I’m lucky to have a grandmother who enjoys magazines as much as I do. She supplies me with stacks of Martha Stewart Living, Country Living, Ladies Home Journal, Every Day with Rachael Ray, and Bon Appétit, among others. But never Victoria; she won’t let me take those home because she loves them so much. So I read them at her house, front to back, as quickly as I can. But I’m well supplied with lots of fun things to read after every visit with Grandma.

The July issue of Bon Appétit featured an article on how to make granitas. Have you ever had a granita? They’re Italian, semi-frozen desserts made from sugar, a liquid of some kind, and various flavorings. The article included recipes for three different kinds of granitas: espresso, watermelon, and almond. I decided to start with the espresso granita. They’re super easy to make: all you need is strong coffee, a little sugar, and vanilla. If you have a young helper who thinks it’s great fun to do all the scraping throughout the freezing process, you’re in luck. I think the whipped cream is what really makes this dessert; it balances out the sweetness of the coffee mixture perfectly. Add a few chocolate shavings and you have a special little treat.

(I talked to Tim on his way home from work and informed him that the good news was that we were having espresso granitas for dessert, but the bad news was that dinner would be every man for himself. There are only so many hours in the day. He, of course, was just fine with that.)

The espresso granitas turned out so well, I’m going to give the watermelon granita recipe a try, too. You just need watermelon, sugar, and lime juice for that one. It looks so refreshing. The almond granita didn’t appeal to me, but it might be just your cup of tea.

(You can tell how humid it is here—the camera, glasses, and spoons fogged up the second I brought them outside. I had to wipe them all off and take the photo really quickly, but you can still see the condensation on the spoons!)