Summer has rolled in, gale-force-style in Iowa. More often than not, it seems we skip the true season of spring. We have experienced temperatures in the 40’s during planting season and now that the corn and soybeans have gotten a bit of a start, we’ve been greeted with many days of of 90 degree weather. This makes for hot kids, hot livestock and one hot mama.
When temperatures climb in the summer, I’m always on a quest to discover new treats to make with the kids. I gravitate towards simple recipes that the kids can whip up themselves. Recently, AE Dairy introduced AE Whole Milk Yogurt in several flavors. This is a total bonus for me because the kids love it and it packs 12 grams of satisfying protein in each of its seven different flavors! My kids have been dying to try out some popsicle molds that we borrowed from a friend, so we mixed up the best fro-yo popsicle I’ve ever had. The richness of the whole milk yogurt carries over to a popsicle that is creamy, rather than icy. We added a little bit of vanilla bean paste to make the pops look even fancier.
Summer has come in like a lion for our family. I’m talking insanity. Between sports camps and clinics, keeping livestock comfortable in the heat, and a little extra work on the farm here and there, I truly couldn’t tell you if I’m coming or going most days. (And I only have two children, one of which is not really involved in much other than staring at dually pickup trucks, obsessing about tractors and watching his sister outwork him 3 to 1 when we are taking care of pigs.)
I’ll never complain about summer because it tends to be the time when we see lots of friends and family. There are softball games, pig shows and many other to-do’s. World Pork Expo always brings the heat in when friends from all over the world come to Iowa to seek out new and innovative products that will help them raise healthier pigs more efficiently. There’s also quite a pig show on the grounds too in which exhibitors from around the country come and showcase their best animals in pursuit of banners and new friendships with like minded people.
Chill out with one of these delicious frozen yogurt pops, add any mix-ins you’d like to as well! I think crushed up cookies, pineapple and toasted coconut, and various candies could add a lot of fun into these scrumptious refreshing pops. Here are my picks for additions to the delicious flavors AE Dairy offers in their Whole Milk Yogurt!
AE Whole Milk Yogurt Flavor + Add-ins to mix it up:
Almond Sweet Cream- great with berries and honey!
Banana Custard- try crushed vanilla wafers and chunks of banana!
Boysenberry- add blueberries and raspberries together!
Cocoa Hazelnut- I think this flavor begs a crushed chocolate cookie addition!
Raspberry- must add raspberries and strawberries!
Strawberry- chunks of strawberries, banana and pineapple, plus mini chocolate chips for a banana split creation!
Sweet Cream- the sky is the limit here! Total flexibility with this delicious flavor!
If you don’t have popsicle molds, here’s a hack:
Take a small snack sized zip top baggie, spoon the mixture into the bottom of it gently, press air out and seal. Freeze accordingly and enjoy! I prefer to mash mine up a bit between my hands then scoop it out with a spoon, but you can clip the top of the baggie off and push it up like a push pop too if you’d like. This makes for an awesome between-game treat for hot summer days!
*I’m pretty sure they sell special baggies for push pops like this, but I’m not that cool.
Check out the other flavors of AE Whole Milk Yogurt along with nutrition facts here.
My other favorite summertime drink is a simple cherry lemonade with AE Lemonade and a splash of grenadine syrup!
Raspberry Honey Frozen Yogurt Pops
By: Cristen foodandswine.com
Makes 4 popsicles
Ingredients:
2 – 5.3 oz. containers AE Sweet Cream Whole Milk Yogurt
2 TBSP honey
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
12 fresh raspberries
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, honey and vanilla. Stir well.
To 4 popsicle molds, alternate adding a scoop of the yogurt mixture, then a fresh raspberry. Repeat until each mold is filled. Place popsicle sticks in mold. Freeze a few hours, until firm. When ready to un-mold, run warm water over mold and wiggle each popsicle out. Serve immediately.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of AE Dairy. The opinions and text are all mine.
No Comments