Just freeze 'em

Eating ice creams isn't the only way to stay cool this summer. Here are some healthy, wholesome alternatives that can be frozen and snacked on - guilt-free

With temperatures rising this summer, there's no better time for frozen treats than now. This is the season for lots of light, fresh food and fruits and here are some great ways enjoy them while beating the heat.  

Frozen fruit
Grab seedless grapes, wash them and pat them dry; then toss them in serving size portions in sandwich bags, and freeze. Do the same with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, kiwis, pineapples and watermelon (but cut the bigger-sized fruits into bite-sized pieces first). During the day, simply take out a serving size portion bag and start popping the frozen fruits into your mouth for an icy sweet treat. If you are giving these to kids, cut the grapes into halves to prevent choking. I would not advise giving these to toddlers and infants, though.

Ice cube magic
Add flair and flavour to ice cubes by popping in some frozen fruits. Berries truly shine here. Just add the fresh fruit to each slot in the ice tray then add water over them to fill the slot. Once frozen, you can eat them like a treat or add to juices or water for extra flavour. They also make a beautiful addition to lemonades.

Granitas
Granitas are shaved ice desserts that can be made easily and are very popular during
the summer. To make a simple watermelon granita, blend watermelon cubes and sweeten if necessary. Add some fresh lemon juice
for a tarty kick and set in the freezer in a baking dish. Every 3-4 hours, use a fork to break up the ice and it will freeze like a sorbet rather than a solid block. The hardest part is remembering to crush the watermelon every few hours until it is set. You can use any fruit juice combination for granitas so experiment with your favourite fresh juices!

Frozen yoghurt
If you have an ice cream maker, this is the time to bring it out and make soft-serve frozen yoghurt. Simply add your favourite frozen fruit to yoghurt to make whatever flavour you want. Sweeten it (you can use a natural sweetener - like honey too!)
and add a bit of lemon zest for that extra flavour. Refrigerate for about an hour before running it through your ice cream maker until you achieve 'soft serve' consistency.

Homemade sundaes
If you do not have your own ice cream maker but wish to have some fun with ice cream at home, I have just the plan for you. Get a good vanilla ice cream base that you like in bulk from your favourite ice creamery. Freeze, then scoop it out and add in different fruits, nuts and syrup combinations to make your own special sundae combinations.

Smoothies
For dessert or breakfast or a fun snack, make a frozen fruit smoothie. Choose your favourite fruits such as strawberries, rasperries or cherries and blend them in a mixer with milk, yoghurt and juice.
Bananas also truly shine here. Buy extra bananas and allow them to ripe until they are dotted by black spots. This will allow the flavours to intensify and make them sweeter. Peel them and freeze them flat on a tray with spaces between them. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and store. You can make a banana smoothie by blending the frozen bananas in the blender until they reach a smooth consistency. Add in oatmeal, vanilla and cinnamon for extra flavour or simply experiment with your own favourite ingredients.

Milkshakes
For a really fun taste of summer, blend ice cream with a frozen banana and milk to create your own banana milkshake. For a chocholate banana flavour, use chocolate ice cream. Bananas and strawberries make a great milkshake as well so toss in a few frozen berries into your milkshake to experiment with flavours. Add honey or simple syrup if needed. Remember, the more ice, the thicker the shake and the less likely you will need the additional sweetening of honey or syrups.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com

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