TREATS, TIPS AND TRIVIA

I was almost ready to rent an igloo due to this sweltering NC heat, until I came across this really cool idea for Ice Pops. Even better, it takes just moments to prepare.  The hard part is just waiting for it to set.

PAPAYA-RASPBERRY-LIME POPS - Real Simple

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Large Papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
Pinch of Kosher Salt
4 Tbsp Sugar, Divided
12 Oz. Raspberries

DIRECTIONS
Combine papaya, lime juice, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher or liquid measuring cup.  Place raspberries and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into a blender, and puree until smooth.  Divide about half of the papaya mixture among 10 3-ounce ice pop molds  Top evenly with the raspberry mixture, then the remaining papaya mixture.

Insert wooden sticks and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.  To unmold, dip your molds in cold water to soften very slightly, and remove the pops.  Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and keep it in the freezer until just before serving.

COOKIES + ICE CREAM = CREAMYCOOKIEICECREAM
It's been a hot summer, so no one is probably in the mood to do a lot of baking, but that doesn't mean we don't still love our cookies. It's easy to grab a package of Keebler, Chips Ahoy, your store brand, or Pepperidge Farms to snack on, but why not make it even more decadent by sprucing them up with ice cream?  

Grab your fave cherry ice cream, smooth it out then sandwich it between two vanilla wafers for your own special treat. Or use two peanut butter cookies and add double chocolate chunk for the filling. 

Decorate the ice cream with sprinkles, or m&m's or butterscotch chips. Play around with different flavors and ask the kids or guests for other unique ideas.

DISNEY
Disneyland in California opened in 1955 for the first time.  The park's 40th anniversary was celebrated in an unusual way.  Artifacts from 40 years were placed in a time capsule and buried in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle in 1995.  It will be opened for all to see in July 2035.

MOVIE NEWS
Mary Poppins was originally released in 1964, and viewers fell in love with Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in their roles.  

Mary Poppins Returns on Christmas Day 2018, and Emily Blunt takes over this classic fantasy.  The buzz is already positive, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the updated version.

AUGUST ROCKS
Not only do I celebrate my birthday next month, (yay to the 12th!) but there's a lot of other fantastic things going on too.

AUGUST 20 - National Lemonade Day. This is perfect because I mix lemons or lemonade in almost all my drinks.

AUGUST 21 - Total Eclipse of the Sun to cross the contiguous US since 1918.  Find out where you can see it by visiting eclipse2017.nasa.gov

AUGUST 26 - National Dog Day, where we celebrate with our four-legged furry friends.

Most of have to work for a living, and some of us may hate our jobs.  But what if you worked at a place that not only paid you a salary, but gave you other unique stuff, as employee appreciation.?

THE ZEBRA, a car insurance comparison company in Texas offers maid service each month, and money to make you happy for things like specialty classes or manicures.  In addition, employees have a company gym, and get unlimited PAID time off!

BASECAMP, a project management software maker in Chicago that offers up $1000 reimbursement for any type of lessons.  So if you're thinking about learning to cook or becoming a yoga instructor, this is the place to be.  If you need to find yourself every 3 years, the company provides a 30 day PAID sabbatical and vacation expenses.  To beat the heat in the summer, there is a 4 day work week and FREE massages. Well ok!

Is getting cut off enough to cause a person to follow someone else to get into an altercation?  I just don't get all that anger.

If I think about driving behind a slow driver a year from now, I'll probably be laughing and talking about it on this blog.  If I murder someone that does 20 miles per hour in a 65 per hour zone, I'll have the rest of my life to regret it in a tiny, tiny cell and no computer.