Fudgesicles

Is it just me or is a fudgesicle universally loved?  They're great for children* and adults alike.  They remind us of the pictures we all have from our childhood that looks something like this:

Yes, that's me.  I'm not ashamed to admit that
I was the #cutestchildever

And if you're the hubs you have picture like this from your adulthood:

Hubs really likes these fudgesicles

Fudgesicles are the perfect combination of chocolate and ice cream, right?  What's not to love?  Um, sugar.  I used to eat fudgesicles every night when I was on the many diets I tried.  They were the perfect guilt-free dessert.  Or so I thought.  I'm not saying you should feel guilty if you occasionally splurge on something with sugar on it.  But thanks to this recipe, fudgesicles don't have to be one of them. 

I love this recipe.  I love chocolate.  I love ice cream.  I almost always eat a dessert of some sort at night.  And now fudgesicles are in the rotation.  Guilt free fudgesicles.  Lest you think guilt-free = gross, I offer the previous photograph of the hubs into evidence.  He likes these fudgesicles.  Do you?

*With school starting back up, these fudgesicles are the perfect after-school snack.  And I won't even tell your children it was my idea.  You're welcome.

Ingredients

2 T cocoa powder
1/2 canned coconut milk
2 small, very-ripe bananas
1/16 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
optional: you could add a spoonful of peanut butter.  Yum.  Or strawberries.  Or dark chocolate chips.  The options are endless.

Directions

Combine all items in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.  Easy peasy.

Printable Recipe

Original recipe here

Herbed Cream Cheese Cucumber Rounds

Cucumbers + radishes = a food combination I'm sure to hate.


I don't like cucumbers.  I can hardly eat them, actually.  I blame it on an unnamed diet I tried before I learned about the beauty (and health!) of real foods on which cucumbers were a free food.  I could eat as many cucumbers as my heart desired.  And I did.  I'd bite into them like apples. All was well and good until one day I hit my limit.  I didn't see it coming.  There I was, eating my cucumber without a care in the world and then...there it was...nope, one bite too many...I couldn't make myself swallow it...no more cucumbers for me ever again.  


And then there's radishes.  I think we can all agree that radishes are, um, random.  Poor radishes, they get a bad rap.  It's not their fault they're weird.  And kind of spicy.  But not spicy spicy.  They're weird.  Hard to explain.  Beautiful.  But weird.  I used to get them in my CSA and wondered how in the world I would use them because I didn't want them in my salads.  I'm a little bit ashamed to admit I'd just let them go to waste.  Too bad I didn't have this recipe back then because it's not only so pretty but so so delish.  


Cucumbers + radishes (+ herbed cream cheese) = delish.  Who knew??

Ingredients


4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon table salt
pinch of cayenne, or to taste
1/2 medium seedless cucumber (seedless cucumbers are a bit dry so I might try seeds next time)
3 medium radishes 
tiny mint leaves (if desired, for garnish)
coarse sea salt for sprinkling


Directions


Stir together cream cheese, herbs, zest, lemon juice, table salt, and cayenne.
Slice cucumber in 1/2" thick slices. Trim bottoms from then radishes, then slice into thin (approximately 1/16") slices.  Top each cucumber slice with a radish slice and 1/2 teaspoon herbed cream cheese.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, garnish with tiny mint leaves and finely grated lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately.

Printable recipe

Recipe from www.epicurious.com