Lately, I’ve been toting this guy around everywhere:
It contains three of my new favorite things:
an excellent water bottle, super refreshing iced tea, and chia seeds.
The bottle
First, the water bottle. I have gone through a lot of water bottles in my time, from the free squeezable sport bottles from basketball camp to the once-trendy Nalgene bottles to the hipster stainless steel bottles to cups (and bottles) with straws. They all had their pros and cons. The Nalgenes had a nice, wide mouth opening so I could gulp down water quickly… but this was also the bottle’s downfall. I know I’m not the only student who tried to sneak in a gulp while trekking across campus only to spill water all over my shirt.
I loved the look of the stainless steel bottles, but those got banged up very quickly when I threw my backpack around. Any “cool” factor they had disappeared when my bottle lolled about like an indecisive top, having been dropped multiple times. Plus, the stainless steel bottles were kind of annoying to clean. You can’t really fit a sponge in those small mouth openings, and I dunno about you, but vinegar is not part of my usual dishwashing routine, so it was annoying to have to bust that out to clean this one item. Then again, I didn’t use a dishwasher back then, so maybe I’d feel differently about this now. But still, the dents.
Yes, this title deserves an exclamation point! Here in the Bay Area today, it is a sweltering 93º… and it’s supposed to get even hotter tomorrow! Nothing says delicious, freshly churned, refreshing, homemade ICE CREAM!!!! better than this recipe! David has come through for me again!
First of all, strawberry season is HERE. Chances are, you’ve been lured in by the intoxicating fragrance of those bright red berries more than once at the market. And, when their ruby-red hues are this lovely, one pint simply will not do:
You know what I’m talking about. You know you’ve come home with a flat of 3 or 6 pints before. You rinse them off and devour the first juicy basket, and then sit there wondering, Howwwww am I gonna finish the rest of these strawberries before they go bad?
Am I right?
Sure, freezing them and using them for smoothies is a good backup plan, but that kind of defeats the joy of fresh-from-the-market strawberries. No, when Rachel brought three baskets of ripe and juicy strawberries to our home last week, I knew they were destined for bigger things. I was actually secretly hoping we wouldn’t finish the strawberries, tempting as they were, because I was already plotting to transform them into something glorious and new: strawberry sour cream ice cream.
Every time I serve this, my friends exclaim, “WOW! It tastes like real strawberries!!” Even Rachel said it, and she’s the one who brought the strawberries over. I’m not sure why they’re so surprised, because I’ve already told them it’s strawberry ice cream. Maybe it’s because they are used to the store-bought version with artificial flavors and too much sugar. Or maybe it’s because, with this perfect balance of sour cream and sugar, strawberries somehow taste more strawberry-like, with their summer-ripe sweetness bursting from the spoon onto your palate.
Whatever it is, this recipe is a serious winner. Not only does it taste like summer in your mouth, but it is also one of the easiest ice cream recipes ever: no eggs, no cooking! Just blend and churn! If that doesn’t make you throw that ice cream canister straight into the freezer, I don’t know what will.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, this pre-summer season might just be the time to pick one up
At the end of each churning, I normally try to scrape most of my ice cream off the paddle and into my ice cream tubs for freezing… but not with this one. Instead, I find myself leaving copious amounts hanging off the paddle for the pleasure of immediate licking! It’s one of those ice creams that tastes great frozen, but possibly even better fresh off the churn, so have your (chilled) bowls and spoons ready!
If I could only choose 10 items to serve in my future bakery, these honey almond bars would definitely make the cut. They’re simple, they’re classy, and they’re a perfect buttery complement to a cup of coffee or tea!
I have recently been trying lots of recipes from Eleanor’s kitchen over at www.petite-kitchen.com. I used to be really turned off by tags like “gluten-free” or “dairy free,” and especially the dreaded “sugar-free,” but she has steadily changed my mind about all that. Her recipes are simple, nourishing, and yummy. I couldn’t ask for more from a food blog!
Last week, I tried one of her chocolate recipes. I was more than a little skeptical about substituting honey for sugar, but I was so pleased with how her banana muffin recipe had worked out for me last week that I decided to give it a shot. I was so doubtful that I’d like it that I actually halved the recipe… which is too bad. Because turns out I loved it. The chocolates were gone by the next day. I noshed on piece after piece after piece of chocolate, feeling… not guilty at all! I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, but when you look at the ingredient list, I think you’ll agree with me that it’s not such a bad thing. Better than my usual cookie or brownie binges, anyway!
This post is part of my series on How to Shape Children’s Behavior.
This post is long. I thought about splitting it into three parts, but each section builds on and relies on the rest, so I decided to keep them all together. Thanks for reading!
The other day, a parent asked me for advice on appropriate punishments for their child’s misbehaviors. I don’t think he was thinking too hard about word choice, but it’s a single word that can make a big difference.The way we think about consequences versus punishments has huge implications for how we parent and raise our children. Any person who cares for children needs to know this: every parent, every teacher, every daycare provider.
What do you think happens when I mix these ingredients together and stick ’em in the oven?
….
THIS!
AMAZING, right?! I would have never guessed that peanut butter, eggs, coconut oil, and bananas make delicious, light and fluffy muffins… but they do! They really do! I threw in a handful of chocolate chips cuz, well, that’s my thing. I feel like I’m eating a complete breakfast when I stuff one of these guys in my mouth!
The end-of-the-year party handouts have been distributed, and the last oral presentation has been given. Science fair projects are over, and the final rounds of testing are coming to a close. All this can only mean one thing: SUMMER!!! As summer nears, this also means one other thing: the school year is coming to a close. Your child has spent the better half of the last year with an adult who has probably come to know his quirks, mannerisms, preferences, and learning style better than most. It just so happens that Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up (PTA says 5/5-5/9), so whether you are looking for a way to express appreciation to your child’s teacher next week or at the very end of the school year, here are some ideas for you!
Giving teachers gifts is definitely extra and not expected (and not even allowed in some districts). A lot of my friends are teachers and really recommend using http://gradecam.com/grader/easy-grader/ to help them with grading papers. They don’t expect gifts at all but they do love receiving them! Personally, I have found written sentiments to be the most meaningful over the course of the years. Of course I am not representative of every (or most) teachers, but here are some gifts that have stood out to me over the years.
I made these mini cupcakes a couple of weekends ago for a family get-together. My cousin ate one… then two… then three. She walked up to me as she was peeling the lining off the fourth one, “Jojo. These cupcakes are so good. This is my fourth one!” Granted they were mini, but still. Eating four of anything can only mean good things.
I pieced this delectable recipe together from two of my favorite cookbooks: The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook
I’m a relatively new momma, and yet I’ve already been asked, “What are your top baby registry must-haves?” a number of times. I know everyone can find standard lists online, so instead of repeating those, here are some items that I didn’t see on most lists that I would recommend.
The title to this post is a little misleading, because I’m actually not going to tell you which crib you should get or what car seat you should buy. Those choices vary depending on your personal taste and living style, although I did find this book
I LOVE 85C’s sea salt iced coffee. There’s something about the creamy frothiness and the tiniest hint of salt that really makes my taste buds happy. It’s especially refreshing on a hot summer day. I had my first taste in Irvine, and it was always one of the must-haves whenever we went down for a visit. I was so excited when another milk tea shop opened up closer to home, offering Snowfall Iced Coffee, which is a very similar drink. At nearly $5 a cup, though, this wasn’t something I was willing to pay for regularly. I carefully watched them make it and of course went home and tried to recreate it. I think I came pretty close! If you enjoy your iced coffee creamy and sweet with a hint of something different, give this recipe a try and tell me what you think!
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