Homemade Dreamsicles: A Healthy Version of a Childhood Favorite

Many of us have memories of summer as a kid. For me, it was the fight over the Dreamsicle. If you are unfamiliar with a Dreamsicle, it is a heavenly combination of orange popsicle and vanilla ice cream. I could pound down Dreamsicles like there was no tomorrow. But, as an adult, I can only imagine what kind of ingredients were in those artificially flavored summer treats.

Enter my wonderful wife. I came home from work last week, and the kids started asking for Dreamsicles. She pulled out an ice cube tray and gave them an ice cube on a toothpick. They asked for another, and she gave it to them. She told them that they could have as many Dreamsicles as they wanted. STOP THE BUS! I have a wonderful mom, but I don't remember her ever saying that we could have as many anythings as we wanted. My brothers and I would have decimated the house if she had said that. So I had to try one of these so called Dreamsicles and see what kind of voodoo magic she was performing on our children.

I pulled one out of the ice cube tray, took a bite, and was immediately transported to my sandbox, G.I. Joes, Legos, and my jealousy over my neighbor's Slip'N Slide. These Dreamsicles are amazing, and thanks to my incredible wife, I am here to share her motherly, trick-your-children-into-thinking-they-get-dessert-when-they're-actually-eating-a-healthy-snack voodoo awesomeness.

Ingredients:



-1 banana
-vanilla yogurt
-orange juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
-ice cube tray
-tooth picks

To make:

1. Cut the banana into small chunks, about a third of the size of an ice cube.

2. Put the banana chunks onto toothpicks and place one chunk into each ice cube slot.

3. Mix equal parts-ish (close enough is perfect) of yogurt and orange juice, and fill the ice cube slots to the top.

4. Freeze.

Yeah. That's it. It takes almost no time to make, it is inexpensive, and the kids eat them like there's no tomorrow. Actually, Dad eats them like there's no tomorrow as well. Our kids think they're getting a treat, but really they're getting fruit and yogurt. As Big A said, "These get ten thumbs up!"

Let the summer games begin!

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