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Here on the blog I am sharing a recipe that you and your kiddos are sure to love for the summer. You can even plan ahead and make it in red, white, and blue to celebrate 4th of July! Wouldn't that be fun... and totally Pinterest worthy. ♥

One of my absolute favorite things to make during the summer as a kid was a slushy. Sure, I could have begged my mom to take me to 7-11 and get a slurpy, but there is just something way more fun and magical about making it myself. I don't remember the specifics of how I made them as a kid... I'm pretty sure I just froze water in a thermos, or something like that, but I totally remember how yummy they were. 

Where I grew up, the summer temps were sometimes above 100ºF, some days were well above that. We used to set ice cubes on the concrete driveway and watch them turn to a puddle almost instantly. One those super hot days there wasn't much we could go do because it was just way too hot. So, to try and keep cool, we would make slushy's. 

I'm sharing two different basic recipes that you can change up for the flavors you like most. Both are super simple and need only a few basic ingredients. The equipment? A heavy duty blender (I have a BlendTec). The first is a really yummy, really sugary, totally not healthy at all recipe. This is the kind of slushy you would probably make once in a while, when the kids have been REALLY good!

The Sugar Slushy:

This couldn't be any more simple. Grab a bunch of ice from your freezer. If you have an ice dispenser that makes crushed ice, start there. If you have smaller pieces of ice to begin with, it helps to create a smoother texture to your slushy sooner. 

Next, add some of your favorite flavor of flavored syrup. These are the kind you would use to make snow cones, or shave ice, or to flavor custom soda concoctions. Our local Smart and Final has lots of flavors to choose from year round, but this time of year you can find smaller bottles at Target, Wal-Mart, and lots of other big name stores. 

Add as much or as little flavoring as you want. Obviously, the more you add the stronger the flavor will be. If my blender is 1/2 full of ice, I usually add about 1/8 of the blender full of syrup. 

To mix it all up, I start by pulsing the blender a few times. I can see how well it's crushing the ice to decide whether or not I need to add a little bit of water. Once I know that it's going to be wet enough to blend, I set my blender to the Margarita setting and let it do it's thing. It doesn't always need to go through the entire cycle, so I watch it and just stop my blender when it looks like it's ready. 

My kids LOVE these... but we don't make them all the time because, well, it's a lot of sugar! To cut down the amount of artificial sugar, you can toss in a few of the real thing and blend them up with the flavored syrup. This is a good way to sneak in some of the good stuff if you have pick eaters... just don't let them see you put it in the blender. 

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The Fruit Slushy:

This is the somewhat healthier version. I say somewhat because it all depends on what you use for your flavoring. This slushy recipe starts the same as the first with the crushed ice in your blender, but this time instead of adding flavored syrup, we are adding jam. I used some homemade strawberry jam for our slushies. 

Now, if you are trying to cut back on the sugar, I would totally recommend using some homemade jam or other preserves. That way you can control the amount of sugar you are adding. Using jam instead of the flavoring gives you and your kiddos the added benefits of the actual fruit (the fiber and the natural vitamins). I still wouldn't have these terribly often, but it gives you a wide range of natural flavors you can use to create a delicious summer treat! 

Since the jam has a more concentrated flavor, I use way less of it than the flavored syrup. With my blender half full, I spooned in about 1/4 cup of my jam.  Then I added about the same amount of water to thin it out so it will mix better. You can always make your slushy, taste test it to see if you have enough flavoring, and add more jam and remix if needed. 

Again, I began by pulsing my blender, then switching it tot he margarita setting to finish it off. My kids love these just as much as the sugary ones. You can create some really fun combinations with these by adding in some fresh mint or lemon zest. 

I like to make my slushies on the thicker side so we can enjoy them with a spoon, but a cute paper straw if perfect for drinking the melted goodness at the bottom of the glass! 

If you give one of these a try, tag us on social media @naturallycreativehome. We'd love to see what flavors you are enjoying!