The road to Happy...

I dreamed about the house I grew up in last night. I was in my parents bedroom and the placement of the furniture was as clear as if I were a child again. The bed set kitty corner in the room with a large dresser and chest of drawers along another wall. Their bedroom was across the hall from mine, the security of having my parents close by made me feel very secure as a child. That feeling continued for me into my adult years, knowing they were there to "catch me" if I ever needed them. It was an unspoken contract, the Lifetime Parent Clause...the one that says they will worry about you forever.

Our daughters have been off and living their lives for a long time now. For the most part, I don't worry about them on a daily basis. Truth be told, my "front burner" is always changing. The things I worry about the most take turns. Sometimes it's Mom, sometimes it's my husband's parents, sometimes it's even us. We have bumps in the road too. But that simmering pot of troubles has a little of everyone in there from time to time!

I think that's the reason my dreams go back to my childhood, a time in my life when someone else did all the worrying. I'd ride my bike, climb trees and decide what to spend my dime on when the ice cream truck made the rounds in the afternoon. I didn't once think about what my life would be like. I'd wake up in the morning and every day spread out before me like the road to Happy.

That ice cream truck is stuck in my memory too. My all time favorite treat was an Orange Dreamsicle. You can imagine my delight when I found this recipe online at Comfy Belly. Ann shared a healthier version that might just take me back to those summertime afternoons on Summit Street!

Orange Creamsicles
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 cup crème fraîche or half & half yogurt work well for this recipe
1/2 cup of honey
Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, and honey to a double boiler or other bowl that can sit on top of slow boiling water. Stir the ingredients until blended. Keep the mixture warm with a fairly low flame while it slowly becomes thicker. It takes about 10 minutes for it to become thick. It will resemble lemon curd, and have a custard consistency. Cool the orange mixture to room temperature. I speed up the cooling process by placing it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.While it is cooling, beat the egg whites until they have stiff peaks. Fold in the yogurt and the cooled orange mixture into the whipped egg whites. Pour the custard into pop molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.