“We have been warned that ordinary is less than, a sign of inferiority, an indicator that so much more awaits if we could just get the mix right. But the truth is, most of life is pretty ordinary, so it is precisely inside the ordinary elements…—career, parenting, change, marriage, community, suffering, the rhythms of faith, disappointment, being a good neighbor, being a good human—that an extraordinary life exists.” I had just finished giving the start of my speech about finding beauty in the ordinary by putting down your iPhone when this quote from Jen Hatmaker’s book, Of Mess and Moxie, popped up on my screen. I was looking at Facebook in my office, the same place I was delivering my speech to a crowd of one—myself. There’s something oddly cathartic about hearing your thoughts spoken. But it should be noted: I could never be a public speaker. I need backspace too much.
Here’s some of that speech. I’ve gotten good at mindlessly scrolling my phone lately—getting lost in everyone else’s extraordinary moments. So much so, that my phone is the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning. It’s in my hand so much, I wonder if I’ll find it in one of Hallie’s family drawings. The funny thing is, Kev and I were on the late side of the iPhone craze. Our first was a 4. At the time of purchase, we swore to ourselves that we’d never get addicted. Somehow we knew it was a possibility even in 2012.
I think we all like getting lost in someone else’s life for a bit. That’s why celebrities exist, magazines and books, 13 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, and millions of Instagram feeds. But lately, with an iPhone in my hand, I’ve gotten completely lost. Addicted. Unlike a book with a beginning and an end, my phone just keeps delivering new content.
I don’t like the idea that I’m able to get more easily lost in a strangers life than I am in my own. Or the fact that by looking at someone else’s feed, I place value on my own life, usually for the worse. But Mel, you’re a contributor to that too. That’s what Kev always says when I start down this rant again. He’s right. Maybe this post is more of a confessional and less of a speech.
Over the past month, I’ve been extra intentional about putting my phone on a ledge in the kitchen and turning on the ringer, treating it like a land line. We’ve gotten lost in our own ordinary. It’s looked like crying with family over the fact that life can be impossibly hard sometimes. It’s looked like making pizza every Friday night. And dropping one on the ground too. (I did that a couple weeks ago.) It’s looked like canoeing on the lake while Hal asks if we’re done yet. It’s tasted like burnt marshmallows, Italian Raspberry Cheesecake Popsicles, and dinner in the backyard. It’s sounded like Miley’s new song, Malibu, blasting in the background while loading dishwasher after dinner. It’s also looked like reading a book in a week and watching The Polar Express in August. (Hal’s choice.)
The best things in life are the simple, ordinary things. I’m not sure where along the way I forgot that. I think my phone had something to do with it. For that reason, I’ve loved getting to partner with Driscoll’s on their #BerryTogether sweepstakes. If you’re a fellow Minnesota resident, enter to the #BerryTogether Giveaway—a spa and resort trip for 4 up north. Ends August 31, 2017. Enter here. Driscoll’s believes that raspberries make ordinary moments more special. Me too.
If cheesecake were a popsicle, it’d taste like this—creamy and rich. The Italian twist comes from mascarpone, an Italian cream cheese. I prefer it to American cream cheese for its lighter flavor. These popsicles are sweetened only with honey and fruit. Don’t skip the graham cracker crumble if you can help it.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. mascarpone
1/4 c. honey
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
Raspberry Swirl
1 c. Driscoll’s raspberries, rinsed
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. honey
Graham Cracker Crumb
2 graham crackers
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the cheesecake. In a high-powered blender, add all the cheesecake ingredients. Blend on low until just combined, about 10 seconds. Evenly distribute into a popsicle mold.
Make the Raspberry Swirl. In the same blender, no rinsing necessary, add all the raspberry swirl ingredients. Blend on medium-low until raspberries are pureed. Spoon into the tops of the mold. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixture.
Make the graham cracker crumb. Place graham crackers in a ziplock bag. Close and crush with a rolling pin by rolling back and forth until fine. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and crushed graham cracker until evenly combined. Top each popsicle with the crumb. Place a popsicle stick in each mold and freeze for at least 4 hours or until completely frozen. To serve, run warm water over the mold until popsicles remove. Serve immediately.
Prep Time:20 mins
Cook Time:4 hours
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I love this, Melissa. I took a month off, let go of my blog, used my phone so much less, and it was like magic. There was so much more focus and connection at home, and lived so much more in the present than I have in a while. Love your honey sweetened cheesecake pops here- anything with mascarpone and I’m game. And Hallie did such a nice job holding that pop without eating it!
I totally paid her in a popsicle after. Ha! Have you ever read Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death? I think you’d like it. He wrote it in the 80s. So crazy to think of what it means now. Sometimes I think being able to stay so connected via social media with a vast number of people is the coolest thing ever. But then I also wonder if we’re amusing ourselves to death.
These look so delicious and I am not even a huge cheesecake person. My boyfriend is tho so maybe Ill surprise him by making these! Thanks for the great recipe!
As I sit here at lunch in St. Louis park, the staff of medical people I work with all have there phone in hand , watching or reading something. The art of conversation is lost. All heads are down and eyes are in their phones. I am guilty also. I leave mine on mute and put it in my scrub jacket pocket. I am making a effort to communicate with others. It sorta works. Lol. Popsiclrs are my go to snack. This one is becoming my favorite. Love love love rasberrird. I’m sure I’m The number one buyer. Always in my refrigerator Always into lunch bag.
woah. these look like next level delicious! I try not to carry my phone from one room to another – I just leave it in the kitchen…and honestly I feel more calm doing that, like I don’t have to constantly check it or have it be an extension of my arm haha.
“An extension of my arm”—this is so true. I’ve noticed when I have my phone next to me, even light reflecting off the screen will make me check it, thinking a notification came in, even though I’ve turned most off. I have to amputate this thing.
I never have my phone in our bedroom and leave it in the kitchen. I was very good about not looking at my phone after 9pm, but have recently had trouble with that because I found that so many people I follow have great IG stories and I need quiet time to watch those. They are often fun, not edited and give me glimpse that I don’t see on a blog or a regular IG feed…mhhh
This is so so true Mel. I get pulled the same way sometimes, how much should I stay up to date and how much should I disconnect? I have to confess that this summer I felt unhappy with how much I wasn’t doing out and about, until I realized that these feelings came from seeing other people doing things that I thought were ‘better’. Finally I had to disconnect and realize that always watching other’s lives isn’t productive for my own and to just enjoy the now. xoxo
It’s such a hard balance. I find so much inspiration from that space and also so much discontent from scrolling. I’m so interested to see what we do with it all.
I love this, Melissa. I took a month off, let go of my blog, used my phone so much less, and it was like magic. There was so much more focus and connection at home, and lived so much more in the present than I have in a while. Love your honey sweetened cheesecake pops here- anything with mascarpone and I’m game. And Hallie did such a nice job holding that pop without eating it!
I totally paid her in a popsicle after. Ha! Have you ever read Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death? I think you’d like it. He wrote it in the 80s. So crazy to think of what it means now. Sometimes I think being able to stay so connected via social media with a vast number of people is the coolest thing ever. But then I also wonder if we’re amusing ourselves to death.
These look SO good! Definitely making these soon!
Thanks friend!
These look so delicious and I am not even a huge cheesecake person. My boyfriend is tho so maybe Ill surprise him by making these! Thanks for the great recipe!
Let me know what he thinks!
These look so amazing!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
❤️
As I sit here at lunch in St. Louis park, the staff of medical people I work with all have there phone in hand , watching or reading something. The art of conversation is lost. All heads are down and eyes are in their phones. I am guilty also. I leave mine on mute and put it in my scrub jacket pocket. I am making a effort to communicate with others. It sorta works. Lol.
Popsiclrs are my go to snack. This one is becoming my favorite. Love love love rasberrird. I’m sure I’m The number one buyer. Always in my refrigerator Always into lunch bag.
beautiful! Love these ingredients, especially the mascarpone, and all in a popsicle! thank you for this recipe!
❤️
woah. these look like next level delicious! I try not to carry my phone from one room to another – I just leave it in the kitchen…and honestly I feel more calm doing that, like I don’t have to constantly check it or have it be an extension of my arm haha.
“An extension of my arm”—this is so true. I’ve noticed when I have my phone next to me, even light reflecting off the screen will make me check it, thinking a notification came in, even though I’ve turned most off. I have to amputate this thing.
These look amazing!
I never have my phone in our bedroom and leave it in the kitchen. I was very good about not looking at my phone after 9pm, but have recently had trouble with that because I found that so many people I follow have great IG stories and I need quiet time to watch those. They are often fun, not edited and give me glimpse that I don’t see on a blog or a regular IG feed…mhhh
Same! I’ve been loving the glimpse stories give too.
This is so so true Mel. I get pulled the same way sometimes, how much should I stay up to date and how much should I disconnect? I have to confess that this summer I felt unhappy with how much I wasn’t doing out and about, until I realized that these feelings came from seeing other people doing things that I thought were ‘better’. Finally I had to disconnect and realize that always watching other’s lives isn’t productive for my own and to just enjoy the now. xoxo
It’s such a hard balance. I find so much inspiration from that space and also so much discontent from scrolling. I’m so interested to see what we do with it all.
This blog post REALLY resonated me. About making more time for NON-PHONE things. <3
http://therewm.com/2017/08/16/just-a-bunch-of-things-ive-been-doing-to-be-more-creative-focused-productive/
These look delicious!