Cheryle Finley: Frozen snacks great way to cool off as summer arrives

As the weather gets warmer we think about cool snacks to help us beat the heat. What better way to cool down than with frozen snacks? Some of our favorite snacks just might be better frozen.

• Fruit: Grapes, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, mango, grapefruit, oranges and watermelon all tend to get a little sweeter when frozen and are best not thawed. Such a nice variety. Some can be amped up by eating them dipped in chocolate or peanut butter. The frozen fruit is perfect for smoothies or slightly blended for a slushy drink.

• Applesauce: Thawing for a few minutes will give you an icy granita.

• Iceberg lettuce: This surprising option, frozen in cored wedges for three hours, will supply a refreshing summer salad when served frozen, topped with your favorite dressing.

• Pudding cups: Freeze these snacks as is in their cups or freeze with a wooden stick pushed into the middle and enjoy a pudding pop.

• Marshmallows: Keeping extra marshmallows fresh is easy if you freeze them. Once frozen, don't thaw to eat them. They just won't be the same.

• Lemonade and fruit juices: Make frozen juice pops, thaw a bit for a slush or use to cool your lemonade or fruit juice drinks without diluting.

• Candy bars: Chocolate freezes well, and a frozen Snickers or 3 Musketeers is sure to be a welcome treat.

Your freezer can be helpful in so many ways. Using ice cube trays to freeze herbs, stock and broth won't give you a summer snack but will mean you have handy access to always usable frequently used items. A plastic bag or container kept in the freezer is a good receptacle for leftover veggies saved for soup or stir fry.

Freezing food doesn't have to be only for food preservation. Freezing it can provide a tasty cooldown or simply a yummy snack.

Our first recipe, adapted from iwashyoudry.com, is similar to a delicious corn salad made by Racine Palmer for one of our favorite Sarcoxie Senior Center lunches. She stirred in some chili cheese Fritos, and I highly recommend this addition for crunch and flavor. Not a cilantro fan? Substitute dill. Another substitution can be all mayo instead of mayo and yogurt. This salad is sure to become a favorite for summer cookouts or dinner around your family table.

A great warm weather dessert is the watermelon pie, requested by my dear friend Sharon Clark. To be sure the pie sets up, you will want to be sure the watermelon is dry, so drain it in a colander or on a paper towel. If you use a colander you can add extra watermelon flavor by using the juice instead of water to dissolve the gelatin. The fruit and gelatin in this pie recipe, adapted from Taste of Home, can be easily switched to strawberry, peach, cherry or your favorite. Cherry gelatin can also be substituted for the watermelon flavor. Sharon said that watermelon flavor gelatin may be hard to find but that she finds it at King Cash Saver in Carthage.

Keep cool, and happy eating.

2 pounds frozen corn, thawed under cool running water

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup diced purple onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients except cilantro. Gently stir into corn. Stir in cilantro. Chill until ready to serve. Yields 10 servings.

1 (3-ounce) package watermelon flavor gelatin

1/4 cup boiling water

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 cups cubed seeded watermelon

1 graham cracker crust

In large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool to room temperature. Whisk in whipped topping then fold in watermelon; spoon into crust. Chill 2 hours or until set. Yields 8 servings.

Cheryle Finley is a food columnist for The Joplin Globe. Address correspondence to Cheryle Finley, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802.

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