It's not summer without frozen treats

Summer just wouldn't be complete without popsicles and ice cream. I can't even count the number of childhood memories I have of being out on sunny deck, arms sticky with drips.

If you're trying to avoid the high-fructose corn-syrup and other yuckies in the store-bought treats, making your own is a great alternative. Seattle-based Tovolo has a nice line of BPA-free popsicle molds that make homemade pop making good-looking and easy. My favorite are the shooting star pop molds, but you can also choose from the classic rounded or rocket pop shapes. Fill them with juice or yogurt, stick them in the freezer, and, voila! Popsicles! My kids love layering different juices to make multi-colored popsicles or adding in tiny chunks of floating fruit. Leftover yogurt gets spooned right into the mold, making tasty yogurt pops for pennies.

For ice cream sandwiches, try the Tovolo ice cream sandwich molds--also BPA-free--in stars and hearts or very cute farm animal shapes. DIY ice cream sandwiches let you stray from the usual chocolate-and-vanilla into all sorts of tasty combinations. (My favorite: peach ice cream on gingersnaps.) And I appreciate how easy it is to sub in soy yogurt or soy ice cream for my dairy-allergic daughter, so that her treats look just like the other kids'.

Popsicle molds $10 at our affiliate Amazon
Ice cream sandwich molds $12 at our affiliate Amazon