And just like that, June is here. It seems summer just popped up overnight but I surely am not complaining as this is the best time of the year to enjoy luscious and refreshing foods to cool you off from the summer sun. I don’t know about you but I grew up on ice pops and started making homemade pops with my mother and grandmother when I was a young girl. Believe me, once you start making them at home, you won’t look twice at the ones in the freezer section of the food store. Plus, the best part about creating your own ice pops is that you can add a creative combination of fresh fruits, juices and herbs to suit your taste buds and keep your mouth happy through the scorching summer heat. No ice pop molds on hand? No problem. You can easily pick up some ice pop sticks at your nearby craft store, purchase some paper cups and you’re ready to go. Just whip up some of my tasty creations below, pour the mixture into your homemade molds and freeze until ready to serve. Believe me, the neighborhood kids will be runnin’ over to your freezer instead of the ice cream truck outside. So, go ahead. Have some fun. Put on some music, purchase some fresh fruit and sweet herbs, branch out from your usual day-to-day fruits and go exotic with mangos or papaya. Summer’s a time to get your creative ‘juices’ flowing and you can easily whip up some of these tasty pops to cool off your palate in no time.