Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Summer has officially arrived bringing with it hot sunny, weather and the need for refreshing, frozen treats.  My toddler loves Popsicles all year but with the heat of summer he is always asking for them.  Stores and ice cream trucks offer a variety of fun and colorful options but they are typically loaded with sugar and who knows what else.  Fortunately, Popsicles are super easy to make as long as you have some time to let them freeze.  If you don’t have fancy Popsicle molds you can freeze your juice mixture in Dixie cups.  And even if you don’t have Popsicle sticks for the cups your kids can simply peel away the cup as they eat the Popsicles.

I usually don’t add sugar to my Popsicles because the fruits and fruit juices naturally make them plenty sweet for my family.  But you can always add honey or sugar to taste.  At the most basic level all you need is some fruit juice.  Orange, apple, tropical punch and passion-orange-guava {POG} juices are all great options.  For extra vitamins and some oomph in flavor, I like to blend in fruit, leaving some of the berries whole and some of the other types of fruit in chunks.  You can use whatever combo of juices and fresh or frozen fruit that you’d like.  In this version, the POG gives a subtle tropical sweetness to the strawberries and raspberries.