Category Archives: Summer

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Summer

Yogurt Pops

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This is a filling for a pie that I have made for years. But it does great double duty as a healthy, fresh alternative to store bought ice pops.

Yogurt Pops
Yogurt Pops

10 servings
106 calories per serving

20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained well
8 oz. tub Cool Whip lite, thawed
6 oz. non fat lemon yogurt (don’t substitute – you need the lemon flavor to bring some tang to the pie)
6 oz. non fat yogurt – any flavor

Mix all ingredients and place in ice pop molds and freeze at least 4 hours. These keep great for several weeks in the freezer. Just rinse the outside of the mold with a little hot water to release the pops.

Sides, Summer

Refrigerator Pickles

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Make your own fresh pickles quickly and easily. These are great to bring along to BBQ’s and a great thing to keep on hand at home – they make great sides to lunches and a great snack for midnight eaters 🙂

There are so many variations you can do just by swapping out different types of peppers, different herbs, etc.

Refrigerator Pickles
Refrigerator Pickles

Only 30 calories for a whole cucumber’s worth

Kirby cucumbers cut lengthwise into quarters – depending on size, I can fit 4-5 cucumbers into a jar
3 T kosher salt
2 T sugar
1 1/4 c white vinegar
2 T peppercorns
5 large garlic cloves
16 dill springs
optional – green hot chilies, halved lengthwise

Jars – either mason jars you purchase in the canning section of Walmart. etc. Or just save up some jars from mayo, pickles, etc. and reuse them !

Pack veggies into 2 clean 1 quart glass jars. Mix salt, sugar, vinegar, peppercorns and garlic in another jar. Cover and shake until sugar is dissolved. Add 2 c water and pour over the vegetables. Tuck the chilies and dill in and add enough water to make sure the veggies are completely covered. Close jars and refrigerate over night or for as long as 3 weeks.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Snacks, Summer

Green Apple and Pear Pops

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What a refreshing snack on a hot summer day ! Pops of any kind make a great dessert or snack and these are no exception 🙂

Green Apple and Pear Pops
Green Apple and Pear Pops

12 servings (6 oz. pops)
103 calories per serving

2 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
2 c pear juice
½ t ground cardamom
1 ripe pear, peeled and diced
1 c applesauce

Mix apples, pear juice and cardamom and simmer on low heat 10 minutes to soften the apples. Add the pears and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the applesauce. Fill the molds and insert the sticks and freeze at least 8 hours.

For fun, place a green maraschino cherry at the bottom of each pop before filling with the other mix.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Snacks, Summer

Sun Tea Pops

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What a great ice pop ! Sweet and flavorful and so refreshing. Pops make a great snack or dessert.

Sun Tea Pops
Sun Tea Pops

6 servings (8 oz. pops)
44 calories per serving

1 c Splenda
2 peaches cut into wedges (skins still on)
1 lime, peeled and sliced
1 lemon, peeled, seeded and sliced
6 mint leaves
8 tea bags – orange pekoe black tea (this is just your standard Lipton, etc. tea bag)
2 c water
2 c cold water

Bring water to simmer in a sauce pan and dissolve Splenda – when all dissolved remove from heat and stir in 2 c cold water and then let sit 10 minutes. Pour sugar water into a glass bowl and add peaches, lemons, limes and mint then add the tea bags, cover and place out in the sun for 3-5 hours to get a nice sun brewed tea. Remove tea bags and divide mint and peaches into molds then pour in the tea (discard the lemon and lime), insert sticks and freeze 6 hours.

Dinner, Fish, Italian, Summer

Tuna with Gremolata

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Gremolata is a just a mixture of parsley, lemon, garlic and oil. It is a wonderful condiment that is packed with flavor. Serve with some Roasted Grape Tomatoes for a great meal.

Tuna with Gremolata
Tuna with Gremolata

4 servings
170 calories per serving

¼ c chopped parsley
2 T grated lemon zest
1 t oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 4 oz. tuna steaks
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper
Pam

Combine parsley, lemon, oil and garlic and set aside. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam. Place tuna on sheet and sprinkle with salt. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Alternately spray fish with Pam and grill to desired doneness. Top fish with gremolata during the last minute of broiling.

Leftover tuna makes a GREAT tuna fish salad. Just mix it with mayo and some diced pickles – it is sooo much fresher than the canned stuff and you can really taste the difference.

Kid Friendly, Summer

Root Beet Float Pops

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These really taste like you are sipping a root beer float – but they also cool you off on a hot summer day.

Root Beet Float Pops
Root Beet Float Pops

6 servings (6 oz. pops)
67 calories per serving

12 oz. diet root beer, very cold (so it foams less)
6 maraschino cherries, stems removed
1 ¼ c lite vanilla ice cream, left out for 10-15 minutes so it gets melty and easy to work with

Pour an inch worth of root beer in each mold spooning off any foam that develops then drop in a cherry. Freeze one hour. Divide ice cream amount molds and freeze for an hour. Add the rest of the root beer spooning off any foam, insert sticks and freeze at least 5 hours.

Dessert, Fruit, Kid Friendly, Summer

Peach Cobbler

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Definitely serve this one warm with some vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream – it’s a great dessert that bakes up quickly and tastes so homey.

Peach Cobbler
Peach Cobbler

8 servings
190 calories per serving

5 c sliced frozen peaches
1/3 c maple syrup
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 T MINUTE Tapioca
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 c Bisquick
2 T sugar
¼ – 1/2 c milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix peaches with syrup, brown sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil then pour into 9 inch square baking pan. Stir Bisquick, sugar and milk until soft dough forms then drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto hot fruit. Optionally sprinkle with a little more cinnamon then bake 28 – 30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Beef, Dinner, Summer, Tex Mex

Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin

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Flavorful with or without the sauce ! Grilled London Broil is one of my favorites, but sometimes it lacks flavor because it is a lean cut. This recipe puts all the flavor back in…and then some !

Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin
Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin

4 servings
160 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak
1 ½ T chili seasoning (or a mix of chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder)
¼ t pepper
Pam
½ c water
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t instant coffee
1 ½ t Worcestershire sauce
¼ t salt

Sprinkle meat with chili seasoning (go heavier on the seasoning if you wish – it adds miniscule amounts of calories) and pepper and then spray with Pam. Use short little sprays so you don’t blow the dry ingredients off the meat. This makes a nice spicy ‘paste’ and keeps the meat from sticking to the grill. Heat grill and cook meat 6-10 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Alternately heat a skillet and cook steak 6-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from grill or pan and tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes. Combine water, vinegar, coffee and Worcestershire and add to small pan and cook until reduced to ¼ c (about 5 minutes). Slice steak thinly and drizzle with sauce.

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