Frozen Treats for a Cool Summer

There is nothing better than something cool during the summer. Although I have to admit this summer has been refreshingly cool, unlike two summers ago where I was a hot, sweltering, 7 month pregnant mess! (Thanks Mother Nature)

This summer we started our very first garden in our back yard. So far we have had great luck and I've really enjoyed going out and picking veggies each day. 

I've also had really great luck with my Basil (now cilantro, not so much). It is a huge plant and I've been struggling with what to do to save it so I can use it later on. Although I love basil, you can't eat it every day. Upon doing some searching, I found out you can freeze herbs in olive oil to preserve them and use at a later time. Brilliant!

To preserve your herbs, you simply chopped them up finely, then spoon them into the ice cube tray, top with olive oil and stick in the freezer. I have a large baggies filled with basil that will last me the rest of the year!

 Tonight, I wanted an easy dinner for Lo and I (since Tyler was gone) so I threw a couple in our pasta and it really gave it some great flavor. I added some fresh cherry tomatoes to mine and it was delicious. If you don't have an herb garden it is still a great idea to freeze your herbs right now. There are super cheap at the grocery store so you can load up on them, and freeze them when the price goes up this winter!

Another sweet frozen treat we LOVE at our house are what Lola calls "Yogurt Bites." Have you ever tried to have a 2 year old feed themselves yogurt? It's a mess (and a pain.) So instead of putting myself through that misery, I give her frozen yogurt bites! She absolutely loves them. They are quick, easy and can even be a healthier option for dessert.

 I just scoop some yogurt into a sandwich bag, add some food coloring to make it fun and squirt it into dots on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Freeze for a couple hours and scrape off with a butter knife. I always keep a baggy full in our freezer for breakfast or snacks. So when Lola asks for "Ogurt Bites" I can pull a few out.

Side note: she also won't eat yogurt with any "chunks" in it (I think she gets that from me). This eliminates like 70% of the yogurt choices. I've found that she'll eat any flavor of yogurt, even with chunks- so if you have a picky yogurt eater, this is worth a shot!

I've been home for the last three days with a sick little one. She has a little rash and has been pretty fussy. So this saying definitely holds true for me. 

But really, how can I not smile when I see this face…

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!