Tastefully Tuesday - Home Made Snow Cones with Healthy Fruit Syrups

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." Do you know what my inner child wants? My inner child wants home made snow cones!

Every year when warmer weather arrives I find myself nostalgic for the treats of my childhood. Ice cream sandwiches, grape soda straight from the bottle, and cantaloupe still warm from the sun, straight from the garden, and lightly sprinkled with salt all come to mind.

Today I am allergic to chocolate, have no garden filled with cantaloupe, and avoid soda like the plague. But one treat I can still enjoy is home made snow cones. And now that I make my own syrup, I don't even have to feel guilty about eating them!

Snow Cone Syrup Recipes

Making your own snow cone syrup is not only easy, but it is also healthier than the product you buy in the store. Making the syrup at home allows you to control what goes in it, so you know your family is not consuming potentially harmful dyes and preservatives. Here are a few tried and true recipes.

• TRADITIONAL SNOW CONE SYRUP - If you are into the sugary syrups, then mix up 2 cups of white sugar, 1 cup of water, and one package of unsweetened, fruit-flavored drink mix. It is going to be super, duper sweet but the shaved ice will help water it down quite a bit. However the next recipe will provide the same texture with only a portion of the calories and carbs.

• LOWER SUGAR SNOW CONE SYRUP - This recipe is just like the one above with one simple difference. Instead of sugar use a low-calorie sweetener, like Splenda. Just mix until all the powder is dissolved and store in a bottle with a pour top (like ketchup or pancake syrup).

• FRUIT MASH SYRUP - Don't throw out your fruit once it gets a little too soft to eat fresh. Peel and cube it, then throw it into a sauce pan. Over medium heat, constantly mash the fruit with a potato masher until it is the consistency of oatmeal. You don't have to add any sugar because the well-ripened fruit is filled with natural, healthy sweetness. You can strain the juice off the fruit and keep it in recycled plastic bottle with a pour top.

You can mix the fruit compote leftover with the shaved ice and a container of yogurt for a smoothie-type alternative. Save the compote in the freezer and use it as filling when making fruit pies and turnovers, or in cakes.

Snow Cones - A Healthy Ice Cream Alternative

When eating snow cones, aside from the bit of syrup used to flavor the treat there is really no need to feel guilty about eating them. That's because the primary ingredient of snow cones is shaved ice, which is just frozen water. And the health benefits of water are so numerous, that it is almost impossible to list them all. Here are some of the ways water helps our bodies.

1. provides energy for muscles to work properly
2. balances bodily fluids for digestion, absorption, circulation, and saliva creation
3. makes us feel fuller which helps prevent overeating
4. keeps skin healthy because staying hydrated allows you to sweat out toxins
5. produces healthy waste which keeps kidneys healthy and reduces the risk of kidney stones

When making home made snow cones, my family once relied on the blender to chop up our ice. The problem was that even though it has an ice crush feature, the sizes came out disproportionate and it still allowed for large chunks. The snow cones were just okay.

Then my son received the above as a birthday gift from his grandparents. We love the retro design -- it matches perfect in our kitchen, since most everything else in there is also red. It shaves ice quickly and cleans up easily afterwards. It is probably our most used appliance!

Click the icon above to order your own Nostalgia Electrics Retro Series Snow Cone Machine. You can also check out the reviews, over half of which give the product 5 stars. In addition to the 90 day limited warranty, you can add extra protection from Square Trade, which is also explained on the Amazon site. And if you are a member of Amazon Prime, enjoy a hefty discount plus free shipping, too.

Don't wait until the dog days of summer to make home made snow cones - click the picture above and order your machine now!