Cool Summer Treat: Blueberry Lemon Popsicles

Don’t want to wait for the ice cream truck to roll through the neighborhood? No problem. If you have popsicle molds already, then homemade frozen treats are just a few steps away. (And if you don't, click here to see some online.)

If you’re on a dairy-free diet, no problem – grab 12 ounces of blueberries and 4 tablespoons of honey (plus the lemon juice) and skip the yogurt entirely. Want to add some other fruits? Swap in some of your favorite berries! Plus, making these homemade popsicles is something the kids or grandkids might love to do. 

Blueberry Lemon Popsicles

(Makes about four popsicles)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, plus several extra dollops for each popsicle*
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Juice from one lemon (or about three tablespoons lemon juice)

Directions:

1. Mix 1 cup of yogurt, 3/4 cup blueberries, the honey, and the lemon juice together in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Grab the popsicle molds and put a few blueberries in the bottom of each mold, followed by a couple dollops of yogurt. Then, add a few more blueberries before filling the mold the rest of the way with the blended blueberry-yogurt mixture.
3. If the molds don’t come with handles, cover the molds with plastic wrap and make small holes in the wrap for the popsicle sticks -- then place the popsicle sticks through the holes and into the center of each popsicle mold.
4. Put the popsicles in the freezer for several hours.
5. Enjoy!

* If you don’t want the separate layer of yogurt, just blend the entire cup of blueberries with the entire cup of yogurt (and honey and lemon juice) and fill the molds completely with the whole mixture.

Red, White & Blue: Festive Berry Cake

The perfect addition to any celebration, this cake is especially quick and easy if you sneak in some pre-made ingredients.

The recipe itself calls for pre-made cake mix or a pre-made cake (many stores sell plain sheet pound cakes), but you could also use a homemade recipe for the cake itself. Click here to see a simple recipe from Joy of Baking, and follow the same steps as in the recipe after the cake is finished baking (letting it cool completely, etc.).

This recipe makes a 9x13 cake, but you can always double the recipe if you’ve got a lot of people to feed – this cake is sure to go quickly!

Berry Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 package (18.25 ounces) of yellow cake or a large pre-made pound cake (or use your own recipe – enough to fill a 9x13 pan)
• 1 8-ounce container of frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 3.5-ounce package of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained
• 2 pints strawberries, rinsed and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup milk

Directions: 

1. Prep the cake according to the box’s instructions (or your own recipe) in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Once done baking, let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
2. In a bowl, mix the instant pudding with the milk and vanilla until it’s smooth. Then, gently fold the whipped topping into the mixture until it’s well combined.
3. Frost the cooled cake with the whipped topping mixture. Then, place the blueberries in a square in the top-left corner of the cake. Then, arrange the slices of strawberries so they look like stripes across the cake.
4. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
5. Enjoy!