I love fruit! I also love summer. Unfortunately the heat and humidity can become overbearing, at least not without a few brakes to cool down. What better way to cool off than a few fruity summer lovin’ treats?
1. Frozen Grapes
Sometimes it’s good to keep it simple, especially when you want to keep your time in the kitchen to a minimum. Frozen grapes are easy to prepare and easy to serve, to yourself, your kids, or your friends!
What you’ll need:
- Strainer
- Freezer safe container with lid
- Kitchen towel
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of Red or Green Grapes (the red are the sweetest!)
Directions:
First detach all of your grapes from the stem and put them into your strainer. Place the strainer under your faucet and rinse the grapes thoroughly with warm water. Spread the grapes evenly out on the towel to dry, if they’re wet they’ll stick together when they freeze. When they’re dry, place them in your freezer safe bowl and put them in the freezer. Wait four to five hours before serving. I suggest making them in the morning, then they’ll be ready by the heat of the day!
2. Frozen Yogurt Smoothie
Smoothies are always at the top for refreshing summer treats. Here’s one new way to blend up a variety of flavors.
What you’ll need:
- Blender
- Ice cream scoop
- Liquid measuring cup
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Tall glasses
- Wide straw
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of your favorite flavor of fruity frozen yogurt
- 1 cup of assorted fresh fruit (have fun with the options!)
- ½ cup of milk or your choice of fruit juice
Directions:
Rinse your fresh fruit under warm water and dry with a towel. Using you knife and your cutting board, cut your choice of assorted fruit in pieces no larger than one inch wide. Drop the pieces into the blender. Take out your favorite flavor of fruity frozen yogurt and put one cup (three scoops) in the blender. Measure out ½ cup of milk or your choice of fruit juice and pour it into the blender. Blend until smooth and then pour into a tall glass. Place a wide straw in the top and enjoy!
3. Smoothie Pops
What do you do with the extra smoothie that won’t fit in your cup? Here’s just the thing. A fruity smoothie pop!
What you’ll need:
- Two glass cups
- Tin foil
- Popsicle sticks
Ingredients:
- Left over smoothie! (Or use directions above to make a new smoothie)
Directions:
Pour the smoothie until each glass is ¾ full. Cut out a square of tin foil large enough to cover the top of the glass. Place it on the top of the glass and seal it. Pierce the Popsicle stick through the top and into the smoothie, leaving enough for a handle. Put them in the freezer for two hours. Before serving, run the cups under room temperature water to loosen the pop from the sides. Voila, a chilled treat perfect for those lazy summer days in the sun.
4. Sugar Cookie Sandwich
We’re all familiar with the chocolate chip vanilla ice cream sandwich. But have you ever tried a sugar cookie raspberry ice cream sandwich?
What you’ll need:
- Ice cream scoop
- Knife
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients:
- One package of soft sugar cookies (or sugar cookie mix if you feel like baking)
- 1.5 quart raspberry ice cream (or fruity ice cream of your choice)
Directions:
Take out your ice cream ten minutes before making the sandwiches to allow it to thaw. Unwrap your package of cookies and lay them upside down. If you are baking cookies, begin there. Place one large scoop on the bottom of the cookie and top it with another cookie. Carefully press them together so that the cookies don’t crack. If there is ice cream sticking out around the sides, cut around the cookie with the knife to separate the excess ice cream. Wrap each sandwich individually with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for one hour. Unwrap and take a bite!
5. Frozen Yogurt Coated Banana Pops
This quick and easy dessert will make your friends and family go bananas!
What you’ll need:
- Knife
- Popsicle sticks
- Casserole dish
- Wax paper
Ingredients:
- 5 bananas (makes ten pops)
- 24 ounce container of your favorite flavor of fruity yogurt (without chunks)
- Chocolate shell syrup (Hershey’s makes a fantastic shell syrup!)
Directions:
Lay a sheet of wax paper on the bottom of the casserole pan. Peel all ten bananas and cut them all in half. Stick a Popsicle stick through the end you cut on all the bananas. Lay them all on the casserole dish and freeze for at least two hours. When the bananas are frozen, open your yogurt and stir until smooth. Dip each banana in the yogurt and lay them carefully back in the casserole dish. Put the dish in the freezer for about an hour, or until the yogurt is frozen. Lastly, drizzle some shell chocolate on the bananas and serve!
