Yulia/AdobeStock.com
healthy kids
Cool Treats for Hot Days DIY RECIPES EVEN KIDS CAN MAKE
M
by Sheila Julson
any of us have fond childhood memories of cool confections from the neighborhood ice cream truck on sultry summer days. By creating homemade, hot-weather treats with our kids, we get to enjoy the delights of fresh, seasonal produce and inventive flavor combinations, while also providing our kids with kitchen fun, healthy fare without unwelcome additives and summertime memories of their own. “There are plenty of frozen treats from the grocery store that are in the natural or organic categories, but sometimes those still have levels of sweeteners, sugar or other preservatives that we don’t want or need,” says Annie Wegner LeFort, a Milwaukee-based chef and founder of the healthy living business EatMoveMKE.com. She has been making frozen pops for her 13-year-old daughter Vera since she was a toddler. Anything that is homemade is more economical and has less packaging, Wegner LeFort says. Pop molds can be used over and over, and even cups can be used and reused as molds to reduce waste.
MIXED BERRY POPS YIELD: 8 SERVINGS 2 cups mixed berries (frozen or fresh) 1 ripe banana ¾ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 cup milk 1 cup plain yogurt 1 Tbsp honey Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour blended mixture into molds, leaving ½ inch for it to expand. Freeze until hard, about 4 hours. When ready to eat, run under warm water and remove from the mold. Variations: omit bananas or substitute milk with full-fat coconut milk. For smoothies, add 2 cups of ice to the recipe and pour the blended mixture into a glass. Recipe courtesy of Gwen Eberly. July 2022
25
