It's hot. And evidently it's hot everywhere. A record-setting year. 113 degrees in Baghdad. 122 in Kuwait. Tempers must be running high. Even the most verbose turn laconic. So I'll just say one word: Popsicles. And maybe I'll just add: Easy. Cooling. Refreshing. Light. (My cat looks like a mink throw tossed onto the windowsill.) Take these recipes and run with them. (Or walk very slowly, fanning yourself with a large palm leaf.) Substitute whatever fruits you have on hand; use a little sugar, honey or agave; try a bit of cream instead of the yogurt, or no dairy at all. G is about to try an herbal protocol from the multi-talented Bryan Thomson, and he can't have dairy for a minimum of 6 weeks, but I can't promise I'll be that restrained. (I'm quite addicted to my morning chai made with raw milk. I even had it today, and promptly almost passed out from the heat! Surely not an Ayurvedically-approved choice...) Anyway, basta with the chit-chat. Whiz up these popsicles in no time flat and you can lie prostrate on your hardwood floor, covered with a wet towel, and eat several while watching the entire season of Dexter which you've wisely downloaded from iTunes. I used these molds which I recommend with reservation. They make a nice shape but getting the stick in at the right height was challenging. (I really wanted these but they are expensive and weren't available right away. Plus they come from a site called The Tickle Trunk. WTF?) Even though Jake Godby, the wizard behind the Bay Area's Humphrey Slocombe, wouldn't deign to offer you such a pedestrian combo as strawberry-rhubarb, I do it with pride. For you flavor snobs out there (and I know none of you is actually reading this blog), there's always the esoteric tang of wild lime to the rescue.

COCO LOCO POPSICLESmakes about 8 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened organic coconut milk1/2 cup agave nectar (you can start with less and add more as needed)½ cup fresh lime juice3-4 wild lime leavesCombine the coconut milk and agave nectar in a saucepan and heat over medium-low until combined. Taste for sweetness, and add more agave as needed. Drop in lime leaves, cover and steep for an hour or two. Remove lime leaves and stir in lime juice. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until solid. Pray that your freezer doesn't suddenly turn itself off for no reason a couple of hours before you want to serve your popsicles, like mine did on July 4th.STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB POPSICLESmakes about 10-121 pound rhubarb3/4 cup simple syrup made with organic cane or rapadura sugargrated zest of 2 oranges1 1/2 cups of stemmed, chopped strawberries1/2 cup Greek yogurt (lowfat is OK)Wash and chop rhubarb into 1" pieces. Place it in a wide-bottomed, nonreactive pot, and add enough water to amply cover the rhubarb. You can also add the juice from the oranges, if you want. Cover the pot, and cook over medium heat until the rhubarb breaks down, about 15-20 minutes.In a food processor or blender, combine the cooked rhubarb, 1/2 cup of the simple syrup and the orange zest. Adjust sweetness—keeping in mind that some sweetness will dissipate upon freezing—by adding some of the reserved simple syrup. Blend in yogurt.Pour into a large pitcher. Stir in chopped strawberries until well combined. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, and freeze overnight. Pray that your freezer doesn't suddenly turn itself off for no reason a couple of hours before you want to serve your popsicles, like mine did on July 4th.