Red, White, and Blueberries

Last week, I spent a few evenings making three different kinds of frozen yogurt to create homemade bomb pops.  I made sour cherry for the red, tangy lemon for the white, and blueberry for the blue - duh.  Overall, these gourmet bomb pops were tasty, but the blueberry frozen yogurt kind of fell flat.  I think my problem was that I let the yogurt mixture sit in the refrigerator a couple of nights before I made the popsicles, and it created a more vegetable-like flavor.  It was disappointing to say the least.  On the upside, the lemon and sour cherry frozen yogurt are very delicious and perfect for this hot weather.  I ended up marbling the two leftover frozen yogurts together.  It is a great sweet and sour combination.  I will admit that this took some dedication, but I am glad I did it.  It was perfect for the Fourth of July and I was happy to use my new Tovolo popsicle molds I received for my birthday.  All recipes were adapted from none other than David Lebovitz.  The sour cherry and blueberry frozen yogurt are from The Perfect Scoop, while I found the tangy lemon frozen yogurt in the Los Angeles Times.

I Make Better Fro Yo Than Pinkberry

Ok, so that is a bold statement.  Pinkberry seems to be the king of frozen yogurts these days - and I really am a fan, but seriously my frozen yogurt is better.  As most know, I am mutually obsessed with my ice cream maker and David Lebovitz's book, The Perfect Scoop.  David's frozen yogurt has a similar tangy-sweet flavor as Pinkberry, but the creaminess of his yogurt beats it out.  The best part about this frozen yogurt is how simple it is to make and that it is just three ingredients.  I actually reduced the amount of sugar a bit too.

Here is the Frozen Yogurt recipe, adapted from The Perfect Scoop (extra-thick version):

-3 cups Greek yogurt
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Begin by mixing all the ingredients together until sugar has dissolved.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Once chilled, place yogurt in ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I would recommend serving the frozen yogurt immediately because it seems to be the best frozen yogurt consistency, but you can also place in your freezer in an air-tight container.  Beware that your yogurt will be rock hard, so you might want to let it thaw for a while.  It still tastes just as good.

If you are in the mood for a quick soup, try this vegetarian tortilla soup I made last year.

Swedish Delicacies

Sometimes I wonder if I go to Ikea for its cheap designer furniture and accessories, or for its delicious dollar treats. I think it is a little of both. I took the Ikea bus from Port Authority to Elizabeth, New Jersey on Sunday morning. Since the Ikea in Red Hook opened, the NJ Ikea has been so pleasant and manageable. I use to have to go in a with a game plan - a war strategy, now I wander leisurely (somewhat) throughout the mega store picking up things I never thought I needed until now. I can't resist bendy-straws, melamine trays, etc., etc. At the end of your journey, passed the check-out the Swedish Food Market & Bistro beckons you in. How can one pass up a $1 hotdog, cinnamon roll, or frozen yogurt? I can't. So on Sunday I got my usual frozen yogurt cone and two cinnamon rolls (I saved one for later - so don't judge).

The frozen yogurt is sweet and has a smooth texture - think Dairy Queen soft serve, but it is yogurt. The cone is as unpretentious and simple as the yogurt - just a cardboard-tasting container - which is fine because I am eating it for the yogurt. I don't need something else competing for my attention. Although, I love Pinkberry's tangy yogurt, Ikea's yogurt is what I think I prefer.
As for the cinnamon rolls, to me they are good, but not great. I appreciate a cinnamon roll that has some carmelization and a bit of bite on the edges. Ikea's cinnamon roll is perfectly fluffy and doughy throughout - there is no real variation between the outside and inside. But it is filled with plently of cinnamon and then drizzled with sweet icing.
Whenever I hear that someone went to Ikea, I instantly ask if they got the yogurt. I know I look disappointed when I hear that they didn't. So on your next stop in, don't forget about the dollar treat.