Rehydrating Berry Ice Pops

Guys, I'm not going to lie. This recipe was a bit of a whim. 

I didn't PLAN to shoot it, share it, or hell even make it! It was a recipe made in a moment of necessity and seemed far too useful to keep only to myself. I mean, after all, we mamas and papas have help each other out! Parenting is a team sport, for sure. 

On one incredibly early morning when I had to be to work at the crack of dawn, I was peeling my daughter out of her bed to stick in the car to start her day. When, suddenly, her stomach hit the repeat button on dinner from the night before and we clearly were not going to be going anywhere but back into bed with a bucket in hand. The stomach bug, my most dreaded enemy in motherhood, had clearly invaded my house. Crap. 

Tummy bugs are wildly dehydrating. All that "repeat" or "fast forward" action zaps the body of all the fluids it needs to heal,  thus making staying hydrated vital to a quick recovery. But, how the bloody hell do you do that when your little one doesn't A) want to drink anything and B) can barely keep anything down!?! The answer is small, slow increments of an extra nourishing fluid.

I like popsicles for this task, as the slow melt doesn't overburden an ailing tummy, yet the fluids get into your kiddo at a slow and steady pace. However, most popsicles that you buy in stores are loooooaddded with sugar, artificial food dyes, and copious amounts of other chemicals that are not going to do a hurting tummy any good. So, I stopped buying those suckers long ago and just make my own popsicles for all occasions, treat or treatment.

Coconut water is loaded with potassium and healthy fats to help your sicky replenish all of those electrolytes they have just donated to the toilet. And the berries add a low-sugar punch of sweetness and flavor to the pop to make it a bit more interesting. 

While these hydrating pops were inspired by illness, they are excellent for keeping on hand to enjoy during the hot summer months when kiddos run a considerably higher risk of dehydrating quicker! I've made multiple other batches since the tummy bug left our house (don't let the door hit you, jerk) just to enjoy while basking in some sunshine fun or a healthy dessert or after school snack. They are refreshing, all natural, slightly sweet, and easy as easy comes.  

Makes 6 Popsicles

Ingredients: 

• 1 3/4 cup coconut water (look for a brand that is just coconut water. This is the kind I used) 
• 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) berries. I've used raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries so far

Directions:

1. Put the berries into a bowl. Using a fork or potatoes masher, smoosh (yes, I said smoosh) the berries until their juices are released.

2. Using a spoon, evenly distribute the berries into 6 Popsicle molds

3. Fill each Popsicle mold with the coconut water. Insert stick and let set in freezer for 4-6 hours. 

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