Summer is around the corner ;-)

Wow! It's April already... and we've already hit 100 degrees here! Whew. We have already gone through cases of otter pops and lots of Dreyers Fruit Bars... and plenty of homemade pops too. Allie is a huge fan. Here are the recipes I am going to try this week... sound like a yummy and healthy treat! I will let you know how they turn out. Here's the first recipe...

Banana, Berry, and Buttermilk Ice Pops

Puree 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk, 1 banana, 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries, and 1/4 cup honey or agave syrup in a blender until smooth. Pour mixture into ice pop molds and freeze. Makes 10 pops (75 calories each).

Firecracker ice pops

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 pound blueberries (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat plain yogurt

Directions

1. In a food processor, puree strawberries with 1 tablespoon sugar. Transfer to a small bowl. In processor, puree blueberries with 1 tablespoon sugar. In another small bowl, whisk together yogurt and 2 tablespoons sugar. Pour the 3 mixtures, alternating, into ten 3-ounce ice-pop molds, making 3 to 5 layers in each. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl mixtures together in an up-and-down motion. Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until solid, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (or up to 1 week).
   Cook's Note

For tropical pops, use 4 kiwis and 1 large mango (about 1/2 pound each) instead of the berries.