Pops on the Porch

Our family spent the summer of 2000 in the Brazilian Amazon. It was beastly hot and we had a few tricks for keeping cool. One was to take a shower whenever we could. (It was part of Amazon etiquette to offer a shower to guests when they arrived!) We also enjoyed the amazonian version of smoothies (zucos) almost daily. My favorite flavor of zuco was açai. Açai berries are similar to blueberries. There has been some press about them lately because they are considered one of the super foods containing Omega 3 acids, antioxidants, and other beneficial vitamins. They have become easier to find in the United States in the last few years because of their elevated status. On a recent trip to Costco we found a two-pack of açai juice. We have a summer tradition in our house called "pops on the porch" - after dinner we sit on the front porch and enjoy a homemade popsicle. The last two nights we've been savoring vanilla-açai pops. I mixed equal parts açai juice and vanilla yogurt in the blender, poured into popsicle molds, and froze. I think they may be the best popsicles ever.