roasted strawberries

We’re going to talk popsicles soon- roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles to be precise. After all, you guys come here for the recipes, right? But first, let’s talk about moms and what happens when they go wild, ok?

Girls’ Night Out

A few weeks ago, I traveled with some girlfriends to Montgomery for a ladies’ night out. No boys allowed. If you’ve never been apart of a mom’s night out, I’ll fill you in on the dirty deets- we get wild. Not wet t-shirt contest wild or keg stand wild. But take 10 women who have had it up to their eyeballs with dirty diapers and hectic work schedules, give them a babysitter and a designated driver, and just wait… stuff is about to get real.

Of course it doesn’t always start that way. Our evenings usually begin with pleasantries like “Who is keeping your kiddos tonight? Did you ever find anyone to hem that dress?” But slowly, after everyone catches their breath from their busy days, people begin to unwind. Looking around, you can almost see everyone begin to relax, shedding the mom vibes and slipping into a more personal, carefree version of themselves.

Fun Moms

Given enough time (and wine), Moms can and will get rowdy. At one point, I felt like I was in one of those snippets from a movie about bad moms. One girl tells a funny story, and the table erupts with laughter. Someone cracks a dirty joke, and another suggests tequila shots. More cocktails, another spoonful of dessert, more rounds of laughter. Everyone is leaned forward with enlivened eyes, engaged and eagerly anticipating the conversation.

Our table got loud, and I have no doubt that in that moment, everyone in the restaurant was thinking, “these ladies need to get it together.”  But do you know what? I don’t care. We might hold it together for our kids and stay super responsible at work, but Moms still reserve the right to let their hair town. The girls were out on the town and it. was. awesome.

Letting Loose

Since that dinner, I’ve had a number of other let loose moments. I traveled to Las Vegas with college girlfriends for the Backstreet Boys concert and 72 hours of poolside cocktails. I danced to EDM (Electronic Dance Music, for those of you who, like me, are entirely dated when it comes to music) and wore my very first (and probably last) crop top. And I spent precisely 10 minutes watching a round of Blackjack and almost even got up the nerve to try my hand at it. (Sidenote: I saved my 20 dollars and bought rosé instead. #winning.)

To be frank, sometimes my life and the responsibility of parenthood makes me feel old. I look in the mirror, and the woman staring back at me has forehead wrinkles and an alarming number of gray hairs. She’s got a crusted smear of baby food on the shoulder of her t-shirt and there’s smudges from yesterday’s mascara under her eyes. She’s not glamorous, but dangit, she desperately craves a little bit of it every once in a while.

So if you go out for dinner one night and there’s a table of rowdy moms next to you, let them have their fun. Try to overlook the shrieking laughter. Pretend you don’t hear those out-of-turn references to the male anatomy. Don’t shoot them dirty glances if they linger a little too long at their table. Chances are, the ladies at that table need a few minutes to refuel. They need to feel young and fancy and carefree for just one meal. Let them have that.

Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Popsicles

These roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles don’t feel like mom food. Typically, popsicles are drippy treats reserved just for kids. But these roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles are not your average $1.50 ice cream truck goodies. These little frozen dreams are entirely grown up and sophisticated in flavor- a delicious and cheeky dessert perfectly suited for wild and crazy mamas.

Making the Popsicles

Making these roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles is incredibly simple. We start by roasting a pound of fresh strawberries. A little sugar, vanilla, and a sprinkle of salt is all it takes to make the berries burst with rich flavors and juices. Once the berries are toasty, we mash them to a thick puree and allow it to cool while we make the creamy portion of the popsicles. Buttermilk is the star here, providing a creamy tang to offset the syrupy berries. We also add milk and simple syrup, which amps up the sweetness and helps to keep the popsicles from becoming too icy. Both the cream and the fruit mixture gets poured into popsicle molds before they head to the freezer to firm up. (Sidenote: I use this popsicle mold, in case you’re wondering.)

Once frozen, these roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles are the perfect balance of sweet, tart, creamy, and tang. This is a simple, fuss-free dessert that will help to make those warm summer nights just a little bit cooler. And if you don’t have a popsicle mold, you can invest in this one that I recommend, or simply pour your mixture into a mold of another sort! Try freezing your popsicles in individual plastic cups or ice cube trays, or check out this article from Kitchn four some great ideas on how to make homemade popsicles without a mold. Do whatever you need to do to get some popsicles in your freezer ASAP, because you need these roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles in your life.

The Moral of the Story

Popsicles are good, but roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles are better. Moms are great, but a mom with a healthy balance of fun in their life is even better. Make this recipe for the moms in your life (or yourself!) and just try to tell me you don’t agree. I’m sharing today’s recipe with a ton of other bloggers who will be heating things up with frozen treats this week to celebrate #popsicleweek . Many thanks to Billy of  Wit & Vinegar for hosting this sweetness. Check out all of the other bloggers involved here!

If you like roasted strawberry and buttermilk popsicles, you should make:

Roasted Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Pretzel Tart

No-Churn Cherry Chip Ice Cream

Vegan Coconut Lime Cream Pie

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