With the tans of spring break fading and warm Chicago days not quite here, we need a reminder of the sunshine that is to come. In a distant memory, from what feels like a long, long time ago, I had a life-changing food experience. Picture this: you’re walking in the streets of Madrid, Spain, following the delectable scents radiating from a nearby street market when suddenly, you wander upon a small striped popsicle stand. One thing they’re selling? A peach basil lemonade popsicle. Yes — homemade popsicles is this week’s recipe. To bring a little bit of sunshine to this random April week, I thought some simple, delicious popsicles would do the trick. 

I put together some of my favorite refreshing flavor combinations for you all to try at home. The best thing about these popsicles: they are ridiculously easy to make. Just purchase a popsicle mold at your grocery store or simply pour mixture into an empty plastic container and place a popsicle inside, freeze and get ready to enjoy. Obviously, I had to recreate my Spanish popsicle experience, but I also wanted to incorporate some flavor combinations I have been dying to try. The first is a blueberry lavender popsicle with a creamier texture and a much more rich flavor. The next is a refreshing watermelon popsicle to which I added some fresh mint-an absolute favorite snack of mine throughout the summertime. I hope you enjoy these popsicles as much as I do and that your childhood memories of summer may soon return. 

Ingredients: 

Tangy peach basil lemonade popsicle

• Peach lemonade
• Small chunks of peaches
• Lemon zest/juice of half a lemon
• Chopped basil

Creamy Blueberry Lavender popsicle

• Plain Vanilla yogurt (not Greek!)
• Trader Joe’s lavender oat milk or lavender simple syrup
• Blueberries

Refreshing Watermelon mint popsicle

• Blended up watermelon
• Juice of half a lime
• Chopped mint

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together and freeze in popsicle molds
• No exact measurements — just add however much of each depending on what you like and how big your molds are!

Happy cooking!