Vanilla Concord Grape Popsicles

Is there anything that says summer like a nice grapey popsicle eaten on the back step in the shade?  A few weeks ago, that is exactly what my parents, nephews, and I were doing.  We wrapped the boys up in clean kitchen towels so they wouldn't stain their clothes and had these popsicles for dessert after lunch.  The boys really enjoyed them and their chorus of "Mmmmmm, Aunt Julie. These are really good!" made my heart melt.
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Vanilla Simple Syrup

So simple.  So tasty. 
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Fudge Pops

Scott and I spent the majority of the past weekend outside in the yard.  We lathered on sunscreen, pulled out some old baseball hats and tennis shoes, and got to work building a raised bed for our vegetable garden.  I started the seeds weeks and weeks ago and they have been ready to go in the ground for a while now.  The only thing holding us back was ordering some cedar and taking some time to pull up the sod (ahem, weeds), level the ground, and build the bed.  And what, exactly, does the garden have to do with fudge pops? 
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Fresh Ginger Ice Cream

Perhaps you've noticed that I love ginger.  Forever ago, Scott and I bought two pints of Haggen Dazs Five ice cream:  one chocolate and one ginger.  We don’t buy ice cream very often, but when we do, we like to get two different-flavored pints and nestle a scoop of each in our bowls.  When the ice cream is almost gone, we skip the bowls and eat straight from the cartons, passing them back and forth between us as we sit on our plaid couch and cheer for the people who opt for a "true Daily Double" on Jeopardy!  Inevitably, one flavor becomes the favorite, and when we get to the last spoonful, there is an awkward moment where each of us wants to let the other person eat the last bite, but is secretly hoping the other will say, "No, you eat it."  I suppose we could avoid our little battle of the spoons by always using bowls, but where is the fun in that?  Pin It

Cardamom Ice Cream

This winter I have been on a bit of an ice cream kick.  For a few weeks, we were able to eat homemade ice cream every night if we wanted to.  Even as I write this, I'm thinking of flavors that I want - no, need - to try.  When I first received our ice cream maker as a wedding gift, cardamom ice cream was the first flavor I made.  I'm not really sure why I started with cardamom, but it was amazing. 
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Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

I love making to-do lists.  It's not unusual for me to have several of these lists floating around the house in various stages of completion.  Each item has a little box next to it so I can check off each thing as I complete it.  I get a lot of satisfaction from ticking off each item and knowing that I can move on to the next thing.  It makes me feel organized and helps me prioritize the important things in life (like baking) over the less important things (like picking up the pinecones that blew into the yard).  I should let you know that I am not a list purist - that is, I am not above adding something that I have already completed just for the pleasure of checking it off. 
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Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Ahhhh, toasted coconut.  Is there a better thing to eat?  If there is a coconut item available, I will eat it.  If it includes chocolate, even better.  This ice cream doesn't include chocolate, but you can always add a little chocolate sauce to get your coconut-chocolate fix.  This is quite possibly the creamiest ice cream I have ever made.  At first, the coconut flavor is subtle, but once you reach a few flecks of toasted coconut, the flavor intensifies and everything seems perfect.  You might just find yourself wishing you had used a bigger bowl...
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Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

I've loved peppermint stick ice cream since college.  The kind they had in my school's main dining hall was dyed pink and had red and green candy pieces in it.  I think unlimited access to ice cream might have been the only redeeming quality of that particular dining hall, except for maybe their cinnamon coffee cake.  Whenever they had peppermint stick flavored ice cream, you can bet that I was hitting up the ice cream freezer when it was time for dessert.  There is something about the peppermint flavor and tiny candy pieces that just drew me in. 
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Orange Popsicles

I've been in popsicle heaven for the last few weeks.
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Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

I'm not quite sure why I wanted to make this ice cream a week or so ago. I think I might have thought of it while Scott and I were swimming laps at the pool, but I can't be sure. Desserts are the perfect thing to think about while you're swimming back and forth, and back and forth, and can't be bothered to count how many laps you've done.
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Black Raspberry Ice Cream

I happened to come across some amazing black raspberries last week.  They were incredibly flavorful, and I immediately started thinking about ice cream the moment I saw them.  When I was little, we lived in area where blackberries were prolific, and my dad would occasionally treat us to a batch of homemade blackberry ice cream with the berries we had picked.
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Outrageous Strawberry Ice Cream

There is nothing better than outrageous strawberry ice cream.  You know I wouldn't throw that adjective about willy-nilly, right?  I'm way too serious about ice cream to do that.  This ice cream is not the anemic strawberry ice cream you used to get at your college cafeteria.  It is the kind that when you share it with friends and family, they will give you the title of Strawberry Ice Cream Genius. 
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Lemon Poppy Seed Yogurt Popsicles

I know it is winter and maybe you aren't thinking about popsicles, but in my world, popsicles are a year-round food group--especially these ones.  I don't know who the first person was to put lemon and poppy seeds together, but I wish I could have met her, because she must have been exciting. 
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