Chill Out This Summer with Homemade Treats

    Up until the past two days, our summer has been pretty chilly. With this heat wave upon us, I have been filling my freezer with homemade goodies for the kids. When you need to chill out this summer, you can whip up some of these super easy, and fast homemade treats.

Chill Out This Summer

    My boy and his friends love our homemade popsicles. I'm always trying to mix it up, and give them something not only yummy, but somewhat healthy too. I make juice bars, fruit bars, sherbet pops, and pudding pops. 

     If you were born in the eighties chances are, you remember the creamy goodness of pudding pops. However, they aren't readily available in all grocery stores anymore. So how do we share them with our kids? Easy. We make them! And it's so easy, that your kids can even make them too! Better yet, all you really need are popsicle molds, and pudding.

Let's Make Some Pudding Pops

    I've been making these for some time now. I started out making them with instant pudding, but then when I was out, I used Snack Packs. They were so much better, so now that's all I use. Liam likes his in a "twist" like soft ice cream, so that's what I will be showing you today.

    Just grab your popsicle molds, and open up some Snack Packs. This mold took four of them. Two Vanilla and two Chocolate. All I did was take turns layering each flavor into the mold. I use a butter knife because it gets more into the mold, and less on the outside of it. 

    Once your molds look full, tap them on the counter. This ensures the pudding packs in, and helps rid the pops of air bubbles. Now if you need too, top of the mold with pudding. I fill mine just about to the top, so that they grab the sticks completely.

    Pop on all the lids, and place them in the freezer. Wait a few hours, and voila! Pudding pops!

So Many Ways to Keep Cool

    Another yummy popsicle to make is with fruit yogurt. My personal favorite is strawberry banana yogurt, with tiny chunks of fresh berries. To make ice cream or sherbet pops, just set it on the counter to soften a bit. Then fill your molds, and refreeze. 

    Fruit juice makes for yummy ice pops too. Liam happens to love cran grape pops, or berry punch. One of my favorite is made from just strawberries. I blend up fresh strawberries, and add a teaspoon of sugar. Then I fill my molds with that mixture. They are so tasty! 

    Do you have a popsicle recipe? If so, we'd love to hear it!

Tasty, Healthy and Easy Treats for Kids and Pets This Easter

    The final countdown to Easter is on! (Is it just me, or do you hear Europe singing that to you?) Anyway! The other day I was rummaging through my cupboards for what I could make my fur girls for Easter, when I stumbled upon the simplest idea! These tasty treats are not only easy to make but they're healthy, and safe for your kids, and your fur kids!

(Just in case you didn't hear Europe singing to you, here.... and you're welcome!)

Tasty, Healthy and Easy Treats for Kids and Pets This Easter

    Homemade yogurt bites! Simple, yet yummy! And your kids won't even realize they're good for them! You can make them in fun shapes with candy molds. If you don't have molds, or don't have time, you can make them as drops on a cookie sheet! 

    Not only will your children love them, but pets will gobble them up too! If you have both dogs and cats, then you'll be happy to know that these treats are safe for all of them. In moderation of course! (Especially if you use flavored fruit yogurt.) So let's make some!

What Do I Need?

    First and foremost, you need yogurt. Any flavor, any brand will do. I used strawberry banana, but I also make these by mixing plain yogurt with peanut butter. (We call it pup cream, and its what we treat our fur girls with on hot summer days.) 

One part plain yogurt, and one part peanut butter, makes these creamy snacks!

    Secondly you will either need candy molds, or a cookie sheet and parchment paper. If you're using candy molds, just grease them with a bit of olive or coconut oil. Then spoon in your yogurt, and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, pop them out of the molds, and place in a container, or some Easter treat bags, and put them back in the freezer until they're ready to be eaten.

    If you're using the cookie sheet method, first and foremost, MAKE SURE THE SHEET FITS IN YOUR FREEZER! Then line it with parchment paper. You can get as fancy as you'd like with these ones. If you want to be fancy, load your cake decorator with yogurt, and squeeze out your bites on the parchment paper. If you're pressed for time, or don't have a cake bag, no worries, just grab a sandwich bag. Fill it with yogurt, and snip off one corner. Pipe the yogurt onto the sheet, and place in the freezer. Voila, easy Easter treats that your entire family (fur or otherwise) will adore!