Banana Soft Serve and Yogurt Pops
Growing up, I got dessert now and then, but candy was a rare commodity. All we had was a value pack of Trident in the kitchen cupboard, tucked between the mixing bowls and the vitamins. I had to hoard my Halloween stash and divvy it out slowly, making it last until Easter, which was the only other time of year that candy was prevalent.
Now I’ve got two kids of my own. For a while, both seemed equipped with the same level of restraint–despite the fact that I don’t mind having a little candy around the house–but once the oldest hit puberty, she went nuts. She’s become a maniacal candy hound, the likes of which I haven’t seen since The Great Cornholio. I don’t even know where she gets most of it. Now I find wrappers stuffed in the car door, on the bookshelf, in her pockets, bags, and between the cushions of the couch. “Why do you put the gummy bears in the cupboard where I can find them?” she asked one day, when I walked in and found her holding an empty bag.
It was time to find a way to satisfy her cravings for sweets without her sneaking around, binging on corn syrup and food dye.
Here’s what I have so far: two unbelievably easy, tasty, and reasonably healthy sweet snacks.
They’re too simple to call recipes.
First up:
Banana Soft Serve
What you need:
Yep. That’s it. No kiwi? No problem. It’s also amazing without it.
What to do:
- Peel and slice the banana.
2. Pop the sliced banana into the freezer for a few hours–or a few days, if you forget.
3. When the bananas are frozen, cut the ends off the kiwi, and slice it in half the long way. Then, carefully scoop the fruit from the peel with a spoon.
4. Throw the kiwi and frozen bananas into a food processor or some sort. Blend the fruit for what feels like EONS, until it is completely smooth, like soft serve. If your contraption has a hard time with the bananas, you can add a tablespoon or two of milk, juice, or water. With a Cuisinart, I didn’t need to do so, but the Magic Bullet had a tough time.
5. Voilá. Sooooooo tasty. Even Miss Twelve likes it, despite the fact that she hates bananas. I swear. In fact, she likes it best without the kiwi.
Next up: Yogurt Pops
What you need:
Yogurt and popsicle molds. I’m showing the Yo-Baby sized yogurt because a) it’s delicious, and b) one container fits well in each popsicle. But you might want to be more environmentally conscious and buy in bulk. We have tried blueberry, vanilla, mango, peach, and strawberry, and they are all delicious.
What to do:
- Pour the yogurt into the molds. Duh.
2. This leaves all kinds of air pockets. The best way to get them out is to tap the molds gently on the counter until they go away. Do NOT tap vigorously. I made that mistake, so you don’t have to.
3. Put on the covers, and freeze for several hours.
4. Enjoy! Miss Ten and I love eating these for breakfast.
Got some suggestions to add to our repertoire? Feel free to leave them in the comments.
LobeStir 