a peek inside the fishbowl

I started making these last summer.

• If you like coffee
• If you like sweet
• If you want to survive summer (!)

 … you will want to make these. YOU WILL MAKE THEM AND YOU WILL LOVE THEM. Trust me. They are perfectly portioned mouthfuls of frozen caffeinated deliciousness.

(I hope I don’t need to remind you that you don’t want your kids eating these, right?)

Note: I eyeball the quantities because of my tiny molds, which are actually fancypants ice molds for summer beverages (but perfectly fine for this purpose). You might have to tinker to get the ratio a way you like it.

For this recipe you will need:

Approximately 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk and
1/3 cup hot espresso

1. Brew your coffee. (I use an espresso maker, but a french press works great too. If you have an ordinary coffee maker just brew a very strong cuppa joe.)
2. Combine the hot coffee with the condensed milk in a measureing cup and stir.

I have a secret tip, do you want to hear it? First, a confession. I’m a huge spiller. I can never get my molds to the freezer without them sloshing somewhere nevermind OPENING THE FREEZER (which almost guarantees spillage) so I put the empty popsicle molds in the freezer first and THEN fill them. HA HA to you, sticky floors!

ANYWAY, leave them to freeze overnight.

They are best served in oppressive heat when your spirits and energy are flagging and you can’t afford the time/energy/money for a trip to Starbucks or Bridgehead. ;)

 p.s. You’ll probably have some condensed milk left over. Don’t throw it out! Mix some into your leftover coffee, pour it into a tall glass and put in the fridge (or the freezer) for a few hours. After it’s chilled, pop in a few ice cubes and enjoy a creamy iced-coffee.

More treats to come tomorrow. This time it’ll be something a little more kid-friendly.

Let’s all bid adieu to the 2008-2009 school year.

We won’t miss the homework. We will miss our friends and teachers.

It started out like this:

… and ended like this:

It was a good year.

Goodbye 2008-2009! Hello summer fun.

This has been an interesting experience for me and I’m really glad I participated.

(If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here’s the original post (with all the entries too).

FYI, I’ve kept track of my daily 15 on a page over here.

At first I wasn’t entirely convinced that fifteen minutes was going to make a difference, or how easily I could incorporate it into my day. I already find it hard to schedule time at the gym. But then, doing the gym thing involves a whole process that is very time consuming. It’s time I don’t often have available to me. I have to get dressed for the gym, walk to the gym, sweat my face off at the gym for an hour or so, walk home, shower, etc. Phew.

Fifteen, on the other hand, is manageable. More often than not, 15 means I’m not changing into gym clothes or taking a large chunk out of my day … it’s simply adding a few minutes onto something I’m already doing. It’s realistic. And easy! (That’s the best part!)

For me, this challenge has not been about weight loss, but I know that’s the goal for some. I’ve been there – trust me! I can tell you from personal experience that the hardest thing about embarking on a journey to good health is taking those first steps and not losing heart. If the first steps aren’t small ones you won’t make it very far.

Fit-in 15 is about making yourself a priority and creating new habits that are cheap and easy, and building on something you’re already doing to get you on that road to good health. That daily 15 can be something as simple as parking the car a little further away at the grocery store, biking to work and taking the stairs (this is something Mark’s doing!), taking the dog out for a walk in the morning instead of letting him out the back door, or walking the kids to school or bus stop.

Walking is probably the easiest thing to incorporate. It’s how I lost all my baby weight with kid#2. When I’m walking I’m not just getting my blood pumping, I’m seeing my environment a little differently and clearing my head and decompressing. It does wonders for my twitchy stress levels. I’d forgotten how good it makes me feel and I’m glad this challenge reminded me.

Anyway, I want to know, how did you do with your Fit-in 15? Was it easy, or was it hard? And more importantly, did it inspire you enough to keep going?