Apple Cider & Pomegranate Popsicles {and a Give Away}

These naturally sweetened popsicles are a perfect early fall treat. We are loving the cooler weather here in The Valley of the Sun (by cooler I mean in the 90's) and sitting out on the back patio with one of these popsicles is a special after school treat for the boys. Little miss thinks that "Popsicles are the World's greatest of all foods ever!" I'll have to agree with her on this one.

With the overload of sweets and candy that seem to be everywhere in late October I am especially happy to give these to my kiddos for a special treat. Apple cider and pomegranate have lots of vitamins and antioxidants to fuel the bod.

I really loved the combination of sweet, spiced apple cider and 

mouth puckering tart pomegranate in these.

Zoko sent me one of their pop makers to trial and I gotta say, I'm very impressed! Not only can you pour just about any combination of flavors and ingredients in the Zoku including yogurts, fresh fruit and nuts and have a cold, sweet treat in less than 10 minutes but they don't come out freezer burned and rock hard like the popsicles I've made in the past. Totally cool.... get it....cool?  O.K. fine 80's humor aside these popsicles rock! ;}

Love the cute, modern design! What color would you choose?

Next on my list? Chocolate pops! Thanks goodness these freeze super fast for those last minute chocolate emergencies!

photo source: Kid Crave

You Will Need

1 cup vanilla almond milk (helps the pops to not be like an ice cube in texture)
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons real maple syrup (not the artificially flavored kind)
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Pour the pomegranate into the Zoku maker and let sit 5-6 minutes
Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender till combined.
Using a small funnel, pour the apple mixture into the Zoku, on top of the now frozen pomegranate juice.
Wait another 5-6 minutes and watch as they freeze in front of your eyes on your countertop!

Give Away is for 1 triple Zoku pop maker (they also come in single and duo) in the color of your choice, a $49.95 value.
Winners must live in USA or Canada





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read more ...

Ginger-Pear Popsicles

Have you ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder 'SAD'? According to the Mayo Clinic it is described as a very real condition which is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. Usually symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.

Usually people who are affected with this live in a part of the Country or World where there is less light during the day such as in Washington State or the East Coast here in the States. This being said, my husband is convinced he has SAD. He's not the type of guy to complain or even mention that he not feeling well and has 'jokingly' said he must have SAD when I ask him why he is so sullen lately. The fact that we live in Phoenix, Az., the Valley of the Sun makes it harder to wrap my head around the possibility that a native Zonie can have a condition that is primarily caused by a lack of light. (light therapy usually helps treat this condition).  Maybe a vacation to the Bahamas is in order! I've been feeling a bit moody or as I like to say "hormonally unstable" lately as well. Then again, I'm used to it. ;)

Maybe a V-K isn't possible right now but I'm pretty sure popsicles cheer up most everyone, right?

Who says popsicle season is over? IMHO it's the perfect time for a cold sweet treat especially when all of my favorite flavors are in season like pears, pumpkin and apples. Apple Pie popsicle anyone? Check back on Thursday for the recipe and a chance to win my new favorite toy, the Zoku Pop Maker. This cute little gadget is cord free and can freeze popsicles in about 5 minutes! Shazaaam!

Ginger Pear Popsicles

Simple ingredients: Fresh pears, ginger root, vanilla almond milk and honey.

Did you know that ginger is excellent for calming a sick tummy? If you or your kiddos have an upset tummy give them one of these popsicles, it will help with nausea. I wish I had thought of these

when I had morning sickness for months on end!

My favorite pear to snack on are Bosc's although they are slightly grainy and next time I won't use them in popsicles. As my 8 year old put it "It tastes like you put sand in these."

These are my other favorites:

Bartlett's  are the juiciest pears when eaten raw and, consequently, lose their shape when cooked, turning to pear-sauce quite easily with the briefest exposure to heat. They are perfect for making Pear Butter or any other recipe where you want the pears to fall apart when you cook them.

Anjou  pears have a mild flavor and a firm texture, while still being sweet and juicy.

Bosc  pears are crisp when raw and hold their shape beautifully when cooked. They have the best example of the soft, grainy texture associated with pears. They are easy to recognize by their brownish russet skin, classic pear shape, and heady pear aroma. Use them to make savaory dishes like Pork With Pears and Chiles and Bourbon-Glazed Pears, or in desserts like Upside-Down Pear Cake and Sparkling Pear Sorbet.

Asian  pears are super crunchy - more like crisp apples than other pears. They are great for eating raw, especially when sliced or diced into salads. They are so good raw, in fact, that people rarely cook Asian pears. If you have a glut of them, though, they work wonderfully in tarts and crisps, like this Asian Pear Crisp. 

Ingredients 

3 fresh pears (any kind should work)1 small piece of fresh ginger root (about the size of your thumb)1 cup vanilla almond milk1tablespoon local Organic honey1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth, NO ice! I used my Vitamix so I even included the seeds and skins on the pears. Pour the mixture into the Zoku Pop Maker. Set timer for 7 minutes and watch while your kids peer over the top and watch the Popsicles freeze before their eyes!

The Results?

Jack ~ 8 1/2 years old "They taste kind of like nothing"  He's my cynic  

Nolan ~ 7 years old   "They're delicious! They kind of taste like chocolate but not really. Next time can we have chocolate popsicles?" He's my little sweet tooth.  

Mona ~  4 years old   "Mmmmmmm, these are sooooooo goooooooood! They taste just like a popsicle!"  She's my baby. ;}

Bottom line? I loved them! They were very refreshing with just a hint of zing from the ginger and a touch of sweetness from the honey.  Next time I might add a bit more honey to appease the kids. Perfect for sitting out on the back patio during the fall months with a cool breeze. 

Don't forget to stop by on Thursday for my Apple Pie popsicle recipe and a chance to win a Zoku Pop Maker!

happy snacking!

Read more ...

Strawberry Lime Aide Margarita Swirl Popsicles

There's one National Food Holiday that I look forward to every year.  No, not National Nutella Day (I'm sure there's one of those) but National Margarita Day! It couldn't fall on a better day as far as I'm concerned. While I'll attempt to refrain from bragging that it's perfect patio sitting and margarita sipping weather here in Phoenix, I know most of the country is fed up with the blizzards and sub zero weather. Ick. 

{Sweet Treat Alert ;}

But let's think positively shall we? I think some genus of a person (obviously a woman) pinned National Margarita Day on February 22nd for a good reason. Perhaps for those who are at their wits end with snow days and snow boots and snow plows they can turn up the heat a bit, put on their sundresses and bathing suits and sip on a frosty margarita!


Makes perfect sense! I'm rational that way.

Let's savour every single tart, tangy and sweet drop of a Strawberry Lime Aide Margarita frozen style. Let the sticky sweetness slowly melt and drip on your fingers. Then slurp it up quickly so as not to waste a drop! These can be poured into tiny Dixie cups and put in the freezer with popsicle sticks like we did in the 80's (minus the tequila) or if you have a ZOKU pop maker you can have one of these Margarita pop's in less than 5 minutes. 

Yes, seriously.  5 minutes!

You Will Need


3 cups chopped strawberries
2 cups prepared lime aide (found in the frozen section)
3-4 ounces tequila of your choice
some sort of popsicle maker, mold or dixie cups w popsicle sticks (I love our ZUKO)



Make lime aide according to directions but use only 1/2 as much water!!!  In a blender, puree strawberries until smooth. Pour a bit of strawberry puree in mold. If you are using a conventional method you will need to put the molds/cups in freezer and wait 15-20 minutes. If you re using a ZOKU it will take about 1 minute. Pour a bit of the lime aide on top of frozen strawberry layer and let freeze. Repeat until the mold is full. 

Sit back. Kick your feet up and hang in there until Spring arrives!





A big.fat.huge.THANKS to Heather aka girlichef for organizing yet another magnificent Margarita Day roundup! She is one of my longest standing relationships in the food blogging world and I owe much of where I am, wherever that may be in part to her. If you haven't already, you really need to follow along on her site, girlichef. Seriously, some good f*#@ng food!

Don't stop at popsicles! Make a day..... weekend out of it, put on your best flip flops and sunglasses and check out these other margarita inspired recipes!

Margaritas:

• Blood Orange Margarita from Sidewalk Shoes
• Blood Orange Margarita from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Caramelized Grapefruit Margarita from girlichef
• Cinnamon Orange Margarita from Sweet Life
• Cool Margarita Mule from Peaceful Cooking
• Iced Coffee Margarita from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Mango Margarita from La Cocina de Leslie
• Minty Papaya Margarita with Chile de Arbol Spice from Nibbles and Feasts
• Pomelo Margaritas from Food Lust People Love
• Winter Pomelo Ginger Margarita from Muy Bueno Cookbook

Margarita-inspired food:

• Blood Orange Margarita Jello Shots from The Spiffy Cookie
• Pink Cadillac Margarita Cupcakes from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Salted Margarita Shortbread from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Strawberry Lime Margarita Cupcakes from Wishes and Dishes
• Strawberry Lime Aide Margarita Popsicles from Simply Healthy Family

Read more ...

Banana Split Popsicles {sugar free & healthy}

Inspiration for today's post comes from the fact that is 113F out and getting. even. hotter. The fact that it doesn't rain here in Phoenix makes me wonder how the hell so many idiots people decided to make this their home. It's a mystery..... and I'm Native..... idiot.






To make matters even more miserable, I work in the Operating Room aka meat locker (that didn't come out right). Meaning that we keep the AC around 59F-62F at all times and complain when it reaches 66.7F.  We are a strange group us medical people. So when I leave the perfectly normal frigid temps of the O.R. and walk outside into the blinding desert sun (no windows in surgery, could be an apocalypse and we'd never know) my internal body temperature starts to boil in exactly 13.2 seconds. Which is exactly how long it takes me to get to my car, open the door and step right into HELL, at 125+ degrees F.



Leather seats, wearing shorts, with no window shade, no parking garage, in Phoenix, in July. I'm all kinds of smart.

Eating a Banana Split on a stick = Very, very smart.

What I do have going for me are Popsicles. Granted I've seriously considered rubbing them all over my overheated face and body on more than one occasion. Desperate times, desperate measures.

Typically, light and fruity Popsicles or even frozen fruit are our only source of snacking and desserts here during the summer months but seeing as that it's a Major Holiday in July I decided to step dessert up a level.




What's even better than a big Ooooey Goooey Banana Split? A Banana Split that is combined together, layer by layer and then frozen on a stick to slowly enjoy while you sit waist deep in your pebble tech, salt water pool. With your big, ridiculous floppy hat of course.

Strawberry, coconut puree, frozen bananas blended with vanilla almond milk and fresh cherries and pineapple in every bite. Drizzle with chocolate and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. 

Summer just got better. 

I learned a few things while making these Banana Split Popsicles,

1. Making and attempting to photograph popsicles in July in Phoenix is a feat worthy of serious admiration. 
2. Banana Splits in popsicle form are sheer genius that you can eat single handedly while sitting in the pool, no spoon required.
3. I need a cherry pitter thingy-ma-jig.
4. My mom just called me a lazy bum because I want a cherry pitter thingy-ma-jig. She's mean. 
5. It's perfectly acceptable to dip fresh cherries and pineapple into melted chocolate before dinner while you are waiting 3-5 minutes in between popsicle layers to freeze. 

You will need

A ZOKU popsicle maker or other popsicle mold
2 cups fresh strawberries, greens removed, or not (I leave them on, lots of nutrients!)
1/2 cup coconut milk (in a can)
* tablespoon monk fruit in the raw
2 fresh bananas
1/2 cup vanilla (or plain) almond milk)
*1 tablespoon monk fruit in the raw
1 handful fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half
1 handful of pineapple tidbits
1 cup semi sweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

To Make

In a blender, combine strawberries, coconut milk and monk fruit in the raw. Blend until smooth. Carefully pour into popsicle molds 1/4 deep. If using a ZOKU, wait 3 minutes till frozen then pour in the banana mixture. If using old fashioned popsicle molds, put in freezer until frozen, about 2 hours.
Rinse out strawberry puree from blender and then add bananas, almond milk and monk fruit in the raw. Blend until smooth. Drop a few cherries and pineapple tidbits into popsicle molds then carefully pour in banana mixture. If using a ZOKU, let freeze for a few minutes then remove and drizzle melted chocolate on top and sprinkle with chopped nuts. 

Need some more summer worthy snacks? I've seen some pretty delicious and perfectly picnic/4th of July worthy recipes from my blogging buddies such as:





Boozy (or not) Watermelon Stars

Red White and Blueberry Yogurt Pops from The View from the Great Island

Something super simple

These Fire Cracker Berry Margarita Floats from Half Baked Harvest!

And of course PIE! I know Apple Pie is an American Symbol of summer and picnics and even the 4th of July but I happen to l.o.v.e.  home made Cherry Pie the most.


Loaded Cherry Pie from Joanna at Eats Well with Others

Read more ...