Hello Summer!

Nothing quite eases the scorching temperatures of summer like homemade popsicles grabbed from the freezer on a hot day. To welcome the warm season, I’ve created Classic Fruit Popsicles Two Ways: Honey Pineapple Citrus and Fresh Strawberry Kiwi. These recipes are easy for you to make and far healthier than ice cream.

From the moment I bought my Koji ice pop molds at Target ($9.99), nostalgia set in on the drive home. Less fattening than ice cream desserts and fun to make, the popsicle is on trend again. Maybe it’s because you control the flavors! You can add any ingredient to your juice base from vegetables to fruit. Some people even add fresh herbs. Why not? A citrus basil ice pop might sounds delicious.

You can easily make my Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicles using frozen chunks of Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks (leftover from a smoothie experiment last week), fresh lime juice, clover honey, Stevia, and grapefruit juice. You’ll may want to use more Stevia than I did to cut the tangy citrus flavor from the grapefruit. Preparing these cool pops is as simple as dumping the ingredients in a blender or Cuisinart and blending it until smooth even to pour.

Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicle Recipe: Yields 3-4 popsicles

• 1 c. Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks
• 1 c. grapefruit juice
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tsp clover honey
• 2 tsp Stevia

Fill each popsicle well 3/4 of the way full to leave room for expansion as the fruit mixture freezes. Place your popsicles molds in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, remove the popsicles from the freezer and gently insert the popsicles sticks. Place them back in the freezer and allow these sweet treats to harden. When you’re ready to eat one, simply run warm water on the outside of the popsicle mold until you’re able to wiggle the popsicle free to devour it.

Use the same instructions to make Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles except you will instead blend cranberry/grape juice cocktail, sliced strawberries and kiwi, and Stevia until smooth. I used less added sugar in this recipe because the fruit and juice already were sweeteners.

Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicle Recipe: Yield 3-4 popsicles

• 1 c. cranberry/grape cocktail juice
• 1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 peeled and sliced fresh kiwi
• 1/4 tsp Stevia

What’s your fondest memories of summer? I remember learning how to swim at the community pool, riding my yellow Schwinn bicycle (banana seat included) with abandon, and running back and forth to my neighborhood friends’ house to play.

Take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer while cooling off from the hot temperatures with one of these fruit popsicles, a sure-win with your kids and adult kiddos too!

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