My Popsicle Experiment Roundup

I can't believe I posted "Let's Make Popsicles" at the end of July, and it's already the middle of September. Time sure does fly! I have actually tried making three types of popsicles since then and am excited to share the results.

1. Gummy Bear Surprise Popsicles
I love gummy bears—like seriously, I could eat them all day long..if only they had any nutritional value. Sooo, when I found this little recipe in the midst of the online world, I knew it was something I'd have to try. Actually, I didn't think that it would taste like anything. Sprite doesn't have much flavor. And gummy bears don't have much taste either. So why would the combo create anything tasty? My friend wanted to try it with Sour Patch Kids and that was actually the best combo. I guess a little (or a lot of)  extra sugar can go a long way. I'd suggest maybe a little extra flavoring (crystal light esque) or additional sweetener of some kind

Ingredients: Gummy bears or Sour Patch Kids, Sprite (I used Sprite Zero as I don't like having calories from soda), additional flavoring (optional).

Directions: Place candy pieces into the molds. Pour Sprite over them until the mold is a little more than 3/4 full. Frozen stuff expands folks. Then place the molds into the freezer.

  

I would love to make these for a bunch of kids. I'm sure they'd love it. The gummy bears got a little soft when frozen, while the Sour Patch Kids got a little harder.

2. Watermelon Delight Popsicles 
I made these popsicles using the same Sprite from the Gummer Bear Surprise as well as some of the frozen watermelon I had stored in my freezer. I realized I'm not a huge fan of the concentrated watermelon flavor that this produced. I did add some sweetener but think I'm also going to try either a little additional flavoring or strawberries to mellow and balance the flavors.

Ingredients: Watermelon (mine was frozen), Sprite Zero, additional flavoring/sweetener as needed, Strawberries (recommended)

Directions: Blend watermelon and Sprite. If adding strawberries, add and blend. Taste and add additional items as needed per your taste. Freeze. 

3. Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles

The RECIPE's CREAMIES

My Blueberry Yogurt Popsicle

These are perhaps the popsicles I was most excited to make. I LOVE the Weight Watchers Strawberry Smoothie Yogurt Bars and desperately wanted to try making my own. Cuz ya'll, that stuff can be expensive. But you should take note of the look of MY popsicle and the look of the original recipe's popsicle. 

They don't look the same. :) 

I made half of the recipe, which fit perfectly in my six small popsicle molds.

Ingredients: 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 tablespoon honey, (additional sweetener as needed.)

Directions: Blend ingredients together. The consistency is very liquid (think smoothie drink consistency - I didn't expect that) Fill popsicle molds. Freeze.

The consistency of this popsicle is not creamy like I wanted. It's a very icy but flavorful popsicle. The Greek yogurt also contributed a slight bitter taste. I used plain, but I would recommend using Vanilla to contribute to the taste. I don't know what to do to make it more creamy... I wonder if I used slightly too many blueberries.

 

Taste of Utah Valley 2013

Last Saturday I was invited to go to the Taste of Utah Valley with some friends. I had heard of this event before but had never attended. It was basically an outdoor festival with food tasting and samples from a variety of restaurants in Utah Valley. And let me tell you, Utah Valley has some great restaurants.

I got to try food from some familiar places: The Olive Garden, Costa Vida, Utah Valley Convention Center, and Los Hermanos.

I got to try food from some places I'd only been once or twice: Station 22, Heirloom Restaurant Group (think Communal or Mountain West Burrito), Gloria's Little Italy, and Rubio's.

And I got to try food from places I had either never tried or never hear of: Old Towne Grill (hands down my favorite), The Choc'late Mousse Pie Bar, Sweeto Burrito (member of Provo's growing food truck family), and Enliten Bakery and Cafe.

It was a super fun event and a great way to get lunch on a Saturday. (I was stuffed and saved some things for dinner.) While I attended via friends, tickets are usually $10 — and that's definitely a steal! I've heard of several cities across the country doing similar events, so check to see if there's a good option near you! A tasting event is a great way to try new restaurants and get a taste of what's available in your area.

After the event you vote for the following categories: Most Unique, Best Hospitality, Best Presentation, Best Kept Secret, and Best Taste of the Valley. I've tried looking to see who won but no luck yet! (I'm betting Old Towne Grill did for their gourmet hamburgers. They've won in the past and definitely had the longest line for the entire event! Costa Vida's tacos were actually something I took home for later and mmm, mmm, it was pretty good. Crazy I had never tried them.

I didn't get as many pictures as I felt like I was taking but here are a few. The above picture is Olive Garden's sampling of bread/tomato...whatever fancy name that is, and delicious orangey slushie drink. Yea, you can tell I'm a total foodie right? :P

This was the line for Old Towne Grill...we had probably already stood in line for at least 15 minutes at this point.

Utah Valley Convention Center Sample. We had a lot of work events there, and the food was always great. This is...meat...and a fried artichoke heart.

This wasn't up our alley but Station 22 had a polenta crostini with shrimp and grits, covered in a crawfish etoufee. Now THAT's how a foodie talks. And I stole that description from their Facebook page.  

Oh man, who had this? I don't remember. Penne with sauce and red velvety dessert. That's me again.

Sweeto Burrito food truck sample. It was good. 

Food is Important. And Delicious. But More Importantly...Important.

We all love food. Food is great. It's delicious. It's often the center of many a social interaction. Again, we all love food.

I just have to take a minute to stress how important it is to make sure your body is getting all the right foods—or fuel—that it needs. I'm the key example of someone who can get lazy and just not want to think about food...or think about eating healthy. So maybe I skip a meal. Maybe I don't eat enough. Maybe I make a poor food decision and eat something that does not make me feel well.

The problem with doing this is that it is only the beginning of a cycle. When I make a poor food choice ONCE, I'm far more likely to make a second, third, fourth, even fifth poor food choice. My body starts craving foods that don't support my active lifestyle and this whole cycle leaves me drained and tired.

THIS IS NOT GOOD! Especially when I can feel energized, motivated, and HEALTHY with the same schedule with a well-fueled body. Sigh, I can't speak on the topic enough. And I hate it when I get sucked into that darn cycle.

I love this article "How to Fuel Your Body for Energy" from active.com. It speaks on the following topics:

• Timing: Keep fueling your body throughout the day. This is essential for keeping steady energy. You don't have to have those extreme highs and lows. Strive to eat three meals a day with snacks in between. This process will also lead to better food choices and less overeating. 
• Type: YOU are a high-quality individual and should want to live a high-quality life. So make sure to give your body high-quality food. Stick to whole grains, fruit, starchy vegetables and beans. Forget the over-processed options that have little to NO value for your body. 
• Combination: To maintain stable energy, pair your high-quality carb with a lean protein. Why? Our bodies break protein down more slowly, so protein+carbs allow us have energy AND stay full longer. 
• Consistency: Sometimes our bodies have to recover when we don't give fuel them properly. Follow the previous tips to maintain your energy. 

I typically do a pretty good job at this. Consistency is where I fail. Every couple months I just do horrible for a couple days. But then I get back on track. But my focus is consistency, consistency, consistency. :)

Let's Make Popsicles

This summer I've found that I LOVE having little popsicle or other cold treats around for a quick snack. Last night I decided to finally pop open the little popsicle mold I bought at IKEA like a year ago and make a frozen treat.

My popsicle consisted of water and a Crystal Light packet. :) Yes, it was 11 p.m. and I was working with what I had.

Today my little brother came over and we both tried them out.

Um, they weren't that good. The first several licks seemed to be a bit sour and then the rest of the "popsicle" tasted like...ice. :) My initial instinct would be to cut the water, up the flavor.

I think I'll try some other concoctions too. I want something simple and easy, with limited ingredients. Here are some ideas that sound good to me.

Blueberry Creamies

I have a ton of blueberries in my freezer and am I huge fan of Greek yogurt. 

Watermelon Pops

Yes, this is just frozen watermelon. Easy :) 

Strawberry Popsicle

Strawberries, yogurt, and sweetener.

Banana Pops

Banana, pudding, and milk

And my creative, popsicle-related juices are officially flowing. I will definitely be experimenting with my own concoctions.