wholesome homemade fudgesicles

Sometimes (read: all the time...), I have one of those days when the mere thought of a specific treat or food triggers an instant jump into the kitchen to make whatever it is I'm craving. That's what happened when I started thinking about making my own homemade fudgesicles. I've made tons of fruity popsicles in my day, but this was my first foray into something more creamy. And I must say, I'M HOOKED! This will surely be the jumping off point for many a creamy popsicle to come. 

Because really, let's be honest, we all want a freezer-full of popsicles when those hot summer days come along by surprise. And we'll all be a little happier if that includes fruity pops, creamy pops, and chocolatey pops. Lots and lots of chocolatey pops. 

I may have eaten two already today... thankfully I made them mini-sized so I don't feel so bad when I decide one isn't enough. YUM! 

These pops offer all the creamy chocolatey goodness of fudge pops from the store, with none of corn syrup and other weird ingredients I don't like to put into my body (and you shouldn't either!). 

Simple wholesome ingredients like chocolate chips, whole milk, and organic cane sugar come together quickly for these tasty treats. 

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup chocolate chips or 2oz bar chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup cane sugar 

2 Tbsp tapioca starch (you could use corn starch as well, this is just what we had... pantry clean out and all) 

3 Tbsp raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 1/2 cups whole milk 

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract (I used ground vanilla, but I know that isn't something most folks have) 

Instructions: 

Whisk together sugar, tapioca starch, cacao powder, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan and place on burner over medium heat. 

While the mixture begins to warm, melt the chocolate chips. You can do this in the microwave or in a double boiler, just be sure to stir frequently if you do it in the microwave! 

Once the chocolate is melted, whisk it into the milk mixture. 

Continue warming the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has thickened into a pudding-like substance (though it won't get quite as thick as pudding). 

Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla. 

Let cool slightly, then fill your popsicle molds and freeze. If you don't have popsicle molds, you can use small cups or jars and popsicle sticks. Just let the pops freeze for about half an hour, then insert the sticks so they'll stand up straight! 

springtime spring rolls!

most of you know by now, but i'm in the process of eating through our pantry. daniel and i are packing up and moving across the country in just over a month, and we have A LOT of food to eat before we leave. these are the "benefits" of loving grocery shopping the way most ladies enjoy shopping for clothes. 

one of the lovely things stashed away in that pantry is a rather large stockpile of spring roll wrappers. thankfully, you can put just about anything into fresh spring rolls and they're delicious! which is exactly why i think that spring rolls are something every home cook should have stashed up their sleeve. veggies, tempeh, leftover chicken or pork - they're all perfect for turning into a quick meal of spring rolls. 

so, today i give you the springtime spring roll - packed with all of these amazing fresh and local ingredients: 

fresh local asparagus from some of my favorite market folks at greenrock farm, 

pea shoots from our dear friends at birch point farm, 

wild leek greens picked by yours truly while cursing the lack of morel mushrooms in our special foraging spot,

and some carrots for good measure! 

now, for my two secrets to making (and enjoying) great spring rolls! first, practice makes perfect and ugly spring rolls still taste amazing. it might take you a few meals to get the hang of wrapping tight spring rolls. mine still aren't perfect - but they're still perfectly enjoyable!

second, no spring roll is complete without a tasty dipping sauce. it is a great sauce that gives spring rolls their addictive oomph! so i'm giving you two options of sauces to choose from here, both homemade.

the first is a miso and tahini dressing from smitten kitchen that i've aptly named "crack" in my household. i use it as a salad dressing, dip spring rolls in it, and i've been known to down a whole bunch of carrots with an open jar of sauce on the side.

the second is a peanut butter sauce which you may remember from my kale and tempeh salad if you're an avid reader. i love this sauce on kale salads, for dipping spring rolls, and well a myriad of other joys!  

i'm a sucker for savory dipping sauces like these. i just about always have one of these two dressings pre-made in my fridge for when a craving strikes and i just don't want to put in much work. may i suggest you do the same? believe me, you'll be thankful you did! 

alright! enough gabbing, lets get down to making your own springtime spring rolls. you'll be sitting down to a big plate of fresh goodness like this one in no time! 

if you want to go with the peanut dipping sauce - just follow the ingredients and instructions from this post. 

miso & tahini dipping sauce ingredients: 

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger 

2 cloves of garlic 

3 Tbsp miso paste (any type will work, but i like red miso for a stronger flavor) 

2 Tbsp tahini 

1 Tbsp honey 

1/4 cup rice vinegar 

2 Tbsp sesame oil 

2 Tbsp vegetable oil 

miso & tahini dipping sauce instructions: 

this couldn't be easier - just puree all the ingredients together. i use my immersion blender and the little cup it came with for this, but you could also use a food processor or a blender. if you're motor-less, just chop the garlic and ginger extra fine and give it a good stir! 

spring roll ingredients: 

spring roll wrappers 

a few spears of asparagus, sliced in half lengthwise and into 3 inch long pieces

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks 

greens of one wild leek, chopped into ribbons 

pea shoots 

cooked farro, or rice noodles 

spring roll instructions: 

first, prepare some water for wetting your spring roll wrappers. i like to use a rimmed plate wide enough to submerge the whole wrapper, but you could also use a pie dish or a frying pan - the options are endless! 

now, you just have to assemble! working one at a time, dip the wrapper into the water making sure to thoroughly wet both sides, you want the wrapper to start to become flexible so you can easily form the spring rolls. 

once the wrapper is wet, place it on a dry work surface (i usually use a wooden cutting board). pile your fillings into a long mound in the center of the wrapper. fold the wrapper around the two ends of the filling to keep everything inside, then roll it up as tight as you can! just like a sticky burrito! 

simple homemade seedy crackers

as i've mentioned, d and i are on a mission to eat through our pantry full of dried goods (and our freezer too!). in the effort to make it happen, we've given up the purchase of most groceries other than fresh produce and dairy. one of the things we noticed pretty quickly was a HUGE lack of quick snacks. 

crackers fell highest on that list of snacks we were experiencing withdrawals from - because, well, who doesn't love grabbing a handful of crackers when hunger strikes? enter this lifesaving cracker recipe. a batch that will last us at least a week or two can be whipped up in about an hour, including baking time and clean up. so the minute i notice we're starting to get low, it's easy to find the time to make another batch. and of course, i'm always making little tweaks. 

best of all, this recipe is super forgiving in the use of whatever flours we have on hand. for the crazy wheat lovers out there - try making these with 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup buckwheat for a dense and flavorful cracker! i topped those with poppy seeds for something new - holy yum!  

i've been making these with amazing whole wheat flour from ernst farm, which we picked up at argus farm stop in ann arbor. if you've never been, i highly recommend stopping by if you're ever in ann arbor! they have an incredible selection of local produce and other products, and a business plan every producer can get behind. with farmers setting their own prices and making an 80% profit, i've heard so many farmer friends say it's their favorite place to sell. 

ann arbor visitor or not, i encourage you to look around for locally grown flours in your region. grains are a huge place where we can work towards building a more local food system. fresher flour grown on a smaller scale is likely to spoil you as the flavors are leagues beyond the commodity grains you purchase from most stores. you may find that local wheat is difficult to find, depending where you live. asking for it from farmers and other folks involved in the local food system will help drive the demand and make it more available for everyone! 

for those traverse city folks following along, grand traverse culinary oils is now also selling locally grown and milled whole wheat flours. 

i've tried a few different cracker recipes over the past few months but this recipe is the simplest of them all, and produces great results every time! if you love whole wheat, you can use it for all of the flour, but you'll end up with a denser cracker than if a little white flour is added to the mix. 

adapted from the kitchn's basic cracker recipe  

ingredients: 

2 cups local whole wheat flour 

1 cup all purpose flour 

2 tsp cane sugar 

2 tsp salt 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 cup water 

few pinches rubbed dry sage 

fennel seeds 

flax seeds 

sesame seeds 

instructions: 

in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, and sage) 

add the oil and water to the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly sticky dough. you may need to add a little more flour depending how your wheat flour absorbs water (the joy of working with fresh, local whole grains!). divide the dough in thirds. 

flour a silicone baking mat or parchment paper (cut to the size of your baking sheet), and roll one third of the dough out to the edges of the paper, it should be about 1/8 inch thick. brush the top lightly with water, and sprinkle the seeds on top to your liking. cut the dough into squares the size you want your crackers to be (i use a pizza cutter for this, but you could use a knife as well!). do the same with your other two thirds of the dough. 

bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees. they'll brown quickly, so keep an eye on them! if your crackers are slightly different thicknesses, some may brown faster than others. you can always pull those from the pan and let the rest cook a bit longer. 

cool crackers on a cooling rack until completely cool, then enjoy! 

store crackers in an airtight container.