Keeping Cool

Here are a couple more pictures of our trip to Fredericksburg. This is the cute little cottage we rented during our stay. It was very charming and cozy, with lots of things to discover. I just love old houses and their creaky floors, don't you? My husband does not, but I couldn't get enough!

The gazebo covered hot tub that we got steamy in. I'll leave it at that. It really was too warm outside to be comfortable in, but it was nice and relaxing.

And LOOK! I even had time to whip up this fabulous cake! Kidding, it's made of styrofoam and fake icing :-) It's was a prop, which I think it beyond weird. Know what's even more weird? There were two of them, decorated with different color flowers. It was on display on the cupboard next to a cookbook. ha!

There was an attic in the house but the door was locked so Mr. H popped it open and we went up stairs. There wasn't much in there besides an air bed, but there was a tattered flag in the window that I caught my eye.

Before heading out to dinner we did a little window shopping and there was a sign place open so we wandered in. Mr. H loves signs. If we had blank walls in our garage, they'd be covered in signs. He did buy two of them, but there were thousands. This is one partial wall of 2 huge rooms.

I have a few more pictures for you involving a wonderful bakery and The Butterfly Haus. Those are for another day though.

Have I mentioned at all how hot it is here in Texas? We've been breaking record temperatures daily! it's been averaging between 102 -104 F. It did get up as hot as 107 though a couple weeks ago. Ridiculous! To cool off, I made popsicles! I found the popsicle molds at Goodwill for $2.99- score!

I found this recipe from Whole Foods and decided on it because I love orange and strawberry together. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I'd walk to the little corner mart across the street from my grandparents house. Aside from getting candy (Laffy Taffy), I'd get Tropicana Twisters in Strawberry Orange. Of course that was on the days I didn't get Clearly Canadian :-)

These popsicles were smooth and pulpy, but not hard and icy like most popsicles. They were tart and refreshing! Perfect for the sweltering heat!

Strawberry Orange Popsicles from Whole Foods

• 1 cup puréed strawberries*
• 1 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
• Lime or lemon juice, to taste

Combine strawberry purée and orange juice concentrate in a medium bowl; set aside.

Heat water and sugar together in a small pot over medium heat, stirring just until sugar dissolves; add to bowl with strawberry-orange mixture. Stir in lime or lemon juice.

Fill popsicle molds with fruit mixture, making sure to leave a bit of room at the top for expansion when they freeze. Set the lids in place and insert the sticks through the holes.

Freeze until firmly set, 3 to 4 hours. To serve, first remove the lids or wrap then squeeze the sides of the molds, twisting them slightly, to dislodge each popsicle. (If necessary, rinse the outside of the molds briefly under hot water to unmold them.)

NOTE: These can be made in small cups or empty yogurt tubs as well. But be sure to stretch plastic wrap or foil across the top, then make a small incision in the top and insert a popsicle stick in each.

*For a smoother consistency, strain the puree of it's seeds.

Makes 8-10 popsicles, depending on size.

Updated: I entered this in the ice cream social sponsored by ScottySnacks, SavortheThyme and Tangled Noodle.

A Tart & The LBJ Ranch

Hi everyone, I'm back! We actually got back into town yesterday but I was exhausted and I spent the entire day today catching up on your blogs. There were a lot of them so I'm just now getting around to my birthday cheesecake tart with strawberries and posting about our "Hill Country" adventures. Truth be told, it's not very hilly.

We had a great time in Fredericksburg at the B&B. My only complaint (because there's always one!) was that it was so freakin' hot! We would go out and browse shops, eat breakfast or lunch and walk around. We could only do this for a couple hours at a time, then take a break from the heat. We'd go back to the cottage, strip down to our skivvies and turn all the fans on and lay around. Probably more info than you'd like to know, but it was necessary :-)

On our first day we stopped in Stonewall, TX, home and resting place of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird. He owned an expansive amount of ranch land where cattle roam and the Pedernales River flows. his home, the cemetery and the surrounding land were all really beautiful. I took tons of pictures, but this would be a very long post if I were to post them all, so here are just a few.

And if I haven't lost you yet...

Cheesecake Tart from Martha Stewart

Graham Cracker-Pecan Crust:

• 6 graham crackers (2 1/2 by 5 inches each)
• 1/3 cup whole almonds
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

• 2 bars (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temp.
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt

For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind graham crackers, almonds, and 1/4 cup sugar until finely ground; add butter, and process until moistened. Transfer to a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Using the base of a dry measuring cup, press mixture firmly into the bottom and up sides of pan. Freeze at least 15 minutes.

For the filling: Carefully wipe processor blade and bowl clean. Place cream cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt in food processor; blend just until smooth. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet; fill with cheesecake mixture. Bake until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer tart pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Top with fresh sliced fruit or a blueberry-plum topping.

NOTE: This crust was a little crumbly and kept breaking away, so be very gentle when handling. Perhaps a little more butter would keep it together???

This tart was delicious. It was creamy, yet dense, but not hard. And it was the perfect amount of filling to crust ratio. The crust was nutty and buttery and crunchy, just like I like it. My husband didn't like the nuts in the crust though, he would have preferred it plain. But this tart was not for him!

I topped my tart with fresh sliced strawberries macerated in a little sugar. It was a perfect and light topping.

I'll be back in a couple days to tell/show you more of my trip!

Birthday Celebration

As you may know, my birthday was a week ago and I have yet to blog about it. I was busy trying to post red, white and blue things for the 4th so this post had to wait...until now! Here is a picture of Aaron and I as the sun was setting. The picture is a little granular, but you get the idea. He's still cute.

My birthday dinner was nice. My mom asked me what I wanted for her to make me for dinner and I chose shredded chicken tacos, rice and crock pot beans. I chose chicken tacos because when I was on bedrest with my second son Jack, my grandma made them for me and it was so comforting. I think that day I ate like 5 tacos- they were that good and I was eating for 2 :-) I intended to make myself a strawberry cheesecake tart for dinner, but my mom made me tres leches cake and caramel vanilla rice crispy treats instead. Fine by me.

So the next day, I had some free time and decided to make the tart I had been longing for. I'll show you a picture, but I won't blog about the recipe til I get back. Back from where? You may be asking yourself, "Monica, where are you going?" And the answer would be.. my hubs and I are going away for a few days to a romantic B&B! Yay, I'm so excited.

We're going to Fred.ericksburg, Tx.- a couple hours from here. It's a little German town known for its peaches, little boutique shops, and overall cuteness. I found a really cute 2 bedroom cottage with a full kitchen and a gazebo covered hot tub. I've never been there but I've always wanted to go, so Mr. H surprised me with this mini-vacation for my birthday.

I'll be back Thursday afternoon and won't have any recipes for you until then, but enjoy the pictures of the B&B! I'll catch up on your blogs when I return since we won't have internet access where we're staying.

Okay, gotta go pack! Have a good week everyone!