Goodbye Woodbridge, Virginia and Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles)

After four wonderful years in the Northern Virginia/DC area, we have moved to our next home in Los Angeles, California! I will be sharing our experiences in the area in three blog posts along with a recipe today for Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles).

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Woodbridge, Virginia

We lived in Woodbridge during our four year stay, three years in Lake Ridge followed by one in Dale City. While at times I wished we were a little closer to DC, I really loved the area. We met some incredible friends along the way and will definitely miss our time spent here. I have included a list of some of my favorite places:

La Neveria Michoacana

Tucked into a shopping center along Route 1 is La Neveria Michoacana. Here, you will find a variety of Mexican frozen treats from paletas (popsicles) and ice cream to Mangonada (mango ice cream with fresh mangos, chili, chamoy, and a tamarind straw). Their Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles) inspired the recipe for this post.

Layla’s Lebanese Restaurant

Evan’s occupational therapy shares a shopping center with Layla’s Lebanese Restaurant, so I grabbed take-out from here from time to time after his sessions.

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Duck Donuts

Evan was on a mission to try all of the doughnuts in the DC area (one that he seems to want to continue here in Los Angeles). One of his favorites was Duck Donuts. He loved to watch the doughnuts fry and move along the small conveyor belt. A variety of toppings are available for full customization with a handful that rotate seasonally. We went to the location in Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, but they now have shops throughout the United States.

Sushi Jin Next Door

Another place we enjoyed in Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center was Sushi Jin Next Door. I got my Niku Udon (肉うどん) fix here when I wasn’t in the mood to make it at home.

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Arepas Capitol:

One of our last meals in Woodbridge was lunch at Arepas Capitol. It is a wonderful spot for Venezuelan favorites such as arepas, empanadas, tequeños, sandwiches, and more. I really wish we didn’t wait until the end to try it.

Viet Chopsticks:

We often went to Falls Church or my mother-in-law would bring take-out from a place near their house when we wanted Vietnamese food, but Viet Chopsticks was one of the best we tried in Woodbridge. I especially loved the Bánh Hỏi Thịt Nướng (photograph below).

Beto’s Coffee:

Beto’s Coffee can be found inside a small strip mall along Old Bridge Road. Along with coffee and smoothies, they also serve a few Peruvian dishes. The Lomito Sandwich (steak with onion) was so good that I didn’t even think of taking a photo until it was already halfway gone.

Occoquan:

I did a short blog post on Occoquan a couple of months after we moved to the area and we continued to visit a few times a year. It is a fun place to walk along the water with plenty of shops and restaurants to explore. River Mill Park lies at the end of Mill Street and was the perfect spot for taking a few family photos with Dawn McCoy Photography.

Leesylvania State Park

Leesylvania State Park was our last weekend outing before Claire surprised us with her early arrival.

Fully opened in 1992, Leesylvania State Park is located in the southeast corner of Prince William County along the Potomac River. The park has a visitor center, playground, a few picnic shelters, small campground, five hiking trails, natural sand beach, fishing pier, and a boat ramp.

Others:

I usually stopped at the Global Food on the corner of Minnieville and Smoketown for Korean, South Asian, and Mexican ingredients. Wegmans was another frequent grocery stop.

Fantasy Playground was the kids’ favorite playground in the area.

Presto! Pizza was our go-to for pizza take-out. My mother-in-law always picked up lumpia and halo-halo from Kababayan Filipino Gourmet while visiting. Taste of Tandoor was another favorite.

Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles)

Paletas, Mexican popsicles, come in a variety of flavors with usually a fruit juice or cream base. These Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles) were one of my favorites from La Neveria Michoacana. The popsicle molds are filled with whole Oreos (or your favorite chocolate creme cookie) and covered with a creamy milk mixture before freezing until solid. I placed two of the cookies in each mold, but you can add whatever will fit.

I used these popsicle molds to form the Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles). Don’t have popsicle molds? You can pour the mixture into paper cups and top with popsicle sticks.

Looking for more Paleta recipes? Try Paletas de Aguacate y Coco (Mexican Avocado and Coconut Popsicles) and Esquimos (Coconut Sorbet Ice Pops Dipped in Chocolate and Coconut).

Paletas Heladas de Galleta Oreo (Oreo Popsicles) Recipe

Adapted from Cocina y Comparte