Thrifty Tip Tuesday!

With summer coming, I have already started making a lot of my cool and refreshing summer treats. I have an assortment of yummy concoctions that I'm sure save me a lot of money as opposed to buying packaged ice cream and popsicles. Most popsicles and other various ice cream treats are so wonderful, but they can be relatively expensive, even at the warehouse clubs. And they can also have a lot of undesirable ingredients that you can't even pronounce. I have found that with a little effort, you can have a storehouse of frozen treats at your disposal for those hot summer days ahead! We don't have central air in our house, only a swamp cooler, so some days in July and August can get pretty hot in our house. It's so wonderful to have cold treats on hand for those type of days!

Here are some of my favorite go-to things to make for the freezer. I hope you enjoy making them and serving them to your family as much as I do.

Frozen Chocolate Dipped Bananas

My sister just featured this recipe on her blog's weekly "Way Delicious Wednesdays" series. If you don't visit her blog, you really need to. There is a wealth of information there, and you will enjoy her wit! I don't know when or where I got the idea to do these, but ever since, my family begs me for them. They actually beg, on their knees. OK, they don't, but it sounded good. I sometimes bring a ton of these when we go camping, and they are gobbled up in no time at all. I mean come on, who doesn't like a frozen, chocolate dipped banana rolled in some sort of yummy topping like oreo crumbs, coconut, nuts, or sprinkles? Mmm, mmm. Get this recipe on my sister's blog by clicking on the link above. You'll find it's well worth the effort.

Snow Cones

Do you have a snow cone machine? Really, it's just an electric ice shaver. I think I paid $20 for mine a few years ago, and it's still going strong. And hey, ice is cheap! Especially if you have an automatic ice maker in your fridge! Just buy a bottle of that syrupy goodness at your local Walmart or Target, and there you go! A bottle of syrup will run you about $2-$3, but you'll get lots of snow cones out of that. If you don't care for all of the artificial ingredients, you can make your own syrup at home. There are lots of recipes floating around the internet. You can also use frozen lemonade or orange juice concentrate. Just thaw and pour. Thaw and pour. See how simple that is.

Smoothies

We love smoothies around here. As soon as it gets warm, the blender comes out of hibernation and takes its rightful place next to its friend, the KitchenAid mixer on the counter. And they fight for my attention. I make smoothies for breakfast, smoothies with lunch, smoothies as snacks, and smoothies for dessert. I love smoothies (can you tell)? Smoothies are my life.

Besides being healthy, these are pretty economical as well, especially if you compare making them at home to the cost of one of those rip off juice or smoothie places which will remain nameless. My standard smoothie consists of a base of bananas. I like to add something tart, whether it be crushed pineapple or orange juice, then I add berries. Strawberries, mixed berries, blueberries, whateverberries. Add some ice, and blend. Some people like to add yogurt or milk for a protein boost. You can even hide add some flax oil in there for an added health benefit. You can go for a "themed" smoothie, such as pina colada, peaches and cream, the possibilities are endless. Well, I suppose they end somewhere, I just haven't found the end yet. I also sometimes pour my smoothie mixture into dixie cups, cover with foil, and shove in a popsicle stick. Freeze until firm, then peel off the dixie cup. Which brings me to my next treat....


Homemade Popsicles

I can always remember how my Mom would pour orange juice into ice cube trays, cover them with foil, stick toothpicks in them and freeze. I always loved that! This method works well with orange juice or lemonade, or any juice for that matter. I like to use the dixie cup method or my handy dandy Tupperware popsicle molds. Sometimes I mix yogurt with chopped fruit (try this recipe) for smoothie fruit pops. Or try your hand at fudge pops. There are tons of recipes available. Who doesn't like popsicles, I mean, come on.

I'm sure these ideas will save you some money, and not only money, but countless empty calories and artificial ingredients. So try your hand at some of these treats and you may just be the envy of all the neighborhood kids. They may be banging down your door. So go answer.