Summer Thrift: Homemade Popsicles

 Summer is an ideal time for forming new habits and trying new things. It is a great time to reflect on what is working and what isn't in the area of thrift. I often find myself sitting on my swing in the afternoon, watching my children play, and asking the Lord for new ways to better use our resources. My husband works harder than any man I know, and I do not want to use this hard earned money carelessly. Even more than that, I want to honor the Lord with our resources and be able to give more to His work around the world.

One of the best ways I have found to save some money during the summer months is homemade popsicles.  I simply cannot imagine summer without popsicles!   For that matter, I cannot imagine the flu, pregnancy, or dental work without popsicles! They are at the top of my list when it comes to refreshing comfort food. When food allergies came into our life I realized that I was going to either have to allot a huge portion of our grocery budget to fancy frozen tasties ( ...not possible, of course!), or I was going to have to find a homemade variety that surpassed the rock-hard homemade frozen pops of my childhood.

My friend L. came to my rescue! I have tweaked her recipie a bit to suit our needs and here is our delicious, easy, and thrifty result:

2 c. boiling water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 c.  100% fruit juice or smoothie

After dissolving the gelatin in the hot water, add juice, stir, and pour into molds. You may need to modify the juice to water ratio depending on how sweet you like your pops. For a special, and admittedly less healthy treat, we substitute the juice with 1 packet Invisible Kool-aid ( dye free, watermelon flavored) 2/3 cups sugar, and 2 cups water.  This is a nice option if you cannot tolerate artificial color. They are pictured above, along with one, lone apple juice pop. This recipie makes 16 pops for just pennies! I try to keep several batches, and at least a couple of varieties, in our freezer. They are soft, flavorful, and so very refreshing on a hot summer afternoon!  Enjoy!

This post is linked to Our Simple Country Life and Far Above Rubies. Come visit and see what other bloggers are writing about in the area of homemaking!