Lemon-Buttermilk Popsicles

After returning from my trip to Nashville last summer and ODing on las Paletas, I went on a kick of trying to make a good popsicle.

I made numerous attempt of making mediocre unsatisfying popsicles until I found this gem of a recipe. Basically I feel that when popsicles are made they flash freeze them because the consistency is quite different. Using a standard freezer, popsicles come out with an icicle. As you lick them the juice comes out and you are left with a plain ice cube. This creamy lemon popsicle has a way better consistency. The recipe calls for buttermilk which when frozen doesn't get quite as hard allowing for great popsicles!

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
- Pinch of salt
- 1 2/3 cups buttermilk

Directions:
- Whisk sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt until sugar dissolves.
- Add in buttermilk.
- Pour mixture into 8 ice pop molds
- Cover and freeze until firm
(It is best to have dessert already planned for that night because you will have to wait until the next day or at least 4 hours to enjoy!)

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit and the original can be found here.

Madison, Wisconsin: Scrumptious Weekend

A paid a visit to my aunt and uncle out in Madison, Wisconsin last weekend. I ate some amazing food while there and most importantly paid a visit to a cheese factory!

This was my big request for the weekend and Tom made sure I got my dream! We drove to Cedar Grove outside of the city, which was a lovely drive through the country. I was basically enjoy every minute of being out in farm land away from the craziness of the city!

Making cheese is a lengthy process. We got to see them at the point when cheese curds have formed and were being mixed in a big vat. They had just added salt to slow down the acid from breaking it down any further.

From there, the curds will be smooshed down, formed into blocks, cut up, and packaged! In the store, I sampled cheese curds for the first time. They are very rubbery and squeaky as they described them. They tasted fine, but I really didn't like the rubberiness. I'm going to stick to regular old cheese.


Also this weekend, I got to go to the largest producer only farmer's market in the country. Every Saturday local vendors line the square around the Capital. Everyone walks counter clockwise. It is the rule and I'm pretty bad things will happen to you if you don't oblige!

Like my love for grocery stores, I could just walk around this place for hours. I just wished I could have traveled some delectable goodies home. They had huge bunches of basil for dirt cheap I wanted to get super badly.

Here are some images from the market:

Beautiful tomatoes.

Radishes.

Fun shaped squash.

Kohlrabi? I'm unfamiliar with this vegetable!

Hampton Chutney

After trapezing all afternoon (highlight of my summer thus far!), I grew quite hungry. Brittany and I refueled at Hampton Chutney. I had heard people rave about this little soho restaurant before, so I was pretty psyched to try it. This was also my first time having a dosa and I loved it. They are basically huge wraps made with a crepe indigenous of India.

We got one with avocado, tomato, arugula, and cheese, and topped it off with a cilantro chutney. I'm not a big sauce person, but this chutney was the bomb. I'd spread it on everything! Brittany and I split this bad boy. Look at the size of it!

Inner workings:

Cilantro chutney: Yum!

Treat all the way from Switzerland!

Little taste of Switzerland thanks to my sis!

I've never liked Nutella. Not a hazel nut fan. Also not crazy about chocolate. But my Swiss friend Joelle had me try this and I found it quite tasty. It has bits of chocolate in it so it is kind of like a crunchy peanut butter. I mentioned to my sister she should try it while there for work and what does she bring back for me.........not just one but three!

Beautful Red Mizunos!

It's like Christmas morning! My fave, fave running shoe are the Mizuno Wave Rider. I've been wearing them since 2006 and have gone through so many pairs it's not even funny. Back some years ago they had a version that came in red. I was obsessed. Not sure why, but when it comes to cars and running shoes, I love red! When they came out with the 12th version, I absolutely hated them. They made me stand on the outside of my feet and supinate really badly. I had no choice, but to switch it up and where another shoe for the time being. When the 13 came out, I went into a store and tried them on and it was back feeling like the 11! Wahoooooo! Also, it came out in red!!!!!!! I got a pair and was so happy it was back to normal and also in such a good color! The red came and went and stores started carrying a pink color. I went online and found that I could buy the red ones pretty cheap because it was the older color. I know this was a ridiculous move, but I bought 3 pairs at once and stocked up. This morning I whipped out my last pair. Aren't they beautiful?

I had kind of forgotten I had one last pair, so it was a very pleasant surprise finding them under my bed at home. My feet are such happy little campers today and ready for a run! I kind of am sad to be in my last pair. I was tempted to keep saving them, but shoes do have a shelf life. Plus you have to use things and enjoy them!!

Vegan Ice Cream is Delish!

It's been HOT out. Workouts are hard, but combine them with the heat and they can be quite the treacherous feat. Last night though, I felt awesome and didn't let the heat get to me. After a great workout I stopped in with some track friends to
Lula's to have my first scoop of vegan ice cream. And let me tell you, this will not be my last. (I'm kind of obsessed!)

As I left practice with some fellow uptown folk, Larry mentioned this vegan ice cream place that is to die for. I am not vegan, but I was definitely intrigued to see if they could actually make it taste good. Man, it was the bomb. I don't really know how they do it. I plan on doing research on recipes to figure out how one can make it taste, so good while subbing ingredients. I tried a sample of mojito because it sounds different, but I actually knew exactly which one I would get without even sampling. Peanut Butter Chip was a choice. Enough said. I actually got the last of it too. Sorry Larry! Some peanut butter ice creams have let me down before because they were quite peanut buttery enough. This was super tasty!!The place was tucked away in the East Village and is set up to be like an old apothecary. I highly recommend paying them a visit. I surely will be going back!

(I never leave home without my camera. That is except when running, so I wasn't equipped for this visit. Please mind the fuzzy crummy pics from my phone!)

Do the Rockway. Now Lean Back.

To celebrate summer and America, I wanted to get myself to the beach! I ventured to Rockaway avec Julianne. It took us a LONG time, but everywhere takes a long time to get to in the city. It was a straight shot and I had good conversation to amuse me along the way, but it is no 25 minute drive. I was spoiled growing up.

After soaking in some rays and testing out the water, we grew hungry and went on a hunt to find Rockaway Taco, which Alice said was an absolute must. We walk about a mile to this little hole in the wall taco stand with crazy graffiti painted all over it. There was a line around the corner. I didn't take this to be a problem, but more of a, "Man this place must be good, so we have to wait!" We waited probably 40 minutes and it was worth it. There taco selection included fish, chorizo, tofu, or meat, all of which I wasn't feeling so I ordered a bean and cheese quesadilla, which really should have been called a bean taco. I actually had really wanted a taco seeing as it was called Rockaway taco, so I had no objection that it didn't resemble what it was called. It had this block of cheese that was slightly grilled on the top which was the bomb and it was topped with cabbage and radishes and I finished it off with some salsa verde. I recommend everyone pay a visit if you are ever in Rockaway. Watch out for the hoards of hipsters though. I learned this is their go to summer destination.