Watermelon Mint Mojito Popsicles or Adult Beverage

  

  

  The weather has been quite deceiving lately.  You wake up and it's a little chilly but by midday the heat and sun are making you sweat. It's still so warm that the ice cream trucks are coming around the neighborhood.  I loathe the ice cream trucks!  It's my worst nightmare. Kids coming running as soon as they hear that annoying song and I instantly feel bad for my kids, Lucca and Kaine.  I seriously loathe the ice cream truck. Oh wait, I already said.  Well, I mean it, I hate that thing!

  A couple of weeks ago we were at the park and I started hearing that damn song come closer and closer until it stopped at the park.  Next thing I knew every kid in the park had a popsicle or ice cream cone except for my kids.  I used my common excuse "Sorry guys...I don't have any cash.  We will have a treat at home later.". But wouldn't you know it, a nice mom came up and offered to buy them  some ice cream.  Thoughtful, yes! But not what I needed.  At that moment the kids hated the lifestyle we live and just wanted to be like everyone else. They just wanted a popsicle or super hero ice cream thing.  It broke my heart to see my kids look at me with their eyes welled up asking why they couldn't have one.

  When I see a popsicle or ice cream cone, I see weird colors that aren't natural, tons of sugar and weird ingredients.  I'm a fun mom, can you tell?  I can spoil your fun in a heartbeat!  But seriously, why do popsicles have to be neon blue, green or orange?  Why is it so hard to just have a fruit juice popsicle?  I searched and even asked the driver if he had anything that was natural or had just fruit in it.  He thought and then pointed to a high fructose corn syrup filled and strange colored type thing. I knew it would be a long walk home of upset kids. 

  Ever since that day I try to have some sort of "ice cream" (dairy free) or popsicle treat in the house.  They both seem to be okay if they know they can come home and have a treat.  Of course me being the fun police that I am , I typically add some sort of veggie to the popsicles because that makes it more fun, right?  You honestly don't taste it and you can omit the spinach if you want.  But what fun would that be??  Anyway, these are really good and my kids love them.  The mix is tart and sweet and light and refreshing.  They really like limes and lemons so, I make them with a little extra lime juice.  But I'll give measurements for both in case you don't want that much tartness.  

  You know what else would be really good is making these into actual mojitos.  All you need to do is add some vodka (I use a potato vodka) and garnish with fresh strawberries, lime and mint. It can be your adult beverage while the kids enjoy their popsicle! Maybe that ice cream truck song won't be as annoying if you are enjoying a nice cold refreshing beverage. 

Watermelon Mint Mojito Popsicles

Serves:5-6 popsicles/drinks

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:0 minutes

Total Time:5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cubed watermelon (approx 1.25 lbs)
• 1 cup strawberries (approx 8-10) with tops removed and halfed  
• 3/4 cup cucumber (approx 1/2 cucumber), peeled, deseeded and cubed
• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
• 10-12 mint leaves
• 4 to 6 TBSP fresh lime juice, depending how tart you like it

Instructions:

1. Get out either your blender, food processor or emulsion blender.  Any one of these will work. 
2. Place all ingredients into desired appliance and begin mixing until it is a liquid. 
3. For popsicles - Pour mixture into popsicle molds and place in freezer for 4-6 hours or until frozen. 
4. For adult beverages - Add 1-2 oz of vodka to ice filled glass and pour mixture on top. Garnish with mint leaves, lime wedge and strawberry. 

Cheating Birthday Pasta!

  

  Today is a very special day!  It is my youngest son's birthday!  Kaine is FOUR YEARS OLD today!! In general birthdays are fun but kids are a blast to watch when it is their birthday.  Kaine woke up this morning and screamed "It's my birthday today!" which just made me smile.  I love it!  We have been counting down the days and everyday he is more and more surprised at how close it is. It really was awesome to watch him get excited each day!  He is a crazy little man and today was no different.

  Now, birthdays normally count as a cheat day but honestly it's probably not what you would think.  We don't gorge on pizza and mac and cheese, although I am sure the kids would love to but they would pay the price later.  What I do is turn something that we don't normally have, that our bodies can handle, into a cheat day.  So, when Kaine said he wanted pasta...there was no way I could say no to those big blue eyes!

  We never really have pasta but I have found this brand of gluten free pasta (gnocchi) that is made with just potatoes.  There is no flour, corn, wheat, oats, etc and it is perfect. White potatoes aren't allowed on paleo so this is a cheat but they do have a sweet potato version that is awesome and is made the same way! You could also substitute the gnocchi for regular cut up cooked sweet potatoes if you aren't cheating.

  We love Italian food and I can eat garlic by the cloves.  It just tastes so good!  So when we are having pasta what else would add but garlic.  I made a garlic and olive oil sauce with spinach topped over the gnocchi and it was delicious.  We have no leftovers which is a good sign it was a hit.  I added some chicken on the side and everyone ate it up. Now, you might not want to go breathing on anyone after you eat this (unless they ate it with you) but it's so good you might not even care.  Enjoy this on a cheat day or when you are getting that huge urge to fall off the paleo wagon.   

Cheating Pasta 

Serves:2-4 

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:5 minutes

Total Time:10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 packages potato gnocchi
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 TBSP pine nuts
• 4 TBSP olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach (or more if you would like)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• zest of fresh lemon

Instructions:

1. Boil water in a large pot for gnocchi and follow directions. I typically cook them 3-4 minutes when I do two packages at one time.
2. Add almond meal, pine nuts and salt and pepper to a small to medium sized pan.  Toast for about 5 min over med heat.  Stirring often to prevent burning. Transfer to small bowl.
3. Carefully wipe out the same pan with a dry towel (because who wants to do more dishes??).  Add oil to pan over med/high heat.  
4. Add sliced garlic to hot oil and stir for 1 minute. 
5. Add spinach, stir and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
6. Turn off heat and add cooked gnocchi (or sweet potatoes) with a couple of spoons of the pasta water to the pan.  Carefully toss in the pan.
7. Zest the top with lemon and sprinkle with toasted almond meal.