Power of a Popsicle

It is at the end of the week and I overbought on yogurt and mangoes--so we will make popsicles.  I don't have a real popsicle recipe per se, but here are the general guidelines: 

• Add all the things that are about to go bad (apples too bruised to give to your kids, strawberries that look a little suspect, mangoes that you bought by the case because it was "such a good deal", bananas--the going bad ones are a deal at about 3.00 a lb. here.)
• Add  a couple of vegetables that you've cooked in the microwave.  I usually add a sweet potato, acorn squash, or carrots. 
• Yogurt or cream or milk (I prefer yogurt)
• Just enought juice (I've even added flat Sprite before) or water and sugar until it tastes okay.

Now admittedly these popsicles are not nearly as good as Dole fruit bars, but they are nutritious (provided your idea of "about to go bad" doesn't includes foods that already went.)  I blend these and pour into popsicle molds.  Now, my kids eat them.  They love them.  I'm not sure why.  They aren't terrible, I don't mind them, but Elise does the same enthusiastic sort of spastic dance for them that she does when she is telling me she doesn't have to go to the potty (implicit in that response is "in fact, this part of the floor will do quite nicely, thank you).  But I digress, Frankly, the kids like popsicles because they are popsicles.  And Popsicle is a magical word that conjures up wild enthusiasms from the five and under set.  We will have to see if it works at age six.

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One additional note:  Never underestimate the power of a Lollipop.  I read somewhere that it is a better nutritional choice than say a bag of yogurt covered pretzels or fruit juice.  Can you spell F-R-E-E-D-O-M.  All have little nutritional value, but lollies provide long lasting taste with relatively few calories.  We limit them to one a day and I usually give them out as we are walking back from the park.  Caleb can't whine about walking up the big hills nearly as much with one in his mouth and it makes for a much more pleasant trip home.

Comments

[Sarah's in the midst of it]

You never fail to make me laugh:) I'm going to have to try the lollipop thing--of course, that might mean that I start feeding them to the boys every time they complain, which would make all of their teeth fall out! But hey, at least it would be peaceful around here:)

[tammara]

Where were you and all of your bright ideas when I had little kids?!? LOL. This is what I got for being the first in my group of friends to have kids...

[Lori]

I really want a popsicle now. I don't suppose my last post about collard greens got you yearning for those, did it?

And the lollipop thing? I did not know that. Thanks for that tip.