Duluth day trip

A week ago, Zach and I spent the weekend up north at my parents cabin.  Somehow I managed to not take a single picture, which I'm pretty bummed about.  But, it was so fun to spend time with family, breathe fresh air, spend time on the lake, and even sleep in a tent. Actually there was a huge storm, so the tent part could better be described as "terrifying" than "fun".  

But we made it.  

Zach had never been to Duluth before (my birthplace!), so we decided to spend the day there before heading back to our city life.  Here are a few photos that probably don't require much description. :)

Recipe: Healthy Mango Lime Ice Pops

I love ice cream.  And I mean love.  I would eat it every day if I could (which seems to be a trend this summer...), but I realize that probably isn't the healthiest.  So, I made a fun summer treat that's a whole lot healthier. Ice pops are all over pinterest right now, and they're so easy to make, you can really add anything you'd like to them.  

I made these last week and was really happy with how they turned out.  They are dairy free and don't use any sweetener besides the natural sweetness of the fruit itself.  I'd call that a win.

Here's the recipe!

To a blender or food processor add:

Half a bag frozen mango chunks (about 12oz)

Half a bag frozen strawberries (about 8oz)

One can coconut milk (typically I would use full fat, but this light coconut milk from Trader Joe's was all I had on hand)

Juice of 5 limes (These were pretty tart, which I love, but adjust according to your taste)

Blend all of this until smooth, then taste it.  More lime? More strawberries?  Even adding honey would be good to give the ice pops more sweetness.  Then, fill your ice pop molds.  I got mine from Crate and Barrel last year, but I know you can find them more places now.  I've found that tapping the ice pop mold on the counter helps to ensure there aren't air bubbles in it.  Then just put them in your freezer for several hours.

I had extra "batter", which I kept in the fridge and just ate as a smoothie later.  But you could also just keep it until you eat one or two pops, and then refill them. :)

Once they're frozen, they are ready! It works well to run the whole thing under warm water for a bit, and the ice pop should come right out.  

These were husband approved, and I'm excited to experiment with other flavors all summer long.  If anyone has any favorite combinations or recipes for ice pops, please comment! I would love to hear.