Strawberry Mango Coconut Pops Slideshow!
Originally published October 1, 2020.
I hate the heat. I’ve never done well with it. My poor family and friends have witnessed my fainting spells due to a combination of: heat, not wearing the right clothes, exhaustion, not drinking enough, dehydration, not eating enough, and finally, not sleeping enough. Luckily, I’ve realized that although as fun as a Hollywood workaholic lifestyle can be, nothing feels better than air conditioning, a full belly, and sleep. Hotel room with luxury sheets, air conditioning, and room service and… time? Heaven.
So, imagine my horror when I saw this on my phone over the weekend.
“It’s a dry heat” or “at least it’s not humid”. Genetically engineered from a South Pacific Island, you’d think I’d have a higher tolerance for heat but, alas, I think I’m defective. It makes me wonder if the reason why my ancestors were brainy were so they wouldn’t be kicked out of their tribes for not pulling their weight. Take for example a “dry heat” as opposed to a “humid heat”. Both are equally intolerable, but in instances like this weekend, to power through, I have to mentally trick myself that the “dry heat” isn’t really that bad. Isn’t that an example of cognitive dissonance?
cognitive dissonance: the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.
Here’s a great article on how cognitive dissonance subconsciously affects many of the decisions we make in our daily lives.
Cognitive Dissonance in Everyday Relationships
So basically we make excuses and only see and hear what we we want to see. Wonderful. I had a hard enough time trying to understand relationships when I was single, figuring out whether or not I liked someone... but based on an app’s algorithm? (I think I might have been unmatchable based on their algorithms, so it would have been based solely on appearance…. Omg. Maybe that’s what they do with unmatchable people? We’re screwed!) So, how does cognitive dissonance affect online dating?
Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and behavioral economics explains how not to fill out your online dating profile, make your friend less picky on who she dates, what to ask on a first date, and the correlation of moving to a nice school district can lead to divorce. (What? So we’re all quantifiable and an algorithm? Please tell me this isn’t the future of AI.)
So, we now know that behavioral economics are obviously behind “choice.” Unfortunately, I also think that if I’d read that article while I was single, it would have made me even more neurotic, so I apologize if it’s causing some unintentional indecision. What is intriguing is how manipulative the idea of “choice” truly is. Take a look at this article on how cognitive dissonance is affecting our ability to combat climate change.
Cognitive Dissonance & Climate Change. The only way people feel like they can do something about it is if you feel like you’re a hero helping others. (Wait. Isn’t that the Savior complex men have when they go for insane women?)
I hope these articles make you laugh, think, and habituate balanced decision making, not that I’m trying to tease you with sugary behavioral economics. Here’s to more laughter and fun! Please leave me a comment if there’s an idea you’d like me to tackle. Thanks for reading! Melissa
Here’s Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer,” because I have no idea how else to explain 117 degree temperatures. I hope you stay cool!
Bananarama - Cruel Summer (Official Video)
Here’s K-Pop’s Elris, singing “Summer Dream.” I will always have a soft spot for catchy, cutesy, pop.
[MV] ELRIS(엘리스) _ Summer Dream
Finally, here’s Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony. I’d like to think the ff that comes out of nowhere can posit as the acknowledgment of cognitive dissonance. Haydn, (as a lot of composers) was known for writing a lot of jokes in his music.
Per Wikipedia, the “Surprise” Symphony
"includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden fortissimo chord at the end of the otherwise piano opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic as if nothing has happened, and the ensuing variations do not repeat the joke. In German, the work is referred to as the Symphony mit dem Paukenschlag, or, with the kettledrum stroke.”
Haydn, Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise) Second Movement: Andante
Mango Strawberry Coconut Pops
(I improvised alot of this, kind of how I practice. These are approximations and you can mix and match any combination. I happily try not to box creativity because I’ve happily encountered the best results from “mistakes.” Here’s to finding your own groove.)
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Matcha layer:
Handful of chopped strawberries
1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon matcha
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
For the Mango layer:
Handful of Mango
1/3 to 2/3 Unsweetened Coconut Milk
For the Coconut Milk Layer
Enough Unsweetened Coconut Milk to top off the popsicle molds
Directions
1. Make strawberry matcha layer: Chop strawberries and fill bottom of popsicle molds. Dissolve the matcha a bit of hot water. Combine dissolved matcha with the coconut milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Pour over strawberries in popsicle molds. Freeze til firm. 2 hours or so. (I usually do this and go about my day.)
2. Make the mango layer. Blend mango and coconut milk. Adjust coconut milk until it’s blended smoothly. You want the bright mango color and to get that, you want something smooth and luscious. Pour on top of strawberry matcha mixture. Pop the popsicle sticks in. Freeze til firm.
3. Check popsicle molds. Top off any remaining mixtures with coconut milk. Freeze til firm.
4. Take out the pops. Run under hot water to help pop out of the molds. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! Melissa
