June Is Ice Pop Month

Do you know that?  Did you know that June is ice pop month?  Maybe it's because you have never been in my house where this is pretty much a 'house rule'.  For years, when my kids were small, we used Kool-aid and a Tupperware Ice Pop Molds to make summer treats.   Today life styles in the kitchen have changed.  Hopefully for the better.  Here's a couple of summer cool treat suggestions that I think everyone will enjoy.



Remember that the sky is the limit when it comes to what you can mix up for your frozen treat.  Also, I love the Tupperware molds but when you have a house full of kids, and adults who love these treats too, you can use the 3 ounce mini size Dixie cup or a disposable plastic cup if you have problems with them sticking.   

 

Keep it simple.  Puree your fruit, leaving a little bit of chunks is OK for us, add a small amount of water or juice, a bit of sweetener if you have tart fruit, and add to cups.  Layering is pretty and fun but does take longer since you have to freeze one layer at a time.  Think about how fun it would be to do red, white and blue ice pops for the 4th of July weekend.  Fun stuff.

Another thought - mix up your favorite Jello or pudding, omitting half of the liquid so you have a thicker base, add your puree to the Jello or pudding mix, and freeze.  Now you have a new twist on the original fruit pop.  What about chocolate chips?  Just sprinkle a few in when the mix has began to freeze or add between layers.

Just a little food for thought - Keepin' it a little bit on the healthy side is always a good thing and teaching the kids that healthy can still be tasty and fun is absolutely great.  Think about using and organic pudding mix, possibly using soy milk or even an almond milk, if your family is nut allergy free.  

 Ready for a couple more? 

 This is an all fruit and not a freezer treat idea -

Something that I have never seen at the grocery store is dried strawberries.  Maybe they are there but I have not seen them.  With the price of strawberries coming down in the store, now is the time for this delicious snack.   

Simply bake the strawberries on a cookie sheet for 3 hours at about 210 degrees.  Allow to cool before putting in a Ziploc bag.  If we don't finish these dried fruit treats, I put them in the fridge but allow to warm to room temp before eating then again.  

Back to the freezer for one more -

Frozen grapes are amazing.  Kids love to just pop these cold treats in their mouth when they are just

needing a little snack.

                                                                                                                               Another use for frozen grapes, you ask?   They are amazing at keeping a drink cold.  Weather it is a fruit drink or a glass of wine, this is the answer. The drink stays cool and doesn't get watered down.  You can eat them when you are done with the drink and start all over again. 

Last Minute Party Food Ideas

Never too late to do a little something fun and festive for the table.
Here's a few ideas that are simple and healthy too.

 This is one of my favorites.  And so super simple.  Simply open a can of crescent rolls, do not unroll; cut into thin slices and arrange on a cookie sheet in the shape of a tree.  Bake until golden brown.  When cool, top with your choice of spreads.  I like cream cheese with chives and finely chopped green onion. Add finely chopped veggies and if you like, a nice little rope of red bell pepper.

You guest can easily pull apart a section making for easy service.

Also - you could arrange your sliced rolls in the shape of a wreath.  Then you have the entire center of the design to add dip or veggies, if you like.

One more idea here - if you arrange in the wreath shape, tops with butter and brown sugar.  After baking, add some red and green cherries, and perhaps some small pieces of pineapple.  This will make for a great sweet treat. 

Just a little bit of advise here -
I don't mind buying the generic or store brands to give them a try.  But when it comes to crescent rolls, you can beat Pillsbury.  I have tried many other brands and they never seem to be consistent in texture or even the way they pull apart.  And you can watch for coupons and probably pay the same price.  

Here is another simple little goodie.  You can make this with your favorite  'stuff' or an assortment of fillings.  You start by making your basic tortilla wrap, with spinach tortillas.  Fill and slice.  then stack to form a nice little tree.  Again, this is super easy for family or guest to serve themselves.

You can garnish with tiny tomatoes, red grapes, tiny fruit cut outs, or any thing else you desire.

OK - the veggies are in the fridge so how are you going to display them for your guest?  You could lay them out on the platter, all pretty and organized.  Or you could fun it all up a bit with some creative designing.  Take a look at these veggies and tell me that the kids would not just love this.  And that goes for the big kids too.
Gonna start with my favorite.

 

So - there you have it.  Fun ideas to add to your holiday feast.  

Halloween Healthy Treats

If I were to have told my kids or grand kids that we were going with a healthy treat for a Halloween party, they would have hissed and booed like crazy.  How boring! Right?  Well, maybe not so boring.  Take a look at some of these great and fun snack ideas.

 

This guy would be great for adult gatherings, office parties, as well as the kid classroom.  Or, just do it as a special treat for the kids.  Add a little yogurt dip and keep it healthy.  Dip suggestions below. 

Top your favorite casserole with veggies, pretzels, boiled eggs, crackers and a bit of imagination and you have a great family dinner surprise.

Office, school, home - anywhere!  This simple little plate of veggies, combined with a bit of cottage cheese dip, veggie dip and yogurt dip makes for a quick and entertaining center piece.  Dip suggestions below.

Again, how fun is this guy?   Kids will be willing to eat this up and never realize just how healthy they are being.  The variety is great.  I bet you could add a few more goodies if you put your mind to it.  Add veggie dip or black bean dip for a perfect finishing touch.  Dip suggestions below.



So there it is.  Tempting and healthy snacks for October.  Actually - these could be made to work any time of the year.

Oh yeah - a few dip suggestions -

VEGETABLE DIP

2 c. plain lowfat yogurt

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained

1/3 c. minced fresh onion

1 env. (0.9 oz.) vegetable recipe soup mix

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients (except raw vegetables for dipping). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as a dip for raw vegetables. Makes approximately 3 cups.

COTTAGE CHEESE VEGETABLE DIP           

1 carton low-fat cottage cheese

1 pkg.  onion soup mix

Blend cottage cheese and stir in the soup mix.  Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

COTTAGE CHEESE DIP

1 (24 ounce) container cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, grated

2 green onions, sliced thinly

2 -3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

black pepper

Mix all above ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

For best results, use regular cottage cheese and sour cream, rather than reduced fat.

This will help form a thicker dip.

AVOCADO  DIP

 2 avocados, halved with pits removed

 2 tomatoes, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

 1/2 cup diced sweet onion

 1 lemon, juiced

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Scoop flesh out of the avocado and place it in a medium size mixing bowl. Mash the avocado well. Add lemon juice to the avocado and mix well. Place tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, onion, cottage cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper into the mixing bowl; stir until the ingredient are combined. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

BLACK BEAN VEGGIE DIP

2 cups black beans, cooked or canned

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin, powdered

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. red pepper, powdered

Place all the ingredients in a blender

Make absolutely sure you add the beans first! If you put the spices in first, you will create a paste so thick that it will jam your blender!

Run at "high" until smooth.

It may be necessary to stop the blender from time to time, and mix the ingredients with a spoon or spatula to ensure that all the ingredients are thoroughly and uniformly mixed.