a blender. Carefully (hold the top down with a kitchen towel) puree the fruit until smooth.

Allow the fruit puree to cool, then pour into the popsicle molds. Add your popsicle sticks, then freeze the popsicles for at least 6 hours (I freeze mine overnight).

To remove the popsicles, run the popsicle molds under hot water until the popsicles are loosened.

Hungry for Tips?

• Sugar: Thanks to the sweetness of the strawberries, you really don't have to add any sugar to these popsicles. And no bottled juice is needed either. So all in all, this is a fairly guiltless snack.

• Frozen or Fresh: If you start with fresh cherries and strawberries, they will come to a simmer faster. However, you will also have to pit and hull all of your strawberries and cherries. So to make my life simpler, I buy cherries and strawberries when they're in-season or on sale, hull and pit the fruit and then freeze for later.

• Freeze-time: Unless you like semi-soft popsicles, make sure you plan on a good 6 hours of freezer time. I like to make these a day in advance, that way I'm not tempted to go searching for a treat a couple hours after popping them into the freezer.

• Alternatives: I originally tried these popsicles with cherry and rhubarb (and no lemon). It was a good combination, but Boyfriend Javelin wasn't happy with the flavor. I've also tried swirling in about 1/4 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt to the cooled fruit puree before pouring into the molds. This also works nicely, especially if you prefer a creamier popsicle.

Well Mark, I can hardly fault you for reaching for cool, creamy ice cream now, can I?  Hardly.  I mean, I'd never turn an ice cream treat down.  But me and my cold, refreshing, icy pop-lovin' self would never be able to resist grabbing the stick to one of these gorgeous garnet beauties!  You may not be a convert, but I'm so happy that you took a bit of time to explore and test so that you could be a (fabulous) #SummerOfThePopsicle guest host!

If you're not familiar with Javelin Warrior, I hope you'll take some time to drop by and say hello at his blog.  You can also find Javelin Warrior on twitter, pinterest, google+, facebook, and instagram!

Steak & Egg Bagel Sandwich w/ Kimchi

First of all, who was it that decided to classify which foods you should eat in the morning, which foods you should eat in the evening, and every other time in between?  Who was it!?  Because I want to openly disagree that pancakes are not dinner food.  They totally are.  As are waffles, bacon, bagels, omelets...and occasionally cereal.  Just like pizza is occasionally breakfast food.  So there.

Of course, if those classifications weren't in place, people probably wouldn't get as excited when you told them that you were making breakfast for dinner.  They'd be all like - so?  Or maybe they'd get confused because they wouldn't know what in the world you were talking about, because there would be not set breakfast...no set dinner.

And now I'm confused.  You'll have to excuse me.  I have "conference brain".  As in, I can't thoroughly process anything else while my mind is contemplating what should earn space in my suitcase, or if they'll upgrade my seat to first-class on the second leg of my flight since all the seats are filled...yet I have a ticket. But you get my drift.  Right?  Please tell me you get my drift.  And then go eat some breakfast.  No matter what time it is!

Fried Catfish Nuggets w/ Homemade Tartar Sauce

nug·get  

/ˈnəgət/

Noun

1. A small lump of gold or other precious metal found in the earth.

2. A small lump of another substance: "tiny nuggets of shrimp".

Synonyms

lump - clod

So...yeah.  Small Lumps of Catfish.  Small Clods of Catfish.  Either one of those titles could describe these.  But I'm sticking with 'nuggets'.  It sounds so much more appetizing, wouldn't you say?

Banana Fudge Bomb Pops {#SummerOfThePopsicle Guest Post: Stirring the Pot}

Wait!  Is it Wednesday already?  Again?  Well....HOORAY!  Yes, my favorite day of the week, all summer long.  I hope you've been dropping by to see all of my amazing blogging friends and their crazy cool concoctions on a stick.  The only thing that could possibly make my week better is if I was actually able to sample each and every one of these amazing ice pops, paletas, popsicles, and ice lollies myself!

Who's Holding the Stick:  This week I have another of my oldest blog buddies taking over the blog.  It's Kim from Stirring the Pot.  From blog events to hosting to email communication, I feel like I've known Kim for years.  Well okay, I kind of have...but only through blogging.  I don't know if it's because we're the same age and grew up with the same "stuff", even though we've never met in person, she's like an old friend.  Welcome, Kim!

A big thanks to one of my oldest blogging buddies, girlichef, for giving me the motivation to dig out my popsicle molds and celebrate my love of popsicles.  I’m thrilled to be guest posting! 

When summer rolls around I tend to get nostalgic.  I’m reminded of long summer days spent outside with friends.  We’d hit the street in our bare feet as soon as we woke up and we’d stay out all day until the street lights came on.  We’d gather every kid from the block and play kickball, foursquare, ride bikes, listen to music, sell lemonade, and invent new games; but every day at 2 o’clock we’d stop what we were doing and listen for the ice cream man.  We could hear him coming a mile away.  We’d take advantage of this time to run home and grab our piggy banks.  Then we’d meet back up on the street and put all our money together so that everyone could get something.  Some of my friends would have a hard time deciding what to order.    Not me!  I always craved the same thing.  The Banana Fudge Bomb Pop.  I loved the creamy banana paired with the chocolate fudge. Once everyone got their order, we’d all line up and take a seat on the curb as we ate our popsicles and ice cream.  I can remember looking down the curb both ways and seeing nothing but smiles, laughter, and a certain sense of pride in each other.  It was one for all, and all for one.  We were a tight-knit group having the time of our lives and things were as good as they could be!

Nowadays, my kids run to the ice cream truck while I hope and pray that I have cash on hand.  Wouldn’t it be convenient if these people took a debit/credit card?  The kids order their favorites while I pay up and tease the ice cream man.  Turns out he sells every kind of frozen treat imaginable EXCEPT for the banana fudge bomb pop.  What is this world coming to? I’ve tried to bribe him into ordering me a box and so far he hasn’t delivered.  I feel certain that one day I’ll get my way with him, but until then I decided to make these pops on my own.

This recipe for Banana Fudge Bomb Pops is super simple and very close to the real thing!!  The flavor profile is right on and the pops are very smooth and creamy.  I will definitely be making these when I’m in the mood for a nostalgic little treat.  I should warn you that the ingredients aren’t really all natural.  The recipe pretty much uses store-bought pudding mix and cool whip.  If it makes you feel any better I did add four cups of organic milk before I added a couple drops of yellow food coloring.  I figure that has to count for something!  Oh well, sometimes it’s all about moderation, right?

Banana Fudge Bomb Pops

by guest post from Kim Tracy of Stirring the Pot

Prep Time: 20 minutes + time to freeze

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: dessert snack frozen popsicles American summer

Ingredients (8-10 (2 ounce) pops)

• 1 package (3.4 oz.) Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 package (3.4 oz.) Banana Cream Instant Pudding Mix
• 4 cups milk (2% or whole will produce the creamiest pops) do not use 1% or skim milk
• 1-2 cups Cool Whip (see note below)
• 8-10 drops of liquid yellow food coloring, optional

Instructions

Get two medium sized bowls. In one bowl, add the chocolate fudge pudding mix and 2 cups milk. Whisk together until well combined. In another bowl, add the banana cream pudding mix and 2 cups milk. Whisk together until well combined.

To each flavor, add in either 1/2 cup or 1 cup Cool Whip. (See note above.) Stir each to combine so you don’t see any white streaks from the Cool Whip. If you’d like your banana layer to be yellow in color then add in the yellow food coloring until you achieve the shade you like (I used about 8-10 drops). Mix thoroughly to incorporate the food color.

Spoon into your popsicle molds or cups, but alternate the flavors to make layers. I used two spoons for this. Put your sticks, plastic spoons, or the other part of your mold in the pops and freeze for about 5 hours.

Note:

If you want a more flavorful pop, use 1/2 cup Cool Whip per flavor. If you want a creamier pop, use 1 cup Cool Whip per flavor. I used about 3/4 cup per flavor just because that’s all I had on hand. I thought 3/4 cup Cool Whip for each flavor was just the right combination, both creamy and flavorful.

Serving Note:

Please allow the pops to set out for 5-8 minutes before removing from the popsicle mold! These are very thick pops and they need a few minutes on the counter to loosen up and ease their way out of the molds. You may even find that you need to run a little hot water over the molds in order to get the pop out. Don’t worry that the pops will melt or turn into liquid. The consistency is far too thick for that. In addition, these pops have an icy consistency when eaten directly from the freezer. The consistency of the pops is much creamier if allowed to rest on the counter for 5-8 minutes.

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Wow, Kim!  I don't think my ice cream man ever had Banana Fudge Bomb Pops...but, OH HOW I WISH HE DID!  These look so creamy, and then the classic chocolate/banana combo...hello!  I have to make a batch of these for my household to enjoy.  Thanks for bringing your awesome pops this week ☺.

If you loved these as much as I did, I hope you'll drop by and pay Kim a visit at her blog, Stirring the Pot, or follow her on Pinterest.