The funny thing about my connection to peanut butter & jelly is my mother’s perfume: Estee Lauder’s Cinnabar. A rather strange connection, yes, but one that is completely etched into my memory none-the-less.
Back in grade school and junior high my mother used to make my lunch. A standard lunch: an apple (or some form of fruit that I never ate), a bag of chips, some cookies, a juice and a pb & j. The thing is that my mom would make my lunch after she finished getting ready. Now if you know anything about my mother, there are 3 things you can *always* guarantee from her: 1). A cheerful smile. Always; 2). The color of her fingernail polish. Same since I was a kid; and 3). Her perfume. See #2. I have never known anything but that scent on my mother. She is never not wearing it.
The problem was through the process of making my lunch, the overwhelming scent of Cinnabar would inevitably transfer onto my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Every day. And every day I would pray that it would be *the* day that maybe, just maybe, the traces of Estee Lauder wasn’t on my peanut butter. Never happened. So there I would sit, eating my sandwich, wondering if anyone else’s lunch tasted like their mother’s perfume.
Regardless, those days never squashed my ultimate love for the classic combination of peanut butter and jelly. Not even in popsicle form…
Peanut Butter and Jelly Popsicle Recipe
Gluten, egg and dairy-free
Makes 4 small-sized popsicles
For the “Peanut Butter” filling:
- 1 container So Delicious plain yogurt
- 1/4 c. non-dairy milk
- 1/3 c. peanut butter, creamy
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Place all the ingredients into a blender until smooth.
- Pout into a popsicle holder and fill 2/3 full.
- Freeze for 1 hour.
For the “Jelly” filling:
- 1/2 c. frozen berries
- 2 Tbs water
- 1 Tb sugar
- Combine berries, water and sugar into a pot and heat until dissolved.
- Place into a blender until well mixed.
- Pour into the remaining 1/3 of popsicle holder.
- Freeze for 20 minutes. Place popsicle sticks in middle; they should be able to stand up alone at this point. Freeze for another 1 hour until fully set.
Also, forgot to add in my last question/post, how do you think the recipe would be if the yogurt were Greek? FF? Thanx ahead of time–these do look great; am anxious to try!
Cara, How large is the container of SO yogurt?
wow, these look amazing. it’s a shame your talent hasn’t been put the use the last week or so…
You are getting along just fine, give me a break!
btw, this would be even more amazing with chocolate in the middle!
Ohmygosh, what about a Nutella popsicle???? RIGHT?!
YES! DO IT!
You know you have great food presentation…and photos….and recipes when:
1. No matter what time of day I look at your blog, I always get hungry (for the record, it’s nearly 10pm and I had a good dinner a few hours ago)
(I’ve got to try this one soon. It’s been soooo hot lately!0
I always know that I am doing my job correctly when I get a comment like this from you 😉 xoxo! You are so sweet to me.
AWESOME! Yum yum YUMMO! I need to get some popsicle mould thingies, I’m sure Misty will be able to smear these all over my walls soon 😉
That is the purpose for popsicles right? To be smeared. Just like perfumed was made to be tasted in sandwiches 🙂
Genius.
I will accept that 😉 ha!
I love how you reply to every comment, it’s really impressive and so endearing. Swoon!
This post reminds me of how, every single day in elementary & middle school, I would tell my mother to not put any mayo or at least go LIGHT on the mayo of my inevitable ham & cheeses, and she never did (yuck! I hated mayo!). Then, I went over to JUST mustard. I still hate too much mayo on anything to this day (at least now I eat vegan mayo!). I still love PB&J best and always did. As did my own mom, as I came to learn later! Her mother (my grandmother) actually made her soggy pepper & egg sandwiches for lunch when she was a kid, since they had chickens & a garden and not much else, so that’s why, but eeeeewwweee, old eggs & peppers for lunch?? My poor mommy!
XOXO
HAHA! See, if it weren’t for our mothers, we wouldn’t have fun stories like this to compare with each other! I absolutely love it! xo
Perfection! I think you are a genuis. These look amazing Cara. So creative, as usual 🙂
How could one not accept a genius compliment? ha. Seriously though, you are so sweet to say so–means a lot coming from you, miss gorgeous 🙂 xo
Those look really fun, Cara. I’d love to suck on one… it’d be most delicious.
HAHA. I am sure you meant this comment in all seriousness but I cannot help but giggle.
Are you really sure?
Good point. I have no idea with you, which makes it all the more fun 🙂
Aww that is such a funny story! I love how connected our senses of smell and taste are to our memory. My mom’s perfume of choice is/was Opium by Yves St Laurent- whenever I smell it, I feel like I little kid all cuddles up with her!
These are so brilliant too Cara! Is there really any flavour combination more perfect?
There really is something special to smells connecting to our mothers, especially! I mean, just thinking about my mom’s perfume makes me want to get my back tickled now 🙂
Your pb & j’s look so tasty – delightful treat indeed! A confession…I was an odd sort (okay, so you already knew that part)…grew up not liking pb & j. Not sure why because now I think it’s quite tasty. These look cool and satisfying, actually making my mouth water.
BUT I’m laughing my head off! First of all, to your readers… 1.) I think I’ve always been a ‘glass is half full” kinda girl; 😉 2.) I had no idea that your lunch tasted like Cinnabar until you grew up and told me; & 3.) yes, I do think I’ve worn the same color nail polish at least as long as I’ve been wearing Cinnabar – it goes with everything :-).
Virtual hug coming your way (P.S. now you’ll smell like virtual Cinnabar – hee! hee!
Love you Sweetie! XOXOXOX!
How in the world did I NEVER tell you this as a kid??? I must have! That is the funniest thing ever… xoxo, Love you!
You brilliant insane creature!!! Going on the popsicle list! I need to smell that perfume….
Maybe I will make Cinnabar scented popsicles next… 🙂
Nice! Miss you :/
Ack! I miss you sooooooo much too! You still heading out here in July???
These are so neat! Who would have thought to make a pb & j popsicle – oh that’s right, only the most creative and awesome blogger I know – (yep, that would be you).
“Every day. And every day I would pray that it would be *the* day that maybe, just maybe, the traces of Estee Lauder wasn’t on my peanut butter. Never happened. So there I would sit, eating my sandwich, wondering if anyone else’s lunch tasted like their mother’s perfume.”
– this made me laugh so hard. so hard, that if I was drinking milk it would have come out my nose
Why do I so wish that you were drinking milk now??? But that would have hurt coming up your nostrils 🙂
😀 that would be a fun taste! my mom dint wear any perfume, but inevitably there would be some cardamom or masala smell in rice or dessert or the fruits.
We dint eat sandwiches for lunch. we had an indian meal, with veggies, daal, stuffed flatbreads, fruit. ahh good old days.
I would have much rather had cardamom or masala in my rice than perfume!! 🙂 At least those things are edible…ha!
yeah, but the cardamom isnt that fun.. it makes things taste like dessert!
those popsicles are super cool!
You… are… a… freakin’… genius.
You….are….way….too….kind 🙂
No…way…man…
Ab…so….lute….ly.
Haha, oh no! Peanut butter and jelly and estee lauder sandwiches sound… interesting.
I love PB&J, and this sounds like a great way to cool down in the summer, while still enjoying a childhood favorite. Great idea!
HAHA! PPB&J (Perfumated peanut butter and jelly). Yes, I just made up the word perfumated 🙂
My mom was all about the Chanel #5, but luckily, it was my dad who did the cooking in our house! 🙂 These look so awesome! And there are so many different variations you could do! I need to get a popsicle form!
Hope you’re doing well! 🙂
I am so wishing my dad knew how to make sandwiches now… ha!
I am well friend!! Thank you for the muffins. We need to chat stat! <–that rhymed 🙂
Yes, we do! Let me know when you’re free! 🙂
These look amazing and I bet they taste amazing too! My 6-year-old was looking over my shoulder as I read your post and she told me I HAVE to make these this week. ; )
HAHA! 6 year olds *are* the boss so I would obey! 🙂 xo
thats so funny about your mom’s perfume! but those popsicles — my oh my, Cara those look amazing! so creative!! i seriously need to invest in popsicle holders!
Invest! Invest! Invest! YES. I have 4 different kinds now…and the collection is growing. Best purchases ever 🙂
Oh man, I so feel for you. I would gag if I had to eat perfume-scented food.
No gagging if I were to eat one of those things, though. Holy scrumptious!
Yeah I pretty much ended up always chucking my sandwiches away. Apparently, I never starved though 🙂
Your blog never ceases to amaze me—or induce hunger. 😉 Thanks for another awesome post!
Hunger-inducer is one of my many charming qualities 🙂 ha. Thanks, August! xo
Peanut-Butter-Jelly-Time!! Peanut-Butter-Jelly-Time!! Peanut-Butter-Jelly-Time!! Peanut-Butter-Jelly-Time!!
I had my mom making me cheese sammiches at a young age. I remember in elementary I’d have sliced velvetta cheese on bread. Mom thought it was weird, so did all my friends, but yuuuuuumm-o.
Velveta cheese on bread? haha. Well, at least I couldn’t single you out with your strangle choice of food. I had a perfumed flavored sandwich. We would have been good friends back then 🙂
haha that is so funny! now i need to go to a department store and smell cinnabar 😉 and these popsicles are awesome. i want one right now.
Brace yourself for the scent that is Cinnabar. That is all I am saying… 🙂 xo
I love your cute story about your mom. She founds very elegant with her painted nails and perfume. I definitely need to buy a popsicle maker. This seals the deal.
Elegant indeed! And yes you do need a popsicle maker. I am collecting way too many so maybe I will just give you one of mine 🙂
Oh, dear…Cinnabar is an all-pervasive perfume! I can only imagine what your sandwiches tasted like! lol My mother loved it and wore it for a while. It smelled great on her, but I didn’t want to hug her long, because I felt smothered by it. When I tried it on at her urging as a growing-up graduating teenager…oh, mercy. It changed on my skin and was awful. I never could stand it from that point on! 😀 I’m glad my memory of it isn’t tied up to pb&j’s, because I love them and would be sad. lol
Okay, I laughed so hard reading this! Whenever my mother gets into my car, it is guaranteed that my seatbelts will smell like Cinnabar for a good week. Oddly, as much that perfume *is* all-pervasive, it is so connected to my mother that I love it regardless…even it was on my pb & js… 🙂
When you and Ashlae get a cookbook deal, I better be on your guys’s recipe tester list.
Or else.
I like to hear where this “Or else” is going… Let’s hear it 🙂
Or else I’ll come and take those chocolates back from you.
And then you’ll never see or hear from me again.
…okay, that’s too harsh. I’d just be mad at you for a day or two..I forgive easily 😉
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! That is too harsh! You are my #1 taste-tester, how about that???
😀 *all smiles*
oh yum, i wished i could have one of these popsicles for this afternoons work and coffee break. lol. i dont really have one but I WOULD MAKE ONE just for the sake of sucking on one of your popsicles!
I will just send you one through the mail, how about that? 😉