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"This recent heat wave reminded me that sometimes cold showers and AC won&amp;#039;t cut it. You have to start getting creative with ways to cool down. Without easy access to a pool, beach, or Slip n&amp;#039; Slide, I seek relief in the one place in my apartment that&amp;#039;s always cold, the freezer. I&amp;#039;ve never been a big fan of ice cream. People think I&amp;#039;m odd, but when I&amp;#039;m overheated the thought of dairy doesn&amp;#039;t tempt me. What I crave are refreshingly bright and fruity frozen treats like sorbets and ice pops, especially if I can whip them up myself. Since I don&amp;#039;t have an ice cream maker, I often go with the low-tech ice pop. Sure, you could buy a box of ice pops, but the freedom to come up with your own flavor combinations and control the quality of ingredients is half the fun.  Here are some of my favorite blends:  Strawberries, watermelon, and fresh basil  Lime juice, mint, and ginger Coconut milk (lite or regular), pineapple, and lime Peaches, peach juice, and a few tablespoons of half-and-half  Canned lychees (including the syrup they come in)  Iced tea and lemonade  Blueberries, apple juice, and a few tablespoons yogurt   Even with ripe fruit you&amp;#039;ll need to add sugar and, in some cases, a little water when blending. Taste as you go along for your preferred level of sweetness, but keep in mind, you need at least some sugar to guarantee your ice pop comes out as an ice pop, not an ice cube. When the mixture is all blended, the texture should resemble a smooth, thick puree. And while ice pop molds are fun (and sometimes even speed up the freezing process), you don&amp;#039;t need them. Instead, use regular ice cube trays. Pour your fruit mixture into the tray, freeze it for 30 min, and then place a wooden ice pop stick or 2 toothpicks about an inch apart in each cube. Continue freezing until set, about 2 hours. Twist tray to loosen. If it won&amp;#039;t come out, use a butter knife to loosen the edges and let it sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes, then try again. Or pour the puree into small paper cups. Proceed as directed above. Tear the paper cup away when you want to eat the pop. For a tasty twist, make two different mixtures that will taste good together, but are different colors (for example lemonade and a strawberry puree). Pour one into the molds first, filling it up only halfway. Freeze for 1 hour or until mostly set. Pour second puree on top. Freeze until completely set. For great texture, try adding small chunks/thin slices of fruits like banana, pineapple, or mango.  If that&amp;#039;s still too much work, just freeze grapes or chunks of ripe banana-quick, easy poppable frozen treats in a flash! Sign up for a free tour of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute to chat with us about your favorite frozen homemade treats. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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