In these kitchenless* times, John and I find ourselves out-of-doors on the daily, sipping cold beer in the shade and watching Buckhead’s late afternoon traffic. (Almost every passing car costs more than I earned last year. It’s fun.) Our meals are so frequently prepared on the grill that I’m no longer content with the traditional marinated-meat-n-veggie combo. So, to supplement our new vagabond lifestyle, I’ve been adapting some of my favorite foods and upgrading recipes to add grill compatibility.

Macaroni and cheese hasn’t been the easiest, but once I figured out how to make it in a single pan without the mess of boiling and draining water, there was no looking back. Plus it’s got a little extra something from the grill, with all the browned bits of cheese mixed in, which never seems to happen in the oven. I envision myself continuing to make it this way even after the house is finished, because it fits so nicely into a laid-back afternoon on the patio with friends. I will, however, employ my future kitchen in the future cleaning of the single pan, ensuring a less cheese-splattered future for our bathroom sink.

Notes: There are two kinds of macaroni and cheese in this world, as far as I’m concerned: creamy mac ‘n cheese made with American cheese, and cheesy mac ‘n cheese made with any number of real cheeses. Fans of the latter often revile the former because it lacks the stretchiness and subtle flavor they enjoy, and because it features unglamorous processed cheese; enthusiasts of the former generally don’t relish the comparatively gritty, oily texture of mac ‘n cheese made with real cheese, preferring the salty richness of a processed-cheese bechamel. With respect to both camps, this particular recipe is of the creamy variety. There is certainly room to add real cheese to the recipe if you wish, though if you replace the American cheese entirely, I can’t say what texture might result.

 Grilled Mac ‘n Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 9 oz American cheese (plus more to melt on top, if desired)
• Garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, or other spices to taste
• 1–2 pints milk (skim, almond, soy, etc. are OK)
• 1 lb elbow macaroni

Heat the grill. Ideally, you will keep it between 350 and 400 degrees Farenheit. Also, take the cream and milk out of the fridge and set them nearby so that they won’t be ice cold when they go into the sauce.

Make the sauce. If your grill has a side burner, that’s the easiest place to make the sauce, but if not, it’s okay—just be careful reaching over your grill! In a cast iron skillet** or other heavy, oven-safe pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Allow the mixture to foam, stirring occasionally, until it turns the lightest golden brown. Pour in the cream and allow it to scald. Add cheese (either sliced or cut into chunks) and stir until melted. Season as desired, stir in one pint of the milk, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; lower to a lively simmer for a few minutes, then turn off heat.

Stir in dry macaroni. It should be covered by the liquid in the pan; if not, add more milk.

Cover the skillet with foil and place it on the grill.

After 20 minutes, stir the macaroni. The bottom will probably have started to brown and stick; scrape the pan and stir the browned bits into the macaroni. There should still be enough liquid to cover almost all the macaroni; if not, add more. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until macaroni is almost done. (What is “almost done”? Like, you can eat it, but it still has a faint crunch so it isn’t tender enough to serve. That’s almost done.)

Uncover the macaroni and top as desired. I like to do this in one or two ways: I either place an extra layer of American cheese atop the macaroni, or if I’m feeling fancy, I shred some real cheese on top (Gruyere is great for this) and sprinkle panko for a crispy, stringy crust. (This is also a good time to stir in any yummy extras you might have access to, like broccoli or crumbled bacon.) Leave the pan uncovered, close the grill and cook another 10 minutes or until the desired macaroni softness is reached. Carefully remove from the grill and serve.

*New and occasional readers: We moved about two months ago, but the house is undergoing renovations and doesn’t have a kitchen yet. Readers who already knew this and were expecting the asterisk to lead to something new, the best I can do is about 250 words I wrote for Scene Missing last week, inspired by the trailer for a movie called The Bling Ring. This is in absolutely no way related to the topic at hand.

**My cast iron skillet is nonstick-coated, so I use it for a lot of things that you may or may not be comfortable exposing your cast iron to. It ends up covered in stuck-on cheese at the end, which soaks off easily with hot water, but if you’d rather not deal with it, try a traditional or disposable roasting pan. Because of the thinner base, you’ll just need to check on it a little more frequently and stir to make sure nothing burns.

Photo by Shaun Barrows. Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

It’s spring and you’re ready to go outside again, but your outdoor space, like mine, has probably become a bit neglected and uninspiring through the winter. We both need to be rescued, so here’s the second in a series of ideas for an outdoor refresh, inspired by some of my favorite super heroes (and villains). Over the next few weeks, I’ll bring you projects and recipes for SUPER outdoor living. (If you missed Issue 1, check it out here.)

KAPOW Issue 2: MR. FREEZE IS ICY HOT

This is me just chillin’ as Mr. Freeze in my backyard in a snow globe.
What? It’s artistic.
Photo by Shaun Barrows.
Photo-manipulation is courtesy of Digital Blush, who also happens to be my super talented sister.
You can get your very own photo enhancement at her Etsy shop Digital Blush.

Mr. Freeze (aka Dr. Victor Fries) is scientist with a tragic back story who, thanks to a lab accident, has must stay cold to survive. Obviously he’s the expert on what’s cooler than cool, but he’s fictional so… you’re stuck with me. Not to worry, though. I can show you how to stay frosty with the sizzle of summer sneaking up on us, and you won’t even have to tangle with any super heroes.

THE PROJECT

“The Sun Gets in Your Eyes”

—or—

“I Made the Shade”

The weather’s getting warm and you want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. That’s great, except that those toasty rays of sun can not only threaten your beautiful epidermis, they can make you sweat. And as sexy as sweat sounds when they sing about it in songs, it’s just not good in person.

Picnic Time Manta Portable Pop-Up Sun/Wind Shelter
from Casa.com

I’m sure you’ve seen the awesome little pop up tents they make for the beach. Why not get one for your yard? Set it up in a sunny corner, and fill it with some outdoor pillows for extra snugness. It’ll give you a nice little bit of shade and a good comfy place to read magazines and drink cocktails while pretending to be rich and famous. (If you are already rich and famous, good for you. We should hang out.)

On especially hot days, I like to set up our shop fan in the yard. String together a couple of extra long outdoor extension cords to make it reach your little nest. Just don’t forget to weigh down your pop tent with a few books first. We wouldn’t want that puppy to blow away. Special note: Please don’t do this if it’s raining. You might have your very own super villain lab accident on your hands, which is way less glam in practice.

E-Z UP® Sierra II Canopy from Walmart.com

It’s more than just you, you say? Well, for outdoor entertaining, you should consider a camping canopy or market tent. It would be great for backyard soirees of any size. They’re also big enough to set up furniture under, and voila, you have your own grassy living room. You might even be able to get these at your local drug store in my most favorite of all the sections: the seasonal aisle. I saw some at my local Rite Aid the other day. (I cannot tell you how handy these suckers are. I’ve used ours while working in the yard, to protect my hubby while he fixes our motorcycle, and to cover my booth at the craft fair.)

10′ X 12′ Rectangular Gazebo With Bar Shelf
from BrylaneHome.com

If you don’t have any trouble with commitment and you’re ready to do it up right, a gazebo might be the answer to your frosty dreams. You can get mosquito netting and sun shade accessories and make it into a little paradise right in your backyard. The one pictured above even has a bar! Sounds like the perfect spot to set up a hammock, a couch, a portable television… whatever you want, darling, it’s your fantasy.

THE RECIPES

“Mrs. Freeze’s Mimosa Popsicles”

—and—

“Mr. Freeze’s Bloody Mary Popsicles”

The best way to serve a chilly beverage at a summer brunch? Rock solid.

Mrs. Freeze’s Mimosa Popsicles

Photo by me. Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

Makes 4 six-ounce popsicles

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pulp-free orange juice
• 4 oz champagne

Combine orange juice with champagne. Stir. Pour into popsicle cups, place sticks, and freeze until frozen, approx. 24 hours.

Any frequenter of brunch knows that you can’t have Mimosas without Bloody Marys so I bring you the…

BONUS RECIPE

Photo by me. Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

Mr. Freeze’s Bloody Mary Popsicles

Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (if you did Poison Ivy’s garden, you could use fresh-picked!)
• 2 pinches of sea salt
• a dash of pepper
• 1 tbs horseradish
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 squeezes of sriracha sauce
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 6 olives
• 2 oz vodka
• 1 tbs water

Blend tomatoes and salt in a blender until smooth. Combine pepper, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, sriracha, lemon juice, olives, vodka, and water in a small bowl. Add to tomatoes in the blender. Blend until completely combined. Pour into popsicle cups, place sticks, and freeze until frozen, approx. 24 hours.

Makes approx. 1.5 c of juice or 4 popsicles.

This post has a companion board on Pinterest! You can find it here.

If you missed it, you should check out the first in this series: KAPOW Issue 1: Poison Ivy Tames Nature.

Our neighbors must lead busy lives, because every time I stand at our kitchen window and stare at their house—which is, yes, fairly common, but no, there’s no good reason, their house just takes up most of the view—I see someone come or go. I find it exciting, like I’ve just seen a falling star, even though I just told you it happens every time. It’s not exciting at all. There isn’t even anything interesting about them, except that they seem to possibly have a lot of kids, but they might just have two kids spaced far apart. One day their dog rolled around in the dirt a little bit and the five-year-old shrieked and shrieked with giddy laughter. That’s how exciting their lives are.

Meanwhile, they show up to take their groceries out of the car and I’m standing across the street with my bowl of cereal like I just won a Pulitzer. I’m throwing myself a party and I don’t know why. When I want to get excited about something that either is potentially exciting or might do me some good, my own enthusiasm shrivels out of reach and I’m like, ugh, salad.

So yeah, I’m trying to be more interested in salad.

STEP ONE: Get some vegetables that don’t suck. Spinach, carrots, tomatoes, onions—this is a fine start, but a lousy salad. I need something to aim for. Cucumbers, broccoli florets, snap peas. Are beets still considered a vegetable if they’re pickled?

STEP TWO: Add some stuff that isn’t stupid vegetables. The idea of fruit in my salad came into vogue years before I was able to accept it, but with the right dressing, I now understand that grapes, oranges, apples, cranberries, and even strawberries can be a huge salad improvement. But I say again, it depends on the dressing. No ranch grapes. No thousand island grapefruit.

STEP THREE: Add more stuff that isn’t stupid vegetables. Chow mein noodles! Sliced almonds! Sunflower seeds! Flax! Cheese, even! Anything. Come on.

STEP FOUR: Have salad dressing that isn’t horrible. Horrible means different things to different people. To me, it includes: loaded with preservatives; tasting strongly of vinegar; too creamy and fatty; too thin and runny; too thick and gloopy; too lumpy; too slimy; too salty; too sweet; too the same as the one I loved last time but have now tired of. It’s clear that personally, dressing is my main problem with staying interested in salad.

 So I’ve been making more of my own dressings, two at a time so I always have a choice. Here are the two in my fridge right now: one rich and heavy tahini dressing, and one light, sweet and spicy Thai coconut dressing.

Tahini Citrus dressing

This dressing is rich and creamy, with a flavor and texture reminiscent of peanut sauce. Make it thin enough to drizzle, or keep it thick to use as a dip—your call.

• 1/4 cup tahini
• Juice of one tangelo (I like tart mineolas) or two clementines
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne (or more, to taste)
• Water

1. Stir together tahini and juice until creamy. Add soy sauce, honey and cayenne and stir, again until texture is consistent. While stirring, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired thickness is reached.
2. If you plan to serve immediately, then serve immediately!
3. If you plan to refrigerate the dressing, continue to thin it with at least a 3–4 tablespoons more water beyond the desired thickness, because refrigeration will thicken the tahini considerably.

Coconut Lime Dressing

This is a light dressing—think oil-and-vinegar light—with ratios that are easy to control and customize. Want more lime flavor? Add more lime juice, less coconut milk! More coconut flavor? More coconut milk, less lime juice! If you don’t prefer a spicy dressing, add the chili paste a little at a time and taste as you go. The body of the dressing comes from the chili paste, the honey, and the corn starch, so if you reduce either of the first two flavors, consider adding a dash more starch…but be mindful that too much cornstarch in an uncooked recipe will eventually result in a starchy texture. The best thing to do? Taste as you go!

• 1/2 cup coconut milk, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp roasted chili paste
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp honey

1. Place 1/4 cup of coconut milk and all the corn starch into a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake as though your life depends on it.
2. Add chili paste, lime juice and honey, and shake even harder, until you become lightheaded.
3. Add additional coconut milk until reaching the desired flavor and consistency. Taste; add more of anything you wish to taste more of, and shake again if necessary. Refrigerate 1 hour and serve.

I’m a fan of both of these, especially how different they are from one another. Which is great for now. But once they’re gone I’ll be bored and it’ll be time to move on to something else. Since it’s tough to wash dishes right now (no actual kitchen in the kitchen yet), I’m partial to recipes that don’t involve chopping, processing, blending or emulsifying. Who has a favorite? Recommendations will be gratefully accepted in the comments below!

I was deeply honored to be invited by Knuckle Salad to discuss one of my favorite breakfast meals, the Egg in the Basket. First of all—surprise! The basket is bread. Now your basket budget is severely reduced. All that money you put aside for fancy baskets? Spend it. You’re free of the tyranny of costly baskets. Honestly, did that egg really think it was going to be riding high in some wicker palace like the Daddy Warbucks of eggs? Guess what, dummy. It’s not Easter! Also, the Daddy Warbucks of eggs is Daddy Warbucks, due to his egg-shaped noggin. Disclaimer: do not try to cook Daddy Warbucks’ clean-shaven head inside of a slice of bread. Wait, never mind. What do I care what happens to Daddy Warbucks? Go ahead and fry him up, if you can get your hands on him. Serves him right for not using any of those war bucks to keep his head safe. As the Wu-Tang Clan says, “Protect Ya Neck!”

I first heard about the Egg in the Basket from the movie V for Vendetta, in which Natalie Portman cooks them for the Guy Fawkes mask guy. Do all the guys from “Anonymous” wear the Guy Fawkes mask now because of that movie? Looks like we had different takeaways from V for Vendetta. They’re like, “Yeah, let’s overthrow the government!” and I’m like, “Yeah, let’s cook an egg inside of bread!” Both of us are fighting the system in our own way. But only one of us has an egg cooked inside a slice of bread. Should I wear a Che Guevara shirt when I make these things? More like Che Huevos!

To make an Egg in the Basket, you put a bunch of butter on the bread, use a shot glass to perforate a hole in the middle of the bread, and then cook the bread for a minute. Crack an egg inside the hole and cook it for a few minutes. Then you flip it! Two more minutes, you’re almost there. Now put salt and pepper on it. Then cook the leftover bread circles for a minute. Become enraged there isn’t a whole boutique store dedicated to just serving these buttery circles of bread. Meanwhile, people are falling over themselves to open stores that just serve cupcakes. They probably even put the cupcakes in fancy baskets. People coming in bowing and scraping for Lord Cupcake, and his squire Lemon Frosting. These cupcakes need to stop putting on airs!

Anyway, enjoy your delicious Eggs in Baskets, you’ve earned it. ¡Viva la Revolución! ¡Viva la buttery circles of bread!

Photo by Shaun Barrows. Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

It’s spring and you’re ready to go outside again, but your outdoor space, like mine, has probably become a bit neglected and uninspiring through the winter. We both need to be rescued, so here’s the first in a series of ideas for an outdoor refresh, inspired by some of my favorite super heroes (and villains). Over the next few weeks, I’ll bring you projects and recipes for SUPER outdoor living.

KAPOW Issue 1: POISON IVY TAMES NATURE

This is me, as Poison Ivy, standing between my gardens, brandishing my best shovel.
Photo by Shaun Barrows. Artistic photo-manipulation is courtesy of Digital Blush, who also happens to be my super talented sister. You can get your very own photo enhancement at her Etsy shop Digital Blush.

Poison Ivy (aka Dr. Pamela Isley) is Batman’s nemesis, a master botanist, and general badass super villainess. In one comic, Ivy greets Bruce Wayne with a poison kiss, then kisses him later with the antidote. That’s a woman who knows how to use botany to her advantage. Now so can you.

THE PROJECT

“Bending the Wilderness to Your Will”
—or—
“Building a Backyard Garden”

Who doesn’t love fresh veggies, playing in the dirt, and a sense of accomplishment? Your own garden can give you this and so much more.

What you’ll need:

• Gloves
• A rake
• A hoe
• A trowel
• Paper lawn bags
• Good Dirt
• Plants

One important note: This will probably take more than one day. Life of a super villainess is not for the weak, but even Poison Ivy knows you can go further if you pace yourself.

You should wait until after the last frost to plant. Here’s a very helpful list of the last seasonal frost for many regions of the US, from Grow Garden Tomatoes. International readers, you’re on your own with the Google. I believe in you.

Go out in your back yard and look at it. Really look. Then wait a few hours and look again. You need a good flat space that gets full sun for at least six hours a day. You can build a raised bed if you want, or you can go with a flat bed. The raised beds are good for drainage and help keep the critters out, but they take a fair amount of work to set up. Flat beds are nice if you aren’t so much into woodworking and want to get started with the dirt NOW. If you like the idea and look of the raised bed, you can find tons of great instructions online.

You should break up the existing grass in your box area. The easiest way to do this is with a rotor-tiller, but you can also do it with a hoe and a rake. It’s hard work, but just remember, hoeing is good for the abs and pecs. (Ed. note: HEY-O!)   Whatever you do, you should wear a good pair of gloves. Scoop out all the extra grass, roots, and other detritus and put it into lawn bags. Once all of the earth is turned, put in your box (or don’t if you aren’t swinging that way).

Photo by me.
Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

Now you need to get some good dirt.

I recommend going to an independent garden store. It’s good to support local businesses, plus you’re more likely to find someone who really knows their manure. Tell the garden helper the size of your space and that you’ll be planting vegetables and herbs. He or she can tell you the optimum soil mix and how many bags you’ll need. Please don’t forget to tip the nice person who loads your car. That, my friends, is good karma.

So what about the plants? I like seedlings. They’re cute, and you’ll see instant progress. Get several regular and cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and then two or three other things that strike your fancy. I have a separate herb garden where I plant my rosemary, lavender, fennel, and cilantro. You can do this, or you can put them in a corner of your main garden. I want to take a moment to stress that you should plant what strikes your fancy. This is YOUR little patch of heaven after all.

Just make sure that you don’t get too many plants. They should have tags saying how far apart to plant them. Believe them, and plan accordingly. It is going to seem like your garden is super sparse, but once everything starts growing, it will fill in.

Photo by Shaun Barrows.
Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

Dump the dirt, mix it up with your rake, and plant your plants! I stick the little plastic ID tags in the dirt so that I can keep track of what’s what.

Once everything’s in, give it a good watering. Your plants are thirsty. So are you. Get yourself an adult beverage, then take a picture, because this is so going on Facebook.

You’ll want to water every day or two. Keep an eye on things, pull weeds, and once your plants start to bear fruit, cover them with nets to keep the vermin out. Bunnies, squirrels, and birds are cute until they start eating your produce.

A couple of pro-tips:

Put cages around your tomatoes before they get big. Trust me, it’s so much easier than trying to shove a full grown tomato plant into a cage. Your cucumbers need something to climb. Keep an eye on those suckers. They like to wind around anything close-by and will strangle your other plants. They aren’t bad, just misunderstood… just like Poison Ivy.

Extra geeky side note:

When it comes to gardens, ivy’s a threat and bats are your friends. If you see ivy creeping anywhere near your little babies, pull it, and dump it. Bats eat bugs that can threaten your garden. They also eat mosquitoes, making them my favorite flying animal. (Pterodactyls are a close second.)

THE RECIPE

POISON IVY’S (not poison) GARDEN FRESH COUSCOUS

Serves 2

Photo by me.
Image treatment by the Halftone iPhone App.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs olive oil (divided)
• 1 large shallot
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 2.5 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2.5 cups cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
• ½ tbs butter
• 1 cup Israeli couscous
• 4 oz dried pancetta

1. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large saucepan on high. When warm, add shallots and garlic and reduce heat to medium. Stir frequently for 1 minute until garlic and shallots soften and brown around the edges.
2. Add tomatoes and cucumbers, increase heat to medium high, and add white wine. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer until tomatoes split and are soft. (About 20 mins, or as long as it takes to prepare the rest of the recipe.)
3. Cook the couscous according to the directions, substituting chicken stock for water and adding the butter when heating the chicken stock.
4. Finally, heat the last tbs of oil in a small pan. Saute the pancetta, cooking it through.
5. When ready, divide the couscous into two individual serving bowls. Use a slotted spoon to spoon the veggies over the couscous. Garnish with pancetta. Season to taste.

I don’t like to discuss calories, but this shouldn’t be too bad. (Ed. note: By my calculations, each serving will have a reasonable 540–615 calories, depending on variations between brands of couscous and pancetta; this excludes the oil used for cooking which, if it all makes it into the final dish, may add an additional 180.)

This post has a companion board on Pinterest! You can find it here.

Did you know that the first recorded ice pop was created by 11-year-old Frank Epperson of San Francisco, who left a glass of soda water powder and water outside in his back porch with a wooden mixing stick in it? That night the temperature dropped below freezing, and when Epperson returned to the drink the next morning, he found that the soda water had frozen inside the glass, and that by running it under hot water, he was able to remove (and eat) the frozen soda water chunk using the stick as a handle.

Now, I cannot guarantee the validity of this claim, but I like to believe that this beloved treat was created by an 11-year-old. Kind of fitting, don’t you think?

I have always said, kids know best.

The enjoyment of frozen treats is almost universal. They are beloved all over the world. Italians have their granitas and gelatos, Indians their Kulfi, Japanese their mochi, and let’s not forget the Mexican paletas (my own favorite). The fact that they are so widespread is quite remarkable, given the great variety in different cultures and cuisines.

While I love gelatos for the creamy texture and luxe ingredients—chocolate, cream, custard—they do tend to be a bit heavy during the hot summer months. All I want during the summer is refreshing treats, and a Mexican paleta is just that.

The best thing about ice pops is that they usually require little prep, and if your ingredients are fresh, you’ll have a very delicious outcome with very little work.

Tips and tricks

Molds: You may think you need a special mold, and if you want to go fancy, you can find all shapes and sizes to suit your need. Me? I used disposable cups and simple wooden sticks.

Filling: No matter what mold you end up using, remember that the mixture will expand once it freezes—so when filling the mold, leave at least ¼-inch space at the top to allow for expansion. If your pops have chunks of fruit or other goodies, you’ll want them to be evenly distributed and not sink to the bottom, so fill out the mold with some of the base, partially freeze (about 45-50 minutes), and then place the fruit on top, along with the rest of the base. (If you don’t care about where the fruit ends up, you can skip this step and add the fruit at the same time you add the base to the mold.)

Stick it to it: if you are using a non-conventional mold—disposable cups, shot glass, etc.—you’ll have better luck getting your wooden stick to stand up straight if you partially freeze your pops before placing it in the center. The partially frozen pop will hold the stick in place.

Unmolding: To unmold the pops from most types of molds, all you need to do is dip them in a bit of warm water. Once you unmold them, you can store each separately in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer.

Yogurt Ice Pops with Blueberries

Makes about 8-10 pops
Adapted from Paletas by Fany Gerson

• 1 lemon (you will only use the peel)
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh berry of your choice (I used blueberries)
• 1 ½ cups plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. Make the lemon syrup. Rinse the lemon, then peel it (you are only using the peel). Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon peel, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, then refrigerate until chilled.
2. Prepare the berries. In a sauce pan, over low heat, place the fresh berries, with about 1-2 tablespoons of sugar (use your judgment here, if your berries are sweet, less sugar if they are tart, more) and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir often to bruise the berries so they release their juice, once the sugar is dissolved continue until the mixture comes to a boil, then remove from the heat and let it come to room temperature. If you want a smooth mix, place in a blender and whirl.
3. Make the pop base. Put the yogurt and honey in a blender, add the chilled syrup, and blend to combine. Pour a bit of base mixture into each of your molds, to fill halfway. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 40 minutes.
4. Finish. Divide the berry mixture among the molds. Using a skewer, swirl in order to make a marble effect on the pop. Pour in the remaining yogurt mixture. If using conventional molds, snap on the lid and freeze until solid, at least 3-4 hours (24 hours is best). If you are using glasses or other mold (like I did), freeze until it sets, about 30-40 minutes, then insert the sticks, and back it goes to finish freezing.

These tiny cheesecakes are even tinier than you think, and even easier than they sound.

Where was once a kitchen (and where someday again shall be), we currently have a hallway with windows, a pretty floor, a fridge, a toaster, and a desk with a microwave on it. It’s fine. That’s all we need. Our survival is not in question. But here, in no particular order, are the things I now realize I took for granted during the salad days—ironically named since it’s salad and sandwiches around the clock over here.

1. Smells
2. Counter height
3. Leftovers
4. Washing dishes—or rather, using dishes knowing they can be washed and used again
5. Marinating
6. Pasta
7. Lights near the microwave at night
8. Fried egg sandwiches
9. Fresh cookies
10. Smells

Not to worry—I’ve got some new posts coming up for you soon anyway, partly because a home in progress is a filthy breeding ground for DIY, and partly because some cool people will be bringing you guest posts in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I encourage you to reflect upon this list and feel grateful today for what you have. Especially if it’s a kitchen.

This table is newer than it used to be. That’s not all that’s new around here.

You see, we decided to move when they told us how much the rent was going up. The new house is new only to me; it’s been in John’s family longer than he has. We spent a couple months’ weekends tearing out the old kitchen, refinishing the floors, installing new sinks and locks and getting the place back into inhabitable shape. Then we moved everything we own and long story short, I’ve been too busy to put together new projects to share, but that’s only part of the reason that new content has been sparser than usual on Knuckle Salad.

The other reason is that we forgot to put the kitchen back. (Oops.) We did a bang-up job of removing the old one but now it’s just an empty room with a pretty floor, awaiting the right contractor. So in terms of recipes, it may be several more weeks before we’re back on track.

For now I can offer a few projects related to the move. Take this end table, for instance—the one I mentioned, the one that’s newer now than when I bought it at the auction, to replace the one we didn’t like anymore and which also was broken (hallelujah). The new table had seen better days but I was pretty sure I could sand it, stain it and bring it back to life.

Then came the period of the great floor refinishing, and I learned firsthand what sanding and staining and sealing really involves. The table was ugly but not ugly enough to be worth it.

But while I was researching floor stains, I happened across a discussion about wood restorer. I did not know what wood restorer was but when I found out, I got some and I tried it on the table and I was so pleasantly surprised that I took pictures to show you.

All you do is dab the wood restorer on a rag and swipe it over the damaged wood. It claims to permeate the finish of the piece without stripping it, and although it obviously can’t take stains or scratches out, it camouflages the hell out of them.

The front of the table, before:

After:

The top tier, before:

After:

The small drawer, before:

After:

The second drawer, before:

You can still see the big scratch across the front, so this one may require some 000 steel wool, but that’s for another day because for now this already looks better:

The legs before:

After:

The back, before, with some deep scratches:

After:

This is what the surfaces of the table looked like before:

And now the whole thing looks like this:

These photos are presented exactly as shot, with no color correction or Photoshoppery of any kind, so you can see precisely what I see. According to the camera’s timestamps, it took 23 minutes to perk up this table, including getting the drawers to pose for pictures and stuff. So all in all, not half bad. I recommend it.

Here’s what I used.

That’s all for today, but as soon as I get these curtains figured out for the living room, I’ll be back!

Rainbow Roasted Potato Salad

by Kate from Food Babbles

It was a tough scramble to the top for Kate’s Rainbow Salad (recipe), and Kate brought her A-game—or should I say her P-game—to this year’s competition. Faced with seven top-notch competitors, she stiffly beat them all, one round at a time, until Rainbow Roasted Potato Salad stood tall as 2013 Taterchamp.

I definitely felt like the underdog of the group.

“The competition was fierce,” she says, “and when I looked at the other competitors in the beginning I definitely felt like the underdog of the group. I thought my greatest competition was Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny. Loved her colorful hash!”

So how did she pinpoint the perfect potato recipe to capture the hearts and stomachs of America? “The inspiration behind Rainbow Roasted Potato Salad was bright, vibrant veggies and light flavors in celebration of winter’s departure,” she says, landing squarely on the side of Punxatawnee Phil in this year’s national early-spring controversy.

Kate, despite having a young blog and a relatively small Twitter following (954 at the start of Munch Madness, compared to an average among her competitors of 2,856), consistently grabbed all the votes she needed to pull ahead in three rounds of a tight competition. This was no small feat for any blogger facing seven other widely-read recipistas. Humbly, she hands the credit over to the fans. “My strategy was just to rally my troops and enlist the support of my loyal followers. Without their help and support, I never could have pulled this off.”

I hope Kate takes the time to savor this hard-won victory and has a chance to celebrate with her perennial fans, who have proven themselves exceptional, as well as her many new and well-deserved followers.

Congratulations also to our runner up, Milissa from Miss in the Kitchen, and her Salt Crusted Mini Medley Potato Bites with Skinny Come Back Sauce. The polls were brutally competitive, and Milissa came close, but of course Munch Madness is no cakewalk. In the end Milissa’s little spuds were mashed under the delicious weight of the competition. and so it was for seven of our eight valiant competitors, all of whom put up a spectacular fight from beginning to end, and all of whom go home fries winners in my book.

I’d like to thank all the bloggers, all the voters, and all the submitters of brackets for making this competition super fun. Thanks also to Casey from Kitchen PLAY for her invaluable role in putting this competition together, and to the U.S. Potato Board/Potato Goodness for sponsoring all of our tater-talented competitors.

Our Final Bracket Winner

Out of all our bracket submissions, only two scored a whopping 15 points by the end of the competition—and only one of them can win the final $50 bracket prize! Our winners:

1. Marge Donahue
2. Jenn Tidwell

I’ve decided to give Random.org a break on this one and flip a coin instead. Heads it’s March, tails it’s Jenn. Heads! Congratulations, Marge Donahue! You’re our Round Three bracket winner! If this were an office pool, you’d be strutting proud around the water cooler, so wherever you are, we hope you’re doing that anyway. Look out for an email from us inviting you to claim your prize.

There’s a final $50 prize to be given away to one lucky voter, drawn randomly from all the votes collected throughout Munch Madness. That prize will be drawn in the next few days and the winner will be notified, but whoever you are, congratulations in advance!

Once again, thanks to everyone who followed along, voted, played the game, made a recipe, organized, sponsored and helped with Munch Madness. You guys are awesome. See you next March!