Mixing Bowl Kids

Welcome Home Popsicles

I've been flying solo at home for the past few days and am anxiously awaiting the return of all my boys.  I had a few hectic days at work this week so the husband decided to take the boys on a guys-only camping adventure for some of the week.  I know they have had a blast, and I can't wait for them to return home.

In preparation for their arrival,  I made a little welcome home treat.  I wanted something that, if well received, the boys would want to make again.  Perhaps something easy enough for them to prepare for their friends, or something we could work on together for an upcoming family BBQ.  Popsicles popped into mind immediately, and something to use up the abundance of yogurt in my fridge was almost essential.  I must say here that once I got the idea to make the popsicles I became consumed with finding the perfect popsicle molds - and to my great surprise they are next to impossible to find.  I found some great sets online but trying to find anything in the store was futile.  To ease my mind I decided to give-up and use waxy paper cups and popsicle sticks...way easier and cute, no?  I think the boys will manage with these quite easily and I'm glad that I have put the great-popsicle-mold-search to rest.

Made up of nothing more than some fresh berries, a pinch of sugar, yogurt, and vanilla these are quite the refreshing, tasty treat.  I'm sure they'll be lapped up in no time and I must confess I gave one a try for breakfast this morning...delish!

A few side-notes here...Happy Friday everyone..I hope you have a lovely weekend.  I'm so excited to see this on Sunday when my husband and I head out to celebrate our anniversary.  Also, posting will be a little lighter than usual over the new few weeks.  My lovely sister is getting married, I have family coming in from another province, the boys are entering the last month of summer vacation and we have some fun things planned and I need to spend some time focusing on the fun cooking classes I'm launching in the fall!

Berry Yogurt Popsicles

3 cups plain greek-style yogurt

2 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp vanilla syrup

2 cups berries (I used raspberries)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp water

~ In a large mixing bowl combine the yogurt, vanilla and syrup and set-aside.

~ In a small saucepan combine the berries, sugar and water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat, allowing the berries to release all of their juices.

~ In a sieve place over a small bowl, pour the berry mixture and press the seed and solid matter to allow the juice to fall into the bowl.

~ Discard the solid matter and set the juice aside to cool.

~ Place 12 wax-lined paper cups in a baking pan and divide the yogurt mixture evenly into the cups.  Top with a spoonful of the berry juice and mix to combine.  I don't combine fully so I can get a swirled effect.

~ PLace in the freezer and after 30 minutes stick a popsicle stick into the mixture.  Freeze for another 4 hours, or overnight.

~ Enjoy! 

Cherry Chocolate-Chip Frozen Yogurt

Here in Ontario, we have been experiencing cooler than average summer temperatures and definitely our share of overcast skies.  I wouldn't say this thrills me, but the pleasant side of this inclement weather is the prolonged cherry and strawberry season.  These lovely fruits got off to a late start and are still around for another week or so, for which I am so grateful for.

A trip to a farmer's market this past Saturday, found me returning with a large basket of cherries. Besides eating them by the handful (quite frequently I might add) I planned to use the remainder of the batch in two recipes - the frozen yogurt you see here and another treat I'll share later next week.

Using my handy ice cream maker, I wanted to whip up a fresh frozen yogurt for my family using only the ingredients I had on hand.  My youngest son, the fruit-detester, was not enthusiastic about this offering, by eldest son and his friend, lapped this up post-bbq dinner like they may never enjoy it again.  I prefer serving the boys frozen yogurt over ice cream when I can, and this homemade version is one of my favourites to date.

Your children will have no trouble assisting on this culinary project.  Anyone over age six will be able to combine the first few ingredients and those older children already comfortable using a stove-top will be able to manage the cherry reduction with ease.  If you're looking for a fun project for all these cool days we've been faced with, looked no farther than here, and hopefully once you have a tub of this icy treat in your freezer the sky will be bluer and the air a little warmer. 

**Congratulations to Lori, the cookbook winner - Pasta salad with lots of veggies from local market, cool drinks and frozen treats!!!!

Cherry Chocolate-Chip Frozen Yogurt, my recipe

3 cups plain yogurt (more than 2%)

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups chopped and pitted cherries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chocolate chips (preferably mini)

~ In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, 2/3 cups sugar and vanilla.  Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill thoroughly.

~ In a medium saucepan, set over medium-high heat, combine the cherries, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine.  

~ Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

~ Remove the cherries from the stove and pour into a sieve, set over a bowl or glass measuring cup.  Using the back of wooden spoon, press down on the cherries to release all of the juices from the pieces of fruit.

~ Add the juice to the chilled yogurt mixture and stir well.  Toss in the cherry pieces and the chocolate chips and pour into your ice cream maker.

~ Make frozen yogurt as per your machine's manufacturers instructions.

~ Enjoy!

Delicious Ice-Cream Sandwiches

This frozen dessert is a quick and easy way to put together a real crowd-pleaser of treat for those BBQ's, picnics, get-togethers and playdates over the summer months.  My children enjoy assembling these treats (and sometimes making the cookies and ice cream that are needed for them) but most of all they simply love to eat them.

Made with nothing more than ice cream and two homemade cookies, they are enjoyed by kids and adults alike.  If you decide to make this for an adult dessert, you can take it up a level by spreading some salted caramel sauce over the ice cream before topping it with the second cookie.  Yum!  These also don't require only homemade ingredients - if you're in a pinch you can buy some cookies and ice cream and make them just as easily. 

I've just been informed by my youngest that my boys are planning on opening an ice cream shop this summer called "B&J's Ice Cream" (the initials of their first names).  I'm sure this business venture will have many an ice cream and cookie being made in our kitchen over the next several weeks and I'll be sure to report back on how the business is doing if they decide to make their idea a reality. Oh, and apparently I'm going to be selling the ice cream from the back of our van in various locations around our neighbourhood (consider this a warning for those who are local).

Happy weekend to you and yours...may you have the time and inclination to enjoy a treat like the above with some loved ones over the next few days.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vanilla ice cream

~ Scoop generous amounts of softened vanilla ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies.  Freeze until you're ready to serve

~ Variations: Oatmeal cookies with chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookies with chocolate chip ice cream, sugar cookies with any flavour ice cream

~ Enjoy!

 

Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt

A weekend trip to a new-to-me farmer's market found me purchasing a pound of rhubarb, along with some other delicious goodies.  I knew immediately that I wanted to try and make something other than the traditional cobbler or crumble that usually accompanies this tangy fruit.  Frozen yogurt seemed like an interesting option and after a bit of time researching this idea,  I combined a few recipes to come up with what you see here. 

Our frozen yogurt/ice cream maker is a much loved kitchen gadget in our home.  I usually bring it out of hibernation sometime in May and it keeps a place in our kitchen until late October, when it's relegated back to storage.  The kids love to make homemade ice creams and yogurts, and nothing could be more refreshing following a soccer game in thirty degree heat.

I find the ice cream maker to be one of the easiest kitchen gadgets for young children to use.  In most cases the ingredients are mixed together in a bowl and added to the machine, where they flip the switch and thirty minutes later magic has happened.

So, here's to several months of homemade frozen goodness and many more trips to the farmer's market.

*In case you're wondering, the frozen yogurt is not pink as it's made with a rhubarb compote which simmers with a cinnamon stick.  This causes the rhubarb to turn a brownish colour.

Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt

1 cup rhubarb compote (recipe below)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp orange juice  

~ Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a whisk to combine well.

~ Add to the ice cream maker and mix together according to the manufacturer's directions.

~ Enjoy!

Rhubarb Compote

3 cups of cleaned and diced rhubarb

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cinnamon stick

~ Place all of the ingredient into a pot and place over med-high heat on the stove.

~ Bring to a boil, stir and cover, and reduce heat to a simmer.

~ Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.