#GASTRONOMIA : Lemonade Cucumber Spa Popsicles

by Marla on August 3, 2010 ·

I love anything travel. Most travel these days for me is work based. The itinerary usually has something to do with learning all kinds of neat stuff for my blog. No matter what kind of trip I am on I embrace the opportunity to blog about it. Wouldn’t we all love a vacation to a spa somewhere remote and beautiful? I would. Even though I would be “relaxing” I would still be blogging.

I have never been to the spas at the Canyon Ranch, the Golden Door Spa, the Enchantment Resort or the Montage: any of those magical places that were created with the sole intention for us to wind down. Those are all stateside. I couldn’t imagine breaking the US borders to visit one of the international Aman resort properties. A girl can dream……….

I covet deep tissue massages, facials and sunrise yoga classes. Hold on, my fantasy continues…..how about spa cuisine made for me by a creative chef using all locally sourced organic produce. The spa grounds would be dotted with grazing Jersey cows. The fresh milk and cream would then be offered to me by a gorgeous spa boy……

OK, I just woke up from that dream. Since I am not heading off to a spa anytime soon, I brought the spa to me. You know that yummy cucumber-lemon water that fancy health clubs and spas have? Here is that quenching water sweetened and frozen into pop form. Just close your eyes and pretend for one blissful moment that you are at the spa.

This recipe also qualifies for Summer Fest. I have been inspired by this lively group to create all kinds of recipes using Summer’s finest fruits and veggies. In my last post I shared a favorite zucchini salad. In this post I give you sweet. The two featured vegetables of the week are cucumber and zucchini.

I had fun going savory with the zucchini and I need something sweet for dessert. I like to keep things light. These fruity, citrus pops are the great finale to any meal. They are great for steamy days at the pool or just lounging in your favorite chair dreaming about the spa.

Lemonade Cucumber Spa Popsicles

makes 3 cups of popsicle mix

NOTES

• All recipes created by Marla unless otherwise noted.
• Source organic ingredients when available. Shop for ingredients at the Family Fresh Cooking Amazon Store
• These spa pops are a healthier & more cost efficient alternative to store bought pops. More eco too, no packaging to toss!
• As always, use your own taste buds to determine how you want to flavor your ice pops. My ingredient lists are wide open for interpretation.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup julienned seedless Cucumber
• 1 fresh squeezed Lemon, remove any seeds
• 2 cups cold Water
• Natural Sweetener added to taste: use your favorite, I use Stevia. Maple Syrup, Honey & Agave good too

METHOD

1. Slice lemon in half and squeeze it over a strainer into 2 cups of cold water.
2. Sweeten lemon water to taste with your favorite sweetener.
3. Fill popsicle molds 2/3 with lemonade.
4. Freeze uncovered for about 1 hour. Take pops out of freezer. Scrape and stir any ice crystals that have formed.
5. Add a spoonful of the julienned cucumber to the pop molds. Be sure to leave a tiny bit of room at the top of your popsicle mold so they don’t overflow when you add the stick.
6. With a popsicle stick or a butter knife, press the cucumber into the mixture so it is evenly distributed.
7. Add your popsicle sticks, freeze pops for another 3-4 hours until solid and enjoy!

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