I am back

Thank you all so much for continuing to visit my blog even when I am away and haven't put up anything new in a while. I've been very fortunate to spend almost a month-long vacation with my family in Chicago, whom I haven't seen in over a year. That meant plenty of quality time with Layla.

Initially I intended to blog and post from Mom's kitchen, but every time I started to plan it, I could not help but think that if I got absorbed in the process I would miss out on really being with my family, so I put it off, and put it off, and now I am home. Well, my second home. 

However, Layla and I did lots of cooking together. We experimented with the new recipes we chose from some of the new cookbooks I got. I pretty much made everything she wanted, and she helped too, usually by 'stirving' (Layla's modification of the verb stirring) and eating. The weather in Chicago was a perfect full-on spring, so frozen treats were big. We tried the famous Mexican summer treat - paletas (akin to popsicles): coconut, watermelon, and berry yoghurt flavor, all Layla's picks.


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Prije svega, hvala vam što ste nastavili da posjećujete moj blog iako novih recepata i fotografija nije bilo dugo. Sretna sam što sam skoro mjesec dana provela na odmoru kod svoje porodice u Čikagu (nisam ih bila vidjela preko godinu dana), i uživala u nezaboravnim trenucima sa Laylom.

U početku sam namjeravala da se javljam iz mamine kuhinje, ali čim bih počela nešto da planiram pomislila bih da tako kradem minute od vremena koje mogu provesti sa porodicom, pa sam odlagala, odlagala i evo me sada u mom (drugom) domu. Srećom, Layla je bila zainteresovana za kuhanje, pa smo skupa kroz igru probale mnogo novih recepata iz nekoliko novih knjiga sa receptima koje sam tamo kupila. Ja bih pravila šta god se njoj dopadne, a ona je pomagala miješanjem i pitanjima 'Je li gotovo, Adana?'. Kako je u Čikagu bilo predivno proljeće, svi smo poželjeli ledene deserte. Isprobale smo meksičke paletas - popsicles/voćne sladolede, i to sa okusom kokosa, lubenice i jogurta sa kupinom - sve po Laylinom izboru.

The one that I am sharing with you today is our favorite so far. Strawberries are in season in Bosnia - I get some every day on my way home from work. Strawberry flavor is also M's favorite, so he was delighted. If you get the organic, juicy ones, this recipe is fail-proof.

If you haven't made the popsicles before, you will discover that making them is easy and fun. You don't necessarily need the pop maker - any tall and thin glass will do, as well as certain paper cups (just peel the paper off later). Here is a great video explaining how to make them.


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Recept koji vam danas preporučujem je, za sada, naš omiljeni. Kako su jagode u sezoni, prava je prilika da ga probate. M. i ja kupimo po kilogram svaki dan na putu s posla - još par mjeseci i već ćemo ih poželjeti. On najviše voli sladoled sa okusom jagode, a ovaj ga je oduševio. Mislim da je odličan i za najmlađe - bez umjetnih dodataka, i daleko ukusniji od bilo kojeg iz prodavnice.

Ako nikad prije niste pravili popsicles, otkrit ćete da ih je zabavno i lako napraviti. Nisu vam neophodni ni kupovni kalupi - možete koristiti uže i duže staklene čaše ili papirne čaše (one su najjednostavnije - na kraju samo odstranite papir). Ovaj video savršeno objašnjava jednostavni proces pripreme.

Paletas de fresa (Strawberry Ice Pops)

Adapted from Paletas by Fany Gerson

Ingredients

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Let sit until the strawberries start releasing their natural juices (around 20 minutes). Add water and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about five minutes, or until strawberries are slightly softened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, add the lemon juice and puree until smooth (you could leave some chunks in if you like).

If using conventional molds, divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, add the sticks, and freeze until solid, about five hours, or overnight. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1 1/2 to 2 hours), then insert the stick and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. I recommend keeping the sticks in the water for a while before inserting them in the mixture, so that they stay put once inserted.


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Paletas de fresa (Popsicles sa jagodama)

Iz knjige recepata Paletas od Fany Gerson

Sastojci 

4 čaše svježih jagoda, narezanih na četvrtine

3/4 čaše šećera

1/2 čaše vode

2 kašike svježeg limunovog soka

U zdjeli srednje veličine pomiješajte jagode sa šećerom, i ostavite da stoje sve dok jagode puste svoj prirodni sok (oko 20 minuta). Dodajte vodu i prespite smjesu u dublju tavu ili manju šerpicu. Kuhajte oko 5 minuta na srednjoj toploti dok jagode ne smekšaju. Sklonite sa toplote i ostavite da se smjesa ohladi na sobnoj temperaturi.

Smjesu ponovno prespite u zdjelu, dodajte limunov sok i umutite štap mikserom (možete je sasvim umutiti, ili ostaviti nekoliko komadića jagode).

Ako koristite kalupe, uspite smjesu u njih, poklopite, dodajte štapiće i držite u zamrzivaču najmanje pet sati (najbolje preko noći). Ako koristite čaše, držite ih u zamrzivaču dok smjesa ne očvrsne (1 1/2 do 2 sata), pa onda ubacite štapiće i vratite u zamrzivač dok se sasvim ne zalede, 4 do 5 sati. Preporučujem da štapiće prethodno držite u vodi kako bi otežali i ne bi isplivavali iz smjese.