Easy Frozen Snacks for Summer

photo by Gyom Seguin

Although summer is fun, the summer heat can be overwhelming and horrible. You can endure the heat with these easy frozen snacks using ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

• Pour your favorite fruit juice or soda into an ice cube tray and freeze. Suck on the ice cubes for a refreshing treat or add them to your drinks.

• To make popsicles, cover the ice tray tightly with aluminum foil. Poke toothpicks into each mold for the stick of the mini popsicle.

• Buy popsicle molds at the store. You can find ones from $1 to $4 at Target. Fill them with your favorite fruit juice or soda and freeze. Or puree fresh fruit (such as nectarines, plums, strawberries, or other berries), frozen juice concentrate, and sugar to make a fresh-fruit popsicle.

• Freeze grapes for a cold, crunchy snack. Try freezing other fruits such as melon cubes and kiwi slices.

• Freeze bananas. Cut the bananas in half, push a popsicle stick halfway through, and freeze for a couple hours. Eat with peanut butter. To make chocolate-covered bananas, dip the frozen bananas in melted chocolate and nuts (if desired) and freeze for a few more hours.

• Make an ice cream sandwich: put a scoop of hard ice cream between homemade cookies.

• Make a cool strawberry yogurt pie. Fold two 6-ounce cartons of strawberry yogurt into 3 ½ cups of Cool Whip. Add ½ cup strawberries and mix. Spoon the mixture into a prepared graham cracker pie crust and freeze for 4 hours. Place the pie in the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving. [Recipe from Jo-Ann Stone.] You can do this with other fruits as well.

• Blend one 6-ounce can of frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1 cup crushed ice until smooth to make an Orange Julius. [Recipe from Arica Monroe Young.]

• For a cool, easy no-bake cheesecake, beat on medium speed two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and 2 tbs. lemon juice (optional) until well blended. Gently stir in 2 cups Cool Whip and spoon the mixture into a 6-ounce prepared graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate for 3 hours. [Recipe from Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese.]