Mocha Frappuchino or Frapp-pops

The other day I was trying to figure out a new recipe to try out for the blog, but the more I forced my mind to work, the more distracted I got until I realized I was just too tired to think straight. My daughter, who has been transitioning out of a swaddle, into a crib while feeling the growing pains of teething, had kept me up for several long nights in a row and for the first time I began feeling like most new parents, tired.

So as I was nodding off while Eden nursed a great idea came to me. The Frapp-pop: a delicious way to get an extra kick of caffeine midday.

Mocha Frappuchino Popsicles (Frapp-pops)
makes 8 popsicles

3 cups soy milk (I used vanilla flavored soy milk. If you use plain add 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp instant coffee
3-4 tbsp sugar
1 heaping tbsp soy protein powder
1 tbsp + 2 tsp cocoa powder

*for classic frappuchino, omit cocoa powder and reduce sugar by 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl with a whisk until coffee and cocoa powder dissolve. Pour mixture through a strainer into a shallow container or ice cube tray and freeze.

Once frozen, break (or cut with a hot knife) frozen frapp into small pieces that your blender can handle (it may need to defrost a little) and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into popsicle molds and refreeze.

This double freeze method gives the frapp-pops a smoother texture. If you were to pour directly into popsicle molds without the first freeze, the popsicles would turn out icy and flaky. You'll be glad you made the extra step.

And if you haven't already, make sure to enter into the giveaway. You still have until Tuesday, July 3rd to win a copy of Hannah Kaminski's, Vegan a la Mode. Just click here.

Enjoy!

Crate Full of Veggies - week three

It's time for another Crate Full of Veggies. But before we get started, let me remind you about my cookbook giveaway. That's right, one lucky reader will be gifted a copy of Hannah Kaminski's, Vegan a la Mode, a BRAND new cookbook with over 100 amazing looking frozen treats. If you haven't entered yet, do it!

Okay, you all entered? Good. Now we can talk about veggies. I had a great week with a lot of delicious, fresh meals and I didn't have to go grocery shopping even a little. Although, in the interest of full disclosure, we did eat pancake dinner twice in order to avoid the store but that's Jason's favorite dinner anyway, so we were both quite happy in the end.

In my crate this week:

Strawberries

Broccoli Florets

Red Fire Romaine Lettuce

Snow Peas

Snap Peas

Kale

Mustard Greens

Radicchio

Bunching Onions

Red New Potatoes

Dried Cayenne 

Thyme

The very first night I made Thai Green Curry using up all my broccoli and snow peas plus a few bunching onions from the week before. 

Thai Green Curry

I do it the easy way and buy my curry paste. This makes curry a very quick, simple meal. Just add a can of coconut milk, your veggies, bamboo shoots, and some Thai basil and you've got dinner.

The best thing about Thai Kitchen Curry Paste is the recipe right on the label. So if you are making curry for the first time, grab some paste and you have your cheat sheet right there among your ingredients.




Again I brought home lots and lots of strawberries. I froze almost all of them, enjoyed some of the fresh ones in my morning oatmeal, and turned the remaining berries into these:

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Creamsicl

These creamsicles became a bit of a hit on the internet over the weekend which has given my blog a little extra attention, a thrill for a new blogger. Here's the recipe. If you try one summer recipe from my blog, make it this!

I had no idea how to use radicchio so I searched the web. I found this:  a whole slew of Martha Stewart's radicchio recipes! There were quite a few ideas and I settled on this one.

Radicchio and Endive Salad

I didn't have any endives but I added a few more bunching onions. I liked everything in the salad except the radicchio which was too bitter for my liking. Nonetheless, I was happy to try something new and glad to find Martha Stewart's radicchio recipes.

Later in the week we had a rare nice day (June in Portland) so we grilled some veggie burgers and enjoyed some kale chips alongside.

Veggie Burger and Kale Chips

Kale chips are fantastic, healthy, and totally satisfying. Toss the de-stemed kale in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 270 for about 25 minutes, turning over a few times.

I enjoyed many side salads this week using the romaine lettuce, mustard greens, and bunching onions.

And at the end of the week I had some potatoes, snap peas, and onions left. I added some carrots and cabbage and tossed the vegetable medley in olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh thyme and rosemary and roasted the whole thing in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 35 minutes, until potatoes were tender.

Thyme and Rosemary Vegetable Roast

Well there you have it! How about you? Did you enjoy any seasonal meals this week? Did you try out any new vegetables? As always, I LOVE to hear from you.

Orange Creamsicle

Remember these? Creamy and citrus-y on a stick. It's heating up in Portland. We have our kiddie pool set up in the backyard for the dog, the sound of lawn mowers wafting through our open windows, and now orange creamsicles awaiting our consumption in the freezer.

Orange Creamsicles
yield: about 12 popsicles

1 container orange concentrate
2 cans coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp agave nectar

Blend the orange concentrate in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until well combined. Pour into a popsicle tray, dixie cups or really any kind of mold. I made a couple popcicles and poured the rest into an single serving brownie tray. Let set up in the freezer and enjoy!