Memorial Day has arrived! I have always loved this holiday weekend for everything it stands for- remembering those brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. For those of you who may not know, Scott served in the Army from 2011-2015. While we were engaged, he deployed to Afghanistan for 9 months and that was a time I will never forget. I have the utmost respect for the men and women in the military along with their families. They are all truly heroes and for any of you who were in the military and/or have family serving- please THANK them and know we are praying for you.
Even though this year feels very different and we may not be celebrating with friends/family around us, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time! The weather this weekend isn’t looking very good here, but I think we are still planning on grilling out.
Today, I wanted to share two fun recipes that are perfect for Memorial Day or Fourth of July! I love rocket pops, so I wanted to recreate them- perfect for the kiddos! I’m pretty sure you could also add a little vodka to these popsicles if you want to get a little crazy haha! I’m also sharing a recipe for blueberry mojitos- it’s so pretty and so good! Mojitos are always so light and refreshing- perfect for summer!
Red, White, and Blueberry Popcicles
I’ll add a photo once mine are finished!
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup of raspberries, pureed
- 1 heaping cup of blueberries, pureed
- 1 cupe vanilla flavored greek yogurt
- popsicle mold with sticks; can also use paper cups in a pinch instead of the popsicle mold
Directions
- Put the yogurt and each of the berry purees in small measuring cups with spouts. The goal is to thin them just a bit so they are pourable. Use water for the yogurt and the raspberries, and, depending on the color of your blueberries, you can use water, or yogurt if you need to brighten up your ‘blue’. Keep these cups chilling in the refrigerator when you are not using them.
- To layer your pops, start by pouring a little of the blueberry in the bottom of each mold. The only tricky part to these popsicles is getting the layers in without too much spillage (will mess up the stripes).
- Put the mold in the freezer and freeze till firm, at least an hour, or more.
- Layer a little bit of yogurt into each mold for the next stripe. You will be able to see through the side of the mold to check your progress. At this point, cover the top of the mold with foil, and insert the popsicle sticks. Make sure to get the stick a little bit into the frozen layer so they will stand straight. Put back into the freezer until solid.
- Remove the foil at this stage, you won’t need it since the stick is in and you need to layer. Next comes your raspberry stripe, and so on until the molds are filled. Make sure to freeze each stripe until solid before adding the next. Don’t worry if the stripes are uneven, but do try to clean up any dribbles as you go. I used a popsicle stick to scrape down the insides of the mold after each stripe.
- Once filled and completely frozen solid, you can un-mold your pops. Fill the sink with hot water. Remove the foil, and immerse the mold just up to the lip, being careful not to let any water splash onto the top. Hold it for a few seconds, remove, and try to pull the pops out. If they don’t slide out, immerse again for just a few seconds.
- I recommend keeping the popsicles in the mold until you are ready to serve, or, if you are working in batches, wrap each pop quickly in waxed paper or put into a baggie and put back in the freezer. I don’t recommend making these more than a day in advance
Blueberry Mojitos
Ingredients (recipe makes 2 drinks)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (set aside a few for garnish if desired)
- 4 ounces rum
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- juice of 2 limes
- 6 ounces club soda
- ice cubes
Directions
- Blend or muddle blueberries until smooth. Set aside.
- Grab your glass- Use a muddler or wooden spoon to blend in mint leaves and sugar into the bottom of the glass.
- Add in rum, lime juice, and blueberry mixture.
- Add club soda and ice.
- Gently stir and garnish with extra blueberries, lime, and mint if desired.
Here are links to some of the items needed for these recipes!
I hope you all enjoy these recipes and I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day weekend 🙂 As always, thank you for reading! -A
