Summer in the City and Frozen Mango Bars

Summer in New York always reminds me of an old song called Summer in the City by The Lovin Spoonful. Way before my time but I'm guessing it must have been played on the radio pretty much every summer for it to be so ingrained in my head. I never remember all the lyrics but the first few lines are "Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down, isn't it a pity. Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city." And all I can say is...yup!

Don't get me wrong because I love summer but it can be challenging on those days we can't escape to the beach. So, we take the dogs for strolls by the river, enjoy a drink in an outdoor cafe, lie on the grass in Central Park, shop the bounty at the farmer's markets and wander for hours through the frequent street festivals.

And we need frozen treats. Lots of them. For me, nothing quite beats a waffle cone stacked high with ice cream and topped with sprinkles. But that's an indulgent treat.

For my more sensible regular treats I go for frozen fruit bars and my current favorite is Fruttare. It comes in 9 flavors and I usually have at least a couple in the freezer but I'll admit a slight summertime obsession with mango.

For me it's important that these bars are made with real fruit and, let's face it, the fact that the mango bars are only 60 calories each is a big selling point. But all the flavors make reasonable treats, ranging from 60 to 140 calories depending on the flavor. I'm pretty much hooked.

This summer is going by so fast and I'm trying to squeeze all the summer fun into the short amount of time that's left. So I have lunch plans, shopping plans and road trip plans between now and September. And I definitely have plans for easy food preparation.

A long hot day out, girlfriends over afterwards for a bite to eat and a cool drink and the easiest dessert treat ever. Big bowl of ice, Fruttare frozen treats and everyone can help themselves. Enjoy!





I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.