Baby it's HOT outside

When it comes to weather, I'm not a fan of extremes. Autumn is crisp and springtime is fresh, while the other two seasons tend to hurt. I remember being in a seafood restaurant crawling around on my hands and knees, because the bottom of my feet were frostbitten. I was ten. 

This is not to say I don't like the other seasons. I'm just on a forever search for hacks to help me be the most comfortable. The holiday song Baby It's Cold Outside would never have existed were I the lady in question. Doris Day put up a fight. I would've taken one look at the temperature, kicked off my shoes and poured another brandy. 

I'm full of summer hacks. I hose my outfit down before summer gardening. I rent a pontoon during heat waves. I'm nice to people with pools. And I love to make homemade ice pops. I'd like to dedicate an annual post to this summer treat, since homemade ice pops are tastier and more nutritious than the sugar-water variety. Also because Ladles and Linens sells the perfect ice pop molds. I had to buy two sets of them!

Playing with flavors is fun, and my post from last summer offers some great tips to help get your imagination going. And sometimes, you already have your recipe right in front of you. Case in point: leftover coffee. Have a little left in the French press or coffee pot? Prepare it as you normally would (I'm a cream and honey-type), pour into molds, and you have a cold caffeine fix for any time of day!

Now that I've gotten comfortable, I'm playing with texture and presentation. I'm striping ice pops with different colors and flavors, and my strawberry kiwi pops (pictured top) are refreshing and, well, Insta-worthy. 

Simply peel and puree fresh kiwi with a bit of simple syrup. Save a few kiwi slices to slide into the filled molds - it's visually appealing when frozen into the ice pop. Puree fresh strawberries with a bit of simple syrup. Depending on how much time you have, you can use both these purees to make a vibrant red and green striped pattern. And whether I'm hosting a BBQ or surprising kids in the back yard, the looks on their faces when I serve these pops makes me reconsider summer as a potential favorite season.