frozen rosemary fudge pops

June 12, 2018

For me, there certainly is a lot of nostalgia associated with frozen treats. When I was a kid, the Good Humor driver would take his dinner break on our corner. And, I could buy a frozen fudge pop from the dairy farm across the street whenever I had enough coins to do so or whenever I could talk my dad into buying. (He would say: “You fly, I’ll buy.”)

These days, I try not to go overboard with the desserts, but I still love anything frozen – whether it be drinks, desserts, or pops. I like to make my own frozen pops now, so I can control what goes into them. And, I love to experiment with a variety of fruits and flavors.

Recently, I discovered a fabulous source for frozen pop recipes – a book called Glow Pops by Liz Moody. Not only are the pops made from these recipes delicious, but they are made from nutritious ingredients! Even if you don’t use the exact recipes in the book, the inspiration for using healthful ingredients in frozen pops is worth its purchase!

One example is my updated, healthful version of the fudge pops from my childhood, adapting a recipe from Glow Pops! Adding rosemary to the flavor profile and finishing them with salt brings these pops to a whole new ice pop level! Yummy!!

Empty a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk (I buy it in the International aisle at the grocery store – leche de coco) into a pan and heat on medium high heat on the stove. When it boils, turn off the heat and add 3 sprigs of rosemary from the garden – let it sit 20 minutes to infuse the flavor. Remove the rosemary and pour the mixture into a blender, adding 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 6 Tablespoons organic coconut sugar and 6 Tablespoons of raw organic cacao powder. Blend until smooth and pour into ice pop molds. Freeze. Sprinkle with sea salt when ready to eat. This makes 4 (4 oz.) pops.

If you need an ice pop mold, Home Goods and Marshall’s always have them. I love Crate & Barrel’s Zoku Mod ice pop mold – it is designed to fit into freezer doors. Crate & Barrel also has a good rocket ice pop mold that is actually on sale right now for $3.47!

Do yourself a flavor (pun intended!) for the summer and get Liz Moody’s book Glow Pops and an ice pop mold! A very small investment for some really huge flavor enjoyment!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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mother’s day lavender almonds

April 10, 2018

On my last trip to Boston, I was at the market near the waterfront. One of the vendors was selling many different flavors of a variety of nuts. I tried quite a few flavors and picked out some to bring home.

After I got back home and sampled my purchases, I found my favorite of the nuts were the ones flavored Limoncello lavender. I thought the aroma and subtle taste of the lavender on the nuts was fabulous!

The nuts I brought home didn’t last very long and I found myself wishing I had more! It wasn’t long before I decided to make my own lavender flavored almonds…substituting vanilla for the Limoncello. After several attempts at creating vanilla lavender almonds, I found the recipe here to be the winning combination of ingredients.

I wish someone had invented a scratch and sniff computer screen so you could smell the heavenly aroma of the lavender! Give the recipe a try – maybe you will be inspired to adjust the flavors/amounts to your own taste and come up with your own flavor combination!

I think this treat is great to gift for Mother’s Day! Try packaging the almonds in a pretty jar or a vintage teacup!

Maybe for the next holiday I will try to recreate my second favorite flavor – the bananas foster flavored nuts!

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

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chicks in a puddle

March 27, 2018

Even though Easter usually has no shortage of candy available, it is still fun to add a candy favor to each Easter place setting. You have seen me make edible candy nests in the past (or candy turkeys at Thanksgiving), but today I am making ‘chicks in a puddle.’

You can easily replicate these in minutes as a super simple DIY. Only 3 items are required to pull it off – candy chicks, white chocolate baking pieces, and a little blue food coloring.

My ‘chicks in a puddle’ are simply candy chicks sitting in a ‘puddle’ of white chocolate that has been tinted blue!

To create your own, melt some white chocolate chips, from the baking section of the grocery store, in a double boiler. When melted and smooth, add a little food coloring to the chocolate – to tint it a light blue color – and mix thoroughly. With a teaspoon, spoon the chocolate in small ovals onto wax paper or parchment to create ‘puddles.’ While the chocolate is still warm, press a candy chick into each ‘puddle.’ Place the ‘puddles’ into the fridge for a minute or two to speed up the setting.

This can be a fun activity with the children or grandchildren!

That’s it! Aren’t they cute little additions to the dinner plates?

I hope you are inspired to create some chicks in a puddle for your Easter table! A great tie-in for a child’s Easter basket is the book Puddle by Hyewon Yum!

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

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have a heart

February 13, 2018

It’s easy to get into the Galentine’s or Valentine’s Day spirit simply by using a heart shaped cookie cutter on something edible! Transform something ordinary into something extraordinary with a simple cut!

You have seen me use a cookie cutter on Valentine’s Day before…remember the Valentine stuffed French toast? The lavender shortbreads? Or, even the bird seed for the bird feeder?

Well, today I am taking my Fancy Watermelon Salad (click here for original recipe) and transforming it for Valentine’s Day, simply by cutting the watermelon rounds into hearts! Easy, right?

I hope I have inspired you to use a heart cookie cutter this Valentine’s Day! What will you use it on?

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, xo Jackie

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going nuts

February 6, 2018

I try to incorporate nuts into my diet as much as I can. I always add them to my salad and try to snack on them as a substitute for something less nutritious. Over the years, I have made many variations of seasoned nuts to serve as an appetizer or as part of a cheese tray.

I had no snacks for last Sunday’s epic television viewing night – the Justin Timberlake concert and then the This is Us episode, so I decided to jazz up some walnuts to snack on.I came up with this recipe for rosemary walnuts using ingredients I had on hand. I love rosemary. Using dried rosemary on my walnuts made it possible to add the rosemary flavor without running to the store for fresh herbs. (The one little sprig of fresh rosemary I had that you see in the photos was saved to use in the recipe I made next!) This snack was prepared in 20 minutes and tasted (and smelled) wonderful when eaten warm. I don’t ever eat much salt, but most people do – that’s the reason I put the range of salt! I also tried not to use more butter than I needed – starting with less and adding just enough to cover the nuts!

Rosemary Walnuts

4-6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups walnut halves

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add seasonings. Add walnuts and toss gently, coating well. Place on a large shallow baking tray n a single layer. (I lined the tray with parchment paper for easy clean up.) Bake at 325 degrees until richly brown – about 10 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

I know; eliminating the butter would make this recipe totally guilt-free! But, I decided to get a little decadent for the big concert. I may try substituting something a little more healthful for the butter next time – maybe sunflower oil.

The point of this recipe is to show you that it is easy to create some seasoned nuts using dried herbs you have on hand. I may have recipes for herbed nuts that I like more than this one, but this one did the trick when I wanted something quick without going to the store!

I hope you are inspired to try this recipe or to create your own variation.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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‘unbeetable’ hummus

January 16, 2018

When I was a kid, I hated beets! They were a staple on my grandmother’s Sunday table, but I would not go anywhere near them! But, as an adult, I have developed a fondness for these root vegetables.

My most recent beet discovery came when I visited Flora – a restaurant with a plant based menu located in the Blue Back Square section of West Hartford, Connecticut. It was the first time I had tried beet hummus and it was absolutely yummy! This snack motivated me to research every beet hummus recipe I could find to try and recreate Flora’s delicious appetizer the best I could.

Many of the recipes I found used chickpeas, but I chose to eliminate the chickpeas and make the beets the star of the dish! If beets appeal to you at all, I would definitely urge you to try beet hummus! Here is what I did to make beet hummus, as inspired by the one I enjoyed at Flora!

Beet Hummus Recipe

½ lb. fresh beets (4-5 medium), prepared
2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) plus 1 Tbsp. zest (1 lemon)
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil as needed

To prepare the beets (cleaning them prior to cooking), I covered them with water in a saucepan and simmered them until tender and they felt soft when pricked with a fork. It took about 35 minutes. After they cooled down, I peeled them and cut them into cubes.

I put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and processed until smooth. When serving, I drizzled the hummus with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Pita chips, as well as fresh carrot and cucumber curls, go great with this hummus!

Even though I wouldn’t eat them as a kid, I really enjoy beets as an adult! One of my favorite beet dishes – the beet soup at The River Tavern in Chester, Connecticut.

I think the pretty color of beet hummus makes it ‘unbeetable’ to serve as a Valentine’s Day appetizer! I hope you are inspired to try it!

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

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homemade chai spice

January 9, 2018

I really enjoy the flavor of chai. At least, what we here in the U.S. call chai.

In India, chai is tea. Although there are some variations, the basic components are the same – usually a black tea base, whole milk, spices, and a sweetener of white sugar. Cardamom is the most common ingredient used as a spice, but every family has a blend to suit its tastes. In the same way, here in the U.S., spices can be adjusted in a homemade chai spice to suit individual tastes.

That is what I decided to do. It took me quick a bit of experimentation on a recent snow day to come up with my own favorite combination of spices. I used Penzeys brand spices to make my mix because they are so very flavorful, but you can use whatever you have in your cabinet.

Since I try my best not to eat processed foods (especially with the beginning of a new year), my motivation was to come up with a chai spice to use as a change up for my almond milk. I will use this in warm almond milk, adding a small amount of honey as a sweetener – if I am in a really decadent mood! For a mug of heated milk, I use ½ teaspoon of my homemade spice.

This spice can be used to flavor tea, quick breads, smoothies, etc.

I hope I have inspired you to come up with your own chai spice mix. You can try my combination and adjust the ingredients to your own taste!

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

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ice, ice baby

December 22, 2017

Making homemade Irish Cream for the holidays is a tradition in my family. My mom and sister always put it in their Christmas morning coffee. I prefer to drink it cold. A great addition to the cold version is coffee ice! Making ice cubes in advance from leftover coffee makes this special holiday beverage perfect! But then, a hint of coffee flavor makes many things perfect…think chocolate!

Making special ice cubes is a festive way to enjoy your favorite beverage on Christmas. Depending on your drink of choice, you can choose to add fruit or herbs to your ice as an alternative to making coffee ice. For the children’s beverages, try adding mini gummy bears or crushed candy canes to the ice! What child wouldn’t like to see some gummy bears…or worms!…floating in their juice!

Adding extra fun little details at the holidays is a great way to make the day special!

Using decorative ice cube trays is another festive idea. Ikea usually has some cute ones! Make little ice cube trees, angels, or other unusual shapes. There are also trays available that make ice shot glasses if shots are more your thing!

If you want our family recipe for homemade Irish Cream, click here.

I hope I have inspired you to make some special ice cubes for the holiday…a cute and easy detail to add to your holiday!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things!

Wishing you and your family much joy this holiday season, Jackie xo

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diy basil infused salt gift

November 14, 2017

Before the first frost, what do you do with the last of the basil from your garden? Do you make batches of pesto to freeze? Have you ever thought about making some basil infused salt?

I recently had the good fortune to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida. The Ritz on Amelia Island has a fabulous selection of infused salts for sale. Trying some of the salts from their collection, and watching the kitchen staff demonstrate how it is made, inspired me to use my ‘last of the season’ basil to make some of my own infused salt!

Basil salt makes the perfect seasoning for a tomato and fresh mozzarella salad when the basil from the garden has long gone…and, when packaged, it makes a great holiday gift as well!

It is super simple to create a basil infused salt!

First, I pulsed ½ cup kosher salt and ½ cup packed basil leaves together in the food processor. I dried this mixture by spreading it on a baking sheet in a 225-degree oven (tossing it every 15 minutes) for about 40 minutes – until dry.

After letting it cool, I pulsed the mixture one last time to make the salt extra fine. Of course, you can control the coarseness by the number of pulses used.

For packaging, I used some glass tubes I had purchased for another DIY. I think three tubes tied together are a great way to package the salt as a gift. If you try making some other herbed salt flavors, you can even package three different flavors of salt to gift as a trio! If you would rather use a more conventional container, small Weck jars or glass spice jars would also look super cute!

I hope I have inspired you to use some herbs from your garden to create some infused salt!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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2 ingredient ice pops

August 1, 2017

Ice pops are synonymous with summer! And, what could taste better on a hot, summer day?! I really love icy treats – evident since I own an ice pop mold, an ice shaver, and an old-fashioned ice cream maker!

Every year, I make many variations of homemade pops, but for today I am sharing a super-fast way to create some with a minimal amount of time and ingredients. Just two easy ingredients are needed – your favorite yogurt and some baby food!

Yes, baby food! Haven’t you ever bought banana baby food to make banana bread? Using baby food is an easy way to get some good quality prepared fruit for a recipe without any fruit cleaning or waste! Plus, you can keep some on hand without it going bad!

To make 6 pops, I use 3 jars (4.25 oz.) organic baby food (I like Beech-Nut in Just Mango) and 3 (5.3 oz.) containers of yogurt. Ice pop molds are super easy to come by these days – a quick trip to HomeGoods or Marshalls will fill the bill! If you don’t want to be bothered with another pan to clutter your cabinets, get small, 3 oz. paper cups and some wooden sticks – these will work just as well!

I use a plain yogurt because I like the tartness and it mixes well with the mango, but you may want to use vanilla or a favorite flavor that will mix well with mango (or whatever fruit you choose). For those of you that like extra sweetness – you can add maple syrup or honey to the yogurt before using it in the pop.

Just put the yogurt in the molds, alternating it with the fruit, and freeze – that’s it! The fruit gets so nice and icy! If you use the cup method, the yogurt is thick enough to keep the sticks standing up straight while the pops freeze.

I hope you enjoy this super easy ice pop recipe! Vary the yogurt and baby food flavors to come up with your own favorite combination! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…like enjoying a cold ice pop on a summer day! xo Jackie

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frozen rosemary fudge pops

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chicks in a puddle

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going nuts

‘unbeetable’ hummus

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ice, ice baby

diy basil infused salt gift

2 ingredient ice pops