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Dine on a Dime: Fend off the summer heat with cool treats

As temperatures continue to rise here in Houston, cool off with an easy, refreshing desert. For a Latin fruit fusion of flavors, try making a licuado -with only a few easy steps to follow, anyone can make this traditional Mexican fruit drink.

Licuado is just another word for "blended," and this icy drink will cool you down in no time.

Pick up any combination of your favorite fruits, and make sure you have plenty of ice and milk in the fridge. My favorite fruits are strawberries and bananas, but don’t feel limited. Let your creative juices flow, and select anything from blueberries to kiwis.

To make a strawberry-banana licuado, gather your fruits, ice, milk and a blender. Measure one cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped and stemmed, one sliced, ripe banana, a teaspoon of granulated sugar (optional) and, if you are using fresh fruit, about one half cup of ice and one half cup of milk.

Combine all ingredients in your blender and mix on high until the mixture has a smooth cream-like texture. Pour into a cup and – an addition that was always a favorite of mine as a child – top it with a few sprinkles of ground cinnamon. You’re ready to enjoy. If these aren’t your preferred fruit choices just substitute them for your desired choices.

Other refreshing desserts to explore this week contain the fruity flavors of Jell-O. I never thought Jell-O could be used in so many resourceful ways, but as I explored the gelatin treat, I realized I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

As I was thinking of different recipes to offer my readers, I skimmed through www.kraft.com, where I came across a couple of ways to make your Jell-O treat extra delectable. Trying them out for myself proved to be a simple task.

You can choose between a frosty gelatin desert with vanilla ice cream and a gelatin dessert with your choice of frozen fruit.

To make the frosty delight, you’ll need one gelatin package of Jell-O (preferably orange flavor). Set aside two cups of vanilla ice cream and let soften.

Boil one cup of water and dissolve gelatin mix with water. Gradually add softened ice cream, stirring with a wire whisk, and after it is well blended refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

To make the fruit dessert, follow the first steps to make the frosty dessert, but instead of ice cream add one cup of frozen fruit. Once the gelatin is dissolved, mix in the fruit and one half cup of whipped cream. Combine this until it begins to thicken, and refrigerate.

Whether you choose a fruity gelatin snack or a cool Latin fruit drink, you can enjoy a dessert that’s refreshing and nourishing.

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