This record-breaking Texas heat wave is trying to do us in. We get about an hour in the morning in which we can garden or exercise – it’s pretty hard to do both. In the evenings it’s still hot, but at least it’s shaded, so you can get another hour to be outside, but you’ll be attacked by ravenous blood-sucking Texas-sized mosquitoes. Finally I decided that if I can’t garden the way I’d like to, I should figure out ways to help my family stay cool. So I’m going to experiment with making a variety of fresh-fruit popsicles – I’ll post the recipes after my family tries them and gives them their taste bud approval!
This isn’t a precisely measured recipe – modifications can be made based on what you have. If you can, use organic ingredients, especially the strawberries (conventional strawberries absorb a lot of pesticides –if you can’t get organic, wash them well with a vegetable wash to remove as much pesticide as you can). And yes, I added some greens to the recipe. I’m all about sneaking in the veggies – you can’t taste them or notice them in the fruit-loaded popsicles. What can I say — I’m a mom! The strawberry tops are loaded with nutrients, so keep them in!
If you don’t have popsicle molds, you can use cups or ice-cube trays. I just ordered from Amazon these amazing popsicle molds – they are BPA-free and you can pull them out individually, which is incredibly fantastic. You can choose from stars, rockets, jewels, or traditional shapes. I’m thrilled — though the boys chose the rockets over the jewel rings, go figure.
This recipe is tropical — the next recipe will be chocolate — wish me luck!
Tropical Popsicles
Makes about 8 popsicles
1 large mango – cut up a bunch of small “chunks” to add to the popsicles later; set those aside. Put the rest in blender (about 1 cup to 1.5 cups in blender) (if you prefer, you can skip the chunks and put it all in the blender to make completely smooth).
11 medium to large strawberries, with their green tops on – put in blender
Another 3 strawberries, cut into chunks (add the green tops to the blender)
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons agave nectar
Several baby spinach leaves
Ultimately the fruits and veggies amount to about 5.5 cups in the blender BEFORE mixing – so work with what you have. Blend the main ingredients thoroughly until smooth, then pour into the popsicle molds (or paper cups, or whatever you are using). Sprinkle in the chunks of mango and strawberries and push them in with the popsicle stick. Freeze until frozen – enjoy!