Popsicles, Rhyming Stir Fry and Auntie Mame

Summer is in full swing and with that comes all the cool treats that we justify eating because the humidity kinks our hair. I've found myself going to the Dairy Queen drive thru with Just Joni, skimming the margarita  menus and telling myself the the chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer is actually a frozen dessert.  

You can see from the photo above that I had the pleasure of working on a project with a variety of popsicles. If you have a pulse and care anything about anything you know that popsicles are the new cupcake, which was the new doughnut, which was the new bagel. Walking down the aisles of Target you can find a variety of popsicle molds. Go crazy. However, if you are of the discipline that "if it's not broke, don't fix it" I suggest you wander down the aisles at your local mercado and find the Fla.Vor.Ice freeze your own popsicles. You know the ones I'm talking about. They come in those convenient single serve clear plastic tubes. And when you peel them apart you were always a little more excited if the plastic broke on two of them because you really need to eat two. One is nothing.  

If you take a gander at the photo you will see that there are a million ways to make homemade popsicles and some of them are pretty damn good. Oddly enough my favorite one had spinach in it.  Start googling away and find a recipe that works for you. Pick up some dixie cups and wooden craft sticks, mix, freeze and enjoy.  And if you are over 21 add booze. But keep in mind that you cannot add MORE alcohol to make it better. More booze than suggested in the recipe makes a daiquiri, not a popsicle.  

In the realm of savory, last week I tried a recipe I found in the recent issue of Everyday Food. With some left over sirloin and pound of green beans I "followed" the recipe as written. I cut the fish sauce with a bit of soy sauce as suggested by my work wife. Again I had sirloin instead of the flank steak the recipe calls for. Sometimes red meat is just red meat. And for fun I used some amethyst basil from the front porch herb garden. I thought it was pretty good. I left some in the ice box for SAGL to try the next day. As of this posting I have had no feedback. I can assume he was either blown away by it and still talking about it to his friends or he hated it and being kind enough to not tell me. I'm going with the blown away theory.  

Just in case you want to try it...

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Thai Steak Stir Fry

(Drop the steak and it rhymes)

Taken from Everyday Food July/August 2012   

Serves 4 - Total Time 30 mins

(does not account for beer consumption during prep)

INGREDIENTS

1 t vegetable oil

1/2 lb skirt steak - cut against the grain into thin strips

1 lb green beans, trimmed

4 T minced peeled fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T fish sauce

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large

2 cups cooked rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add steak and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer steak to a plate. Add green beans, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring, until green beans are crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Return beef and any juices to pan along with fish sauce and basil. Cook 1 minute. Serve with rice.

*Again I cut the fish sauce with half soy/half fish and used sirloin not skirt. And no rice.

While getting this post together I've been enjoying Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame. And though it's riddled quotes to live by, the most fitting is and always will be..."Life is a banquet and most suckers are starving to death!".

With that...go eat.  

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