Frozen Summer treats

With the arrival of summer (here in the southern hemisphere) comes the desire for ice confection or ice blocks. We know that most frozen confection on a stick is full of sugar, preservatives, artificial flavours and colours and usually has no nutritive value whatsoever. But how do we avoid the constant pestering by our little ones for a frozen treat on a hot day?
Home made ice and creamy treats are very easy to make and can provide a healthy solution to the commercial varieties. Using fresh fruit provides a sweet alternative to pure sucrose. Kids will be unaware that they are having vitamin C and fibre whilst they enjoy the sweet taste. Kids look for something cold, sweet and brightly coloured, so here are a few solutions to have up your sleeve.
Frozen yoghurt
300 g vanilla yoghurt
1 punnet strawberries or mixed berries

Wash and remove stalks from strawberries
Place yoghurt and strawberries in a food processor and blend till creamy
Place mixture into individual cups or moulds and freeze overnight
Ready to serve

*high in calcium and protein
*source of vitamin C and fibre
Strawberry and pineapple icy poles
1 punnet strawberries
½ pineapple

Wash and remove stalk from strawberries
Place in food processor and blend till smooth liquid
Fill individual icy pole moulds to half way with blended strawberries
Peel and chop pineapple
Blend till smooth
Gently add pineapple to moulds leaving small space to fit stick
Freeze overnight

*source vitamin C and fibre
*slow release fructose (fruit sugar) so they don’t get a sugar “hit”

Watermelon slushy
1 cup chopped watermelon (freeze chopped pieces before blending)
8 ice cubes

Place in food processor, use a slender blender or use slushy maker
Serve immediately

* Source of Vitamin C and potassium

Frozen melon ball sticks
Honey dew melon
Watermelon
Rock melon
6 wooden skewers

Using a melon baller scoop out 12 balls from each melon.
Thread alternate balls onto wooden skewers
Freeze overnight

*source of vitamin C, potassium and beta carotene

Tip:
Most fruits with a high water content, such as melons, berries and citrus fruits can be used for water ices. Grapes can be individually frozen along with segments of orange. Long wedges of pineapple can be threaded onto skewers and frozen whole. Frozen chopped bananas or mangoes mix well with yoghurt or can be made into refreshing smoothies

Tip:
Buying fruit in season not only tastes better but is more economical so when certain fruits are in plentiful supply, buy up big and freeze for use over the next few months.

Tip:
Most kids love to help in the kitchen so get them involved with making their own sweet treats.
Little kids jobs: Processing the fruit or yoghurt mixture
Blending the ice and melon
Threading the melon balls
Scooping out and filling moulds

Stay cool today
Kate x