The Adventures of Dot and Mae

Hello Dear Readers, today Dot and Mae thought they might share a few of their favorite summer recipes with you - they are all easy to make and you can probably do it yourself (or maybe with just a little bit of help!)

Dot and Mae love to eat something sweet and cold on a hot summer day, don’t you? Here are a few good frozen pop recipes that taste better than what you buy in the store, and they’re better for you!

Berry Good Popcicles

Prep time: 5 minutes to prepare, freeze overnight

Ingredients:

· 30 oz. light fruit-flavored yogurt

· 1 c. strawberries

Directions:

1. Put strawberries in a blender and mix until berries are cut into small pieces.

2. Mix yogurt and berries together in a large bowl.

3. Equally divide yogurt mixture in 6 paper cups.

4. Place a popsicle stick in the middle of the yogurt.

5. Put in the freezer and freeze overnight.

6. Before eating, remove paper cup.

Serves: 6

Frozen Yogurt Pops

Prep time: about 1 to 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz. container of your favorite flavor of yogurt
• popsicle sticks
• small paper cups
• plastic wrap

Directions:

1. Pour yogurt into paper cups. Fill them almost to the top.
2. Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup.
3. Using a popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup.
4. Put the cups in the freezer until the yogurt is frozen solid.
5. Remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup, and eat your pop!

Serves: 3 to 4

Pineapple Pops

Prep time: about 1-2 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. canned crushed pineapple (packed in juice)
• 1 can frozen pineapple or orange-pineapple juice concentrate, thawed

Utensils:

• medium-sized bowl
• mixing spoon
• small paper cups
• plastic wrap
• wooden popsicle sticks (available at craft stores)
• measuring cups

Directions:

1. Drain the can of crushed pineapple so all the juice runs out.
2. Put all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix them together.
3. Spoon the mixture into the paper cups. Fill them almost to the top.
4. Stretch a small piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup.
5. Using the popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup.
6. Put the cups in the freezer until the mixture is frozen solid.
7. Remove the plastic wrap and peel away the paper cup. You’ll have pineapple pops to eat and share!

Serves: 6

Popcorn is always a good snack - when your watching movies at home, or while reading a book, or maybe camping out with your friends!

Taco Popcorn

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

7 1/2 cups air-popped popcorn
butter-flavored cooking spray
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (148 degrees Celsius).
2. Put popcorn in a large mixing bowl.
3. Lightly coat popcorn with cooking spray. Toss and coat again.
4. Combine cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (optional).
5. Sprinkle spices over popcorn and toss to coat evenly.
6. Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over popcorn and toss again.
7. Spread popcorn evenly in large baking pan.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, tossing once.

Serves: 6

These little bagel pizzas are easy to make (you might need a little help with the oven) and they are great for a snack or for lunch.

Tiny Pizzas

Prep time: about 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 standard-sized bagel, cut in half
• tomato sauce
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• toppings like diced green pepper, chopped onion, or chopped tomato (whatever you like)
• seasonings like oregano, basil, and pepper

Directions:

1. Set the oven to low heat.
2. Spread tomato sauce on each bagel half.
3. Sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the tomato sauce on each half.
4. Add your favorite toppings.
5. Put a light sprinkling of seasonings on each half.
6. Put your bagel halves on a baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven on low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the cheese is bubbly.
8. Let cool for a minute, then enjoy your tiny pizzas!

Serves: 1 (Makes 2 tiny pizzas)

Here’s a fun drink to make on a hot day if you’re tired of lemonade!

Cranberry Spritzer

This is a nice refreshing drink to have on a hot summer day. You can be creative and try different flavors of juice for this recipe.

Prep time: 1 minute

Ingredients:

3 oz. cranberry juice cocktail
7 oz. diet lemon lime soda
ice cubes

Directions:

1. Fill glass with ice cubes.
2. Add juice and diet soda.
3. Mix well.

Serves: 1