Beat The Heat With a Cool Treat

Living in the South, we experience some pretty hot summers. We have high temperatures but that’s not even the worst part. The humidity can make those temperatures feel 10x worse. If you’ve never traveled to the south and experienced a humid summer day, you are truly missing out (Not Really). Besides having your clothes stick to your sweaty body, that hair that you spent forever perfecting will fall flat so fast it will make your head spin.

One of the best ways to beat that summer heat is by enjoying a sweet treat. I have a major sweet tooth and I’m always looking for ways to create healthier options to help curb my sweet cravings. One easy way is by creating popsicles from a variety of different fruits. Popsicles remind me of summer days spent at the pool or lake as a kid.

One of my main criteria for making sweet treats healthy is that it still needs to taste good. Nothing is worse than trying a “healthy treat” that tastes like cardboard. One way to ensure that the end result is tasty is to include healthy ingredients that I already enjoy. Today we are going to be making Strawberry-Mango Yogurt Pops. Strawberries and mangoes just happen to be two of my favorite fruits so I knew it would be a winning combination. This recipe is quick and easy (perfect for those of you that don’t consider yourself proficient in the kitchen).

 

Beat the Heat with a Cool TreatBeat the Heat with a Cool Treat

 

Strawberry-Mango Yogurt Pops

Yields 6 popsicles

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of fresh strawberriesBeat the Heat with a Cool Treat

3/4 cup of cubed mango

2 tablespoons of vanilla Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons of chia seeds

2 teaspoons of artificial sweetener (I used Splenda)

1/2 cup of almond milk

 

Directions:

  1. Blend strawberries, 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of Splenda (or artificial sweetener of your choice), and 1/4 cup of almond milk.
  2. Set strawberry mixture aside and  stir in 1 teaspoon of chia seeds to mixture
  3. Blend mangoes, 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of Splenda ( or artificial sweetener of your choice), and 1/4 cup of almond milk.
  4. Set this mixture aside and stir in 1 teaspoon of chia seeds to mixture.
  5. Next pour a portion of the strawberry mixture into the popsicle mold ( I use the Zoku Quick Pop Maker). I only fill each mold 1/4th of the way with the strawberry mixture. Let the strawberry mixture freeze before going to the next step.
  6. Once the strawberry mixture has frozen, pour the mango mixture into the molds until they are half full. Letting the mango layer freeze before continuing.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the mold is full. you should have two strawberry layers and two mango layers.
  8. Let popsicle molds completely freeze (with the Zoku mold the sticks are placed in the molds before any liquid is added, if you aren’t using these molds you can insert sticks in step 6).
  9. Once the popsicles are completely frozen, pop them out and enjoy!

Whip these up the next time you need a break from the heat. They won’t disappoint.

Beat the Heat with a Cool Treat

Beat the Heat with a Cool Treat

 

Beat the Heat with a Cool Treat

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Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

As I’ve mentioned before, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I strive to eat healthy so giving in to that sweet tooth only happens occasionally. I had been seeing a lot of people claiming that chia seed pudding helped them to satisfy their sweet tooth. I figured why not give it a try. I opted to experiment with a strawberry chia seed pudding.

Strawberry Chia Seed PuddingThe Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Begin by adding 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 8 oz of fresh sliced strawberries to the blender. Blend together the ingredients until smooth. Next pour the mixture into a glass and add 1/4 cup of chia seeds and 1 teaspoon of Agave (of whichever sweetener you prefer). Cover glass with plastic wrap and allow to refrigerate for at least 4 hours so that pudding can set. Your strawberry chia seed pudding is now ready to enjoy.

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 8 oz of fresh strawberries
  • 1/4 cup of chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of Agave ( or other sweetener of choice)

Instructions

  1. Blend the almond milk, vanilla extract, and strawberries together until smooth
  2. Pour into cup and add chia seeds and Agave. Stir until completelymixed.
  3. Cover cup with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours to allow pudding to set.
  4. Remove from fridge and enjoy!
https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/strawberry-chia-seed-pudding/
Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

Overall, I really enjoyed my first attempt at a chia seed pudding. Before placing in the fridge, I was slightly concerned about the consistency. However, it did set up to a pudding consistency after being in the fridge several hours. It does help to fight sweet cravings and is definitely a healthier option. I am excited to experiment further and create other options. The possibilities are endless. I’m thinking that my next creation will be a chocolate chia seed pudding.

Do any of you have some favorite chia seed pudding recipes you would like to share? I would love to see your favorites.

Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

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