Raspberry and Cantaloupe Popsicles

One of the great plus's of having a toddler in the summer time is that it brings back a lot of childlike magic from my own childhood and among other things, some of our current favorite activities we seem to indulge in often is popsicle eating, particularly outside all while trying to eat it as quickly as possible before the hot sun melts it into liquid waste. We like to find shapes in the clouds, run through sprinklers, draw with chalk, and play ball all while stuffing our faces with these cool and refreshing treats. If I can admit it without sounding like a juvenile adult, I still feel like a kid most summer days right along with my toddler- I'm just a lot taller and can actually speak in full sentences. Most the time.

And since popsicles are becoming my tot's main staple of nutrition, I am opting to take matters into my own hands and actually make them from scratch. This might just be the only area of my life where I title myself a complete control freak-knowing what is actually going into his food- it's hard not be with all the bad talk about preservatives and what have you.

Therefore, I am always on the lookout and search for "healthier" recipes that are kid-friendly and kid-appealing and this particular recipe sang Hallelujah's to me: fresh fruit puree protein-infused yogurt...... and they were an opportune coincidence: ripe cantaloupe lay on my counter, Greek yogurt hanging out in my fridge, and raspberries were just a trip away. The raspberry portion of the popsicle is such a perfect concoction of sweet and tart- the cantaloupe portion is just sweet and subdued- the two flavors make a perfect match for oscillating between tart and pure sweetness. I'll surmise and say that if cantaloupe isn't your thing, which, for a lot of people is true, you can use whatever fruit tickles your taste buds. It was tempting to not get my brain wrapped around all the potential combinations: kiwi and strawberry, banana and lemon, strawberry and nectarine, lime and raspberry... oohhhh don't entice me.

Raspberry and Cantaloupe Popsicles

{Everyday Foods, July 2011}

½ cantaloupe, seeded

1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 ounces)

2/3 cup sugar

½ cup Greek yogurt (or any other plain yogurt)

In a blender, puree cantaloupe and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh colander into a mixing bowl. Discard the solids (you should have a cup or so of “cantaloupe juice”). Set aside.

In a clean blender, puree raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth. Strain through a clean fine-mesh colander into another mixing bowl. Discard the solids (mostly seeds).

Whisk in a ¼ cup of yogurt into EACH bowl of puree. Whisk until finely incorporated and no longer lumpy.

In a Popsicle mold, fill the top 1/3 of each with raspberry puree. Then fill the last half with the cantaloupe puree. Freeze overnight (you may have to run it under mild water to loosen the molds).