Friday, July 27, 2012

Cool Off With Frozen Treats You Made Yourself




What Frozen Treat Am I Enjoying, in my
Adirondack chair on the beach?


I'm imagining myself on a tropical beach enjoying a frozen treat I made myself in my rented bungalow, only a few flip flop steps away.  What am I enjoying?  I'll give you two hints in the form questions. 


It's a dessert you can have year-round, but it's most popular in the Spring and Summer.  This time it has taken on an entirely new form.  I'll give you one more hint, as you enjoy my postcards from paradise.

What does Lemon Meringue, Fiber One Cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios and carrots have in common on a hot summer day?

If you guessed, they can be all made into frozen treats, then you've won the prize.   Actually, everyone who tuned into this week's text-webisode from iCafe Woman Moderne wins the prize.  

What's the prize, you ask?  Recipes from Betty Crocker.com on how to make these unique treats during the summer heat.  It's the perfect way to cool off as you watched the London Olympics.

"But if anyone who keeps looking steadly into God's law, he will not only remember it, but he will do as is says.  And then God will greatly bless him in everything he does."  Proverbs 1:25 



INT. - ICAFE WOMAN MODERNE GREAT ROOM - DAY


Our host, Kiki Jones, owner of iCafe Woman Moderne, a virtual cafe for inter-generational women, teens and girls... enter the great room in beach attire.  Monitors in the background show tropical beach scenes. The web camera takes a quick pan of the iCafe Woman Moderne divas busy creating our frozen treats.




KIKI
Miracles & Blessings, Kiki... here.  I'm so glad to be back, but I know you were in good hands with Brenda and Layla. 
 
Ladies Summer Light Weight Lace Flower Sun Crushable Fedora Trilby Hat Lt Brown


I've got my sun hat, sunglasses and sunblock and my first cool treat.   Behind me are our iCafe Woman Moderne Divas Sarah (48), Tarah (22) and Melinda (39) whipping up our Betty Crocker frosty treats. 


 (Snaidero Kitchens USA)


It's a lemon meringue pie.  No, it's a popsicle.  Our first tasty num-num is a frozen treat you and the little ones can make during this heat wave.  


Lemon Meringue Pie Pops




Can you think of anything better than a lemon meringue pie?  Pie pops... oh yeah!  Betty outdid herself with these.  Betty Crocker's frozen take on lemon meringue pie has a graham cracker crust, creamy lemon filling and a fluffy topping.  Yes, it's a slice of heaven on a stick!  Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS

1   box (4-serving size) lemon instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 ½   cups half-and-half
¼    cup fresh lemon juice
1   container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free lemon burst yogurt
7   tablespoons coarsely crushed graham crackers
¼   cup marshmallow creme
½ cup whipping cream

Step 1
In medium bowl, beat pudding mix and half-and-half with whisk 2 minutes. Beat in lemon juice and yogurt.

Step 2
Pour about 1/3 cup mixture into each of 7 (5-oz) paper cups. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon graham crackers. Cover cups with foil; insert craft stick into center of each pop. (Or fill ice pop molds according to manufacturer’s directions.) Freeze about 6 hours or until frozen.

When ready to serve pops, in small bowl, beat marshmallow creme and 1 tablespoon of the whipping cream with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add remaining whipping cream, increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. Remove each pop from cup. Spread top of each with about 2 tablespoons marshmallow mixture, forming meringue peaks.




Our mango, carrot juice and spinach (yes, I said spinach) pops are absolutely delish... as our girl Rachel Ray would say.  They're a fun and sneaky way to give kids and adults more fruits and veggies.  It's a win-win!  Enjoy! 


Crazy Carrot Pops
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours and 10 minutes
Servings: 6 

INGREDIENTS
2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free French vanilla yogurt
2 cups chopped ripe mango
1/2 cup carrot juice
1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves

Step 1
In blender, place yogurt, mango and carrot juice. Cover; blend until smooth. Reserve 1 cup mixture; cover and refrigerate. Divide remaining mixture among 6 (5-oz) paper cups, about 1/3 cup in each. Cover cups with foil; insert craft stick into center of each pop. (Or fill ice pop molds according to manufacturer’s directions.) Freeze about 2 hours or until frozen.

Step 2
 In blender, place reserved mango mixture and spinach. Cover; blend until smooth. When first layer is frozen, remove foil from pops. Pour about 3 tablespoons spinach mixture in each cup over frozen layer. Return foil to pops to support sticks. Freeze about 6 hours or until frozen.


To make these pops look like carrots, freeze in 4-oz paper cone-shaped cups. For sticks, use green straws. To strengthen straws, insert lollipop sticks through straws before freezing.
Look for carrot juice in the refrigerated case of the produce section. 


Strawberry Green Smoothie Pops            



Strawberry Green Smoothie Pops
Are you a smoothie lover?  Then, you'll love these pops. Green smoothies are today's trend and add that with a classic strawberry smoothie and you've got a wonderful summer staple.    Ingenious! Betty layered the two together for a delicious and colorful pop that pops out at you!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes 
Total Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes – 5 Servings

INGREDIENTS
1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free French vanilla yogurt
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free Key lime pie or French vanilla yogurt
1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup apple juice
  
Step 1
 In blender, place 1 container French vanilla yogurt and strawberries. Cover; blend until smooth. Spoon 2 tablespoons mixture into each of 5 (5-oz) paper cups. Cover cups with foil; insert craft stick into center of each pop. (Or fill ice pop molds according to manufacturer’s directions.) Put remaining mixture in bowl; cover and refrigerate. Freeze pops about 2 hours or until frozen.

Step 2
In blender, place Key lime pie yogurt, spinach and apple juice. Cover; blend until smooth. When first layer is frozen, remove foil from pops. Pour about 1 1/2 tablespoons spinach mixture in each cup over frozen layer. Put remaining mixture in bowl; cover and refrigerate. Return foil to pops to support sticks. Freeze about 2 hours or until frozen.

Step 3
Repeat with remaining strawberry and spinach layers, freezing at least 2 hours between layers.

For that great layered look, freezing completely between layers is necessary so that colors do not mix into each other.



Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4

Honey Nut Peach Smoothies
1 1/3 cups Yoplait® 99% Fat Free creamy harvest peach or creamy vanilla yogurt (from 2-lb container)
1 ½ cups Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal
1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches in juice, drained
1 cup milk
1 banana, sliced
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if desired

Step 1
In blender, place ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed 10
seconds. Scrape down sides of blender. Cover; blend about 20 seconds longer or until smooth.

Step 2
Pour into 4 glasses. Serve immediately.


You can use 2 (6-oz) containers of Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free French vanilla yogurt instead of the yogurt in the recipe if you like.
For frostier smoothies, substitute 1 1/3 cups frozen sliced peaches, slightly thawed, for the canned peaches. 


And last, but not least...








INGREDIENTS
1container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free strawberry yogurt
1 cup fresh strawberry halves or frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
2 tablespoons Fiber One® original bran cereal  

Step 1
In blender, place all ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed 10 seconds.

Step 2 
Scrape down sides of blender. Cover; blend about 20 seconds longer or until smooth.

Step 3
Pour into 2 glasses. Serve immediately.

For a smoother consistency, crush the Fiber One® cereal before adding it to the ingredients in the blender.

Don't be shy... give them a try, and let us know what you think?