Watermelon Ice Pops

Ok so confession,
sometimes my inner kid is screaming to come out
and I decide to make things like this.

Especially with the pool finally being open and with all the gorgeous weather we've been having.  Unfortunately I haven't really been able to enjoy much of the water because of my stitches, but you better believe I slathered on my SPF 30 and lounged around with a cocktail!

Nothing is more refreshing to me on a hot summer's day than fresh cut watermelon, especially at cookouts.  It's healthy, delicious and ridiculously low in calories, so why not freeze it up and put it on a stick??  I didn't use any fancy expensive popsicle makers either, just paper cups, wooden sticks and went to town.  Your kids will absolutely love making these and you'll love eating them!
   

I used lime sherbet for the rind of the watermelon and mini chocolate chips for the "seeds".  This will probably be the easiest thing you'll make all summer and for only 2 points per pop, go ahead and indulge!  This is the perfect snack to have ready in your freezer to grab when you want something sweet, but don't want to kill yourself with calories.  Oh and feel free to go crazy and add a shot or two of vodka to make these pops really fun, I'm sure your friends will thank you.

No I won't judge.
I may or may not have already tried it myself.

I know I'll definitely be enjoying these bad boys tomorrow since I have surgery first thing in the morning.  I'm absolutely. dreading. it.  But at least it will be over and done with and I can get on with my summer.  We're celebrating my friend's birthday this Friday and the Rascal Flatt's concert is on Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to my weekend!

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Servings: 12

Serving Size: 1 ice pop

Calories: 78

Fat: 1.4 g

Carbs: 16.5 g

Fiber: 0.3 g

Protein: 0.5 g

Old Points: 1.6 pts

Points+: 2 pts

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Here are your ingredients:

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen

5 cups seedless watermelon pulp

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1 pint lime sherbet, softened

Puree watermelon and sugar in batches in your blender or food processor until smooth and strain into a medium bowl.  Cover and freeze until puree is slightly slushy, but not quite solid, about 2 to 3 hours.  Remove from freezer, stir well and add in chocolate chips.

Place twelve 5-ounce disposable cups in a shallow baking pan and spoon watermelon puree into cups, leaving about a 1/2 inch left from the rim.  Place pan in freezer for 2 hours, or until puree is solid, but not rock hard.

Allow lime sherbet to soften a bit, then spread over top of each portion of watermelon puree so that it comes up to the edge of the cup.  Smooth sherbet with the back of a spoon and cover each cup with plastic wrap.  Cut a small slit in the center of each cup and insert a popsicle stick into each pop so that it almost reaches the bottom of the cups.  Freeze overnight (or until solid) and can be frozen for up to two days.

Allow pops to sit at room temperature for about a minute, then gently pull out from the cups.  Serve and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe 

Aren't those just so cute?

Thanks again for all your sweet emails and well wishes,
you all are rock stars!