Healthy Homemade Popsicle Recipes

Trying to get the kids to eat healthy cool treats?

Ok then this is the post for you – for these healthy homemade popsicle recipes all you need in the way of equipment is a food processor and popsicle molds.

Here are some that incorporate good fats, fruit and little or healthy sugars!

Lime Avocado Coconut Healthy Homemade Popsicles

Healthy Homemade Popsicle recipe 1

1 large ripe avocado

1 can coconut milk

1 whole lime zest

juice of one lime

1 tbsp. maple syrup or stevia

1 tsp chia seeds

Blend avocado and milk until very smooth and add the rest of ingredients and blend until mixed well.  Pour into molds and freeze. Serves 6-10.

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Strawberry Peach and Yogurt Healthy Homemade Popsicles

Healthy homemade popsicle recipe two

1 quart strawberries (pureed)

3 peaches skinned/seeded and pureed

Honey

Plain yogurt sweetened to taste with honey or vanilla yogurt

Add 2-4 teaspoons of honey to strawberries and peaches to taste.  Layer purees in popsicle molds alternating with yogurt and ending with fruit puree and freeze.

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Watermelon and Lime Healthy Homemade Popsicle

Healthy homemade popsicle recipe #3

1/2 a watermelon cubed

Juice of 1-2 limes

1-3 tablespoons of honey (to taste)

Add all to processor until smooth and liquid and pour into popsicle molds.

Freeze until solid (6-8 hours)

 

Kale Smoothie Healthy Homemade Popsicle

1 cucumber cut into chunks

4 leaves of young Kale (or substitute spinach) chopped roughly

1 banana

1/2 cup coconut water

juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon honey

 

Blend all ingredients together until smooth, pour into molds and freeze

Kale Detox Popsicles | 3 Veggie Popsicle Recipes

I hope you really enjoy these – I have heard that the silicone popsicle molds are really the best for getting the popsicles out easily – I plan on buying some soon – another way to do this old school is to pour the popsicle stuff into ice cube trays, cover with saran wrap or foil and then stick in a popsicle stick through the foil so it is supported and freeze… easy peasy!

Yummy Drink Recipes for Summer

Beach Drinks

Some background on how we came across the yummy drink recipes: So while on vacation this year during the first week of July, my family spent time at my In Law’s home. The once lived in Toronto but have retired and sold their house in the city, renovated the cottage, and now live in beautiful Port Elgin Ontario full time.  We have instructions to call this the cottage in perpetuity.

While there this year with my family, in laws and 15 year old niece Sydney, Syd and I decided we needed beach drinks.

And pineapple shaped glasses we found at Walmart for $3.50 (side note – apparently they are at the Dollar store for way less – perfect).

But who doesn’t need pineapple glasses for the beach?

So we came up with a few different recipes (2 appropriate for the 15 year old and one just for the over 19 crowd) – here they are:

Watermelon, Lime and ginger slushy yummy drink

Yummy Drink number 1 ingredients:

4- 6 cups of watermelon cubed (for slushy freeze these first)

juice of 3 limes

1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger grated

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Place watermelon and ginger in blender in batches and blend till smooth – pour through strainer and add lime juice, stir and serve with more crushed ice or ice cubes in super cute pineapple glasses.

*side note – yes I realize that the glasses are pineapple and fruit is watermelon – pretend this is somewhat ironic somehow…

 

Pineapple coconut milk smoothie yummy drink

Yummy drink recipe number 2 Ingredients:

one pineapple cut into chunks and frozen

2 bananas

2 cans coconut milk (full fat)

1 orange (fresh juice and zest of whole orange)

Place all ingredients into blender and blend till smooth – serve in cute pineapple glasses.

*side note – pineapple glasses more appropriate here.

 

Yummy Drink for over 19 crowd:

I can coconut water

1-1.5 oz Malibu rum

serve over ice or crushed ice in super cute (yet ironic) pineapple glasses.

 

Hope you enjoy (and if you drink the one for the over 19 crowd please enjoy responsibly!)

Canada Day Strawberry Cake!

Strawberry Season is upon us!

Happy Canada Day! One of my patients just posted this recipe and said I could repost it here because it looks soooooo amazing – I have not yet made it but maybe next week when I get some farm fresh strawberries.  Anyway, who wouldn’t like a strawberry cake?  Annnnd its Red and White just in time for Canada Day! Photo Credit to my Patient L.M.!

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I remember as a kid going strawberry picking each year with my mom.  This year my fave farm has closed and I am not sure where to go so I may actually skip it for the year so I can figure it out…. sad I don’t have that place to go to anymore but such is life…. thank goodness there are still lots of strawberry farms around the GTA! If anyone has a favourite please tell me!

Ingredients

Here are all of the things you will need for this Strawberry Cake:

Strawberry topper:

1/2 c sugar

2 tbsp. corn starch

4 c fresh quartered strawberries

1 tsp vanilla

Cake:

2 c flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs at room temp

1/2 c melted butter

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 c whole milk at room temp

1 tsp vanilla

 

Instructions

Strawberry Cake here we come!

Grease and flour a 10 inch round (or 9×9 square) cake pan and pre heat oven to 350F. Mix corn starch and 1/2 c sugar and sprinkle over strawberries as well as vanilla. Toss together and spread over bottom of pan.

Cake batter: sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.   In the bowl of an electric mixer beat eggs, and sugar together until foamy.  Mix together butter and oil in a measuring cup and add slowly to egg and sugar mix as it continues to beat.  Stir vanilla into milk, and fold in with dry ingredients alternating between wet and dry.  Pour batter over strawberries and bake 50-60 min until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting onto heatproof serving plate and serve with whipped cream.

Individual Avocado Key Lime Pies

Super cute healthy pie

Wanna look like the love child of a Naturopath and  Martha Stewart?  Try this recipe for individualized avocado key lime pies frozen in mason jars for your next summer BBQ or party – the beauty is they can be made ahead and frozen for 2-3 hours or longer, are healthy and taste great.  AAAANNNNDDD are super cute.

Image result for avocado key lime pie mason jars

I mean look at them – look how cute they are!

What you need

so the ingredients and such that you need for the avocado key lime pie:

4 ripe avocados

1/2 cup lime juice (real stuff is best)

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 Tbsp coconut oil melted

125 ml mason jars or a 9 inch pie pain

freezer space

food processor

Directions

So these super cute avocado key lime pies are super easy.  Here is the how:  Put avocados in food processor with lime juice and honey and process until creamy.  Mix crumbs and oil and press 1-2 tsp into each mason jar or all into a 9 inch pie pan.  Pour green stuff mixture from processor over crust, cover and freeze 2-3 hours. Serve frozen with coconut whipped cream (recipe for that below)

Quick recipe for coconut whipped cream

To top these cute little avocado key lime pies try this whipped cream made from coconut milk!

1 can full fat coconut milk

1-2 tsp sugar or sweetener (agave)

1 tsp vanilla

 

Refrigerate coconut milk in can for 24 hrs or more and freeze beaters 15 minutes before use.  Open bottom of can and pour out liquid and scoop cream into mixing bowl adding sugar and vanilla then beat and refrigerate till use.

 

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Good Fats and Protein

Avocado Deviled Eggs:  Ok, so here is a recipe full of good fat and protein.  Perfect for me this week as I am full on into keto diet again – eating tons of veggies, protein, fruit and good fat…   This diet is pretty sustainable and healthy if done properly – the trick is that you have to do some prep work AND have tasty things to eat – and who doesn’t like avocado and deviled eggs?  Hence – Avocado Deviled Eggs!

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 avocado

1 tsp cilantro

3 tsp lime juice

1 tsp red onion chopped fine

pinch salt and pepper

chili or paprika to taste

Directions

ok for the yummy Avocado Deviled Eggs – it is pretty simple:

Cut the hard boiled eggs in half and take out yolk.  Mash the yolks and 1 avocado together and add 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro, lime juice, onion and salt and pepper.  Whip together – you can even use a hand blender on whip to get it nice and smooth – then place by the spoonful into the 6 egg halves.  Sprinkle with chili or paprika.

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That’s it – simple yet tasty as always!

4 healthy ice cream recipes – that don’t need an ice cream maker

It’s Ice Cream Season!

I love ice cream.  Who doesn’t?

So for the last 5 years I have thought about buying an ice cream maker… ever since I saw one at Costco for about $40 and didn’t buy it.  You know what happens when you don’t buy something at Costco right?  Ya, it’s never there when you go back for it.

So every year this time I think about buying an ice cream maker.  I hem and Haw and don’t end up buying one… I have really no idea why other than I really don’t have space for another kitchen gadget…. and so I keep stalling.

So in this edition, I will post some healthy recpies I have collected to make ice cream, without the use of a fancy gadget (other than maybe a blender and freezer)

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

4 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar (or stevia powder)

 

Place strawberries in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with sugar.  Microwave until strawberries soften a bit and sugar dissolves in juices.

Place in blender with bananas – blend 2-3 minutes until smooth

That’s it – you can also freeze this and then just take out 10 minutes prior to serving to allow to melt a bit.

 

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

4 frozen bananas

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

 

Blend all and serve – freezes well as well!

 

Chocolate Ice Cream

Image result for healthy chocolate ice cream vegan

4 bananas sliced and frozen

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

5 tablespoons maple syrup

4 tablespoons chocolate chips (or leave out for paleo)

Place all except chocolate chips in blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy then stir in choc chips… that’s it – serve.  Also will freeze well just take out 10 min prior to serving to scoop easily

Watermelon Mint Ice Cream

Image result for watermelon mint ice cream

1 cup coconut cream

5 cups frozen watermelon cubes

a handful of fresh mint

2 tablespoons of maple syrup

pinch salt

 

Put all into blender and blend till creamy – then serve.  that’s it!  Can also be frozen and taken out to thaw a bit so you can scoop it.

Killer Mojito Recipe

A Mojito recipe from the Mojito Master

yep, that’s me. Mojito master. It is pretty universally agreed amongst all who have tasted my famed mojito that I kill it.

I planted mint in my garden and have let it pretty much take over a good corner… I highly recommend this so that you can always have a fresh supply.

As luck would have it I noticed last week that the mint was ready

so here we are  – Early June and HOT… way hotter than usual at this time of year. So today I sent the hubby on a special errand to the store to buy limes and simple syrup.  We buy the simple syrup made by Presidents Choice – which is very good.  You can make it on your own but the PC brand keeps longer in the fridge.

To make your own simple syrup

mix 2 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar and heat until all of the crystals dissolve.  Cool – ya that’s it.

 

An important note on limes

For a good Mojito I prefer regular limes to key limes – this isn’t a Corona afterall…

 

Ingredients

For one Mojito you need:

1/2 to 1 lime

12-20 leaves of mint muddled in glass

1 oz simple syrup

1 to 1.5 oz rum (I prefer dark rum)

soda water

ice

 

Directions

muddle the mint leaves directly in your glass.  Add rum,simple syrup and squeeze lime over top.  Mix with spoon. Cover with ice and then top up glass with soda water (use a small highball). 

 

Today marks the first of our summer Mojitos drunk while watching the Stanley cup Finals with the Golden Knights and Capitals tied at 1-1 in the series.  What else could be better?
Enjoy!

 

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Healthy Chocolate pudding

Love chocolate but not all the sugar and crappy stuff that typically goes in chocolate recipes? Here is a creamy awesome chocolate pudding made with the good fat of avocados and very little sugar that can be made vegan and nut free.  So healthy, so yummy.  Give it a try – you wont be disappointed.

the ingredients

for this chocolate pudding the ingredients you will need are the following:

4 very ripe avocados

1/4 cup chocolate milk or plain (also can use non milk substitute like almond milk or rice milk)

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon maple syrup or agave

 

optional 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom

 

Directions

combine cocoa powder and honey and whisk until combined well. Set aside.  Put the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend really well.  Then at cocoa mixture.  Put in half cup portions in small dishes or ramekins and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before serving. This is best served within 1-2 days.

Give this one a shot and add more good fats and green stuff into your diet while hiding it with chocolate 🙂

 

 

 

Killer Guacamole with Bacon – Southampton BeAcH HoUsE style

Long weekend Guacamole

With the first Canadian Long weekend of the summer upon us – the much anticipated May 2-4 or Victoria Day long weekend – many city dwellers are upon the roads (the 400 specifically) desperately battling traffic on the way out of the city to attempt to gain some peace and quiet (and maybe a little long weekend beer buzz) at the cottage.  We conjure up rest, beer, chips and dip and maybe guacamole…

Me, I am sitting here, dedicatedly typing away because I can not imagine leaving all of you in the lurch without a Sunday Recipe.

I love you that much.

Also, Leo and Ryan are at Hockey tryouts and we aren’t leaving for the cottage until tomorrow.

(Whatever)

Where this one came from – the back story

Ok, so this week’s recipe is long weekend and cottage inspired.  Specifically Port Elgin Cottage inspired.  This recipe came to me from a friend of mine who has a cottage in the neighbouring town of Southampton – her name is Tina (Hi Tina!)

I first tasted her legendary guacamole at a party at my neigbours (Ally that’s you) – this neighbour of mine is about as nutty as I am and throws the best costume parties every year.  Everybody dresses up and I mean everybody – ages 8 -82.   It is a blast.  Here are some of my costumes from over the years:

Enough back story where is the recipe already?

Ingredients for the best guacamole:

2 avocados

3 tablespoons onion diced

1/2 cup miracle whip

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup tomatoes diced

2 cloves of garlic (smushed)

4 pieces of bacon crumbled small

 

Smush up the avocado and mix everything together.

That’s it really…

Be careful though I really couldn’t lay off of this guacamole  – I had to walk away. (but then I kept walking right back over… ya, I don’t make it that often unless I want to eat the whole thing)

 

Kombucha Recipe

Ever heard of Kombucha?

You may very well have as it is all the rage right now.  It is a fizzy tasty fermented tea that you can buy in bottles at many health food stores and upscale markets… even Costco sells it now because it has become so popular.

One issue it is $4 a bottle on average (ouch)

Wanna learn to make it for pennies a bottle?  Ok maybe a nickel since we don’t have pennies anymore…

If so read on…

What you’ll need:

This kombucha recipe (and my first scoby) came from a patient’s girlfriend so thank you so much Candace!  This is posted with permission…

-Black tea (you can experiment with other teas but always have a back up scoby incase it gets mold, I’ve only used black tea and never had mold)

-Cane Sugar (can use other sugar but this one works best for the majority of brewers)

-Flavouring of your choice (berries, ginger, hibiscus, orange are some examples. This part is experimenting and finding what you like best)

-Non-metal spoon

-Kombucha starter

-Filtered water

-Scoby

-Container

-Vinegar

-Bottles

 

What the hell is a Scoby?

According to the Google:

Image result for scoby

Scoby” is actually an acronym: Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. And that’s exactly what it is! A scoby is the living home for the bacteria and yeast that transform sweet tea into tangy, fizzy kombucha — think of the scoby as the coral reef of the bacteria and yeast world.
You can make your own scoby and if you want to see this article:
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-scoby-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202596
It is easier to get one from someone – that is how I started. Each batch or two of Kombucha you should have a baby scoby and can give away your older one (though I suggest keeping a back up scoby in a ‘hotel’  (vessel with the scoby and some of the post brew tea and yeast) in case you somehow grow mould.

Why is Kombucha so popular

So, it is fizzy and tasty.  On top of that it is very healthy.  A way way better option than pop.

Kombucha is a fermented tea so it comes by its bubbles all naturally – fermented products have probiotics in them. Probiotics are important for gut health and their lack or imbalance in the microbiome of the gut have been tied to obesity, anxiety and depression and many more health related problems.  So, we should all be taking probiotics and eating probiotic rich foods like fermented one (kombucha, sauerkraut, kim chi, apple cider vinegar to name a few) as well as pre-biotic foods (foods that feed the microbiome like dandelion greens, onions and jicama).

Ok, on to the fun stuff…. the recipe.

Here is a Helpful chart

 

Kombucha Instructions

 

  1. Make sweet tea according to chart on page 3 depending on the size of your container and starter given (you can add majority of the water directly to the container, just keep some to make the tea).
  2. Steep the tea for 10 minutes, add the sugar to dissolve.
  3. Allow tea/sugar mixture to cool before adding to the container.
  4. Add the kombucha starter to the container.
  5. Add the scoby to the container.
  6. Cover with breathable cloth and secure with rubber band.
  7. Let sit for approximately 7 days (this varies depending on the temperature of your house and sweetness preference).
  8. At day 7 you should see a baby scoby has formed on the top of the brew (looks like a thin cloudy white layer).
  9. Remove the scobies and set aside in a container (the mother scoby will always be thicker than the baby scoby).
  10. Taste test the brew (should taste similar to apple cider, if it is too sweet put the scobies back in and allow it to sit for a couple more days. If it tastes too vinegary, shorten the ferment time next brew).
  11. When you are happy with how it tastes its time to bottle.
  12. Give the brew a big stir with a non-metal spoon to distribute the yeast evenly (this will help with carbonation).
  13. Remove kombucha starter for the next brew if using a 2-gallon jar this would be 4 cups worth.
  14. Bottle the remaining kombucha leaving about an inch of headspace on the bottles. (swing top bottles are preferred, if using another type of bottle be sure to check on it during the second ferment).
  15. During the second ferment is where you can experiment with different types of flavours. Keep in mind the sugar content of what flavours you decide to use. (for example: if using mango and ginger, the mango will be ready before the ginger)
  16. Secure the bottles with an airtight seal, if using screw top bottles make sure they are as tight as possible or your kombucha will be flat.
  17. Allow to sit on the counter for 2-4 days (swing top bottles are safe to leave, screw top bottles will need to be checked. You can leave the bottles longer but they may need to be burped, you can do this by slightly opening the cap and sealing it again to release some of the air)
  18. Once the bottles are ready, transfer to the fridge.
  19. The bottles will have formed little baby scobies in them; I personally strain them out before I drink it. They are safe to swallow if you don’t mind the texture.
  20. Make a new brew and repeat the steps, add the baby scoby to your new brew.
  21. Mother scobies can be stored in a hotel (separate container of backups). Store in cupboard put enough kombucha tea in to cover the scoby. If you do get mold you can use the starter tea in your hotel to make a new batch.