Watermelon Pops!

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I just love watermelon, don't you? When the watermelon is so perfectly kissed by the sun, that biting into a piece makes you close your eyes and say "mmmmm". Eating watermelon always reminds me of being a kid, when we were sent outside after dinner to eat our big, juicy slices in the backyard. To clean our hands and faces, we would squirt each other with the hose. Oh, my goodness, what fun, and what great memories!!      I hope these watermelon ice pops bring wonderful  memories to your house!

Watermelon Ice Pops

(from Cooks Country Magazine)

1/2 small Seedless Watermelon

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1 pint Lime Sherbet, softened
12-3 oz disposable cups-paper or plastic will work
12 popsicle sticks of flat sticks

Scoop and measure out 5 cups of watermelon pulp.

Puree watermelon and sugar in batches in blender...

until smooth.  

The recipe reads that you should use a mesh strainer,

but I didn't have one, so I used cheesecloth. Throw
away anything that won't go through the cheesecloth.

In small batches, I strained the watermelon pulp into a bowl.

I covered the bowl, and put it in the freezer for 2-3 hours

until it got slightly slushy, but not frozen. 

Remove the bowl from the freezer, and stir.

Remove all the slush that may be on the sides of the bowl.

Add the mini chocolate chips and stir again.
The almost frozen state of the watermelon slush
makes it easy for the chips to suspend in the slush
 and not fall to the bottom. 

Place your disposable cups in a muffin tin. on a cookie sheet.
I started with a muffin tin, but it was unstable in the freezer,
and it refused to sit flat.
I used plastic cups, and they worked great.

Spoon watermelon puree to within a 
1/2" of the top of the cups.  

Place in the freezer until puree is solid, but not rock
hard-about 1-2 hours.

Spread softened sherbet on top of the puree
in each cup. Make the sherbet come to the top of the cup, 
and smooth it with the back of your spoon.

Cover each cup with plastic. 
Cut a slit in the top of the plastic. I did this with a 
sharp knife. I also made the slit deep for the sticks.

 Insert a popsicle stick or flat stick into the pop
so that the stick almost reaches the bottom of the cup.
Freeze until solid, about 5 hours and up to 2 days.

To unmold, let the pops sit at room temperature for 
1 minute, then gently pull out from the cup.
 If you used paper cups, peel the paper away.
I had a hard time getting mine to come loose, so I ran
cold water very carefully on the cup for just a few seconds.
They came off quickly.

I hope these make you say "mmmmm"!!

Thanks for joining me today!

Ice Cream Cone Sugar Cookies!

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It is Cookie Journey Thursday, and today we are making cookies in the shape of an ice cream cone, with a scoop on top, of course! Let's get started!!

I used a Wilton tip #2 for the entire cookie.

Americolor Brown for the cone.

Americolor Light Pink for the ice cream.

Outline the ice cream cone.

Fill it in.

Make diagonal lines from one side of the cone to the other.

Then go back and make them the other way.

Kind of a criss cross pattern.

Outline the ice cream cone on top of the filled in icing.

It should be the same height as the criss cross on the cones.

Outline the pink ice cream.

Fill in the pink.

I made the pink icing a little thicker for the top outline.

Outline on top of the filled in icing just as we did on the cone.

The next time I make these ice cream cone cookies,

 I think I will use a tip bigger than a #2 for the top outline 

on the ice cream. Perhaps a #3 or 4. I just think it would look 

more pronounced with a thicker line.

Thanks for joining me today!

Oreo Mousse!

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There is nothing like a cool and creamy mousse! It is refreshing; oh, so creamy, and it's just fun to call food~ mousse! This mousse is a simple and delicious one. I had been looking at a box of Jello Oreo pudding in the baking aisle of the grocery for a few weeks. I just couldn't imagine what to do with it. Finally, I just bought it, figuring if I set it on the counter and looked at it long enough, inspiration would strike. It didn't. So I put it away in the cupboard. One day it just hit me, and so here it is! This mousse would be the perfect ending to a picnic or outdoor party. It just has to be kept cold. If you are having a fancier event, they could be made into individual mousse by using some of the cute mini containers that are available. No matter how you serve it, you will find this mousse to be easy to make and very delicious! That's always a great combo!

Oreo Mousse 

(this recipe makes 3-8 ounce mousse)

1 box Jello Oreo Pudding

2 cups Milk

crushed Oreo Crumbs

1 cup Whipping Cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar

Mini Oreo Cookies

Mix the box of oreo pudding with 2 cups of milk.

Whisk for 2 minutes.(these are the directions on the box)

Let set up for 5 minutes.

While your pudding is setting up, whip your whipping cream

on high until medium peaks begin to appear. As they start to show, 

add your 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar. 

Taste it and if you feel it needs to be sweetened, add more. 

Finish whipping the cream until stiff peaks appear.

Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream to the pudding.

I used oreo cookies that I had in the house for the crushed

oreos. I just removed the inside cream, put the 

top and bottom oreos in a zip lock bag, and crushed them

with a rolling pin. You can also use the precrushed

crumbs, of course.

Sprinkle some of the oreo crumbs into the bottom 

of your glasses. I didn't measure exactly, because 

not everyone will use the same type of glass as I did.

I put enough oreo in so that it would be visible once the

pudding goes on top. 

Add the mousse filling until about half way.

Add some of the oreo crumbs on top of the layer of

mousse filling.

Add filling up to the top of your glass.

Use the left over whipped cream to pipe on top of

the mousse filling. I used a wilton tip # 1M. Then top

the whipped cream with a mini oreo.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

Here's a thought from a Oreo Mousse eater~when eating the mousse,

stir the oreo crumbs in with the pudding with your spoon as you are eating it.

It's really good! :)

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

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I love Italian food, so when I was assigned the blog, Cookin' with Moxie, for this months Secret Recipe Club, I was thrilled. Cookin' with Moxie is a wonderful blog written by Jamie, whose blog is stuffed as full as these pasta shells of delicious sounding and beautiful looking foods. What to make was a difficult decision, but I finally decided on Jamie's 4 Cheese Stuffed Shells. They were so delicious, and cheesy and just yum!!

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 pound Jumbo Pasta Shells

30 oz. Ricotta Cheese

2 1/2 cups Mozzarella, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup Provolone Cheese

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Egg

2 tablespoon minced, flat leaf Parsley

2 tablespoon chopped, fresh Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 cups Marinara Sauce, preferably homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta.

Cook the shells until soft but not cooked through

(about 1/2 the cooking time on the box)

Drain pasta and set aside until the filling is ready.

Place the ricotta in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.

Add the provolone.

Mix together.

Add the garlic powder, egg, parsley, basil, salt and

pepper. Mix thoroughly.

In a 13X9 casserole dish, pour in half of your

marinara sauce. 

Fill your partially baked shells with the cheese filling.

Place the shells in your dish on top of the marinara.

The shells should be open side up.

(I used a smaller dish)

Place the rest of your marinara on top of the shells.

Top the marinara with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Garnish with minced basil and parsley, if desired.

Cover your dish with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15-20 minutes,

or until the sauce starts to bubble.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

Stop by and see what all my fellow Secret Recipe Club members made: