Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

Fruit & Coconut Water Ice Pops

by

Frozen yogurt. Ice Cream. Popsicles. Frozen treats. I. Just. Can’t. Get. Enough.

fruit & coconut water ice pops It’s summer. It’s hot. Let’s eat a lot of cold things.

Let’s not only eat cold things, let’s make our own cold things. It just tastes way better. And it’s really fun.

Last week I made this chunky monkey frozen yogurt. I have also been experimenting with some no churn ice cream (coming soon, it’s so good). Both of those things are great. Delicious. However, sometimes I just want a fun little frozen treat on a stick…

Popsicles!

Actually, I should refer to them as “ice pops”. Popsicles is a registered trademark of Unilever. I don’t want to infringe on that, soo….

Ice pops!

fruit & coconut water ice pops Ice pops are so darn simple to make and the flavor possibilities are endless. A couple of weeks ago I made Hungry Girl por Vida’s Creamy Coconut Ice Pops. If you are a coconut lover (as I am), try them out! They were a perfect post-dinner snack.

This round, I wanted to make something fruity and refreshing. And then it came to me: fresh fruit + coconut water. What is more refreshing and hydrating than that?!

fruit & coconut water ice pops I do know that coconut water can be an acquired taste. I personally love it, but I know a lot of people who do not. Give it a try if you haven’t!

Last year when my friend and I were in Rio we had coconut water straight from the coconut. They would puncture a hole and put in a straw. We would enjoy it on the beach. Perfection. Especially after a night of a few too many caipirinhas…

Bringing me to my next point: coconut water is high in potassium and electrolytes, low in calories, and a great way to stay hydrated during these hot summer months. These ice pops are perfect to eat after coming in from a hot and sweaty run. Or after a late night out on the town.

They are so simple I can barely even call it a recipe, but I will anyways.

Get your molds.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Get your fruit.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Fill them up the molds with fruit.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Add in the coconut water.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Freeze and eat.

fruit & coconut water ice pops Easiest thing ever, right? Yes.

You can use any fruit and any flavor of coconut water that you desire. I went with peach & regular coconut water as well as blueberries & chocolate coconut water. Both are ridiculously good.

fruit & coconut water ice pops fruit & coconut water ice pops However, I will warn you that they are not super sweet. If you do want to make them a little sweeter feel free to add in some honey or fruit juice. Some brands have flavored coconut water like pineapple or peach, which would probably amp up the sweetness a little bit as well.

Fruit & Coconut Water Ice Pops
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Fruity and refreshing ice pops, perfect for a hot summer day!
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups fruit, diced
  • 2 cups coconut water
Instructions
  1. Fill up the ice pop molds with fruit, about ¾ full. Add the coconut water. Freeze and enjoy.
Notes
The amount of fruit and coconut water you need will depend on the size of your molds.

fruit & coconut water ice pops

Share this:

Thursday Thoughts

by

thursday thoughts I have a couple (5) little thoughts for you on this lovely Thursday evening. Just a couple of things that are intriguing me, inspiring me, and making me happy. I thought it would be nice to share them with you. So. Here you go………

  • I am loving this song right now. The lyrics are so fun and summer-y and happy. I’ve listened to it many, many times today. Do you ever do that, listen to a song over and over and over again? There is even a Glee version, so you know it’s good.
  • Did you know that it is Popsicle Week?! Check out the list of delicious flavors bloggers are coming up with. Some of the flavor combos are super intriguing. I want to try all of them. I will be posting a fun little popsicle recipe soon, so stay tuned.
  • This Spicy Savoury French Toast? So amazing. I don’t know why I have never had (or even heard of!) savory french toast before. My mom and I will be making it for the family 4th of July weekend at the cabin. Counting down the dayyyyysss.
  • I won Take A Megabite’s Driscoll berry giveaway! I AM SO EXCITED. I love berries and they are so beautiful right now. Do you see those strawberries above?! Gorgeous. It’ll be a very berry summer. Also, I am totally making that sconecake.
  • My friends and I went to Burch for dinner tonight. It was amaaaazzingggg. Burch has been on my “Must Eat At” restaurant list basically since it opened a year or so-ish ago. I finally gathered a group of friends and made reservations. The restaurant is known for its steaks and delicious sides and James Beard award-winning chef, Isaac Becker. It did not disappoint. I went with four of my favorite ladies and when we all the sat down the waiter asked if we were celebrating anything. We all kind of paused… “Ummm.… Friendship? Happiness? Oh…. A lot of us have new jobs! But mainly friendship….Oh, and love.” He was probably sorry he asked.

That’s it. Have a great night xo

Share this:

20-Minute Running Intervals

by

Summer is finally officially here and with it comes a flurry of activities. The days are longer. The weather is nicer. It is important to spend this time outside and/or with friends.

Sometimes between the dinners, happy hours, picnics, fests, and other social activities it gets difficult to squeeze in a proper workout. It’s hard to fit everything in. But we need to try. Dinners, happy hours, picnics, fests, and other social activities are not calorie-free and usually involve some extra indulgences. Plus, I don’t know about you, but working out always makes me feel healthier, happier, and more energized.

Let’s make sure we find a little bit of time for exercise, so that we can have a lot of time for fun, so that we keep our lives exciting and in balance.

20 minutes. That’s all we need.

A warm up, a couple sets of jog+run+sprint, and a cool down. Quick and effective – that is the magic of intervals. It is a difficult workout, but it is so efficient.

I really appreciate efficiency.

20 min running intervals

For my warm up I usually start at 3.5 mph and increase it by .5 mph every minute. This helps to wake my legs up a bit and slowly bring up my heart rate.

Play around with the jog, run, and sprint speeds a little bit if you are unsure of what your paces are. The jog should be a slow run to help your body and heart rate recover a little bit after the sprint. The run should be slightly on the higher end of your typical running pace. The sprint should be an all-out effort. I typically do 5.5 mph for the jog, 7.0 mph for the run, and 9.0 for the sprint.

Try to push yourself a little bit with the paces. The last sprint should be the same pace (if not faster) as the first. This will be a difficult workout, but it only lasts 20 minutes. You can do it.

I prefer doing intervals and speed work on the treadmill because I am terrible at gauging my pace and don’t want to be staring at my GPS watch to keep track of timing. Plus, sometimes it’s good to have some treadmill workouts on hand for when there are lightning storms or when it is way too hot to run outside (especially sprinting). Safety first, people. However, this workout could definitely be done outside if you are in the mood for some fresh air and extra Vitamin D.

So 20 minutes. That’s all and your workout is done. You could wake up 20 minutes earlier to do it before work, squeeze it in during your lunch hour, or fit it in between work and whatever fun evening activity you have planned.

Sometimes it is possible to do it all.

Happy, happy summer!

Share this:

Chunky Monkey Frozen Yogurt

by

Sometimes I find myself at the grocery store just staring at the ice cream aisle. Staring. And wanting.

The aisle is placed too conveniently close to the checkout line. Sometimes the end caps advertise ice cream sales. I see these advertisements on my way to checkout and then end up stopping and staring and contemplating. It is a dangerous situation.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt My thoughts: Should I get some? It is on sale. Well, let me just open the freezer door (open door). Nope, too cold. Ok. If I did buy some, what flavor would I get: Chocolately, fruity, caramely, nutty? Hmm… well, I better get frozen yogurt since it is a little bit less unhealthy. But oh man, gelato. Maybe I’ll just get a small container. Then if I eat the whole thing in one or two sittings I won’t feel as bad. Ok, what the heck. I’ll get it. (put it in cart). Shoot, no. I better not. Self control. (put it back in the freezer and pull myself away from the aisle). Self control.

It’s usually a five-minute internal battle of me staring at the shelves, reaching out, pulling back, thinking. Then I read labels. This is usually what helps me resist.

If I was a person that could buy ice cream, take one or two scoops from the carton, and put it back into the freezer for another day, it wouldn’t be a big of a deal. I could live with ice cream in my freezer. But I am not that person. I have a weakness and therefore ice cream is not allowed in my condo except for desperate times or special occasions.

Also not allowed: chip & salsa.

At least I can recognize my weaknesses.

But hey, splurges are ok every once in a while too. Let’s live a little. Let’s also make our own frozen yogurt. It is as fun as it is delicious.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt I have a deep love for chunky monkey. You just can’t go wrong when bananas are mixed with chocolate and walnuts. So take those ingredients, mix it with some Greek yogurt, and freeze it up.

It is easy and quick to put together; however, the start to eat time is about 6 hours. Mixing it up with a mixer every 90 minutes helps it freeze with a better consistency. I recommend tasting a spoonful or two (or five) between each mixing session. You know, just to make sure it still tastes good.

Chunky Money Frozen Yogurt
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This combination of Greek yogurt, bananas, dark chocolate, and walnuts make for a tasty, frozen treat that you don't have to feel guilty about.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 24 oz full fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 frozen bananas, sliced
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, process the frozen bananas until they are smooth and creamy.
  2. Add the Greek yogurt and blend until combined.
  3. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pulse a few times. Pour into a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer.
  4. After 90 minutes take the yogurt out of the freezer and mix with an electric mixer. Repeat this about 4 times until the mixture is completely frozen.

Another great thing about this frozen yogurt is that it is so versatile! Make a breakfast parfait by layering it with your oatmeal. Don’t forget to put it in a mason jar, it’ll taste better.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt Make a rice cake frozen yogurt sandwich for your afternoon snack.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt Or just scoop some in a bowl for a post-dinner guiltless treat.

chunky monkey frozen yogurt Please don’t make fun of my poor scooping technique. It was still too frozen and I just couldn’t wait any longer. I’m learnniinnggggg……

Share this:

Strength and Cardio Circuit

by

Sometimes it’s good to mix things up a little bit. Throw on a pair of heels instead of the usual flats. Add some cayenne pepper to your grilled chicken. Explore a new running route. You know, keep things exciting and different.

I realize that none of my examples were off the charts crazy. I am not talking about a quarter-life crisis here. I am just talking about simple changes. Little things that make regular routines seem just a little bit new.

That sounds nice, right?

Like adding cardio in between strength circuits.

Not mind-blowing, but it makes sense.

Sometimes when I am doing my strength training I get bored and move through things quickly so that I can get it over with. Especially when the gym is empty. I don’t know about you, but I work a lot harder in a fuller gym.

Adding cardio in between my different circuits (rather than all at the beginning… or none at all) helps me break up the monotony of lifting weights. A little bit of weights, a little bit of running. Some more weights. Some more running. Then BAM, all of a sudden 60 minutes has flown by!

Really, in either situation my endorphins eventually kick in and I end up working out about 20 minutes longer than I anticipated just because I feel really good. Never a bad problem, but still good to switch things up here and there.

So I created this workout for when I am in the mood for a tiny change. Strength + Cardio Circuit Each circuit has a lower body, upper body, and core exercise. Perform 15 reps of each exercise in the circuit back-to-back. Go ahead and hold onto some dumbbells during the lunges and core exercises for some additional resistance. When you have completed all three exercises rest for one minute then repeat the circuit twice more.

Then it’s cardio time! Choose whatever type of cardio you enjoy most: run, bike, speed walk, jump rope, elliptical, stairs, row, etc. Since the cardio piece is only for 5 minutes you should push yourself a little bit harder than you normally would, compared to if you were doing a full 30 minutes of steady state cardio. This 5 minutes would also be a good opportunity for some sprint or interval work if you need/want it.

Repeat the same pattern with the second circuit and second set of cardio. Then cool down a little bit and stretch.

And hey, look at that. Your workout is complete. Good job! I am virtually high-fiving you.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Share this:

Bourbon Peach Crisp: A Dad Dessert

by

I feel like it’s not truly summer until you bake and eat (or just eat) your first fruit crisp of the season.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe I wanted it to really be summer, so I made one.

Yes, I know technically the real first day of summer is next week. I’m a little ahead of the game. BUT after a lonnggggg winter full of too many below zero days I think I (and the rest of Minnesota) deserve summer just a few days early.

Totally 100% fair.

Also, I wanted to bake a dessert for my dad for Father’s Day and I feel that fruit crisps are good dad desserts: simple and fuss-free, also delicious without being super sweet or too rich.

Plus, peaches? The epitome of summer.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe I planned to meet my parents at our cabin this weekend. We would hang out all weekend, maybe do some work on the cabin, and celebrate Father’s Day on Saturday evening. We would grill, drink wine and beer, and I would bake this delicious bourbon peach crisp. We would invite over our neighbors (we have the best cabin neighbors), chat, laugh, and have a grand ole time.

Sounds like a great plan, right?

Right.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe This plan for the most part happened. Actually, it all happened. However, my dad wasn’t there to enjoy it. Why? Because he got sick yesterday morning and had to stay at home. Super sad. Also, it was cold and rainy all weekend.

My mom was sick earlier in the week on her birthday and then my dad got sick Father’s Day weekend. Terrible, terrible timing for both of them. So unfortunate.

I will plan to celebrate his amazing fatherness from afar and catch up with him at a later date… probably over a beers and burgers.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe Despite my dad not being able to join us I still made this peach crisp. Because, peach crisp. It.is.so.good.

First, peaches and bourbon. You just can’t go wrong with this combo.

Second, as I already mentioned, fruit crisp desserts are as summer-y as they get and we could all use some summer in our lives.

Third, it is so easy to make – simple ingredients and simple baking tools. Perfect for cabin baking (our kitchen isn’t fully stocked here).

bourbon peach crisp #recipe

Speaking of cabin baking. How great are our orange countertops? So classic.

Peel and slice peaches. Mix them with some bourbon and maple syrup and throw them in a baking dish. Stir together some flour, oats, brown sugar, spices, and butter. Sprinkle it all over the peaches. Bake for 40 minutes. Pull it out of the oven. Stare at it for a few minutes mentally willing it to cool down just enough to eat. Scoop some on a plate. Top with ice cream. Give your dad a hug and a kiss (or a mental hug and kiss if he is not nearby). Eat and enjoy.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe

Bourbon Peach Crisp
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Juicy peaches mixed with bourbon and maple syrup and topped with a delicious, crispy crumble. A perfect summer dessert.
Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the peaches:
  • 6-7 peaches
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
For the crumble:
  • 1⅓ cup oats
  • ⅔ cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the mixture until everything is moistened and evenly distributed. You may need to use your hands for this. Set aside.
  4. Peel and slice the peaches and place them in an 8x8” baking dish. Add the bourbon, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a few sprinkles of the crumble mixture. Stir together.
  5. Top with the crumble mixture and cover with foil.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crisp is slightly brown.
  7. Let cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
To easily peel peaches boil them in water for about 30 seconds and the skins will peel off. My mom taught me this trick!

bourbon peach crisp #recipe Also, I just can’t let you go without giving you the top 10 reasons why my dad is the best:

  1. He sends the best texts and emails. Seriously, the best. During my freshman year of college he went through a phase where he sent me daily Anchorman quotes. Then we went through a phase where he sent daily emails to my siblings and me. It started out as Bible verses, then switched to presidential quotes, then switched to dumb things I have said. Now every once in a while I will get a picture text with a quote, signed “just b.lee”. See what he did there? So clever.
  2. He enjoys drinking Hamm’s beer and the occasional pomegranate martini. “Cheers, bitches!”
  3. He is not an outgoing person, but is really good at making small talk with waitresses and cashiers. Since he is more of the strong, silent type my friends growing up were a little scared of him, but now they all love him.
  4. He is the funniest person he knows. He laughs at all his own jokes. Sometimes he’ll laugh at other people’s jokes, but it has to be the right place, right time type of situation. I always laugh at his jokes, because they are hilarious and sometimes not even real jokes!
  5. He is “not about fun”. That is a direct quote. Personally, I think that he is more about fun than not. Especially now that my parents are empty nesters. Maybe have four children running around at home is a stressful fun-suck?
  6. He is a stud and is a pro at “The Body” (AKA Jesse Ventura) strut.
  7. He has been mistaken for Brett Favre, Dennis Quaid, Harrison Ford, and George W. Bush.
  8. He is the coolest farmer ever and grows a pretty awesome moustache during “hunting season.” It always looks good and I tell him this much to my mom’s dismay. Fun facts: our farm has been in our family for over a century. I grew up in the house that my dad did and my parents still live there. However, the house has changed significantly over the years.
  9. He taught my siblings and I the value of hard work, dedication, and persistence. I am very grateful for all of these lessons. They helped shape me into the person I am today. From him I also received my stubborn-ness and inability to be idle.
  10. He is a stand-up man. The best man. My favorite man. I love him and always always will.

bourbon peach crisp #recipe Happy Father’s Day to ALL the amazing fathers out there. Also, a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my grandpa. Another tremendous man whom I love deeply.

Share this: