Kimber's Korner: Double-Berry Ice Pops

I looooove sweet treats! When my mommy was looking through her cooking magazine (EveryDay with Rachael Ray) the other day, I was so excited to see pages full of fruity frozen treats! I told her we just had to make some and share with you guys here at Kimber's Korner. As usual, we put our little "Cookin' Lean" spin on the recipe and came up with something special. Here we are whippin' up a batch of Double-Berry Ice Pops!





DOUBLE-BERRY POPS
Makes 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup FAT FREE Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Place fruit, yogurt, honey and water in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour equally into popsicle molds. Place in freezer for at least 5 hours. Enjoy!

**Note: When they are ready, allow to thaw for a couple minutes before removing from the mold. Otherwise, you might end up losing a stick like we did. : (

RESULTS

These were super yummy! Mommy said that are really good for me because they don't contain any added sugar or artificial coloring like most frozen pops from the store. She also said the yogurt has this stuff called protein, which is great for building muscles and making me a strong little girl. Now that is what I call "COOL"!

Thanks for stoppin' by Kimber's Korner! Try making these at home. If you test out any other flavors, come back and tell us all about it!
~KIMBER

Recipe inspired by the "Cool!" article found in the June/July 2011 issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray Magazine.

Cooking Light with Rachael Ray: Feta-Watermelon Quinoa

This recipe makeover comes right outta the pages of EveryDay with Rachael Ray Magazine (June/July 2011 issue). The original recipe is a Feta-Watermelon Tabbouleh side. However, I didn't have any bulgur wheat on hand. So, with a little improvisation, I subbed the healthy and delicious quinoa for the bulgur wheat and PRESTO!... I had a healthy and light side dish that didn't require another run to the grocery store.

FETA-WATERMELON QUINOA
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 8 ounces fresh peeled watermelon, chopped into 1/2" cubes
• 4 ounces REDUCED-FAT crumbled feta cheese
• 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh dill,chopped

DIRECTIONS

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar and lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Toss the dressing with the quinoa in the large bowl.

Add the watermelon, feta, cucumber, red onion and dill. Toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper....if needed. But just remember to go easy on the salt! (wink-wink).

RESULTS

Just look at it! It's beautiful! The colors are gorgeous and flavors just scream summertime. It is the perfect light side for those summer cookouts. A MUST-TRY!

This was already a pretty healthy side, so to lighten it up a little more, I only changed a few things. First, I reduced the amount of olive oil by 3 tablespoons. I also cut down on the amount of feta and switched to a reduced-fat variety. Quinoa was just a change of convenience. Either way, you are going to get tons of nutrition with the bulgur wheat or quinoa.

The nutritional breakdown...

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):

BEFORE: 342.8 calories;  22.83g fat;  27.79g carbohydrate;  7.96g protein;  4.55g fiber

AFTER: 234.67 calories;  12.49g fat;  26.3g carbohydrate;  6.71g protein;  2.55g fiber

SAVES: 108.13 calories;  10.34g fat;  1.49g carbohydrate

From a nutritional standpoint, if you have the option of bulgur wheat or quinoa, go with the bulgur. Although they are close in calories, protein and carbohydrates; using bulgur will cut the overall fat content of this recipe by 9.2 grams of fat. Bulgur wheat also has more fiber. And as we discussed on Tuesday...WE LOVE FIBER. Using bulgur will increase the overall recipe fiber content by 10 grams! So to put it simply, use bulgur if you have it. However, if you or someone in your family is GLUTEN FREE, go with the quinoa.

*PRINT~FRIENDLY*

Enjoy!