Strawberry Blood Orange Popsicles

I know technically it's still a week and a half away, but that summer feeling is in the air. Maybe it's just because I live in an attic that is already sweltering, but I can't get summer off my mind. I am craving popsicles, fresh squeezed lemonade, & pitchers of iced tea. I just want to wake up in the cool of the morning and go to a farmer's market and head home with a basket overflowing with local produce.
Since I haven't been quite able to do all of that, I took a little shortcut with these popsicles. I used a pound of frozen strawberries and a bottle of pre-squeezed blood orange juice. Because my strawberries were already frozen, it only took an hour for my popsicles to re-freeze after blending. If you use fresh strawberries, it will take a few hours. As I made the mixture, I realized that I put away my popsicle molds at the end of last summer and can't remember where I stored them. In a moment of desperation I decided to use a set of silicone cupcake liners and wooden spoons to improvise. I see a lot of people use paper cups, so this is even a little more eco-friendly. It also doesn't hurt that it made the popsicles look like little flowers.


Strawberry Blood Orange Popsicles
variable yield, depending on popsicle mold

1 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cup blood orange juice
1-2 tbl agave, depending on desired sweetness
Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. If using frozen strawberries, this will immediately result in an amazing smoothie (only half of my puree ended up in popsicle molds, the other half ended up in a mason jar with a straw). Pour into popsicle molds and allow to freeze until firm.

This morning I got to sleep in, and tonight I get to sell lemonade and cupcakes at an event for the store. Tomorrow I am heading to Six Flags for a day in the sun with several of my friends. I will ride most of the roller coasters at least twice. And probably be on the drop tower at least 4 times. I even get an extra day off this week since I worked so much the last few weeks, so this weekend we are sneaking off to Philadelphia again. All sorts of wonderful things happen in warmer weather. I'm sure there will be ice cream. I'm so happy to have a few days to recover from the craziness that has been this spring. It's important to take time to let yourself rest and enjoy life. Sometimes I forget just how crucial that is to maintain my sanity.