This afternoon, I found myself with some free time, an abundance of strawberries, and a craving for something cool—sounds like a perfect time for homemade popsicles. Even better, it would present an opportunity for me to finally get some use out of the Zoku that my sister Lea gave me a few Christmases ago.

So I dug out the instruction manual and carefully took photos of the Zoku, all the while dreaming of how lovely my pops would photograph once done.

Sadly, I would never find out what those popsicles would look like once unmolded. Yep, they were absolutely stuck in the Zoku. No not stuck, cemented is more like it. I tugged and twisted to no avail. It was time for Plan B.

After a quick jog across the street to Target, I had the necessary equipment for old-school popsicle-making: Dixie cups and wooden sticks.

Fancy.

Despite their troubled beginning, these Creamy Strawberry-Lime Pops turned out darn tasty and refreshing. Try them for yourself—no fancy equipment required:)

Creamy Strawberry-Lime Pops

Makes 8 small popsicles

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh strawberries
• juice from 1 small lime
• 6 oz plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 8-3 oz paper cups
• 8 popsicle sticks

Method

1. Wash and hull all strawberries.

2. Place 2 cups of the strawberries in a food processor with lime juice. Process until pureed. You may remove the seeds at this point by pouring the mixture through a sieve, although it is not necessary.

3. Add yogurt and honey to the processor and blend until smooth.

4. Chop the remaining 1 cup of strawberries into small pieces and distribute equally among 8 small cups or popsicle molds. Pour the yogurt mixture on top and place a stick in each one. Allow to freeze for 20-30 minutes. Tear off paper cups and serve!

Nutrition per pop (1/8th recipe): 37 Calories, 0.2g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 8mg sodium, 7.2g carbohydrate, 1.3g fiber, 5.7g sugars, 2.2g protein

Filed under: Recipe | 2 Comments »

Thanks to a kind reminder from a reader this morning, I realized  I forgot to post the winner of Vegetable Heaven in the midst of last weekend’s graduation festivities. Without further ado, the winner is…

Tiffany! I have to say, I am a bit relieved that the winner is someone who doesn’t mind a few bite marks

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Even though we’re now six weeks into the cookbook giveaway series, I still have quite a sizeable stack of cookbooks I’d like to give away to an appreciative foodie. Here are the books that remain:

• PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook
• Pumpkin, Butternut & Squash
• The Candle Cafe Cookbook
• Just the Rules (not a cookbook, but contains sound nutrition advice)
• 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes
• Delicious Meets Nutritious (recipes featuring Xagave sugar replacement)
• Meatless Meals for Working People

If you’re interested in any of these books, just leave a comment below telling me which one strikes your fancy. The first commenter to claim each book wins it!

**Open to US residents only.**

Thanks for helping me clear out my cookbook stash

Filed under: Contest | 16 Comments »

On any given night, Seth and I often find ourselves parked on the couch, catching up on our favorite TV shows. Amidst the hilarity of New Girl or Parks and Recreation, we inevitably both start rummaging through the cabinets for something to munch on. Popcorn is a mutual favorite, but sometimes Seth craves something a little different:

“Huuuuunnnnneeeeeee? Will you make me some crunchy things?”

(Translation of Seth-speak to English: “crunchy things” = snack mix.)

Being the loving fiancé that I am, I’m willing to oblige (most of the time). Plus, with a nut and seed stash like mine, it’s easy to come up with a tasty snack mix.

The snack mix-making process became even easier when OXO sent me a 5-lb food scale with pull-out display. As a lover of all things orderly or precise and a self-proclaimed kitchen scale devotee, I was elated. Let the snack mix party begin!

Handy pull-out display for large containers that might inhibit easy reading. 

I have two snack mix recipes to share today, one sweet and one savory. They both begin with a neutral cereal base. I used a toasted oats cereal, but feel free to use a gluten-free alternative such as rice or corn Chex.

Choco-berry Mix with Coconut and Pepitas

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 60g toasted oats cereal
• 30g dark chocolate chips
• 14g freeze-dried strawberries
• 20g unsweetened shredded coconut
• 28g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Divide into 6 equal servings (25g each) using a food scale. Store in air-tight containers and enjoy the convenience of ready-made, portion-controlled snack mix!

Nutrition per 1/6 recipe: 107 Calories, 5.3g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 83mg sodium, 14.9g carbohydrate, 2.6g fiber, 4.1g sugars, 1.9g protein

Wasabi-Soy Snack Mix

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 30g toasted oats cereal
• 30g bite-size pretzels
• 30g wasabi peas
• 10 (20g) soy-flavored rice crackers, broken into pieces
• 28g dry-roasted peanuts

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Divide into 4 equal servings (35g each) using a food scale. Store in air-tight containers and enjoy the convenience of ready-made, portion-controlled snack mix!

Nutrition per 1/4 recipe: 150 Calories, 5.6g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 212mg sodium, 21.1g carbohydrate, 1.9g fiber, 2.3g sugars, 4.8g protein

And just like that, we have a snack mix stash for Seth.

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Now for the part you’re probably most interested in—the giveaway! The kind folks at OXO sent me an extra food scale to give to one lucky B-Hut reader.

Rules:

1. Leave me comment telling me how you would use this spiffy new food scale.

2. For an extra entry, Tweet about this giveaway: “Check out @broccolihut’s @OXO giveaway!”

Or whatever wording strikes your fancy:)

Please leave a separate comment telling me that you Tweeted.

3. You have until Friday, May 11th at 5PM EDT to enter.

Good luck to all!

Filed under: Contest, Recipe, Recipe Collection | 33 Comments »