I was scouring some of my cookbooks recently trying to find a peanut butter and jelly popsicle. Oh yeah, I said it PB & J pop. Nothing. Ziltch. How was that possible. Ok, maybe there’s one out there, but I didn’t find it and I couldn’t get the thought of making them out of my head.

Cut to me finding a box of 100 Dixie cups in the bathroom cabinet that day. When did I buy these? They must have been there for over a year, but I not a single one had been used. Ahh ha.. I could make the PB & J popsicles in them!

I headed down to the kitchen mixing a little of this and a little of that until I came up with what seemed like the perfect mixture and began layering and then freezing the popsicles.

Cut to Kenya opening the freezer when I was looking an hour later and accidentally dumping the tray of cups over and watching my little experiment poured all of the freezer (if you’ve ever tried cleaning peanut butter out of a freezer I’m sure you can imagine this wasn’t a ton of fun). But after we made another batch and let them freeze (check out the image at the end of this post) you had two kids (and a mom) who happily devoured a batch of PB & J pops loving every last bite.

PB & J Pops (Makes 4 pops)

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter, smooth
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Cup Milk, divided (any type of milk will work)
1/2 Cup Your Favorite Fruit Preserves (I used Raspberry)

1. Combine the peanut butter, honey and 1/2 cup of milk in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. Whisk the preserves and the remaining milk in a separate bowl to combine.
3. Pour both mixtures into 2 separate liquid measuring cups for easy pouring.
4. Pour 2 tbsp of the peanut butter mixture into each Dixie cup, followed by 3 tbsp of the fruit preserves mixture.
5. Freeze for 30 minutes.
6. Pour the remaining peanut butter mixture on top. Pok a popsicle stick in the middle of the cups.
7. Freeze for at least 6 hours or more.
8. Serve.

It’s still summer and the weather seems warmer then ever, but once the Back to School buzz is in the ether it sends my brain a message that it’s time to cover up the grill and head back into the kitchen to do my cooking.

But I don’t listen to that message! The grill should always be your best buddy — at least for as long as it continues to be nice outside and your goal remains getting an easy dinner on your table in a jiff.

Among all the fruits and vegetables, our garden is literally overflowing at the moment with peppers and zucchini. I gotta use what’s growing and that’s where the inspiration for these hearty kabobs came from. My kids are really into the how our peppers have ripened into rainbow of different colors and they’ve also discovered a fun new cooking job helping me to string the vegetable chunks onto the skewers. After just a few minutes on the grill and a brush of sweet glaze right at the end, these Grilled Veggie Kabobs will become welcome part of your meal no matter what time of year it is!

Grilled Veggie Kabobs (Makes 6-8 Skewers)

1 Onion, cubed
1 Red Bell Pepper, cubed
1 Green Bell Pepper, cubed
1 Orange Bell Pepper, cubed
8 Mushrooms
1 Green Zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 Yellow Zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

1. Preheat grill.
2. Place vegetable onto skewers*, brush with olive oil and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. Brush with the teriyaki sauce and serve.

* If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes prior to placing the vegetables on the skewers so they don’t burn

DO YOU WANT TO SAY YOU CAN USE TOMATOES AND WHATEVER VEGGES ARE IN SEASON?

There is the sweetest, homemade sno-cone stand at our farmers’ market called Sno-con AMOR where the owner (and Kenya’s newest love), Lauda, serves up the most incredible traditional Raspados (Mexican Snow Cones). With homemade syrups in flavors like walnut, coconut and mojito (I almost want to drop to the ground with embarrassment every time Chloe screams, “MORE MOJITO” in a crowd full of parents), these are nothing like the artificially sweetened and colored sno-cones you may be used to seeing. Lauda uses only the freshest, all natural ingredients to produce her frozen works of art.

Recently Lauda has been featuring watermelon-cinnamon as a flavor and it is heavenly. The first time she offered me a taste I was skeptical. Cinnamon and watermelon sounded like quite an unusual combo, but it took just one bite and I was knocked out. So knocked out in fact, that I had to replicate it at home. Given that the kids only see Lauda on Sunday, having granita (very similar to sno-cones) for them at home the remaining six days of the week made me very popular with them indeed.

And no, your eyes aren’t fooling you. That’s yellow watermelon pictured above. The kids can’t get enough of it when it is in season, so I used it to make this cinnamon spiked watermelon granita that tastes almost as good as Lauda’s sno-cones.

Whether you decide to make this with red or yellow watermelon, it’s a super sweet summer time treat that’s filled with AMOR!

Watermelon Granita (Serves 6-8)

5 Cups Watermelon Chunks
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Sugar

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Place the puree in an 8×8 inch Pyrex dish and put in the freezer for 1 hour.
3. Remove from the freezer and scrape with a fork to break up pieces.
4. Place back into freezer for 1 hour.
5. Remove from the freezer and scrape with a fork to break up pieces.
6. Repeat this process one or two more times over several hours until the
granita is similar in consistency to shaved ice.
7. Serve (cover the dish with tin foil to keep the rest in the freezer).

I have a confession to make. I’m confiding in you before I even tell my husband.

I’ve got a new boyfriend at the farmers’ market. I know, I’m terrible, but I can’t help myself. He’s incredible. It’s not because of his dashing looks or that he’s a total charmer (though that certainly doesn’t hurt). Rather it’s because he has the most beautiful, creamy avocados I have ever tasted. How I walked by his stand every Sunday for years without noticing him is a mystery to me, but one day, shortly after my previous longtime avocado boyfriend stopped selling at our market, my new beau’s goods caught my eye. We’ve been together ever since and my kids love that he always gives them a free lime or ripe and ready-to-eat avocado.

Sometimes I get a little too carried away and buy more avocados than I can possibly use in a week, so I have to come up with different ways to prepare them beyond just guacamole or avocado shakes. This Cucumber Avocado Salsa can be served as a dip with sliced vegetables, like a traditional salsa with chips, as a sauce on grilled chicken or shrimp or simply eaten with a spoon on it’s own. It’s a refreshing summer recipe no matter how you serve it.

It feels so good to come clean to you. My husband is not going to be thrilled when he reads this, but considering the fact that he adores avocados as much as the kids do, I may be more accepting of my new boyfriend than I originally thought.

Cucumber Avocado Salsa (serves 4)

1 Large Cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 Avocados, peeled, pitted, & cubed
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine.
2. Serve.

My husband is an incredible storyteller. He comes up with the most elaborate, entertaining tales that would keep even the most fidgety kid engaged. Every night, we take turns telling the kids bedtime stories. While hubby comes up with these super creative tales that have a lesson or moral woven in to boot, my stories are generally straightforward travelogues along the lines of “Mommy and Kenya Go to Paris” (you think I’ve been reading too much Madeline?). In my stories, Kenya and I roam around far flung locations like Paris, looking at the Eiffel Tour, touring Notre Dame and eating everything from croissants to crepes. Of course food gets more detail than anything else in my stories, and so Kenya usually asks if we can make the things I talk about so fondly.

Last week we had a crepe making extravaganza, preparing them three mornings in a row. Crepes are so easy to make and the kids love being surprised by the different fillings I offer them. In my Paris story, I talk about eating banana filled crepes with Nutella, but instead of buying a jar of the famous hazelnut-chocolate spread they use in France, we decided to make our own homemade version.

Whether you decide to spread this insanely delicious and addictive treat on Graham crackers, strawberries, crepes or even, I dare say, eat it right off the spoon, this version of homemade nutella will make you feel like you are on vacation in France. And chocolate for breakfast? That’ll keep your kids more engaged than the best story!

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (makes 1 1/4 cups)

1 Cup Hazelnuts
1/4 Cup Agave or Honey
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 Tbsp Hot Water

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes.
3. Remove hazelnuts to a kitchen towel, cover and rub to remove the hazelnut skins.
4. Place hazelnuts in a food processor and chop for 30 seconds.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and puree.
6. Serve with crepes or as a dip for fruit.

There’s something about tapioca pudding that seems so kid-like to me. Not that adults don’t also love this creamy, coconut flavored pudding, but the act of plunging your spoon deep down into the bottom of the cup and pulling up some sweet, juicy strawberries to accompany the tapioca on top — all in the same bite — carries with it an anticipation that I associate almost completely with how excited I used to get as a kid to savor my desserts. This dish irresistable to me. In fact, typing this is making me so hungry I think I need to stop and have some! I guess I’m still just a kid at heart.

Fruit on the Bottom Tapioca (Serves 4)

1 Cup Strawberries, stemmed and chopped fine
1 13 oz Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk, about 1 3/4 cups
3/4 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Tapioca (not quick cooking)
3 Tbsp Sugar

1. Bring the coconut milk, water and tapioca to a boil.
2. Reduce to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Divide the chopped strawberries between 4 glass cups and pour tapioca over the strawberries.
5. Chill for one hour and serve.

Have you ever tried a tomatillo? Until I moved to California over a decade ago I had never seen, let alone tried, one before (unless you count a taste of jarred tomatillo salsa). Sometimes referred to as green tomatoes and most frequently found in Mexican cuisine, not only are tomatillos beautiful, but they’re also delicious and now growing in My Own Edible Garden!

One of our favorite Mexican restaurants makes the most incredible fresh tomatillo salsa that hubby, the kids and I all adore, so I figured why not make my own version to serve alongside chips or over grilled fish or chicken. There’s just something about this salsa’s fresh taste that makes it the perfect accompaniment to almost any summertime meal.

Once you start making this simple recipe, I bet you’ll be like me and wonder why you’ve been buying your salsa in a can or jar all these years!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

10 Tomatillos, husked & rinsed (about 1 lb)
2 Small Garlic Cloves
1 Small Onion, cut into chunks
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, packed
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Preheat oven broiler.
2. Place tomatillos, garlic cloves and onion chunks on a foil-lined baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven. Broil for 10 minutes, remove and set aside to cool.
3. Once cooled, place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree.
4. Serve with tortilla chips or over grilled fish or chicken.

My inspirations for weelicious recipes come from a lot of different places. For some, they’re simply based on a food I see at our farmers’ market, for others it can be a dish I love from a restaurant or a food memory I had as a kid that I now find myself craving (and possibly want to make a bit healthier). In the case of this Summer Fruit Gazpacho, my muses were the mint growing wild in our garden and all of the naturally sweet fruits sitting on our kitchen counter that I was afraid would spoil. Traditional gazpacho is a cold soup made with tomatoes and other vegetables. This version is completely different, but I wanted to call it a gazpacho because I love the idea of a cold soup during these hot summer months and truthfully….I just dig the word “gazpacho”!

The morning after I made it and let it chill overnight, the kids and I sat on the kitchen floor armed with three spoons and an enormous bowl of this refreshing, sweet soup. There’s only one word to explain what happened at our impromptu picnic we tried the first refreshing spoonful: de-voured. We finished the whole batch before the day was over.

Soup for breakfast you might ask? After taking your first taste of this one, it won’t seem at all strange to eat in the morning or any time of day you want to serve it. Especially when it’s a nutritious as this!

Summer Fruit Gazpacho (Serves 4)

6 Cups Cantaloupe, peeled & seeded, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chiffonade
1 Cup Strawberries, stemmed & quartered
1 Peach, seeded & diced
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1/2 Cup Yogurt
1 Tbsp Honey

1. Place cantaloupe chunks into a food processor and puree.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the mint, strawberries, peach, and blueberries.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the yogurt and honey.
4. Evenly divide the cantaloupe puree into small bowls, top with mixed fruit and add a dollop of the honey yogurt sauce on top.
5. Serve.

* If you want to make this dish vegan, replace the yogurt and honey with soy yogurt and agave

When you grow your own fruits and veggies it’s so exciting to see what will pop up in your garden next. My kids have become little detectives, searching amidst the leaves and vines in our pots and planters and pointing out whenever things look ready to be picked. We’re growing a variety of different tomatoes like yellow, red, heirloom, cherry and more so coming up with a lot of different recipes to use them in is essential so nothing goes to waste. Between the abundance of tomatoes, cornucopia of cucumbers and bountifulness of basil covering our yard, I reckoned this summery salad would be something everyone in my house would love….and I was right!

The recipe is simple to prepare and isn’t expensive to make because the crusty bread cubes go a long way towards feeding a large family a super fresh meal. If you’re looking for a dish that screams “summertime,” you have to try this. And if I can’t convince you to start your own edible garden, this salad certainly will.

Tomato Bread Salad (Serves 4-6)

4 Cups Crusty Bread (French Bread or Artisan Rustic Bread), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 Cup Olive Oil, divided
4 Heirloom Tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Cup Cucumbers, sliced
1 Ear Corn (uncooked), sliced off the cob
1/2 Red Onion, sliced thin
2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chiffonade
1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives, sliced
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the bread cubes on a sheet tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp of oil and toss to coat.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and set aside to cool.
4. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, corn, onion, basil, olives and bread in a large bowl.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, balsamic, salt, pour onto the salad and toss to coat.
6. Serve.

There’s no way to describe the looks on Kenya, Chloe, hubby’s and my faces when we tasted the first peaches of the season at our local farmers’ market two weeks ago. As soon as I spotted them, I think I shrieked! Actually, I know I did because my husband looked at me like I was a crazy person (he’s used to it by now though, as it’s generally how I act whenever I see a fruit or vegetable I love that’s reappeared at the market after a long absence). But of all of the produce I adore, peaches are way up on the list and if you’ve ever seen my kids eat them, you’d observe that the peach doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Especially when it gets hot, I like to take really ripe fruit and make popsicles. Between the luscious strawberries and succulent peaches available at this time of year, you probably only need a dash of honey to brighten the flavor of these pops. Why spend a bunch of money on packaged popsicles made with artificial coloring and all sorts of additives when you and your kids can make these super easy, truly all-natural, refreshing pops that are the perfect treat on a warm summer’s day!

Peach & Strawberry Popsicles (Makes 6 Popsicles)

2 Ripe Peaches, pitted
1 Cup Strawberries, stems removed
2 Tbsp Honey
1/2 Cup Milk (any variety works)

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 3 hours.
3. Serve.