by Luz
I am a mother of three little ones, and maintaining good health is very important to me. So, I often focus on their diet, and as we all know, milk and dairy products are an essential part of a young child's diet. They're a good source of energy and protein and contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, that young children need to build healthy bones and teeth.
But let's be honest, it is mid-summer, and it can be challenging to add dairy products to our diet, especially when it's 90 degrees outside. Who wants to drink milk during a hot day, right? But please, bear with me, after doing some thinking and a little research, I came across the perfect snack for the family and the best part? It is a great source of calcium and other vitamins.
During my first ten years of life, I grew up in a small city in Mexico where the weather is known for being hot for most of the year. I grew up somewhat penniless, but once in a while, my sweet mother would make an effort to buy me a delicious, refreshing "paleta de fresa" (strawberry popsicle), and oh boy, were they tasty and better yet, healthy!
I would love to share the recipe with you, and I encourage you to try it! I promise you won't regret it and the best part? Your little ones will love it.
Give it a try!
Ingredients
8 ounces fresh strawberries (rinsed and hulled)
1½ cup whole milk or 2%
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Set aside three strawberries.
In a food processor or blender, puree the rest of the strawberries. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a large bowl. Discard the seeds.
In the same food processor or blender, add ½ cup milk and the sugar. Process until the sugar has dissolved completely, about 1 minute. Add to the puree.
In the same food processor or blender, roughly blend the reserved three strawberries into ¼-inch pieces. Pour into the puree.
In the puree bowl, add the rest of the milk and heavy cream. Mix well. Fill the popsicle molds with strawberry mixture. If using molds that contain sticks or hold wooden ones in place, put on lids and freeze. If using open cup molds, freeze until beginning to set for about 2 hours, then insert the sticks and put them back in the freezer.
After about 8 hours, popsicles are ready. If the popsicles are stuck in the molds, dip the molds in warm water for 10 seconds or so. Remove molds and serve.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It is a fun and delicious snack that adds some great vitamins and minerals, such as calcium.
Notes: Although I did make some changes to this recipe, all credits go to The Missing Lokness https://themissinglokness.com/2015/06/03/paletas-de-fresas-mexican-strawberry-popsicles/
This blog was written by one of our guest bloggers, Luz.
About Luz
Luz is a stay-at-home mom of three girls. She is a blogger and occasional writer who loves the simplicity of life. She is driven by adventure and enchanted by the freedom of nature and healthy living.
In 2016 Luz and her husband Ryan decided to sign up for their next adventure of becoming business owners. Leaving their dream home and comforts behind, they walked by Faith, packed their belongings, and moved to the state of Iowa, sacrificing everything. They believe with great effort and hard work, they would have a better future.
Luz is a firm believer success doesn't happen by accident. It is through hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, and sacrifice. It is often hard, but hard doesn't mean impossible. She believes in kindness and helping one another along life's journey.
In this week's guest post, Luz shares her ideas for encouraging healthy dairy options in her home. If you would like to learn more ways to offer your family a variety of healthy dairy foods, consider taking our free online lesson called: Build Strong Kids with Dairy Foods. You can find this lesson in the Healthy Families category at wichealth.org.
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