Blueberry + Mint >> Popsicles

Man, has this been a hot summer, or what? It seems like it's been much hotter than usual this year for most regions. My perception is probably also compounded by having spent the last two summers in Berkeley, where it is stupid and cold all summer long. This summer, we've been in sunshiny Davis, where it's been 90-100+ since about May. I used to think the heat was unbearable, but little by little I adapted. I thought I was all down with being hot, and then...I went home to Minnesota.

Oh, Minnesota, you dastardly weather-devil, you. You go from -30*F in the winter to over 100* in the summer. That's a crazy spread! And don't even get me started on wind chills and heat indexes...

Actually, it's a running joke in Minnesota that all we talk about is the weather. But when it can literally be anything any day, it's really something to consider. I thought learning about the weather was so interesting, I even took a meteorology course in college. Now, I barely glance at it, because it just does not change here. Sunny and hot, everyday until October. And then it might sprinkle once in awhile until May. Repeat.

But I digress.

So I thought I had this heat thing down, until I went home for two weeks, and it was not just hot, but humid. I grew up in the humidity, but I guess the semi-desert has dried my tolerance for it right out of me. The combination was stifling, and I was a hot mess most of the time. And while I slowly melted into a puddle, I often found myself dreaming of popsicles.

At the beginning of summer, I had this idyllic idea of making homemade popsicles all the time, with all the amazing farmer's market produce that we'd surely be carting home each week. I even bought the popsicle molds way back in May in anticipation of all the sweet treats sure to come. But here it is, almost August, and I found myself still without my frozen mistress. So I got off my lazy butt and made it happen. And you know what? It took me less than 5 minutes to make these things. I'm sure I've spent more time staring at the freezer section trying to decide on a flavor than it took to make these.

Here's what I used >>

1 big handful of mint
1 pint of blueberries
Sweetner to taste (agave, stevia extract, or sugar)

Here's what I did >>

Pour about 1 cup of boiling water over the mint leaves, and let them steep for about 8-10 minutes. Pour the whole concoction (some might even call it "tea," haha. You could also use a couple of mint tea bags here instead of fresh mint) over the blueberries in your blender, and blend away. Add a bit of your sweetner of choice, and taste. It should be  a little on the syrupy sweet side to taste good frozen, so add until you are satisified. Fill the molds, pop in the freezer, and a few hours later, ta daaaa! Amazingly tasty and amazingly easy pops! Oh, don't have any molds? No worries, fill up an ice cube tray and pop one in your mouth anytime for a mini-treat. Or drop them in sparkling water for a tasty drink!

Has it been blah hot where you live? How are you beating the heat?

In other news, I taught my first real yoga class today, and it was SO amazing! Everything went well, and I had so much fun doing it. A few students came up to me after class and said that if I hadn't said I was a new teacher, they'd never have known. They said it sounded like I'd been doing it for years! What a great compliment. :) I have never done anything (as a job) in my life that I felt was truly my choice and my passion, and it felt great. I can't wait to do it again!!!

shanti >> sondra