Little Belle has learnt to swim and we’re at that super-relaxing stage where she is afloat, but looks and sounds like she is drowning. She can do it but there is a lot of splashing and a kamikaze sense of abandon that makes me insanely nervous.

There’s no such thing as a “relaxing time at the pool”, it’s all sideways conversations (that I never quite finish) while we track her progress. She’s on her way to becoming a little fish though, and it’s awesome to watch her confidence soar. I keep trying to help but “I CAN DO IT MUMMY!!!” ... and so I sit and watch with my heart in my mouth.

In comparison, cooking with the kids has been easy. There have been a few cases of low-flying ingredients but no blender explosion yet (famous last words). If you missed this last week, let me quickly update you. We’re busy prepping for their fundraising Popsicle Party — healthy Popsicles, banana bread, energy bites and the legendary Holy Crap cookies, with all proceeds going to Open Airways and the SPCA.

The big event is today, so please come along and support these crazy kiddos (and bring me a glass of wine). You can stop by anytime between 12.30pm and 2.30pm.

We’ll be in the downstairs courtyard outside Court House gym, next to Victoria Grill on Victoria Street. If you want to check we have plenty of stock before you make your way down, give me a call on my cell or check Facebook.

The prep part of this little project has been easy but the logistics a little tricky. I realised (in the dead of night and then couldn’t sleep) that though transporting the Popsicles would be OK, selling them from the coolers and opening the lid a hundred times was a big giant flaw in the plan. Step in Chef Ryan at Victoria Grill who is rolling out his small freezer for us. What a hero!

After lots of trial and error, we have three Popsicle recipes: Chloe’s Icy Blues, Bananabelles and Wild Watermelon. The girls have sworn me to secrecy for theirs, but I’ve popped the watermelon recipe for you below. It’s so easy! You need a really great watermelon though — avoid melon that’s pale pink or fuzzy. Keep the seeds in the fruit as they blend well in a high-powered blender and are a good source of magnesium. They add a little protein and fibre too.

If you’ve made Popsicles before, you might have found that once the fruit and water freeze, they are rock-hard and full of ice crystals. They can be nice that way but you can improve the texture by using organic tinned coconut milk for the liquid instead.

The coconut milk makes them creamy and, if you pick one that includes guar gum as a stabiliser, it helps to prevent ice crystals forming. Then you get a Popsicle with a much better bite. I use the old-fashioned ice lolly moulds with wooden sticks which you can sometimes get at People’s Pharmacy. They have other fun options too, as does the Chef Shop on Par-la-Ville.

This recipe is fruit only and no-added sugar. That’s a must if you are having them regularly through the summer. Enjoy!

Wild Watermelon Popsicles (fills two old-fashioned moulds; 20 pops)

4 cups cubed watermelon; rind-off, seeds in

3 large ripe bananas (the riper, the sweeter the Popsicle)

Juice of 1.5 large juicy limes

¾ -1 tin organic full-fat coconut milk

Method:

1, Shake the coconut milk well so that if you use ¾ tin, it’s well-mixed. Using the full tin makes them extra creamy. Or you can use the remaining ¼ in a curry or smoothie.

2, Place the ingredients in a blender in this order: coconut milk, lime juice, bananas, watermelon. The blades deal with the large mixture best this way. If you have a smaller blender, do it in batches. A food processor or stick blender should work fine too.

3, Whizz till completely smooth. Taste. Add more banana if not sweet enough. Then pour into the moulds and freeze for at least 12 hours.

•The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda