Mango Yogurt Smoothie Pops

Today I'm going to share the recipe for these Mango Yogurt Smoothie Pops.  But first I just wanted to say hi to my new friends, the Tampa Bay Lady Bloggers!  Hi ladies!

Yesterday, I met up with a great group of local ladies who blog.

Photo c/o Caroline @My Fascinating Life

The Tampa Bay Lady Bloggers met up at the Hooker Tea Co. in St. Petersburg, FL yesterday afternoon (keep your thoughts to yourselves...bunch of ladies meeting up at the Hooker Tea Company...don't say it didn't cross your mind).  It was the group's second meet-up but my first and it was SO nice to finally meet some women whose blogs I have been following.

Photo c/o Caroline @ My Fascinating Life (Thank you!)

Basically what I'm trying to say is, I'm no longer just a blog-stalker because we KNOW each other now! ;-)

After I got home I was starving so I whipped up a quick Bruschetta Pizza (OMGAMAZINGLYDELICIOUS - recipe to come!) and afterwards I needed something sweet.  Well, lucky for me I had a batch of Mango Yogurt Smoothie Pops in my freezer that I had prepped yesterday.

Our starting lineup

These popsicles are SO creamy and smooth, sweet without being cloying and with a light tang from the yogurt.  They really taste just like a Mango Lassi in frozen popsicle form.

Thank you, blender.  You work hard for me.

They were very quick and easy to prepare:  everything gets tossed into a blender, the blender does the dirty work, you pour it into your popsicle moulds and then the freezer does the rest of the hard work!

Pour about 2/3-3/4 full

And since I'm not one who enjoys delayed gratification, I had enough left over in the blender for a few sips after pouring it into all of the moulds.  I may or may not have left a couple of the popsicles one-quarter empty so I would have enough left to drink.  May I remind you, this is a judgement-free zone.

Leave a little in the blender for sampling er, quality control.

I bought my popsicle mould at Marshalls for less than $10 but if you don't have a popsicle mould, you can always try the good ole' paper cup trick:  Pour your popsicle mixture into some small paper cups, once partially frozen (after about 1 hour) stick popsicle sticks (from the craft store) into the centers and freeze the rest of the way.  Voila!

Or for a greener alternative, use muffin tins or small juice glasses in stead of the paper cups.

See, no excuse not to make your own.  And can I tell you something?  These are SO much better than store-bought.  Know why?  They contain NO HFCS, NO artificial sugar, NO artificial colors or flavors, they have filling protein AND fiber from the greek yogurt and real fruit.

In summary, these are real food.  At it's best, I might add.

Mango Yogurt Smoothie Pops (Mango Lassi Pops)
makes 6 popsicles

2 cups frozen mango chunks, partially thawed
3/4 cup 2% plain greek yogurt (feel free to substitute non-fat or 4%, I prefer Fage to all other brands)
1/4 cup milk or non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 Tablespoons honey (depending on your taste preference and the sweetness of the mango)

In a blender, combine the partially-thawed mango chunks, yogurt, milk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of honey.  Puree on high until smooth and no chunks remain.  Taste, and add additional honey 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches your desired sweetness.

Pour popsicle mixture into your clean, dry popsicle moulds (about 3/4 of the way full) and insert the sticks.  Freeze at least 4 hours or until fully set.

To de-mould:  Hold one popsicle in your hand for 20-30 seconds to allow your body heat to warm the outside slightly, then remove the popsicle from its mould.  Alternatively, run the pop under lukewarm water for 10-20 seconds, then pull the pop out.  Enjoy!