B-r-r-r-licious! Easy–Peasy Cold Treats for Hot Days!

I scream…
You scream…
We ALL scream for…
Super-healthy frozen treats that our mothers would approve of!

Okay–it’s not likely that kids are going to change their tune when it comes to cool summer treats on a hot day, but just because it’s B-r-r-r-licious, doesn’t mean it can’t be healthy too! (Shh…let’s keep that part our little secret, shall we?)

Our MOMeo Favorite Easy-Peasy B-r-r-r-licious Recipes

Berry-Banana-Spinach (yes, you heard right) Smoothie Surprise

Ingredients:
1 banana
4 ice cubes
2 (500 mL) cups of frozen strawberries, blueberries (mixed in whatever ratio you prefer)
1 tbsp. of honey
1 cup (250 mL) frozen spinach (you can buy frozen in slabs or in balls)
(Note: You’re looking for a roughly 3 to 1 ratio of fruit to vegetable)
1 (250 mL) cup vanilla yogurt
1 (250 mL) cup milk (adjust milk for desired final consistency of smoothie–thick or thin)
1 tbsp. of ground flax seed
Optional: ½ tsp. of vanilla extract

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in blender in the order they appear (except for flax which goes on top) and mix!

Notes:
Use the milk at the end to adjust the consistency of the smoothie (thick or thin) to your own tastes. Also, if you love vanilla; that little extra pinch is a nice touch.

The spinach (surprise!) is completely masked by the blueberry color and by all the other flavors–ha ha–
and the ground flax seed tends to go unnoticed because strawberries already have little seeds. This is a really delicious way to slip some very healthy things into the kid’s (and your) diet.

Scrumptious Raspberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) raspberries
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cup (375 mL) plain yogurt
1 cup (250 mL) cream 35 %
1 stiff white egg

Preparation:
In saucepan, dissolve sugar in water over low heat. Bring to boil and simmer until mixture reaches 225°F (107°C). Pour sugar syrup in food processor and set aside.

Reserve a few raspberries and banana slices for garnish. Purée remaining raspberries and banana slices with sugar syrup in food processor.

In large bowl, stir fruit purée into yogurt. Freeze for 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip cream until stiff and set aside. Remove frozen yogourt from freezer and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream and stiff egg white. Put mixture back in freezer and freeze until frozen.
Place 2 to 3 scoops of frozen yogourt in dessert cups and garnish with reserved raspberries and banana slices.

So-Good Frozen Melon Kabobs

Ingredients:
½ (125 mL) Cantaloupe (or Honeydew)
1 cup (250 mL) of cubed (firm) watermelon
About a dozen or so whole strawberries (hulled and washed)
–Make sure all fruit is firm and fresh!
Optional: Powdered (Icing) sugar or ½ cup of honey
pinch of cinnamon or ginger

You’ll also need wax paper and/or small non-stick cookie sheet

Preparation:
Prepare 2 dozen Cantaloupe and or Honeydew melon balls (if you don’t have a melon baller, then cutting the melon into bite-size cubes works just as well)

On a shish-kabob skewer, alternate melon balls (or cubes) with watermelon and strawberries (keep the strawberries whole {except for leaves}–they work better and look cool)

Cover a plastic or metal sheet with wax paper (or use a non-stick sheet) and lay out melon kabobs so they’re not touching. Dust with powdered sugar (if you like) or heat honey in microwave until melted and drizzle over kabobs. If you go with the melted honey, a nice change-up can be adding a wee pinch of cinnamon or ginger to the honey.

Once you’ve laid out finished kabobs on the cookie sheet; very very gently (just let it waft down) cover with another piece of wax paper.

Freeze well! If you’ve used the honey, you might want to tease them off the cookie sheet with a spatula in case they’ve stuck a bit. Or if you’ve used wax paper, carefully flip them over and let gravity do the work.

Notes:
You can make as many as you like by expanding ingredient amounts–this recipe makes about six kabobs. Once the kabobs are frozen and have been removed from their metal or plastic sheets they can be gently packed into a storage container for later. Besides a yummy healthy frozen treat, the non-sugared or non-honeyed version makes a fantastic alternative for ice cubes in a long tall summer drink! Mmm–summer drinks…

Got a favorite summer treat you’d like to share with MOMeo Magazine? Add it to the comments below and you could be the next reader we feature in an upcoming issue of MOMeo Kitchen!