getting your just desserts

July 16, 2021

Isn’t it feeling great that things are starting to get a little bit back to normal? Getting together with the people we love, of course, is the best part! When getting together at a fabulous place – all the better!

That was my luck recently when I was treated to lunch at one of my favorite places – Terrain.

There is so much to love about Terrain Café…the bread baked in a flower pot and served with herbed butter, seasonal salad selections like grilled peach and strawberry spinach, or the inventive summer beverage selection.

And, of course, a special dessert because having lunch at Terrain Café always calls for a dessert splurge!

For desserts, like everything else on the menu, a seasonal selection is offered.

Wouldn’t you like to try every single one?! My favorite dessert is the terrarium dessert created by Terrain Café and served in a Weck jar. Not only is it on point in theme, but it tastes absolutely delectable!

Sadly, not everyone has a Terrain Café nearby, but everyone can take some special time with special people to enjoy their ‘just desserts.’

I hope I am inspiring you to do just that!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like eating a fabulous dessert al fresco with your besties! xo Jackie

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gingersnap cookie butter

January 1, 2021

Cookie butter is a really popular flavor – not only as a spread, but as an ice cream flavor as well. I can’t say I’m a big cookie butter fan, but I got to thinking…why not switch out the Biscoff cookie in the cookie butter to a cookie I actually like? And, since it is the holiday season and I love gingersnaps, that cookie has to be a gingersnap!

When I looked at all the ingredient labels of cookie butter, it was a little scary! Several oils, syrups, sodium, and soy were included on the label in addition to the cookies.

I tried to simplify the ingredients for my cookie butter. I used real butter rather than oils and sweetened it with sweetened condensed milk. (I tried honey and maple syrup but they just didn’t work out as well.)

This butter makes morning toast taste like the holidays every day! (I like it on sourdough!) It also makes a great gift packaged for the holidays or for Valentine’s Day in a decorated jar.

Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe

7 ounces good quality gingersnaps, broken into pieces

1 stick softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

¼ tsp (or more to taste) ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

Put gingersnaps into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients – process until smooth.

Put into jars or airtight container and store in the fridge.

I didn’t stop at just butter! I also used some of this butter to make some gingersnap cookie butter cups! I made these by putting 1 tablespoon melted dark chocolate into the bottom of each compartment of a mini muffin tin. (12 ounces of chocolate is enough to make a 12-piece mini muffin tin.) I added 1 teaspoon of gingersnap cookie butter on top of each little cup, then added another tablespoon of melted chocolate on top. I finished off the cups by garnishing with sea salt. I put the muffin tin into the freezer for about 20 minutes to set. (Any type of nut butter can be substituted to make alternate flavors using this same method.)

I hope I have inspired you to try making gingersnap cookie butter or to experiment with a cookie flavor butter of your own!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you the very best in 2021!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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candy cane rice cakes

December 29, 2020

I like to think I discovered the rice cake ice cream sandwich. I started making them over 30 years ago. What was the very first one I made? I spread two rice cakes with peanut butter and sandwiched softened vanilla ice cream in between the two. SO crunchy and delicious!

But for the holiday version, I cannot take total credit since a local grocery store called Stew Leonards came up with the holiday rice cake that I now use for Christmas rice cake ice cream sandwiches!

Many Christmases ago, I found the white chocolate and candy cane coated rice cakes at Stew Leonards and they instantly became my favorite holiday treat! These days, the store only makes them by special order and I can never remember to order ahead. So, instead of giving up on holiday rice cakes – I make them myself!

It is easy enough to do. I simply melt down a good white chocolate (I like Lindt or Ghirardelli) to add to one side of a rice cake. A heaping tablespoon of melted white chocolate goes into the center and is spread evenly with a knife. While the chocolate is still wet, I sprinkle crushed up candy canes on top! So simple, yet SO yummy! For 8 rice cakes, I use 11 ounces of chocolate and 8 crushed candy canes.

Once the rice cakes are made, they can be eaten as is or as part of an ice cream sandwich. I think vanilla, eggnog, or peppermint stick ice cream works best in a candy cane rice cake ice cream sandwich! Of course, it needs to either be a homemade ice cream or a very good quality ice cream. It is the holidays after all – no skimping!

Now that you know how to make them, put all your leftover candy canes to good use!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Click here for more on ice cream sandwiches.

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missing the candles

August 29, 2020

Yes, I hate Covid-19. Like everyone else, I miss the normalcy of everyday living.

Never did it become clearer than celebrating my birthday week.

Just losing the simple opportunity of blowing out birthday candles was upsetting! An official birthday celebration certainly does not seem complete without candles!

Chocolate Terrarium served at Terrain Café in Westport – a birthday cake substitute with finesse! Soft milk chocolate ganache, dark chocolate mousse, matcha morsels, and dark chocolate cake.

Everyone that has had a birthday since isolation began knows what I am talking about. You try to make your birthday as normal as possible and then comes time for cake…and, of course, in the current climate, candle blowing is out of the question!

So, no candles this year.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wishing you many years ahead of candle blowing!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things (you never know when they may be gone), Jackie

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peach ice pops with honey & thyme

July 7, 2020

I bought way too many peaches! I just couldn’t resist! But now, what to do with them – I can’t possibly eat them all! Ice pops of course!

Extra peaches plus 90 degree temps equal…peach ice pops, for sure!

I don’t need to add a lot of calories to make some super yummy ice pops. I can just let the natural peach flavor come through! This is easy to accomplish but baking (or grilling) the peaches before using them in the pops.

Peach Ice Pops with Honey & Thyme (makes 5 or 6)

5 medium ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped small

Put the peaches, cut side down on a piece of parchment paper lining a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Put the peaches – skins and all – into a blender with all the ingredients except the thyme and blend until smooth. Add the thyme last so it won’t pulverize – just mix it in.

Pour the mixture into your pop molds and freeze overnight or per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. I hope by now you own an ice pop mold. If not, order one online or pick one up at HomeGoods – it is SO worth the purchase! I also own an ice shaver, but that’s a story for another day! ;)

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red, white & blueberry ice pops

June 30, 2020

Long before my son and I discovered the evils of corn syrup, the two of us would easily polish off a huge box of freeze pops over the July 4^th weekend at the beach!

Food safe plastic sleeves are easily available for purchase on the internet these days, so it is super easy to make a more modern version of freeze pops. These pops have no corn syrup and are made with healthful ingredients. The added bonus is that they are SO much tastier than the originals!

For July 4^th, I picked flavors that would reflect red and blue for the occasion! I decided on blueberry lavender and strawberry rosemary – a far cry from the corn syrup and water variety freeze pops sold at big box stores!

Strawberry Rosemary Ice Pops makes 5

In the summer, I keep a big pot of rosemary growing outside to have handy to use in cooking. It’s super easy to grow. Not only a good herb to have for savory dishes, but it tastes great with so many fruits and in pastry as well! If you aren’t a rosemary fan, just eliminate it from the recipe or switch it out for basil.

3 cups cleaned fresh strawberries
¼ cup water
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
3 Tablespoons honey

In a small pan on the stove, combine the strawberries, water, and rosemary. Cook over low heat about 10 minutes. The strawberries will get soft and you can mash them with a wooden spoon to release their juices.

Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Transfer the strawberry mixture to a blender and add the vanilla, salt, and honey. Blend until combined and smooth.

Pour the mixture into ice pop sleeves using a small funnel and freeze overnight.

Lavender Blueberry Ice Pops makes 5

I love this flavor combination. I know it is not for everyone, but I truly enjoy a subtle lavender flavor.

I always have culinary lavender on-hand. (Make sure if you are using lavender in cooking that you are using culinary grade!) My favorite ways to use it are in shortbread, ice cream or ice pops! If you are hesitant to try the lavender, you can always leave it out!

½ cup water
1 cup coconut sugar
1 Tablespoon dried culinary lavender
4 cups fresh blueberries

In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and coconut sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened – about 10 minutes. Add the lavender and simmer for 10 minutes more until the mixture has reduced by about half and looks thick and syrupy.

Remove the pan from the heat and strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a blender. Let syrup cool for about 15 minutes. Add blueberries and blend until very smooth.

Pour the mixture into ice pop sleeves and freeze overnight.

I hope you will consider making up some freeze pops for your holiday!

Click here for some additional patriotic ice pops.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

These pops are inspired by recipes from the book Glow Pops by Liz Moody – the bible on healthful ice pops!

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bustin’ out of quarantine

June 23, 2020

My first escape out of quarantine was a quick trip to Newport, Rhode Island. It felt really great to see something besides the inside of my house and my neighborhood for a change!

One of the things I love about where I live in Connecticut is how accessible it is to so many great places. Deciding to do a ‘first weekend of summer’ trip to Newport, Rhode Island was a great way to gain a little perspective. And a visit to Mystic, Connecticut as well as Watch Hill, Rhode Island was easy to include in the trip!

Breakfast at Sift in Mystic is always a requirement when in the area. I am a fan of Chef Adam Young and love to see what the current offerings are at his fabulous bakery!

I stayed at the Newport Marriott – a hotel you have seen me post before. The coastal décor is really fun and it is always a great place to stay – right in the hub of Newport.

Trying to make this a healthful trip, my daughter and I included the Cliff Walk on our schedule. Only 3.5 miles – it is an easy 7-mile round trip walk. When I was a kid, I would be amazed at all the magnificent mansions. These days, the flowers, ocean view and architectural details appeal to me most.

If you have never been to Newport, The Cliff Walk runs along the eastern shore and is world famous as a public access walk that combines the natural beauty of the Newport shoreline with the architectural history of Newport’s gilded age. It is a National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District.

Eating out in Newport is usually at one of the ‘old standby’ restaurants or pubs, but this trip we decided to try a newer restaurant. Only in business for about a year, we found Bar ’Cino to be a great place and we were so happy we gave it a try!

Visiting a great coffee place in the morning is always a must and we got a super recommendation from a friend. I decided on a lavender latte – fabulous!

We added more miles to our tally by walking around Watch Hill before heading home. Watch Hill is one of a number of small villages that make up Westerly, Rhode Island – an affluent coastal village located at the most southwestern part of the state.

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of my first trip out of quarantine – a quick view of three coastal New England towns. Where is your first ‘bustin’ out’ location?

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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bananas over ice pops

June 16, 2020

You know I love ice pops and I have tried so many different flavor combinations over the years. One of my favorite all-time flavors for anything is banana, so it wouldn’t be right not to make up some banana pops at some point over the summer!

These are actually a really great summer breakfast! Bananas and almond milk – sounds like a healthy breakfast to me!

Yogurt, regular milk, or coconut milk can be used in place of the almond milk if you prefer. The almond milk (because of the lack of fat) will make an icier pop and the regular milk makes a creamier pop. I use the almond milk for my own pops to make a guilt-free treat. In the summer I would rather eat a banana this way!

Banana Ice Pops (about 5, 3 oz. pops)

3 cups ripe bananas
1 cup milk of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze as directed or overnight.

When I have ice pops on hand to offer to guests, I take them out of the molds and package them individually in advance – ready to go in my freezer!

Drizzling banana ice pops with chocolate shell makes them a great summer-time dessert! And, there are so many variations possible! If you have children or grandchildren you want to impress, you can coat the pops completely in chocolate shell and then quickly roll them in crushed up breakfast cereal for an extra special treat!

Here, I used homemade chocolate shell (click here for the recipe) and crushed up peanut butter/chocolate breakfast cereal – banana, peanut butter, and chocolate go well together! Use your imagination to make up other combinations!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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mint mojito ice pop

June 9, 2020

I very rarely drink alcohol, but I love a good virgin drink – especially a frozen one! This pop is like combining the two! Enjoy a refreshing Mojito with none of the calories of a cocktail!

Calorie Count

Mint Mojito: over 200 calories
Mint Mojito ice pop: under 30 calories

Cost

Mint Mojito: $10.+
Mint Mojito ice pop: use your own garden ingredients and spend under $1.

I hope you are inspired to try these pops or your own creation! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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creamy fig ice pops

May 29, 2020

I am obsessed with fig jam. Fig jam and manchego cheese crostini is a favorite snack of mine – such a fabulous flavor combination!

Recently I noticed that Trader Joe’s sells a fig butter and right away I knew I needed to use it to create a summer treat! I decided to combine it with (no, not cheese!) yogurt – to create a fig flavored ice pop!