They Say It's Your Birthday....

Ok, it's not quite my birthday yet. I have at about 6 more hours left in my time zone but since I am celebrating all week - why not celebrate here now?!?!


Not only is it my birthday, it is almost the 1 year anniversary of On The Tart Side! Yes, technically I started this blog in 2009 but four posts followed by over a year off does not a blog make. So in the tradition of sitcoms everywhere (as well as the graduation episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 - Thanks Ben & Whit for my gift of Seasons 1 &2!), today's post is a flashback episode to some of the biggest hits of the past year.

Top 5 Posts

#5 - Product Placement Wednesday - Surprise Surprise Bake Shop Cake Pops - If you live in the LA area and still have not tried these cake pops, what are you waiting for? Maybe I should pick up a few to celebrate with!

#4 - Happy Half-Birthday To Me! - FYI - if you are looking for a gift for me, all of these items are still available.

#3 - First Date Do's and Don'ts for Boys - This is just good advice. If you have yet to pass along to the guys in your life - do it.

#2 - Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Peach Pops - Tastes like summer. The Strawberry are also good but I still prefer the peach.

and the most popular post of the year BY A MILE....

#1 - Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Flower Pepper - This pepper must be REAL popular as I had three times as many hits on this post as on the next closest. It really is delish so jump on the bandwagon and check it out!

In the spirit of the birthday theme, here are a few other posts that tie in...

You Shouldn't Have! - A Guide to Gifting (and it's companion You Shouldn't Have! - The Wedding Edition) - Be the best gift giver EVER!

and on the flip side... Product Placement Wednesday - Amazon.com Wish List - Make it easy for people to know exactly which gifts to buy you (hence my new found BH9 DVDs).

People have also seemed to enjoy my wedding posts this year though the favorite for sure was Tacky Weddings!

This one about 10 Things That Make A Woman Undateable cracks me up.

There was also adventures in my neighborhood - pre arsonist.

Lots of great recipes - too many links to include here. I have so many more to share this year!

I could recap all night but I have got to keep the birthday train moving! Thank you so much for reading this year and I hope that you continue to enjoy the content in 2012!

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Strawberry Pops

Back in June, I shared my love for Trader Joe's Peach Pops. Clearly they must have been a popular item as many of you have found my blog in your quest to learn more! Well our friends at Trader Joe's have done it again and this time they are strawberry! Let me introduce - Strawberry Pops!

As with the Peach Pops, these Strawberry Pops look like Otter Pops but made with fresh fruit not artificial colors and flavors. I find that they do not freeze as solid as the peach variety but are delicious nevertheless. Again, this is a low calorie treat with each pop containing a mere 50 calories! It is a hot day in LA and I may have already eaten two to help keep cool. No guilt though!

I suggested using the Peach Pops on top of ice cream or yogurt and I think the Strawberry Pops would be equally as good served those ways too.

While Trader Joe's does not necessarily specialize in "health food" (see Powerberries), this is a treat that you can feel good about enjoying and is perfect for kids too.

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 4

Last week we skipped dinner due to scheduling challenges but that doesn't mean we needed to skip dessert! Popsicles are a quintessential summer treat and so easy to make yourself. Plus homemade popsicles are much more nutritious than the store bought variety. A few months ago, I shared my simple recipe for yogurt popsicles during The Bachelor Dinner, Part 3. This time the pops are dairy free and have only two ingredients!

Simple Strawberry Popsicles

Note - Quantity of ingredients will vary based on the number of popsicles and size of mold.

Fresh Strawberries

Sugar Free Lemon-Lime Flavored Sparkling Water (seltzer water can be substituted but you will need to add a bit of sweetener)

1. Place clean, de-stemmed strawberries into blender.

2. Add sparkling water until the berries are half covered.

3. Blend to your desired consistency and add more water if needed.

4. Strain seeds if desired.

5. Pour into popsicle molds.

6. Freeze.

I created this recipe when I had strawberries to quickly use up but I think it would work well with other fruit/water combos. Blueberry and lemon sound particularly good to me!

My molds were from IKEA but I found these cute molds at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com.

Has anyone else created any fun popsicle recipes this summer? Are you too busy or lazy to make your own popsicles? Check out Trader Joe's Peach Pops!

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Peach Pops

First I know I need to apologize to my readers not in close proximity to a Trader Joe's. I'm sorry I continually tease you with products unavailable to you. I highly suggest that you utilize their handy store locater before you make any trips outside of your area in order to assist you in stocking up on the amazing items they offer. Really the best thing to do is to start writing Trader Joe's and requesting they open a new store in your neighborhood!

Back to this week's product! I love summer for so many reasons - one of which is that it's stone fruit season. Peaches, plums, crazy hybrids, etc are all readily available. My beloved Trader Joe's has just released a new delicious product that will allow you to combine those delicious peaches with a cooling summer treat - Peach Pops!

Peach Pops look similar to that summer favorite - Otter Pops. However, instead of being made out of sugar, water, food coloring & artificial flavor they are made from real fruit with no added sugar as well as no artificial flavor or color. When they say real fruit they mean it - these pops are basically chunks of fresh frozen peaches. At only 45 calories a pop, they are a great treat anytime!

If you are lucky enough to have a giant freezer in which to hoard food, I would suggest stocking up for the dark months of the year with peaches are scarce. Even though they are "pops" they can easily be enjoyed during the cooler months of the year. If slightly thawed out, these pops would also make a great topping for yogurt, ice cream or even oatmeal.