Oh, ice pops, how you make summer heat easier to bear! Making your own popsicles is not only fun, but it also gives you complete control over what goes in them. This recipe from the amazing The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook, for example, has all the vitamin C you and the kids need as well as being hydrating – and really pretty too!

Watermelon, lime and hibiscus ice pops

Author The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook

Vitamin C packed ice pops that will refresh even the hottest summer day.

Ingredients

¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 ½ cups watermelon chunks (from about 1¼ pounds watermelon)
¼ cup raw agave nectar
½ teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring ¾ cup water and the dried hibiscus flowers to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let stand until cool. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
in a food processor, blend the watermelon chunks until liquified. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin into a pitcher; discard any solids. (You should have about 1½ cups watermelon juice.)
Stir the hibiscus water, agave nectar, and lime zest and juice into the watermelon juice. Pour the juice mixture into ice pop molds and freeze until firm, about 7 hours.

Notes

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook

Courses Dessert

Summer Detox Salad

Summer detox may be the easiest one: there are fresh fruit and veggies available everywhere, plus the heat makes you want to stay away from hot oil or the oven. This salad can easily become your go-to dinner, and you’ll be happy to see it’s easy to make and super healthy.

Greens such as broccoli and spinach are packed with antioxidants and other phytonutrients, which makes eating them fresh a must. Surprisingly enough, mature spinach leaves are even healthier than baby spinach, so pick a nice bunch to make this salad.

Ranch detox salad

Author Live at Ranch Oak Cookbook

Yield 6

Enjoy the taste of summer vegetables while also detoxifying your body.

Ingredients

For Salad

1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stem reserved
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
2 medium carrots, unpeeled, coarsely grated
4 large kale leaves, stems removed, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped spinach leaves
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons raw pepitas
2 tablespoons cranberries, fresh if in season or dried

For Purple Dressing

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon maca powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

For Salad

Peel the broccoli stem and chop, then chop the broccoli and cauliflower florets with a sharp knife or by pulsing in a food processor. Place the chopped broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. Add the carrots, kale, and spinach and mix well.
Garnish the salad with the sunflower seeds, pepitas, and cranberries. Serve with purple dressing.

For Purple Dressing

In a blender, combine the blueberries and lemon zest and juice on high speed until liquified.
In a small dry skillet over a high heat, toast the maca, stirring continuously, for about 30 seconds. Add the toasted maca to the blueberries and combine. Season with salt and pepper. use the dressing immediately.