Strawberry Basil Creamsicles and Game of Thrones

Cooking!



We've been having a delightful time with our little Ikea popsicle molds and the delicious, fresh, summertime fruits that are available to us these last few months. Yesterday at the Farmer's Market, there were some tasty, organic strawberries, three baskets for $5. We brought them home and have been enjoying them in smoothies, with Nutella, and, of course, as popsicles.

I've also been really excited by the sweet/savory flavor combinations that are popping up (haha no pun intended) now with sweet fruits and herbs. Strawberry basil is one of these combinations, so I thought we would put some of our budding basil plant in the mix, and Joe wanted to add some heavy cream for a creamy element. We had half a lemon too, so we threw in some lemon juice, and some honey to sweeten them.




Strawberry Basil (and Honey, and Lemon) Creamsicles
(fills 6 3 oz popsicle molds)

Cut and blend in the food processor:

2 cups strawberries
1 1/2 tbsp basil leaves

You want the mixture to be a nice puree. Then stir in:

2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp heavy cream (half and half is okay too; it was all we had at the time)

Once it is all combined, just pour the mixture into your popsicle molds, place them in the freezer, and let them harden for about two hours.

Yum!

Reading!

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I have been a big fan of the Game of Thrones HBO series for both the seasons and had heard that the books were a slightly less whimsical and fantastical, slightly more warlike and human version of Lord of the Rings. I was a bit hesitant after trying to read the books that one of my former HBO loves, True Blood, was based on, but I saw a copy of the first book in a used book shop and figured, for $6, why not?

It was a good decision. Like the series, the chapters of the books move between the stories and points of view of a wide variety of characters. There's Ned Stark, lord of the northern kingdom and too honorable for his own good. There's his children: dreamy, enchanted Sansa, tomboyish Arya, the eldest and heir Robb, young and playful Bran, and his troubled bastard, Jon Snow. We see into each of their heads, but we move outside them too; the king's brother-in-law and despised dwarf of the ambitious Lannister family, Tyrion is as interesting a narrator as he is in the show (portrayed by the talented Peter Dinklage). Daenerys, exiled daughter of the deposed and murdered Mad King is also fascinating to watch, as she is forced by her frightening, repellent, pathetic brother to marry a barbaric warlord in exchange for an army. In short, the first novel is as interesting and fast-paced as the first season of the show. Like Middle Earth, it is a world to thoroughly immerse oneself in, complete with maps, entire populations with different cultures, and a rich and detailed history and lore that manifests itself in complex side characters and plots.

A word of warning: the plot of the first season is almost an exact mirror of the first book. This did not bother me at all, as the plot and characters are difficult to keep up with in the show, and I loved getting the deeper insights through the novel. I can see how the 800 pages could drag a bit, though, if you already know what's going to happen. If you love getting lost in a fantasy world, though, the Song of Ice and Fire series is an excellent choice, especially as it is clearly Martin's favorite project and he intends to continue it until he dies.