Homemade Popsicles
If you don't have any molds, use small paper or plastic cups. Put a wooden stick or plastic spoon in the center. For mini popsicles, pour orange, apple or grape juice or flavored drink mix into ice cube trays. Partially freeze, and then place toothpicks in the center
of each cube (or place plastic wrap over the top, secure and insert toothpicks through plastic wrap).

For non-traditional popsicles:

For watermelon popsicles, blend 1 cup each watermelon chunks (seeds removed), orange juice and water. Blend well, then pour and freeze into molds.

For strawberry popsicles, blend 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup vanilla ice cream or yogurt, 4 cups orange juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Blend smooth. Pour into molds and freeze.

For banana popsicles, dissolve one 3-ounce package strawberry gelatin with 1 cup boiling water. In a blender, mix gelatin, one banana and 1 cup yogurt or ice cream. Blend well, and pour into molds.

Power Popsicles

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges in juice, well drained
1 can (6 ounces) pineapple juice
½ cup orange sherbet, softened
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons grated coconut
2 tablespoons honey

Combine all the ingredients in a blender container and blend until smooth. Pour into 8
3-ounce cups. Insert a Popsicle stick in the center of each cup. Freeze until firm.

Yogurt Popsicles

1 cup plain yogurt
6 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir all the ingredients together, then pour into Popsicle molds or paper cups. If using paper cups, cover the top with aluminum foil, then insert a craft stick in the center. Freeze.

Variations: Try pineapple, apple, grape, or your favorite juice variety for a change!

To make Popsicles fill your molds with any of the following and freeze:

      -Juice(any kind)
      -Leftover soda (that may have gone flat in a two liter bottle)
      -Kool-aid
      -Leftover yogurt (you can sweeten it with jelly or fruit if it's plain)
      -Pudding
      -Pureed fruit
      -Chocolate milk
      -Fruit Cocktail or the juice from canned fruit
      -Leftover Fruit Shakes
      -Whipped topping and fruit
      -Jello/Gelatin
      -Apple Sauce or Cranberry Sauce
      -Pie Filling (I would tone this down with yogurt)

Fun Ideas:

      Striped:
      Layer popsicles with different colored or flavored layers of pudding, yogurt, or
      jello.

Parfait Pops:
Layer with whipped topping in between. Yummy!

      Party Pops:
      Add sprinkles, chocolate chips, marshmallows, nuts or coconut to your
      popsicles. You can also make them wild colors with food coloring.

      Rocky Road Pops:
      1 package of chocolate pudding
      1/2 cup marshmallows
      1/4 cup peanuts

Mix, fill molds and freeze.

      Pina Coladas
      Whirl pineapple juice, coconut and banana in a blender, then fill molds and
      freeze. (You can also use the Pina Colada fruit shake recipe.

      Dreamsicles
      Mix 1-2 tsp. Tang and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract with milk. You can adjust to your
      taste. Fill molds and freeze.

Rocket Pops

Layer red, then white, then blue Kool-Aid, juice or Jell-O for festive popsicles,
reminiscent of what the ice cream man used to sell.

Here are some ideas for mix-and-match rocket pops:

      Red: red Kool-Aid, fruit punch, berry juice, red Jell-O or white with red food
      coloring (may turn out pink)
      White: white grape juice, milk, yogurt, coconut or vanilla pudding, vanilla fruit
      shake
      Blue: Blue Kool-Aid or Jell-O, or white with blue food coloring.

      Note: This is really easy if you just start off with white, split amount in three
      parts, and color one part red and one part blue. The kids won't notice it's all the
      same flavor.

      Fizzy Lifting Pops
      Mix club soda and gelatin to make bubbly Jell-O, then freeze in molds. You could
      also try mixing club soda and juice, then freeing. Jell-O sells a line of "Sparkling
      Jell-O" that captures the bubbles when you add the club soda. It's cool! Wait till it
      goes on sale for 25 cents a box, then stock up!

      Chocolate Banana Crunch Pops
      This is a family favorite. Get bananas when they are cheap. Melt some chocolate
      and a little paraffin wax (yes, the kind for canning, it's ok to eat-it's in every candy
      bar!) in the microwave (usually just 1-2 minutes will melt it). Dip bananas in
      chocolate and roll in chopped peanuts. Place on cookie sheet covered with
      waxed paper, and freeze. You can put a stick on the end if you want, we never
      do. They are wonderful and cheap!

Frozen Berry Melon Pops

2 1/2 cups cubed watermelon, cantalope or honeydew melon
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed (or any other berry)
1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp corn syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. press fruit mixture through
a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to extract juices. Discard solids. Pour mixture into cups or popsicle
molds. Add sticks when they harden.