Recipe: Banana Blueberry Swirl pops, Tangerine Pops, Fudgesicles, Fruity Popsicles, Double Strawberry Milksicles

Banana Blueberry Swirl pops

3 to 4 ripe bananas (1 pound)
1 1/2 cups lowfat yogurt, recommended: Stonyfield Farm BaNilla or your favorite flavored yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup fresh blueberries
Hot water, for unmolding

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree bananas until smooth. Add yogurt, sugar, and lemon juice; pulse to combine. Remove 1/2 of the yogurt mixture; set aside.
Add blueberries to processor and pulse until just combined. Layer blueberry and reserved yogurt mixtures into 10 (1/3 cup) popsicle molds. Using a wooden skewer, swirl the 2 flavors together. Insert popsicle sticks. Freeze until frozen, about 8 hours.

Dip molds quickly in hot water to unmold.

Tangerine Pops

8 whole raspberries
16 ounces tangerine juice
8 toothpicks

Stand 1 raspberry right side up in the bottom of 8 (2-ounce) small plastic cups. Stick a toothpick in each berry so it is standing up straight. Carefully pour tangerine juice over the berry and freeze. Turn out of plastic cups and serve.

Fudgesicles

3 cups milk
1/2 cup chocolate milk powder
2 tablespoons malted milk powder
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

In a blender combine the milk, chocolate milk powder, malt powder, and corn syrup and blend well. Pour into a popsicle mold with lids, insert wooden sticks, and then freeze.

Notes about the recipe: Why buy these when they're so easy to make. And the kids can do it themselves, as long as you clean up the counter afterwards. Buy popsicle molds at specialty cookware shops or a large discount store like target in the summer. I used to ride my bike up town to the dairy store and buy these to keep me cool in the summer. We didn't have air conditioning so this was the alternative.

Fruity Popsicles

1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid
1 package Jell-O (same flavor)
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water

In a bowl, dissolve the Jell-O and the Kool-Aid in the boiling water. Add the sugar and cold water. Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze until firm.

Double Strawberry Milksicles

1 cup low fat milk
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberry halves in syrup
1/2 cup fat free strawberry frozen yogurt or strawberry sorbet
1 popsicle tray (holding eight 2.5 ounce popsicles)
8 popsicle sticks (may come with popsicle kit)

Partially thaw berries by leaving at room temperature 10 minutes or microwaving the package at high power 10 seconds. Place partially frozen strawberries with liquid in blender container. Add milk and frozen yogurt or strawberry sorbet. Cover; blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle tray. Place popsicle sticks in centers. Freeze until firm. Makes eight 2.5 ounce servings.