Few things cool kids and adults off in the summer like popsicles. And it’s no coincidence that berries, fruits, and other produce are abundant this time of year. These healthy, fresh foods make excellent popsicles. There are all kinds of creative popsicles you can make with a simple popsicle mold (or paper cups and popsicle sticks). Here are some homemade popsicle recipes and ideas.

Pureed Fruit

You pay a lot of money for fruit-only, natural popsicles in the store. Making your own could hardly be easier! Try some of these combinations.

1. In a blender, combine 2 cups of washed strawberries with tops removed. Add just enough fruit juice (such as cranberry or apple) to make the mixture liquefy. Pour into molds and freeze.

2. Combine 1 cup each of sliced, peeled peaches and nectarines with 1/4 cup orange juice and blend until pureed, adding orange juice as needed.

3. Berries are so flavorful in a popsicle. Combine 1/2 cup each of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries with about 1/4 cup of water to make a lovely purple liquid that makes a tangy popsicle.

4. In a blender, combine 1 cup whole strawberries, tops removed, 1 ripe banana, and 1/4 cup water or orange juice. Pour into molds and freeze.

Sweet Treats

Here are some popsicle recipes that go beyond just fruit to make dessert-like popsicles.

1. In a blender, combine 2 ripe bananas, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 cup of sweetened, vanilla almond milk. Liquefy, then pour into molds and freeze.

2. You don’t need a blender for this recipe. You can combine these ingredients in a bowl or jar: 1 cup orange juice, 1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt, and sugar or honey to taste. Whisk everything together and freeze in molds.

3. For a refreshing chocolate-mint popsicle, try this recipe: In a bowl, blend 2 cups vanilla yogurt with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup. Whisk in 1 or 2 drops of peppermint flavoring or 1/4 cup of cool, strong peppermint tea. Freeze.

4. Chocolate and strawberries or raspberries are a classic combination. In a double boiler, melt 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. While the chips melt, blend 2 cups of strawberries or raspberries in the blender until liquid. Slowly pour the melted chocolate into the puree while the blender is running. Freeze in molds.

Helpful Tips

* Coat the inside of popsicle molds with light oil such as safflower or canola to make unmolding easier. Running warm water over the mold before removing the popsicle also helps.

* Just about any smoothie recipe can be frozen into popsicles.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large Yukon gold potato, thoroughly scrubbed, keep skin on
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tomato sauce (homemade or from a jar)
½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Cut the large potato into 8 slices and brush each slice with a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake in to oven for about 10 minutes. Then turn over and bake for a further 8 minutes or until crispy and browned. Remove from the oven.

Spread each slice with tomato sauce and top with cheese. Put back in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted.

This makes a lovely afternoon snack for hungry children.

If you have children, you know how much they love to snack. It doesn’t matter if they’ve just finished eating a meal – someone is always looking for something to munch on. The trick to quick and easy snack ideas for kids is to have healthy snacks around which are ready to eat. Below are some snack ideas you may want to keep in your home.

Probably one of the foods children like best – whether for a meal or a snack – is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Unless they’re allergic to peanuts, most children love them. In fact, some children will choose PB&J over almost any other food no matter the time of day or night.

Bagels with cream cheese can be a good snack if you choose the low-fat version of cream cheese. Even using full-fat cream cheese is a better choice than keeping soft drinks and potato chips available for your children to snack on. Make the cream cheese more nutritious by adding fresh or frozen fruit.

Fresh fruits are nearly always a hit with children. Apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges and bananas can be enjoyed without much preparation. You can also cut up watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew and keep those available in the refrigerator. Quick and easy snacks for kids are ones they can grab and go, so fruit is a great choice.

Cups of yogurt are also common quick and easy snacks for kids. Buy plain or vanilla yogurt and add your own pieces of fruit. Strawberries, blueberries and peaches are good additions. You can also add the fruit, stir it up and then pour the yogurt mixture into popsicle molds for a great frozen treat.

Fruit smoothies are another way to get your children to eat their fruits and vegetables. Put a handful of ice cubes in a blender, various fruits and a little bit of orange juice. Blend it up until smooth. To get added color and nutrients, toss in a handful of raw spinach. The smoothie might look a little odd but your children won’t even taste the spinach.

Cut up carrots and celery and keep them readily available. You may also want to add broccoli (some children call them tiny trees) and cauliflower. Sliced cucumber might also be a good choice. Let them use salad dressing and they may be more willing to down those veggies.

Cheese sticks are pretty handy to have in your refrigerator. Most children love cheese. You can get string cheese, sticks and squares. Let your children build shapes with cheese and pretzels. They’ll have a blast and enjoy their snack when they’re finished building.

The above quick and easy snack ideas for kids are ones most families can try. Of course, you’ll want to consider any food allergies your children might have when choosing a healthy snack for them. You can also look in cookbooks and magazines to find other ideas to let your children test to see how they like them. Here’s to happy snacking!

Children love to snack. Unfortunately, most snacks that you can buy in the store are unhealthy. They’re packed with sugar, fat, and sodium. None of this is good for your health or your children’s. With a little advanced planning, you can have quick and easy snack ideas on hand at home. Here are seven fast snack ideas your kids will love.

#1 Apple slices and cheese - It sounds so simple and so basic but children love apples and cheese. Add a few whole grain crackers and even some slices of ham and you have a well-rounded and healthy snack idea. The good news is, it only takes minutes to prepare. Make it fun and use a small cookie cutter to cut the cheese into fun shapes.

#2 Ants on a log – This is an old favorite and can be prepared two ways. The foundation of both preparations is celery sticks cut into two to three-inch lengths. Place natural peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese down the middle. Now top with raisins or chocolate chips – they’re the ants!

#3 Gorp – Gorp stands for good old raisins and peanuts. However, you can give it any twist you like. Many children are allergic or don’t like peanuts. Substitute dried fruit chips, whole grain cereal like Cheerios or Chex. Add a few chocolate chips or candies and your children have a high fiber snack they can eat by the handful. Prepare a large batch of it and serve it as an after-school snack. It’s also great for road trips.

#4 Baked chips and salsa. Again there are two approaches to this tasty snack. You can use wonton wrappers or corn tortillas. With the wonton wrappers cut them into triangles. You’ll get two triangles per wrapper. Brush them with a little bit of sesame oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for ten minutes. Watch them carefully. When they begin to brown at the edges they’re done. Let them rest for a few minutes to get crispy, then serve plain or with a fruit-based salsa or chutney.

If you’re using corn tortillas, cut them into squares, brush with vegetable oil and place in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes. Again, watch the time because they can get too dark very quickly. Serve with salsa.

#5 Edamame. Edamame are soy beans in their shell. You can buy them frozen or fresh. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Place water in the bottom of the bowl to steam the beans. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for three to five minutes. Test. If the beans are still cool, warm for another few minutes. Sprinkle salt on the beans and enjoy.

#6 Hummus. Hummus is a mixture of chickpeas and tahini (sesame paste). It’s usually made to taste. Begin with a can of chickpeas and a tablespoon of tahini. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with vegetables to dip.

#7 Air-popped popcorn. You can buy an air popper for under twenty dollars. Keep fresh popcorn on hand. You can buy it in bulk. Melt margarine or spray with low-fat margarine topping. Sprinkle salt lightly and enjoy.

Kids love to snack and eat. With these seven quick and easy ideas you can be sure they’re eating healthy too.