Blackberry Popsicles

Popsicles are not just for kids my friends! I love popsicles. I have since I was a kid. My favorites were the long, skinny Welch's Fruit Juice popsicles in- what other flavor is there?- raspberry. Yummy.

Popsicles always make me think of summers during my childhood-

--Playing outside all day long. At least until the sun went down at what seemed to be 9 pm--

--Riding my bike to the park with friends, wind in my hair, helmet occasionally sliding down over my forehead, riding so fast I imagine I'm going to break the sound barrier--

--Trips to the community pool to wait in line for the water-slide, slip-n-slide mat wrapped around my waist, brave smile on my face--

--Begging my parents to let me sleep a tent in the backyard, armed with nothing more than friends, a flashlight, and a very friendly dog--

--The days when my only responsibility was to vacuum the entryway stairs or clean a bathroom. Funny how that one chore always seemed to be a huge, time-consuming obstacle. The one thing standing in the way of my over-indulgence in the summer sun--

--Neighborhood wide games of "Capture the Flag"--

--Counting down the days of August, dreading being forced back into that claustrophobic classroom--  (Can you tell I didn't like school?)

Well, you know what? Popsicles aren't just for kids. I still love them. They are one of the healthiest desserts, consisting of mostly fruit and a little sugar water. They are super-easy to make, delicious, and a great use of summer berries. And you know what? They taste so much better than store-bought!

Ingredients (makes 5-7 popsicles):

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups blackberries
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool.
2. In a food processor, pulse blackberries and lemon juice until completely smooth. Pour blackberry mixture through a fine sieve to strain out seeds.
3. Put de-seeded blackberry mixture back in food processor. Add sugar water, and pulse again until smooth. Pour mixture into a pourable container.
4. Pour blackberry mixture into popsicle molds. Place a wooden popsicle stick in the middle of each and place each mold in the freezer for 4 hours. Popsicles are ready to serve after 4 hours.

*Recipe courtesy of Picture Perfect Meals*

-You can also find this recipe over on The Country Cook's weekly linky party!