I love watermelon, I mean, who doesn’t, but i don’t often buy them for myself for one main reason. They are so freaking big and once you cut open a melon, the rest of what is not eaten needs to be refrigerated which would be fine but I have a very tiny fridge and sticking a watermelon in there takes up about half the space. And sure, I could maybe eat a whole melon all to may face in one sitting, but then I would explode. And yes, I know you can buy smaller wedges of melon at the store, but I refuse. Those wedges just seem gross and expensive and wrong to me.%u00a0 When I buy watermelon I take my chances and buy the whole thing and just eat the crap out of it until I make room for other food in the fridge.
It has been so hot out (too hot) and I really just needed a watermelon, so I bought a watermelon (the biggest one I could find because of course). I waited for a day until the fridge was near empty and cut the beast up. Half went into the fridge right away (I had just eaten the last of the greens to make room) and the other half, well only a 1/4 was eaten. I could have kept going and eaten the rest or I figured I would just make a nice tea drink with the rest. And that what I did and that’s this drink I show you here. Smooth, bright, and earthy iced green tea with fresh sweet watermelon, it’s all summertime up in you mouth. And pureeing up watermelon into a liquid definitely takes up way less space in the fridge. I am a genius.
The stuff. Some watermelon, a few green tea bags, a lime( or a lemon), a spring or two of mint, and some water.
Start off with making the tea. Hot water to tea bags, steep for 5 or so minutes then remove bags. Stick tea in fridge to cool.
Now for the watermelon. Remove the rind from the fruit , and cut it up into chunks. Toss in a few mint leaves and…..
So you have cooled tea, pureed watermelon and the juice of a lime.
Pour it all together and mix it all up.
And there you have it. Fresh watermelon green ice tea, ready for your drinking.
All you need now are glasses full of ice and little wedges of melon.
All the summertime, all the watermelon.
Hope you are all staying cool.
-C
make 6 1/2 cups
4 green tea bags
4 cups water
1/4 of a watermelon (about 2 1/2 cups liquid watermelon)
1 lime (lemon works too)
a few sprigs of mint (optional)
Bring water to an almost boil (I let my tea pot whistle, turn it off and sit for a minute or two) and pour hot water over tea bags. Let steep for about 5 minutes, then remove bags and refrigerate tea until cold.
When the tea has cooled, take you melon, remove the rind, and puree the fruit along with the mint, with a blending device of you choice. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and give it all a good stir.
Pour tea over ice, garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of watermelon if you want some fancy.
Not only is it the first week of summer, it’s also popsicle week! Billy over at the sweet ass blog Wit and Vinegar hosts a little (actually quite large) bloggers party that share all sorts of fun and fantastic popsicle recipes and presents that list to the world. There are popsicle flavors up the wazoo…Pretty stinkin cool right.
So my contribution to the world of popsicle eaters is one of my all time favorites (maybe the absolute best one yet).. Carrot Ginger Orange.
For those who know me, this flavor combination should come as no surprise. Carrots are my thing. I eat them all day, every day. Sure I eat a shit ton of other stuff, but always carrots. Carrots are in my breakfast,lunch, and dinner. If I need a snack, I grab a carrot. There is just something so satisfying not to mention so easy about carrots. Eaten alone, with mustard or hummus, or dipped in peanut butter of cinnamon..Carrots can do just about anything. I mean I eat so many carrots that no shit, my skin is a slight tint of orange (seriously for reals. Something about an abundance of carotene) Crazy I know, but what can I say. I really like carrots. %u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0 (that’s what I say when people ask me why I am glowing orange)
So naturally the carrot made it’s way into my popscile mold. And now it’s for real. Carrots really can do anything.
Another win for carrots everywhere.
And popsicles.. Just in time for that hot as shit weekend we are about to have.
GO POPSICLES CO!
The stuff. Carrots, an orange, some fresh ginger, and some water. Simple simple and no, I didn’t forget the sweetener… these pops have no need (although if you want, go ahead and add a smidge or splash of something sweet)
Start by chopping up the carrots and sticking them into a pot with some water. Not a lot, just enough that it almost cover the carrots, and stick that pot onto the stove, cover and cook on medium heat until tender. Make sure to check that the water doesn’t completely evaporate or you will have burnt carrots which taste just fine, but not as a sweet popsicle
While the carrots are tenderizing, zest the orange then juice it and grate up some fresh ginger.
Once the carrots are fork tender, dump in the juice, the zest, and the ginger. Stick pot back on heat for just a few more minutes to meld the flavor together.
Dump the contents of the pot into the blender and blend blend blend until smooth.
Grab your mold and pour blended mixture into it.. Because the mixture is thick, you don’t have to wait to stick the sticks in so go ahead and do that now.
And into the freezer they go!
Serious popsicle goodness right there.
Happy Popsicle Week. Go ahead and make them all!
-C
Makes about four or five 3.5 oz popsicles
3 medium sized carrots
1 orange (zest and juice)
1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger
water
Note. I did not use and sweetener and did not miss it but if you really think you need it, add a little bit of honey or sugar. But really, they are sweet enough so maybe give them a chance without it.
Start by chopping the carrots up into coins and stick them into a pot with enough water to just about cover the carrots. Stick on stove on medium heat and place a lid on the pot. Cook carrots until tender.
While that’s happening, zest and juice orange and grate up the fresh ginger. (I used 1 teaspoon of ginger at first, but after I blended it, I decided that I wanted a little more so I added another teaspoon)%u00a0 Once the carrots are soft, dump in all the juice, zest and ginger. keep on heat for a few more minutes to let the flavors all meld together.
%u00a0And now dump the pot of carrot goods into the blender and blend the crap out of it until smooth. (add in a splash or two of water if needed. Taste your puree and if you want more ginger, add it it.( can also decide now if you want any sweetener..
Now pour the mixture into you popsicle molds and follow the mold directions on how to use it (add popsicle sticks and stick it in the freezer)
Freeze until frozen.
Remove from freezer and let sit until pops slip from mold.
Eat until gone.
Make more popsicle.
%u00a0I remember long ago, when I was just a little, my mom would take me to the health food store with her to get whatever new fancy snack that she was obsessed with or to stock up on way to expensive jams and her very specific boxes of teas that she could not find anywhere else. Those were the days (when mom was buying the groceries) And I loved going to the store with here because well, bulk bins! Oh the bulk section, it had all the best stuff like sesame sticks and granola chunks.%u00a0 It was a free for all,, grabbing a piece dried mango here or a handful of almonds there. (don’t judge, I as just a sweet little little, I don’t do that anymore…often) %u00a0 This store had a pretty impressive bulk section and includedtwo bins of carob covered rice cakes. One was plain, one was mint, both freaking delicious. Up until the first time I ate one of those rice cakes I had no clue what carob was or that those rice cakes were not chocolate. I just remember that they were super tasty and that my mom always got one for me.%u00a0 She wold buy a dozen and I might have gotten to eat another one of those too.%u00a0 I loved those rice cakes.
I haven’t seen a carob covered rice cake in years.%u00a0 I think that they stopped carrying them or maybe it’s because the store has changed a lot and I don’t often go there anymore, but either way, it’s been a while. So anyway, last week I spur of the moment bought a package of (unsalted plain) rice cakes, then realized that the mr wasn’t to into rice cakes anymore (there was a long period of time where I made him peanut butter banana rice cakes for lunch everyday). But I bought them and they need to be eaten, and that’s when it came to me.. Make the carob covered rice cakes from the old days. Something new and different for the mr and something super nostalgic for me.
And it helped that it has been way to freakin deakin hot and all the things that I have been wanting to bake (cherry pie, rhubarb cake, food in general) just wasn’t happening. . But these sweet treats take 2 minutes to make and require no heat whatsoever (my coconut was already melted.) Can you really ask for more?
The stuff. Carob powder, coconut oil and rice cakes. I should have stuck the sea salt in the picture, but it is kind of optional..
Simple as can be. Th oil and carob powder get combined in a bowl of some kind.
Mixed together until silky smooth and BLING BLING shiny.
Rice cakes all ready to get decked out ( doing this on wax paper to make life much easier)
Smothered with the carob all over. You can do one side at a time, sticking it into the freezer to set for a minute or just get a little messy and do it all at once. Up to you. But wither way, it need to go in the freezer for just a few minute to get hard.
And right before you stick them in the freezer, sprinkled with sea salt.
Uh huh.. Looking good. And taste ever better then I remembered. (it’s the salt. Salt makes everything better)
-C
Makes 2 (why make only 1)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 heaping tablespoons carob powder
2 plain rice cakes
Sea salt
In a bowl mix together melted coconut oil with the carob powder until a smooth and shinny consistency. With a spatula, smother the top and the sides of the rice cakes with the mixture. Place on wax wax paper, un-carobed bottom down, and stick in freezer for a few minutes until carob has harden. Remove, flip, and smother remaining side. (you can do both sided at once, but it’s a little messier) Sprinkle salt on now and back into freezer until hard. Remove and eat.
Note. If you make two and have one left over for late, keep it in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. It will melt just like chocolate.
This treat is a long time coming, like almost a years time%u2026Let me explain.%u00a0
One of the littles had requested a dessert of some type of almond pear situation for his birthday%u2026..last year. Of course I said yes, no problem, for your birthday, you got it. But I never got it. I actually completely forgot. Then a few months later, I remebemered, felt like a big D-bag and told %u00a0myself I still had to make something for the guy%u2026 and I forgot again.%u00a0Next time I remembered, I had just bought a bunch of pears and that was it. Make the kid something you bitch (is what I told myself) but heres the thing, I figured he forgot too and those pears were mighty tasty.(I know I am horrible)%u00a0
So just last week I was at the store, meandering through the produce, and noticed that local pears were on sale. This was it.%u00a0I knew it had to be done. I bought a large quantity (enough to bake with and eat) and got to making that little his birthday treat request. I went with bars.. nothing to sweet, nothing to crazy, lot and lots of almond and pear flavors. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and made even better by the fact that they were made for him, and it isn’t even his birthday.
So I made them, and brought them to his house, waited for him to get off the bus from school, and handed him his long awaited pear almond treat. He was so happy, it made me feel like shit.(I so should have made him something a year ago)%u00a0%u00a0But oh well,%u00a0%u00a0he got them right? And this way is much more a surprise then if I had actually made them when I said that I would. An unexpected, not your birthday, birthday treat!
Right here guys%u2026Still the Best Aunt EVER!
The stuff. Alond flour, oat flour, baking soda ,salt, earth balance and a little honey. We also need some rolled oaths almond butter and almonds. And of course we need pears, with a little corn starch and a smidge of cinnamon.
Nice ripe pears get thinly sliced, seeds and stems removed.
Tossed into a bowl with the starch and cinnamon and set aside.%u00a0
The oat and almond flour gets mixed together with the salt and the baking soda, then mix together with the earth balance and honey until it turns into a dough.( I used my hands to mix it together%u2026it worked better then a fork)
Break off about a 1/4 of the dough and stick back in bowl. Take the rest and evenly press into the bottom of a 9×9 baking pan.
Take the remaing dough and mix in the almonds, oats, and almond butter to form the crumble.
Dump the pears on the crust, making sure the are level and pretty evenly layered.
And crumble the crumble on top.
Give it a little press to compact the crumble and into the oven it goes!
When all browned and crispy and nice, remove from oven and let cool. Cut into squares and go for it.
Look at that, so much goodness.Go ME!%u00a0
Happy Wednesday people!
-C
For the crust and crumble
1 1/2 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cup almond %u00a0flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup earth balance (can use butter)
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup almonds
For the pear filling
4-5 ripe pears
2 tablespoons corn or arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, mix together the almond and oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the earth balance and honey and mix together until a dough forms (I find using my hands to work swell). Roll dough into a blob and tear about 1/4 of the dough away and set back into bowl. Press the remaining dough into he bottom of a 9X9 inch baking pan. With the remaining dough, mix the rolled oats, the almond butter and the chopped almonds and set aside again.
Now slice up your pears %u00a0into 1/4 inch thick slices (remove seeds and stems)%u00a0and toss into a bowl with the cinnamon and starch. Take pears and layer ontop of the crust, trying to keep the pears evenly distributed. And dump and distribute the crumble topping all over the pears. Gie the whole thing a few pats to compress the crumble a bit.
Stick into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crumble topping is all nice and brown and crispy.%u00a0
Remove from the oven, let cool and cut into squares.%u00a0
Great as breakfast lunch snack or dinner. Eat with you hands and lick crumbs off plate.%u00a0
Holy shit is it hot out. My brain is all fizzy, my hair is all frizzy, and my over all being is just blah. I am not a fan of super hot weather (as some of you may know) and am getting more pissy as the days go %u00a0by and I continue to be a sweaty mess. I don’t want to feel like a big wet slob, I want to feel fresh and clean and wear clothes that are not drenched in sweat. I know, bitch, bitch, bitch, but seriously. Even the world around me is wilting, and in the nice, colorful fall foliage kind of way. It’s all crispy and brown.%u00a0%u00a0The garden is barely holding on, the flowers are shriveling in the ground, and a few plants are just plan dead.%u00a0It’s just too hot.
I think that only plus side of this past week of hot crap weather are these popsicles that I made. They were actually suppose to be a treat for the littles, but guess what, me and the mr ate them and didn’t share, and no, I feel zero bad about it. They were so good, so refreshing,%u00a0so cold(if only for a minute) and just so needed. %u00a0A few minute reprieve from being miserably hot. And bonus, a great use of all the watermelon and tomatoes that I have taking over the countertops (I have so much watermelon and tomatoes)%u00a0
And really, these probably (better freaking be) the last batch of popsicles for the summer so I think I am going to make another batch today, eat them, savor the flavors of summer, and move on from there.
.%u00a0Maybe I’ll even share them this time.%u00a0
The stuff. Some watermelon*, a tomato, a handful of basil, and a lime.%u00a0
*My watermelon had seeds,%u00a0but you can use seedless. I also removed the green skin, but kept on as much rind as I could, although this particulate melon had very little white rind.
Dump the melon, tomato (cut in a few pieces, the juice of the lime and the basil into a blender. If your melon has seed, don’t worry about removing them.
The stuff all blended up.
. This step is more necessary %u00a0if you melon is seeded, straining the mixture pretty much caught most of the seed chunks. You can skip this if your melon is seedless.
Now pour the juice into your molds and stick into freezer to freeze.%u00a0
After about 2 ish hours, remove and stick the sticks into the semi harder pops.
And a few more hours later%u2026…Frozen goodness.
And pop one of those suckers out of the mold and savor every frozen delicious bite.%u00a0
Happy Tuesday…%u00a0DON’T MELT!
-C
Make six 3.5 oz popsicles
1 ish cup watermelon (green skin removed.. rind is good)
1 large ripe tomato (about a cups worth)
a few sprigs of basil
Juice of 1 lime
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl or jar and pour into popsicle molds.%u00a0
Place in freezer for a few hours. About 2-3 hours in the freezer, take them out and stick in sticks (or fallow you popsicle molds instructions) Place back into freezer
Once completely frozen, remove from molds and eat with your mouth.
FRIDAY%u00a0YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.%u00a0
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with%u00a0specific food diets as well as%u00a0those who eat anything. A cookie for all!%u00a0%u00a0See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good.%u00a0Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being%u00a0raw/vegan/ gluten free.%u00a0
And because these cookies are made%u00a0with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins,%u00a0good healthy fats, and%u00a0complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them.%u00a0They a%u00a0are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way%u00a0to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out,%u00a0or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)%u00a0
Now go for it!
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour.%u00a0%u00a0Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool%u00a0date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.%u00a0
Dump everything into %u00a0a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
And you could totally leave them as balls%u2026 you can%u00a0even play with your balls%u2026.
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of%u00a0cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY!%u00a0Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
1 cups oat fashion oats soaked in 1%u00a0cup%u00a0water for at least an hour (use gluten free oats if needed)
1/2 cup raw%u00a0almonds
1/2 cup raw%u00a0cashews
5-6 medjool%u00a0dates
1/2 cup dehydrated%u00a0flaked coconut
1/4 cup cocoa powder
a pinch of salt (if your nuts are unsalted)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a %u00a0cohesive%u00a0dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop %u00a0and roll into balls and either%u00a0leave them as is or%u00a0squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and%u00a0coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in%u00a0fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
I am a mint lover, even when it grows at%u00a0such a ferocious%u00a0speed that it%u00a0threatens the lives of all the plants near it. That just means that I have to be vilagent%u00a0and harvest and use as much as I can.
This drink is a fantastic way to use up some of that mint. I have been making and drinking fresh, hot,%u00a0mint tea almost ever night for the past few weeks, but this weekend was way to freaking hot to be doing hot%u00a0tea. So using my little noggin, I figured I should just%u00a0chill%u00a0it and added some lime because mint and lime are oh so nice together.%u00a0%u00a0Now my favorite, and one of the most refreshing%u00a0drinks after a long hot day.
%u00a0And limes just happen to be on sale this week%u2026.%u00a0
The stuff. A few stems%u00a0of fresh mint, a couple juicy limes, and%u00a0water. And if you want, a little sweetener of your choice. (I used a tiny bit of honey..not shown)%u00a0
Start by placing %u00a0the mint, leaves and stem, into a big pot.%u00a0Take a wooden spoon and gently muddle the mint. Add in the water, making sure that all the mint is fully sumerged (stuff it down in the pot)
Now place pot on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
After steeping %u00a0for a few, pout tea into a big jug, straining out the mint leaves. Add any sweetener that you might like (just a little.. you can always add more later if you need it)%u00a0and%u00a0stick into%u00a0fridge to cool, or just leave it on the counter if your want.
While you are waiting for the tea to cool, you might as well juice the limes (cause we need the lime juice)%u00a0
After the tea%u00a0%u00a0is cool, add in the juice of the limes and mix/shake/stir around.
And thats it..%u00a0
Serve in a cup with a few chunks of ice and a mint leaf garnish (not necessary but nice)
A nice tall glass of%u00a0cold yumminess%u2026 Keeps one from melting completely in this crazy hot weather and keeps mint from killing everything around it.
Stay cool!
-C
4 full stems%u00a0of fresh mint
6 cups water
2-3 limes (I used 2 1/2 which was almost a full cup of juice)
sweetener to taste (a tablespoon of honey is nice)
Place mint, stems and all,%u00a0into a large pot%u00a0large pot. With a wooden spoon or sme type of blunt object, lightly muddle the plant. Pour water over mint and place pot on the stove. Bring water to a boil, then remove and let cool for a few minutes. Pour%u00a0the%u00a0mint tea%u00a0into a big jar, straining out the mint leaves..(A half gallon ball jar works perfectly) If using a sweetener, add it to the tea while it is still warm.( little goes a long way%u2026 you can alway add a little more later!) Place mint tea into the fridge to cool. When the tea is cool, juice you limes and dump%u00a0the juice into the tea and mix or shake.
It is now done and ready to serve. Pour over ice (thats in%u00a0a cup)%u00a0and serve with a fresh mint leaf (if your fancy)
Maybe you, like me, went a did a little strawberry picking this past weekend. And maybe you, like me, pick so so many that%u00a0now you have an overload of the most perfect, if not slightly too ripe strawberries staring at you, waiting to be eaten or, at the very least,%u00a0cooked into some magical cake, pie, cookie, or whatever. But lets face it, its Monday and maybe we do not exactly feel the need (or have the time)%u00a0to make a cake, pie, cookie or whatever tonight. So%u00a0that leaves us with a crap load of strawberries that need to be dealt with.%u00a0
And sure, we can freeze them,%u00a0but maybe you, like me, already have a freezer full of other stuff. And just because we don’t want to bake a cake, pie, cookies, or whatever tonight, doesn’t mean we don’t want something amazingly tasty and fantastic.
So that brings us to this super easy, oh so pretty, and ever so tasty way to move those strawberries%u2026.. Stick them in the oven and roast them. So simple and really truly amazing. When strawberries are roasted, they turn so%u00a0tender and%u00a0fall apart%u00a0and release%u00a0all of their%u00a0juices that turn into a sweet syrup. They become%u00a0almost jam like,%u00a0but the flavors are way better, more complex. And there is no%u00a0need%u00a0for added sugar or any other%u00a0stuff because the flavors and natural sweetness of the roasted strawberries stand on their own.%u00a0%u00a0
A few ways to which you might want%u00a0to use roasted strawberries that will make your life better:%u00a0Dump%u00a0onto ice cream, yogurt, or make a strawberry shortcake or a strawberry fool.%u00a0Scoop%u00a0onto a green salad, mix into a bowl of quinoa, marinate some tofu, or add to roasted veggies. %u00a0You can mix into muffin%u00a0batter, into oatmeal, or%u00a0add to a layer cake. They make%u00a0a fantastic PB and J and%u00a0the syrup in seltzer is a tasty%u00a0drink. You can pretty much use them for anything. But MY favorite way to consume these%u2026a bowl, a little spoon, and my mouth. Nothing else needed.
And if you didn’t happen to go strawberry picking this weekend. It’s cool, just pick some up from the closest farm stand near you. You can tell all your anyone thats asks that you picked them yourself.%u00a0%u00a0(not a lie, just a stretch cause you did, in fact, pick them up yourself)
%u00a0Yea for Monday%u00a0and%u00a0for%u00a0roasted strawberries! (Or at least yea for strawberries.)%u00a0
All you need%u2026A big (or small)%u00a0bowl of strawberries.%u00a0
Rinse those pretties and place them on a parchment lines baking sheet. (don’t skip parchment%u2026 these suckers get super thick and juicy.)
Here is the thing. These strawberries are picked from the lovely farm I get my CSA from.(How badass is it that we%u00a0have a PYO part of the%u00a0share). They are not like super market berries that are extra firm with dirty unappealing green tops. These little organic lovelys have tender little green tops%u2026.%u00a0I eat them. If you do not wish to eat the greens,%u00a0just top the berry off before roasting.%u00a0
So the berries, stick them in the oven at 450 degrees and roast them for about 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of your berries)
Pull them out when they start to get dark and slightly charred and the juice is thick and bubbly.
And scrap the berries, juice and all, right into a jar.
Eat with anything, everything and with nothing at all.
Happy Monday
-C
%u00a0strawberries of any quantity
Place strawberries, with or without tops (your preference) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in a 450 degree oven and roasted %u00a0foe about 45 minutes or%u00a0until the berries are soft, mushy, starting to charr and have lots of bubbly juice, . When done, remove from oven and let cooll for for about 5 minutes.%u00a0Transfer berries, juice and all, into jar.%u00a0
Eat%u00a0right away or stick in fridge. Juices thicken up when cooled.
Keeps%u00a0%u00a0about a week in fridge, but I highly doubt it will last the night.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 15, 2019 by maximios • Blog
I love watermelon, I mean, who doesn’t, but i don’t often buy them for myself for one main reason. They are so freaking big and once you cut open a melon, the rest of what is not eaten needs to be refrigerated which would be fine but I have a very tiny fridge and sticking a watermelon in there takes up about half the space. And sure, I could maybe eat a whole melon all to may face in one sitting, but then I would explode. And yes, I know you can buy smaller wedges of melon at the store, but I refuse. Those wedges just seem gross and expensive and wrong to me.%u00a0 When I buy watermelon I take my chances and buy the whole thing and just eat the crap out of it until I make room for other food in the fridge.
It has been so hot out (too hot) and I really just needed a watermelon, so I bought a watermelon (the biggest one I could find because of course). I waited for a day until the fridge was near empty and cut the beast up. Half went into the fridge right away (I had just eaten the last of the greens to make room) and the other half, well only a 1/4 was eaten. I could have kept going and eaten the rest or I figured I would just make a nice tea drink with the rest. And that what I did and that’s this drink I show you here. Smooth, bright, and earthy iced green tea with fresh sweet watermelon, it’s all summertime up in you mouth. And pureeing up watermelon into a liquid definitely takes up way less space in the fridge. I am a genius.
The stuff. Some watermelon, a few green tea bags, a lime( or a lemon), a spring or two of mint, and some water.
Start off with making the tea. Hot water to tea bags, steep for 5 or so minutes then remove bags. Stick tea in fridge to cool.
Now for the watermelon. Remove the rind from the fruit , and cut it up into chunks. Toss in a few mint leaves and…..
So you have cooled tea, pureed watermelon and the juice of a lime.
Pour it all together and mix it all up.
And there you have it. Fresh watermelon green ice tea, ready for your drinking.
All you need now are glasses full of ice and little wedges of melon.
All the summertime, all the watermelon.
Hope you are all staying cool.
-C
make 6 1/2 cups
Bring water to an almost boil (I let my tea pot whistle, turn it off and sit for a minute or two) and pour hot water over tea bags. Let steep for about 5 minutes, then remove bags and refrigerate tea until cold.
When the tea has cooled, take you melon, remove the rind, and puree the fruit along with the mint, with a blending device of you choice. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and give it all a good stir.
Pour tea over ice, garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of watermelon if you want some fancy.
Not only is it the first week of summer, it’s also popsicle week! Billy over at the sweet ass blog Wit and Vinegar hosts a little (actually quite large) bloggers party that share all sorts of fun and fantastic popsicle recipes and presents that list to the world. There are popsicle flavors up the wazoo…Pretty stinkin cool right.
So my contribution to the world of popsicle eaters is one of my all time favorites (maybe the absolute best one yet).. Carrot Ginger Orange.
For those who know me, this flavor combination should come as no surprise. Carrots are my thing. I eat them all day, every day. Sure I eat a shit ton of other stuff, but always carrots. Carrots are in my breakfast,lunch, and dinner. If I need a snack, I grab a carrot. There is just something so satisfying not to mention so easy about carrots. Eaten alone, with mustard or hummus, or dipped in peanut butter of cinnamon..Carrots can do just about anything. I mean I eat so many carrots that no shit, my skin is a slight tint of orange (seriously for reals. Something about an abundance of carotene) Crazy I know, but what can I say. I really like carrots. %u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0%u00a0 (that’s what I say when people ask me why I am glowing orange)
So naturally the carrot made it’s way into my popscile mold. And now it’s for real. Carrots really can do anything.
Another win for carrots everywhere.
And popsicles.. Just in time for that hot as shit weekend we are about to have.
GO POPSICLES CO!
The stuff. Carrots, an orange, some fresh ginger, and some water. Simple simple and no, I didn’t forget the sweetener… these pops have no need (although if you want, go ahead and add a smidge or splash of something sweet)
Start by chopping up the carrots and sticking them into a pot with some water. Not a lot, just enough that it almost cover the carrots, and stick that pot onto the stove, cover and cook on medium heat until tender. Make sure to check that the water doesn’t completely evaporate or you will have burnt carrots which taste just fine, but not as a sweet popsicle
While the carrots are tenderizing, zest the orange then juice it and grate up some fresh ginger.
Once the carrots are fork tender, dump in the juice, the zest, and the ginger. Stick pot back on heat for just a few more minutes to meld the flavor together.
Dump the contents of the pot into the blender and blend blend blend until smooth.
Grab your mold and pour blended mixture into it.. Because the mixture is thick, you don’t have to wait to stick the sticks in so go ahead and do that now.
And into the freezer they go!
Serious popsicle goodness right there.
Happy Popsicle Week. Go ahead and make them all!
-C
Makes about four or five 3.5 oz popsicles
Note. I did not use and sweetener and did not miss it but if you really think you need it, add a little bit of honey or sugar. But really, they are sweet enough so maybe give them a chance without it.
Start by chopping the carrots up into coins and stick them into a pot with enough water to just about cover the carrots. Stick on stove on medium heat and place a lid on the pot. Cook carrots until tender.
While that’s happening, zest and juice orange and grate up the fresh ginger. (I used 1 teaspoon of ginger at first, but after I blended it, I decided that I wanted a little more so I added another teaspoon)%u00a0 Once the carrots are soft, dump in all the juice, zest and ginger. keep on heat for a few more minutes to let the flavors all meld together.
%u00a0And now dump the pot of carrot goods into the blender and blend the crap out of it until smooth. (add in a splash or two of water if needed. Taste your puree and if you want more ginger, add it it.( can also decide now if you want any sweetener..
Now pour the mixture into you popsicle molds and follow the mold directions on how to use it (add popsicle sticks and stick it in the freezer)
Freeze until frozen.
Remove from freezer and let sit until pops slip from mold.
Eat until gone.
Make more popsicle.
%u00a0I remember long ago, when I was just a little, my mom would take me to the health food store with her to get whatever new fancy snack that she was obsessed with or to stock up on way to expensive jams and her very specific boxes of teas that she could not find anywhere else. Those were the days (when mom was buying the groceries) And I loved going to the store with here because well, bulk bins! Oh the bulk section, it had all the best stuff like sesame sticks and granola chunks.%u00a0 It was a free for all,, grabbing a piece dried mango here or a handful of almonds there. (don’t judge, I as just a sweet little little, I don’t do that anymore…often) %u00a0 This store had a pretty impressive bulk section and includedtwo bins of carob covered rice cakes. One was plain, one was mint, both freaking delicious. Up until the first time I ate one of those rice cakes I had no clue what carob was or that those rice cakes were not chocolate. I just remember that they were super tasty and that my mom always got one for me.%u00a0 She wold buy a dozen and I might have gotten to eat another one of those too.%u00a0 I loved those rice cakes.
I haven’t seen a carob covered rice cake in years.%u00a0 I think that they stopped carrying them or maybe it’s because the store has changed a lot and I don’t often go there anymore, but either way, it’s been a while. So anyway, last week I spur of the moment bought a package of (unsalted plain) rice cakes, then realized that the mr wasn’t to into rice cakes anymore (there was a long period of time where I made him peanut butter banana rice cakes for lunch everyday). But I bought them and they need to be eaten, and that’s when it came to me.. Make the carob covered rice cakes from the old days. Something new and different for the mr and something super nostalgic for me.
And it helped that it has been way to freakin deakin hot and all the things that I have been wanting to bake (cherry pie, rhubarb cake, food in general) just wasn’t happening. . But these sweet treats take 2 minutes to make and require no heat whatsoever (my coconut was already melted.) Can you really ask for more?
The stuff. Carob powder, coconut oil and rice cakes. I should have stuck the sea salt in the picture, but it is kind of optional..
Simple as can be. Th oil and carob powder get combined in a bowl of some kind.
Mixed together until silky smooth and BLING BLING shiny.
Rice cakes all ready to get decked out ( doing this on wax paper to make life much easier)
Smothered with the carob all over. You can do one side at a time, sticking it into the freezer to set for a minute or just get a little messy and do it all at once. Up to you. But wither way, it need to go in the freezer for just a few minute to get hard.
And right before you stick them in the freezer, sprinkled with sea salt.
Uh huh.. Looking good. And taste ever better then I remembered. (it’s the salt. Salt makes everything better)
-C
Makes 2 (why make only 1)
In a bowl mix together melted coconut oil with the carob powder until a smooth and shinny consistency. With a spatula, smother the top and the sides of the rice cakes with the mixture. Place on wax wax paper, un-carobed bottom down, and stick in freezer for a few minutes until carob has harden. Remove, flip, and smother remaining side. (you can do both sided at once, but it’s a little messier) Sprinkle salt on now and back into freezer until hard. Remove and eat.
Note. If you make two and have one left over for late, keep it in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. It will melt just like chocolate.
This treat is a long time coming, like almost a years time%u2026Let me explain.%u00a0
One of the littles had requested a dessert of some type of almond pear situation for his birthday%u2026..last year. Of course I said yes, no problem, for your birthday, you got it. But I never got it. I actually completely forgot. Then a few months later, I remebemered, felt like a big D-bag and told %u00a0myself I still had to make something for the guy%u2026 and I forgot again.%u00a0Next time I remembered, I had just bought a bunch of pears and that was it. Make the kid something you bitch (is what I told myself) but heres the thing, I figured he forgot too and those pears were mighty tasty.(I know I am horrible)%u00a0
So just last week I was at the store, meandering through the produce, and noticed that local pears were on sale. This was it.%u00a0I knew it had to be done. I bought a large quantity (enough to bake with and eat) and got to making that little his birthday treat request. I went with bars.. nothing to sweet, nothing to crazy, lot and lots of almond and pear flavors. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and made even better by the fact that they were made for him, and it isn’t even his birthday.
So I made them, and brought them to his house, waited for him to get off the bus from school, and handed him his long awaited pear almond treat. He was so happy, it made me feel like shit.(I so should have made him something a year ago)%u00a0%u00a0But oh well,%u00a0%u00a0he got them right? And this way is much more a surprise then if I had actually made them when I said that I would. An unexpected, not your birthday, birthday treat!
Right here guys%u2026Still the Best Aunt EVER!
The stuff. Alond flour, oat flour, baking soda ,salt, earth balance and a little honey. We also need some rolled oaths almond butter and almonds. And of course we need pears, with a little corn starch and a smidge of cinnamon.
Nice ripe pears get thinly sliced, seeds and stems removed.
Tossed into a bowl with the starch and cinnamon and set aside.%u00a0
The oat and almond flour gets mixed together with the salt and the baking soda, then mix together with the earth balance and honey until it turns into a dough.( I used my hands to mix it together%u2026it worked better then a fork)
Break off about a 1/4 of the dough and stick back in bowl. Take the rest and evenly press into the bottom of a 9×9 baking pan.
Take the remaing dough and mix in the almonds, oats, and almond butter to form the crumble.
Dump the pears on the crust, making sure the are level and pretty evenly layered.
And crumble the crumble on top.
Give it a little press to compact the crumble and into the oven it goes!
When all browned and crispy and nice, remove from oven and let cool. Cut into squares and go for it.
Look at that, so much goodness.Go ME!%u00a0
Happy Wednesday people!
-C
For the crust and crumble
For the pear filling
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, mix together the almond and oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the earth balance and honey and mix together until a dough forms (I find using my hands to work swell). Roll dough into a blob and tear about 1/4 of the dough away and set back into bowl. Press the remaining dough into he bottom of a 9X9 inch baking pan. With the remaining dough, mix the rolled oats, the almond butter and the chopped almonds and set aside again.
Now slice up your pears %u00a0into 1/4 inch thick slices (remove seeds and stems)%u00a0and toss into a bowl with the cinnamon and starch. Take pears and layer ontop of the crust, trying to keep the pears evenly distributed. And dump and distribute the crumble topping all over the pears. Gie the whole thing a few pats to compress the crumble a bit.
Stick into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the crumble topping is all nice and brown and crispy.%u00a0
Remove from the oven, let cool and cut into squares.%u00a0
Great as breakfast lunch snack or dinner. Eat with you hands and lick crumbs off plate.%u00a0
Holy shit is it hot out. My brain is all fizzy, my hair is all frizzy, and my over all being is just blah. I am not a fan of super hot weather (as some of you may know) and am getting more pissy as the days go %u00a0by and I continue to be a sweaty mess. I don’t want to feel like a big wet slob, I want to feel fresh and clean and wear clothes that are not drenched in sweat. I know, bitch, bitch, bitch, but seriously. Even the world around me is wilting, and in the nice, colorful fall foliage kind of way. It’s all crispy and brown.%u00a0%u00a0The garden is barely holding on, the flowers are shriveling in the ground, and a few plants are just plan dead.%u00a0It’s just too hot.
I think that only plus side of this past week of hot crap weather are these popsicles that I made. They were actually suppose to be a treat for the littles, but guess what, me and the mr ate them and didn’t share, and no, I feel zero bad about it. They were so good, so refreshing,%u00a0so cold(if only for a minute) and just so needed. %u00a0A few minute reprieve from being miserably hot. And bonus, a great use of all the watermelon and tomatoes that I have taking over the countertops (I have so much watermelon and tomatoes)%u00a0
And really, these probably (better freaking be) the last batch of popsicles for the summer so I think I am going to make another batch today, eat them, savor the flavors of summer, and move on from there.
.%u00a0Maybe I’ll even share them this time.%u00a0
The stuff. Some watermelon*, a tomato, a handful of basil, and a lime.%u00a0
*My watermelon had seeds,%u00a0but you can use seedless. I also removed the green skin, but kept on as much rind as I could, although this particulate melon had very little white rind.
Dump the melon, tomato (cut in a few pieces, the juice of the lime and the basil into a blender. If your melon has seed, don’t worry about removing them.
The stuff all blended up.
. This step is more necessary %u00a0if you melon is seeded, straining the mixture pretty much caught most of the seed chunks. You can skip this if your melon is seedless.
Now pour the juice into your molds and stick into freezer to freeze.%u00a0
After about 2 ish hours, remove and stick the sticks into the semi harder pops.
And a few more hours later%u2026…Frozen goodness.
And pop one of those suckers out of the mold and savor every frozen delicious bite.%u00a0
Happy Tuesday…%u00a0DON’T MELT!
-C
Make six 3.5 oz popsicles
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl or jar and pour into popsicle molds.%u00a0
Place in freezer for a few hours. About 2-3 hours in the freezer, take them out and stick in sticks (or fallow you popsicle molds instructions) Place back into freezer
Once completely frozen, remove from molds and eat with your mouth.
FRIDAY%u00a0YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.%u00a0
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with%u00a0specific food diets as well as%u00a0those who eat anything. A cookie for all!%u00a0%u00a0See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good.%u00a0Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being%u00a0raw/vegan/ gluten free.%u00a0
And because these cookies are made%u00a0with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins,%u00a0good healthy fats, and%u00a0complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them.%u00a0They a%u00a0are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way%u00a0to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out,%u00a0or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)%u00a0
Now go for it!
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour.%u00a0%u00a0Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool%u00a0date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.%u00a0
Dump everything into %u00a0a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
And you could totally leave them as balls%u2026 you can%u00a0even play with your balls%u2026.
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of%u00a0cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY!%u00a0Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a %u00a0cohesive%u00a0dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop %u00a0and roll into balls and either%u00a0leave them as is or%u00a0squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and%u00a0coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in%u00a0fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
I am a mint lover, even when it grows at%u00a0such a ferocious%u00a0speed that it%u00a0threatens the lives of all the plants near it. That just means that I have to be vilagent%u00a0and harvest and use as much as I can.
This drink is a fantastic way to use up some of that mint. I have been making and drinking fresh, hot,%u00a0mint tea almost ever night for the past few weeks, but this weekend was way to freaking hot to be doing hot%u00a0tea. So using my little noggin, I figured I should just%u00a0chill%u00a0it and added some lime because mint and lime are oh so nice together.%u00a0%u00a0Now my favorite, and one of the most refreshing%u00a0drinks after a long hot day.
%u00a0And limes just happen to be on sale this week%u2026.%u00a0
The stuff. A few stems%u00a0of fresh mint, a couple juicy limes, and%u00a0water. And if you want, a little sweetener of your choice. (I used a tiny bit of honey..not shown)%u00a0
Start by placing %u00a0the mint, leaves and stem, into a big pot.%u00a0Take a wooden spoon and gently muddle the mint. Add in the water, making sure that all the mint is fully sumerged (stuff it down in the pot)
Now place pot on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
After steeping %u00a0for a few, pout tea into a big jug, straining out the mint leaves. Add any sweetener that you might like (just a little.. you can always add more later if you need it)%u00a0and%u00a0stick into%u00a0fridge to cool, or just leave it on the counter if your want.
While you are waiting for the tea to cool, you might as well juice the limes (cause we need the lime juice)%u00a0
After the tea%u00a0%u00a0is cool, add in the juice of the limes and mix/shake/stir around.
And thats it..%u00a0
Serve in a cup with a few chunks of ice and a mint leaf garnish (not necessary but nice)
A nice tall glass of%u00a0cold yumminess%u2026 Keeps one from melting completely in this crazy hot weather and keeps mint from killing everything around it.
Stay cool!
-C
Place mint, stems and all,%u00a0into a large pot%u00a0large pot. With a wooden spoon or sme type of blunt object, lightly muddle the plant. Pour water over mint and place pot on the stove. Bring water to a boil, then remove and let cool for a few minutes. Pour%u00a0the%u00a0mint tea%u00a0into a big jar, straining out the mint leaves..(A half gallon ball jar works perfectly) If using a sweetener, add it to the tea while it is still warm.( little goes a long way%u2026 you can alway add a little more later!) Place mint tea into the fridge to cool. When the tea is cool, juice you limes and dump%u00a0the juice into the tea and mix or shake.
It is now done and ready to serve. Pour over ice (thats in%u00a0a cup)%u00a0and serve with a fresh mint leaf (if your fancy)
Maybe you, like me, went a did a little strawberry picking this past weekend. And maybe you, like me, pick so so many that%u00a0now you have an overload of the most perfect, if not slightly too ripe strawberries staring at you, waiting to be eaten or, at the very least,%u00a0cooked into some magical cake, pie, cookie, or whatever. But lets face it, its Monday and maybe we do not exactly feel the need (or have the time)%u00a0to make a cake, pie, cookie or whatever tonight. So%u00a0that leaves us with a crap load of strawberries that need to be dealt with.%u00a0
And sure, we can freeze them,%u00a0but maybe you, like me, already have a freezer full of other stuff. And just because we don’t want to bake a cake, pie, cookies, or whatever tonight, doesn’t mean we don’t want something amazingly tasty and fantastic.
So that brings us to this super easy, oh so pretty, and ever so tasty way to move those strawberries%u2026.. Stick them in the oven and roast them. So simple and really truly amazing. When strawberries are roasted, they turn so%u00a0tender and%u00a0fall apart%u00a0and release%u00a0all of their%u00a0juices that turn into a sweet syrup. They become%u00a0almost jam like,%u00a0but the flavors are way better, more complex. And there is no%u00a0need%u00a0for added sugar or any other%u00a0stuff because the flavors and natural sweetness of the roasted strawberries stand on their own.%u00a0%u00a0
A few ways to which you might want%u00a0to use roasted strawberries that will make your life better:%u00a0Dump%u00a0onto ice cream, yogurt, or make a strawberry shortcake or a strawberry fool.%u00a0Scoop%u00a0onto a green salad, mix into a bowl of quinoa, marinate some tofu, or add to roasted veggies. %u00a0You can mix into muffin%u00a0batter, into oatmeal, or%u00a0add to a layer cake. They make%u00a0a fantastic PB and J and%u00a0the syrup in seltzer is a tasty%u00a0drink. You can pretty much use them for anything. But MY favorite way to consume these%u2026a bowl, a little spoon, and my mouth. Nothing else needed.
And if you didn’t happen to go strawberry picking this weekend. It’s cool, just pick some up from the closest farm stand near you. You can tell all your anyone thats asks that you picked them yourself.%u00a0%u00a0(not a lie, just a stretch cause you did, in fact, pick them up yourself)
%u00a0Yea for Monday%u00a0and%u00a0for%u00a0roasted strawberries! (Or at least yea for strawberries.)%u00a0
All you need%u2026A big (or small)%u00a0bowl of strawberries.%u00a0
Rinse those pretties and place them on a parchment lines baking sheet. (don’t skip parchment%u2026 these suckers get super thick and juicy.)
Here is the thing. These strawberries are picked from the lovely farm I get my CSA from.(How badass is it that we%u00a0have a PYO part of the%u00a0share). They are not like super market berries that are extra firm with dirty unappealing green tops. These little organic lovelys have tender little green tops%u2026.%u00a0I eat them. If you do not wish to eat the greens,%u00a0just top the berry off before roasting.%u00a0
So the berries, stick them in the oven at 450 degrees and roast them for about 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of your berries)
Pull them out when they start to get dark and slightly charred and the juice is thick and bubbly.
And scrap the berries, juice and all, right into a jar.
Eat with anything, everything and with nothing at all.
Happy Monday
-C
Place strawberries, with or without tops (your preference) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in a 450 degree oven and roasted %u00a0foe about 45 minutes or%u00a0until the berries are soft, mushy, starting to charr and have lots of bubbly juice, . When done, remove from oven and let cooll for for about 5 minutes.%u00a0Transfer berries, juice and all, into jar.%u00a0
Eat%u00a0right away or stick in fridge. Juices thicken up when cooled.
Keeps%u00a0%u00a0about a week in fridge, but I highly doubt it will last the night.
%u00a0