All you need to make great frozen pops are dollar store molds and … dollar store generic jello. I use the standard round mold with reusable sticks so I’m always ready to make some when the hot weather strikes. There are tons of fancy shapes out there, but I find those the easiest to get out of the mold.

This is a recipe my mom made over and over every summer when we were kids (and still does). It’s been so long I have no idea where the recipe is originally from. This is a lot better than the old frozen juice, staying tasty to the last chunk.

Ingredients (for 2 racks of 8 popsicle)

1 packet (85g) of Jello (or generic brand)
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cups of boiling water
2 cups of cold water

Preparation

• Put the jello powder and the sugar in a large bowl.
• Add the boiling water and stir until the powder and sugar are completed dissolved. Mix in the cold water.
• Pour the jello mix in the ice pop molds, leaving a bit of room at the top. Put the sticks in and freeze overnight.
• To unmold, run hot water over the mold, twisting and pulling the stick gently until it gets out.

• 

I found this recipe when I was looking to use some leftover ricotta. It tastes more like French toast, but I’ll call it a pancake for lack of a better word. The light, fluffy texture is closer to that of an omelet, but cranberry omelet sounds too weird …

I ate one of them as a late breakfast, but for a weekday morning half a pancake it with some fruits was more than enough. It does keep for about a week in the fridge though so you don’t need to eat everything right away.

 

Ingredients (Yield : 3 big pancakes)

1/3 cup of flour
1 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup of frozen cranberries, chopped

Preparation

• In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the eggs,ricotta and chopped cranberries.
• Pour 1/2 cup of batter in a hot pan and cook, turning the pancake when the top starts to bubble and the bottom is brown. It will brown pretty fast but don’t worry, it won’t taste burnt.

• 

I’ve tried to make popcorn at home the traditional way, in a pot on the stove. It tasted fine, but it required too much cleaning and preparation for a fast snack compared to a prepacked popcorn bag.

Unfortunately, the bags sold at the grocery store are pretty expensive if you take into account that they only contain a few popcorn kernels, not to mention the salt and/or the artificial flavours they add for the taste. Also, it produces a lot of waste : you have to to throw away the greasy bag, the plastic wrapper and the box. That’s a lot for three or four bags of popcorn!

The best option I’ve found is to make my own popcorn bags. The only things needed are a brown paper bag (I use lunch-style bags) and 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels. Put the kernels at the bottom of the bag and fold it a few times. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes in the microwave like you would for a store-brought bag, stopping when the pops are more than a few seconds appart. You don’t need to add grease or oil : it works fine without anything. The only time I ever used oil, it was all absorbed by the bag, with none left for the popcorn.

When it’s done, you can add your seasonings of choice. I usually just eat it plain, or with some nutritional yeast. Any other good ideas? I’ve got a lot of pop-corn grains left…

• 

Creton, a pork spread, is a breakfast staple in the province of Quebec. There are many versions going around but this one has pretty simple ingredients and preparation and the taste is great with just the right amount of spices. It’s based on the creton recipe in L’Encyclopedie de la Cuisine by Jehane Benoit, a classic French Canadian cooking book.

Cretons are usually eaten on toasts (sometime with a dash of mustard) or on crackers. This makes a pretty big batch for one person but it can be frozen and it will be as good when thawed.

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) of ground pork
2 slices of white bread
1 cup of milk
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

• Remove the crust from the bread and tear in small cubes. Put in a pan with the milk and stir together.
• Add the pork,the spices, the salt and the pepper to the pan and mix. Cook over low heat for about an hour, stiring from time to time.
• Once the cretons are well cooked, you can eat them as is or put them in the blender and chop a few seconds for a smoother texture. They can be stored in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a long time.

•