Popsicles

Recently, I was on a mom's site that I frequent online and one mom was talking about buying popsicles at the grocery store. She said that with all of the confusing information out there about sugar, she didn't know whether she should buy the popsicles made with sugar or a sugar substitute. Well, and this is just my opinion, sugar is a natural product and sugar substitutes are not. So, when in doubt go with the natural choice where your children are concerned. Homemade popsicles are incredibly easy to make and they taste so much better than store bought. One of the best bonuses to making your own popsicles is that you can control the ingredients, so your children don't have to ingest unnecessary dyes or additives to have a special sweet treat! If these recipes don't work for you, try another combination that suits your family.

Watermelon Pops
Fresh super ripe watermelon

Blend watermelon in a blender until completely pureed. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.


Berry Blast Yogurt Pops
1 C. Greek Yogurt, plain or vanilla
1 1/2 C. frozen berries
Honey* to taste

* Children under 18 months should not have honey. A little apple juice concentrate or sugar will work fine to sweeten in this case.

Blend all ingredients together and pour into molds to freeze. Makes 4-8 depending on the size of your molds.

Mmmm...Tropical Popsicles!

Ok, it's hot out here in the boonies of the Arizona desert. About 113 degrees HOT! There are only so many ways to keep cool during this time of year and most of them are indoors. But if you do venture outside, make sure you are armed with a batch of these fruity, creamy and oh so refreshing popsicles! Pineapple, bananas, coconut and lime are a perfect marriage of tongue tickling flavors and because these popsicles are homemade you don't have to worry about preservatives, food coloring or excess amounts of sugar(your kids are already sweet enough)! The best part? They are super inexpensive to make...about $1 a batch as opposed to spending $4 a box for the all fruit bars at the supermarket. Now all you need is an umbrella and an ocean breeze! Tell me about your family's favorite popsicle recipe at my Community Soup forum here.

1 Cup pineapple chunks(if you use canned, be sure it is no added sugar and packed in juice instead of syrup)
1/2 Cup pineapple juice
1/4-1/2 shredded unsweetened coconut depending on how much you like coconut OR 1/4 tsp. coconut extract
1 ripe banana
Juice of one lime

Throw all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Enjoy!

Smoothie on a Stick

In my previous post, I listed 2 recipes for homemade popsicles. Here is another yummy one!


1 banana
6-8 strawberries
1/4 C. oj
3/4 C. pineapple

Blend and pour into molds. Smoothie on a stick! Yum!

Grilled Fruit Kabobs

It's getting to be that time of year again. Popsicles, sprinklers, bbqs with friends...and the heat! When its hot outside, no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen slaving away in front of the stove making a heavy meal. I know that we tend to use our grill alot as soon as spring arrives and when the weather is warm, we favor lighter meals. One thing that doesn't change with the weather is the need for something SWEET! Well, I have the perfect answer. Grilled fruit kabobs! Yes, that's right, grilled fruit. If you haven't tried it before, put it on your to do list the next time you break out the charcoal(maybe we are the only ones left that don't use a gas grill?). You really can use any fruit you like, but my favorites are pineapple, bananas and peaches. Its a great way to fulfill your fruit requirement and I promise you, fruit never tasted so good!

Fruit
skewers(if you use wood skewers, be sure to soak them for 20 min priot to using on the grill)
honey
Lime zest and juice
canola oil or non stick grill spray

Cut up your fruit into 11/2-2" pieces. Toss in a bowl with a little honey, lime juice and zest. Thread onto skewers. Prepare grill with a little canola oil to keep fruit from sticking. Place fruit on the grill for a couple min on each side until it is slightly softened and has pretty grill marks. Serve with a slice of lime by them selves or over ice cream.

Tricks of the Trade

Last week I posted a topic in my Blog Frog discussion forum about ways to get extra nutrition into your children. Tara from Banks Blab wrote that she incorporated spinach, yes SPINACH, into her family's smoothies! First I thought, what a GREAT idea and then I thought, Hey, why didn't I think of that! In my fridge you will find a variety of greens from spinach to beet greens to swiss chard and I am always trying to find new ways to incorporate these vitamin and antioxidant rich foods into our diet. My 3 year old loves smoothies and we drink them often, so I decided to give the greens a try. Know what? It was fabulous! I used swiss chard and it was delicious and Tara was right, you can barely taste it. My whole family enjoyed it and Jack was eager for seconds. Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised! Depending on the fruits you use in your smoothie, it may change to a brilliant green. If the color isn't going over well with the kids, try adding a 1-1.5 cups of blueberries to the mix and it will be a rich, eye pleasing purple that kids love! You can also use smoothies to make popsicles, so make an extra batch and freeze for a delicious and super healthy treat.

Here is the combination that seemed to work best in my house:

1.5 Cups orange juice(I like calcium fortified juice)
1 Cup fresh strawberries
1 frozen banana
1.5 Cups of frozen wild blueberries
1 Cup swiss chard or spinach, packed
1 TBS. flaxmeal

Blend until smooth and enjoy! I serve with eggs, whole grain toast smeared with almond butter. D-E-Licious!

Serves 4.

What are your "tricks of the trade?" Visit my forum and tell me about it! If I choose your healthy trick, I will feature you and your blog on this site!

Do You Juice?

Of course eating whole fruits and vegetables is always best, but I find juicing to be a great way to get your kids to try a few new veggies that they ordinarily do not want to eat. An additional benefit to making your own juice is that it has more vitamins and minerals because it's fresh and hasn't been sitting on a grocery store shelf for goodness knows how long. Juicing also cuts down on landfill waste. No more(or at least fewer)plastic containers going out to the garbage can. And if you garden, you can compost the pulp! I use the Jack La Lanne Juicer, it seems to be so much more efficient than other brands that I have owned. One of my son's favorite combinations is Carrot Apple with a bit of ginger! These also make great popsicles!


1 Carrot
2-3 Apples depending on size
1/4 to 1/2" piece of ginger root

I find it best to juice the apples first, then ginger and then the carrot. Carrots are the hardest of the 3 so it helps push the last bit of juice through. Serves 2.

Ginger is an amazing little root, not only for it's spicy flavor, but for its health benefits. Ginger can settle an upset stomach, reduce pain and inflammation, and can help prevent colorectal and ovarian cancers. Studies have also shown that it enhances immunity and can help create body warmth and healthful sweating when your child has a cold or flu.

Honeydew you want a popsicle?

It has been a busy week. When my 3 year old realized that Mommy ran out of homemade frozen treats, it wasn't a pretty sight. With not much to work with, this sweet and juicy pop was born! Now, I am not usually a huge fan of honeydew, but combined with tart limes and plump blueberries it is surprisingly delicious. This popsicle provides a ton of immune boosting Vitamin C which is perfect for kids heading back into the school year. My son's favorite part was that it was green AND blue, his two favorite colors. Make some for your kids this weekend and you will be everyone's favorite mom!


1 ripe honeydew melon, cut into chunks
2 Tbs. agave syrup*
Juice of 2 limes
1 C. blueberries

In a blender, combine melon, lime juice and agave syrup. Blend until smooth and then pour into popsicle molds until they are about 3/4 full. Drop several blueberries into each mold and use a butter knife to push them down throughout the melon puree. Freeze and enjoy! Makes 6-10 depending on the size of your molds.

*Agave syrup comes from the agave plant in Mexico. It is twice as sweet as sugar, but it has a lower glycemic index than sugar does, so it is easier on your blood sugar. Many people use a simple syrup(sugar and water) when adding sweetener to homemade popsicles, but this eliminates that extra step!

Favorite Warm Weather Snacks

In Arizona, we have already seemed to bypass spring and headed directly into summer! Due to the recent warm up, it really got me thinking about delicious, cool you off snacks that will hit the spot, but also help fulfill some daily nutritional requirements. Here are some of my family's favorites.

1. Frozen Fruit: Grapes and Blueberries are our favorites! Just wash and pop into the freezer for a yummy and healthy treat. I am surprised my 4 year old isn't blue from all of the frozen blueberries he eats!
*If you have very young children, these can be a choking hazard. Please take the proper precautions.

2. Healthy Popsicles: These can really be anything you dream up from a simple frozen orange juice to more elaborate concoctions like Apple-Beet-Carrot! Yum!
Go here for some ideas.

3. Stonyfield Farms Organic YoKids Squeezers. It is organic yogurt in a tube that has less sugar and icky stuff kids don't need than your average brands. At only 60 calories, kids will get a sweet treat with 10% of their calcium and Vitamin D needs! These are yummy just as they are or you can freeze them for an extra special treat.

4. All Fruit Smoothies: These are fun and easy to make at home, not to mention so much cheaper than buying at the specialty smoothie stores. Even better than saving money? You know exactly what's in it! Here's a link to one of our faves!

5. Cool dips: When the kids want something a little less sweet and more substantial, try serving homemade salsa and whole grain baked chips. Or try my white bean dip with homemade pita chips and a plateful of fresh cut veggies. It's full of flavor and fiber!