Frugal & Frozen–Refreshing Homemade Popsicle Recipes for Summer

Homemade popsicles are tasty, inexpensive, and healthy. Here are some new versions to try this summer.

Now that I have a new food processor, I’m interested in making my own popsicles.

Though I’d love to buy a Zoku popsicle maker, I’ll wait until I see one on sale. For now, I’ll use the good old-fashioned cup and stick method, or maybe get some basic molds.

It turns out homemade popsicles are all the rage. I would love to get a Zoku Quick Pop Maker (it makes popsicles in seven minutes!), but I think I will wait until I find one on sale. But you can make these recipes in anything from a Zoku to a paper cup/craft stick! I bought two molds at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a coupon. (The store also carries an Xpress Popsicle Maker for $29.99., but even with a coupon, I’m not willing to spend the money!)

Here are three basic ideas for DIY popsicles:

Juicy Blend:

We bought a bottled organic lemonade (cherry-lemon blend) that tasted just awful, but we salvaged the juice by pouring it into popsicle molds. The lemonade was delicious frozen! So if you have drips and drabs of leftover juice or you bought a somewhat vile-tasting product, try freezing it.

Berry and Yogurt Blends:

Of course it’s a no-brainer–mix low-fat yogurt with berries in a food processor and pour into molds. Whatever doesn’t fit into the molds is a smoothie, anyhow, so drink up. My kids love this kind of blend as a popsicle. If the blend needs some liquid, just drop in a bit of fruit juice or lemon juice to thin it out a bit.

Sugar-free strawberry-lemon popsicle:

(great for diabetics and those on low-glycemic food plans):

(The fruity taste of this popsicle is unbelievable! It costs about .46 cents to make 7-8 pops but I did not get the jello on sale, and I didn’t get the best price for the Crystal Light, either. It still came out nice and frugal.)

• mix 1/2 packet of Crystal-Light lemonade powder with 1 cup cold water.
• whisk till dissolved.
• in another bowl, dissolve one 3-oz package of sugar-free strawberry jello in 1 cup boiling water.
• stir until fully dissolved.
• blend lemonade and jello mixtures.
• pour blended mixture into popsicle molds to freeze.

For more sugar-free pop ideas, visit Sixuntilme.com. Also visit All Recipes for this dessert.

Strawberry jello plus lemonade make the most delicious popsicle mix!

I’ll spare you the experiment I made by whipping together part-skim ricotta cheese and strawberries. Ricotta is great whipped with fruit and a bit of sugar (tiny bit), but frozen, you have to develop somewhat of a taste for it. The ricotta-strawberry pop idea is good for a low-low-low-fat and low-low-low-sugar treat, but don’t count on your kids asking for seconds.

Stick to the lemonade/jello recipes for happy kids!

Related articles

• Refreshing Tropical Pineapple & Coconut Popsicles (veggieeuphoria.com)
• Berry Coconut Popsicles (lostgardenblog.wordpress.com)
• Plum Strawberry Popsicles for a Virtual Vegan Potluck! (theheartyherbivore.wordpress.com)
• Homemade popsicle recipes for the new Zoku Single Pop Maker (coolmompicks.com)
• 12 Pops and Popsicles Perfect for Summer – Food (brit.co)

Frugal Recipes: Easiest Pizza Dough and Pizza Sauce for Homemade Friday Night Pizza!

I have  been making this pizza regularly, since 2008, after reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  I downloaded her recipe and have it taped to the inside of a kitchen cabinet.

For our family, it rolls out to make two 16-inch thin crusts.  (I also use this dough recipe for Stromboli)  Make personal pizzas and have your children take turns rolling out the dough!

Let yeast dissolve for 10 minutes

Measure and mix the two flours

Stir in salt and olive oil to the yeast mix. Here's what I use, purchased from my food co-op.

In the time it takes for the dough to rise (for 30 – 40 minutes), your pizza sauce will be done.  I use award-winning chef and contributing writer to “Cooking Light Magazine”, Deborah Madison’s recipe:

Tomato Sauce for Pizza, from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2  garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1  28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Warm the oil over medium heat in a wide skillet with the garlic and a little black pepper.  Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt.  (On my stove, I lower the heat so that the tomatoes don’t splatter.)

Cook, stirring every now and again, until the juices are evaporated (reduced) and the sauce that remains is thick enough to mound on a spoon with no surrounding watery liquid.  (Again, on my stove, I adjust my burner dial to between 3 and 4.  In 30 – 40 minutes, the sauce is nice and thickened.  Remember that the sauce needs to be fairly thick, or the crust will come out soggy.  You can totally do this.  It takes time to figure out what settings work best on your stovetop, that’s all.)

This is what the dough looks like after it has risen. I put a dishtowel over it and put the bowl on my boiler for 40 minutes

Pizza dough rolled out on parchment paper.

Plain pizza pie for the kids...

...and a second pie with a topping of onions and peppers for me and my honey!

Enjoy saving money eating your own homemade pizza!

~Aimee, TFF

Frugal Foodie Kitchen Investment: A Bread Machine

I am on my fourth bread machine in 16 years.  The first three I got for free:  the first, as a wedding present, the second and third from asking for one on Freecycle.org.  (You never know until you ask!)

The fourth, and hopefully, last one for a very long time, is one I bought on sale in May 2011 with a 30% off coupon from Kohls.  (For my purchase, I also received $30 of Kohl’s Cash, which I used to buy a Consumer Reports Best Buy Blender called the Ninja Master Professional Prep Triple Play, which I use for making pico de gallo, but I digress!)

My Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine has proven to measure up to all of the high marks I had read about it before purchasing.  I got it for $186, when it retailed for close to $300 elsewhere.

I use it at least once, if not twice, a week to make an organic loaf of bread for our family of five.  I also use it to make dinner rolls and the very occasional pizza dough.  (I much prefer to make the pizza dough by hand, mainly because it’s quicker than using the bread machine! See my previous post.)

Putting together the ingredients and setting the timer takes 10 – 15 minutes tops!  Having a big loaf of bread baked overnight makes owning a bread machine so worth it!

Consider that at the store, organic whole grain breads sell for at least $3.00/loaf for way less than 2 lbs.

I just measure the flour first in a bowl and set it aside.  Then I add all the other ingredients, in order of the following recipes, into the bread pain.  I set the timer to whatever time I’d like it to be ready, usually allowing for twenty minutes for it cool before cutting for breakfast.

Ingredients in the pan, ready to go!

Basic 2 lb/32 oz loaf 100% Whole Wheat Bread recipe – organic, GMO-ingredient free, preservative-free:

1  7/8 c. warm water

5 c.  organic whole wheat bread flour  ($.79/lb) = $ .60

3 T.  organic brown sugar ($.13/oz.) = $ .20

2 T.  organic dry milk ($.50/oz)  = $ .40

2 t.  sea salt ($.09/oz) $ .02

2 T.  butter ($ .09/T. Trader Joes) = $ .18

2 t.  active dry yeast ($.20/oz) = $ .04

TOTAL = $1.44

After a few years of tinkering with bread-machine-manual recipes and ones I’ve gotten online, I have come up with my own 2-lb/32 oz whole grain loaf recipe that is cholesterol-free, organic, GMO-ingredient-free, and preservative-free:

 1  7/8  c. warm water

2 T.  organic coconut milk (refridgerated)  ($.05/oz) = $ .05

2 ½ T.  organic coconut oil  ($.43/oz) = $ .65

3 T.  honey (raw honey is so good for you $.38/oz)  = $ .57

2 T.  organic brown sugar ($.13/oz) = $ .11

3 c.  organic whole wheat bread flour ($.79/ lb) = $ .60

2 c.  organic (artisan bread flour $1.07/lb or unbleached white flour $.87/lb) = $ .54 or .44

2 t. fine sea salt ($.09/oz) $ .02

2 t. active dry yeast  ($.20/oz) = $ .04

TOTAL = $2.58 with artisan bread flour /$2.48 with unbleached white flour

Ready for slicing! This handy slicer is available online.

The prices are from my food co-op, with the exception of the Nutiva coconut oil, which I buy through an “Subscribe and Save” account (free) on amazon.com.

Have fun experimenting with your own recipes or stick to the ones in the bread machine manual book.  Either way, enjoy freshly baked bread with ingredients you know and recognize.  As I like to say, Health is Wealth!

Stay tuned for other Frugal Foodie Kitchen Investment write-ups!

~Aimee, TFF

Free Cooking Demos All Day Saturday at Food For Thought Expo

Free Food for Thought Expo in Fairfield. Photo: Freepixels.com

Free Admission! 

What: The Food For Thought Expo 

(We hope they address ways to stay frugal while eating healthy, too!) 

When: Saturday, March 24th from 10-4 

Where: Fairfield Warde High School 

Who: Esteemed speakers include Bruce Gluck from New Canaan Public Schools, Sue Caldwell of Health in a Hurry Restaurant, Valerie Wilke from Bloodroot, Amie Guyette Hall, cooking coach, Margaret Sapir of Wave Hill Breads, JoAnne Koebbe, a Certified LEAN Coach & Health Instructor, Michelle Falshman of Fairfield Public Schools, Dr. Marlene Schwartz of the rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Analiese Paik of The Fairfield Green Food Guide, Samantha Heller, registered dietitian and exercise physiologist, and Nick Mancini of the Cooperative Extension System of the University of Connecticut. 

Free Admission! 

Schedule (this is a condensed version, but the day is packed–pick and choose, and many demos are repeated): 

All Day 10:00–4:00 – Visit 5 Interactive Family Friendly Stations That Will Expand Your Food Knowledge and Build Comfort in Your Kitchen 

10:00-10:45 – Whole Foods, Whole You 

1:45-11:00 – Gluten Free and Flour Power 

10:15-11:15 – Growing Your Own Produce/Organic Backyard Gardening 

10;30-11:00 – Healthy Eating Choices for the Whole Family 

11:00-11:30 – Whole Grains & Buying Local Breads 

11:00-11:30 – Healthy Eating Choices for the While Family 

11:30-11:45 – Whole Foods, Whole You 

11:30-12:30 – Get Smart: Samantha Heller’s Nutrition Prescription for Boosting Brain Power 

11:45-12:45 – Food Explorers: Over, Under and Inside the Rainbow of Food 

12:30-1:00 – Cooking in the Classroom: The Fairfield Middle School Curriculum 

1:00-2:15 – An Introduction to Health Supportive Cuisine 

1:00-2:00 – Get It Local: Finding All Your Eating Needs In and Around Fairfield County 

1:30-2:00 – Cooking in the Classroom: The Fairfield Middle School Curriculum 

2:15-3:15 – Lunch Box Fun and Co-Op buying 

2:15-3:15 – From Classrooms to Cafeterias: Public Schools and the School Lunch Program as a Support for Health and Sustainable Food Systems 

3:00-3:30 – Healthy Eating Choices for the While Family 

3:16-4:00 – Re-Thinking The School Lunch Menu 

Enjoy! 

On the Heels of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution–Fairfield’s Own Free Healthy Food Expo at Andrew Warde March 27th…

After the debut of Food Revolution, go to Fairfield's free Food for Thought Expo on March 27th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Andrew Warde High School. Photo: Courtesy of jamieoliver.com

If you saw and appreciated Naked Chef Jamie Oliver’s reality show sneak peek last night on ABC, called Food Revolution (read the Washington Post’s review for a witty, realistic, and well-written review), you’ll be happy to know there’s a free healthy food Expo on Saturday, March 27th right in our own backyard. (By the way, Jamie Oliver’s show previews on ABC this Friday, March 26th, from 8-10 pm.)

Following are all the details of Fairfield’s own free Food For Thought Expo:

Food for Thought Expo to Celebrate Local Farms, Stores, Restaurants, and Educators for National Nutrition Month

FAIRFIELD, Conn., Fuel for Learning Partnership, a PTA Council Standing Committee, will sponsor the Food for Thought Expo. Scheduled for Saturday, March 27^th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm the expo will take place at Fairfield Warde High School, in Fairfield Connecticut.

The expo is free and open to the public and will feature a wide variety of vendors ready to help area residents make the best possible choices in local produce, meats, groceries, and ready-made foods

Events to be held throughout the day include panel discussions on the availability of local produce, backyard gardening, and public school opportunities for promoting healthful eating and lifestyle choices as well as children’s activities. Speakers will include author Samantha Heller, MS, RD, CDN, who will discuss her new book, Get Smart: Samantha Heller’s Nutrition Prescription for Boosting Brain Power and Optimizing Total Body Health, and Amie Hall, CHHC, AADP, of From Your Inside Out, will provide cooking demonstrations that use whole foods and locally-sourced ingredients. Participating businesses and organizations include Health in a Hurry, Catch a Healthy Habit, Wave Hill Bread, Mrs. Greens, Green Gourmet to Go, Bloodroot Restaurant, Jeff Borofsky’s Portable Pizza Oven, 4-H, and many others.

“It seems almost daily that we hear or read stories about the foods we eat, many of them with bad news,” Michelle McCabe, Chairperson of Fuel for Learning Partnership (FFLP) said. “While this expo will certainly remind us of what to avoid, the main goal is to help us better feed our families. With the help of cooking instructors, educators, and local businesses, visitors to the Food for Thought Expo will be introduced to the vast range of resources available to help us all attain that goal of healthful eating.”

The FFLP, recipient of a 2010 Adults & Children Together grant awarded by Fairfield’s Prevention Council, encourages Fairfield County parents, students, teachers, food service staff, and Board of Education members to jointly pursue the common goal of serving safe, high quality, nutritional meals to the students of Fairfield. FFLP seeks to affect positive change in how we eat by coming together as a community to broadly educate and change eating habits through the endorsement of sustainable eating practices.

The FFLP is hosting the expo Food for Thought Expo as part of an on-going effort to help educate people about their approach to nutrition, and how their approach can overcome many of the health challenges our community faces today. “We’re all on a journey toward changing the way we eat,” Ms. McCabe said. “That comes with a learning curve, and our focus is to help people take ownership of their health, and the health of their children.”

For more information, contact Nancy Church, 203-259-5863, churchnj53@aol.com

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook–Book Review

Any book with the word “frugal” in its title gets my attention, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to find The Frugal Foodie Cookbook by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small. But I didn’t read the fine print–or the subtitle before grabbing it off of my library’s shelf–it’s a cookbook with gourmet recipes for any budget. Gourmet is the key word–with some main dish seafood recipes costing up to $6.75. (I know…fish is not the most frugal of foods– I was hoping to find a seafood recipe, fit for my kids other than fish sticks, that would cost total $6.75!) 

I have two young kids who are not into gourmet foods–still lingering a bit in the chicken nugget and taco phase! So, unfortunately, this isn’t quite the book for me….or for anyone with young kids. The authors live in New York City, and that’s a whole different world of “frugality” from Fairfield, CT. Though I don’t think my kids would get a kick out of Apricot Brandy Baked French Toast, they do love French Toast–and I’d love to see a recipe for a few pennies a serving.  However, there are definitely two recipes I’m aiming to try two family friendly recipes I found in the book: Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges ($1.50 a serving) and Banana-Chocolate Muffins ($.85 a serving). Sounds delicious! There is a recipe called Luckiest Muffins–but it’s made with Lucky Charms and I don’t think I’d feed that to my kids. 

What I like about the book: each recipe has a price per serving–to be fair, the prices per serving average in the $2 to $3 range. 

What I dislike about the book: not the most family friendly bunch of recipes with higher than hoped for cost-per-servings. 

Good tip in book: there are “ten Frugal Foodie Tips” — one–freezing herbs in ice cubes instead of letting them go bad in the fridge! Great advice! 

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook--gourmet recipes good for empty-nesters and child-free families.