Creamy fruit paletas (popsicles) take me right back to my childhood. I pretty much had a paleta a day (because quite frankly, who needs an apple?) during those hot, long breaks when school was out for the summer they were absolutely mandatory. But make no mistake, I did not make my own paletas back then. Not even close. I bought them. But they were locally made, artisanal popsicles sold widely on city streets for literally pennies.

Every afternoon between 2-3 pm, my sister Mary and I would listen intently for the sound of a bell. The joyful sound of a bell which “el paletero” would ring animatedly to alert ALL neighbourhood kids he was approaching our street with his delectable goodies. He pushed a humble little white cart packed with all sorts of fruit and chocolate paletas under the hot, afternoon sun. He’d go up the steep hill and then downhill (think San Francisco style hills) with the cart trying to break with his feet; his trade was so physically demanding and draining. As a child, that really struck me and stayed with me. And so there was almost another reason to buy from him; to help support his trade. Also, because the paletas were GOOD. The kind I’ve never been able to replicate or try anywhere else in the world. The thick, rich, local dairy back home is second to none. Tourists go buck wild in disbelief at how fresh everything tastes.

So here’s the dilemma: I will forever love the thought of ice cream, but the only way to curb my autoimmune condition is to eat dairy, gluten and refined sugar free. So to create a popsicle that takes me back to those while meeting all of the above criteria- is quite the challenge. These come very, very close. If you consume dairy, you should try them with organic, grass-fed 3% milk and follow the rest of my ingredient list. Skim milk does not work for popsicles, it’s overly processed, and not great for you, either. The best part about these; no white, refined sugar. You can sweeten these with your choice of coconut nectar, raw agave, or pure maple syrup. All available at local health stores, and agave and maple are sold widely at all grocery stores.

So I leave you guys with these refreshing popsicles while I take a hiatus to work on something very exciting for you: a Facebook page and website rebrand! They’ll both be launched simultaneously and am so very hopeful you will love the end result! It’s been a labor of love, I mean long, long nights. I got to push myself through the hardest part(s) now… Also, I’ll be guest blogging on a lovely blog that am very, very excited about and will be co-posting it here. So keep an eye out, lot’s of exciting things going on in my little landscape… Oh and one last thought: you’ve gotta try these!!!