Popsicles

The coupons promised by the Earthbound Farms rep arrived quite promptly. Two coupons for any Earthbound Farms product for free. So I am thinking of sucking it up and heading to Whole Foods to take advantage of these lovely gifts and not waste them on four dollars worth of salad greens.

I haven't posted much in the way of recipes here lately because I haven't really been preparing anything new. I really should branch out a bit as I am stuck in a bit of a rut.

However, I did take the opportunity this past weekend to make some popsicles. I'd been promising them to the SO for a while and finally found the energy to prepare them. It's not difficult; it's just that I hate washing my blender. Anyhoo.

I started out with my personal favorite, the chocolate banana popsicle (banana + chocolate = yum). I'd love to give you a recipe for it, but I just sort of throw stuff in a blender and test it until I like it. I start out with a fresh or frozen banana, add in a few heaping tablespoons of (organic) yogurt (for creaminess, though I'm sure soy milk would be just as good), a small handful of chocolate chips, a pinch or two of cocoa powder, a drop of vanilla extract (because the yogurt was plain yogurt) and about four drops (or a little more) of liquid stevia (far better for sweetening than sugar or chemical sweeteners). I blend it all up and pour it in the popsicle mold. The mold I have holds about two cups worth of mix, but they vary. You can add a little water or soy milk to stretch your mix a bit.

Next up, I made strawberry honey popsicles (sorry, y'all--again, not vegan). I used frozen strawberries and some local honey, blended them up with a little water and one tablespoon of yogurt and that was it. No stevia needed for extra sweetness. I really like the balance I was able to achieve and hope to get it the next time since I didn't bother to measure. Eh.

The last batch was just a little mixed berries and cream. I have a lot of frozen berries in the freezer and I'm not the biggest fan of raspberries, so mixing them with blueberries and blackberries made for a winner. I added several tablespoons of yogurt, a drop of vanilla, and a few drops of stevia to these as well. They're pretty dense, though. I probably should have added a splash or two of carbonated water. Next time.

I have a few peaches in the fridge that started to get overripe before I could finish them, so I think the next popsicles will be peaches and honey or maybe peaches and cream. And after that? Either blackberry lemon or blueberry lemon. If you have any suggestions for flavors to combine with frozen blackberries or blueberries, let me know. I've got enough to do some experimenting, for sure.

SweetLeaf SteviaPlus - a source of sweetness and fiber

Last year, I went to Bonnaroo right here in middle Tennessee and in between shows I wanted to see, I visited some of the vendors over in Centeroo. One of my favorite products, SweetLeaf Stevia--an all-natural, calorie-free sweetener--had a booth set up. My friend (who actually recommended stevia to me when I was looking for a way to sufficiently and efficiently sweeten homemade popsicles) and I stopped by to see what they had to offer.

I told the folks working the booth about how the liquid is perfect for getting my popsicles super sweet without adding bulk or calories and how happy I was with their product. So they cheerfully handed me a free bottle and signed me up to receive some free goodies in the mail. What a nice bonus!

I was cleaning up my desk yesterday and stumbled upon the package they sent me (last October...yeah). Among the goodies in the package were packets of SteviaPlus. When I looked at SteviaPlus previously, I just assumed it was some crystallized version of the liquid (not unlike the Splenda I once bought for baking). But upon further investigation, I realized that the "plus" is the medium--inulin fiber. They use the stevia to sweeten this natural source of fiber to make it into a dry form. So if you use the SteviaPlus (in packets or a shaker), not only are you avoiding the nasty chemicals found in artificial sweeteners, you're getting a gram of fiber with each serving.

Given my diet, I actually get plenty of fiber, but those who don't eat rabbit food and whole grain bread on a daily basis should be happy to hear that you can supplement your fiber intake with your sweetener and without adding calories. To buy, check out their store locator (I've found it in the natural foods aisle at my local Kroger as well as Wild Oats) or buy online from Wisdom Natural Brands.