Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Pop pop!

So yes, we’re in the throws of a dramatic, (and messy!) kitchen renovation....

(want a sneak peek via camera phone? Here ya go:)


...But that’s no reason not to embark on an elaborate popsicle making extravaganza, is it?! No!!!

Pretty much nothing can stand in between me and a popsicle, so approximately 30 seconds after we had our new fridge, I decided it was time to christen it with homemade fruit popsicles (for a work friend’s bday...because I’m a giver).

With the help of my trusty Ninja, and friend Tina, I set about making as many popsicles as my new bottom-freezer could hold.

I turned to Martha (and one other random online source) for help, and narrowed it down to the following recipes:
Watermelon-Strawberry Pops
Watermelon-Blueberry Ice Pops
Raspberry Limeade Layered Quick Pops (split into separate batches of raspberry-limeade and plain limeade)
Pineapple Pops

I don’t have any pics from the process, but it was EASY! I had 1 square foot of countertop, and a completely full sink (with bonus socket wrenches teetering on the edge) and we still managed to get 5 batches done (one of each...double Raspberry Limeade) in an hour.

I (shockingly!) don’t have 40 popsicle molds, so I opted for 5oz dixie cups and small wooden spreader/spoons, which worked out perfectly. (3oz would have been suffiecient too, if you’re going for twee-little adorable snacks). I wanted my pops to be fancy and layered, so we kept all the batches separate, and filled each cup up half way with one flavor. Then we let them set for about an hour while we watched The Bachelorette Finale (yay JP!).

I returned to the freezer to check, and found that while the new freezer was working...it was actually working a little TOO well, and my brand new icemaker had dropped cubes into each one of my cups. (That’s what I get for using the ice bin as popsicle storage. Having fancy things is going to take some getting used to!) So we plucked them out, turned the ice maker off, and poured in our second layer. But due to the ice fiasco (and perhaps some impatience on my part) they weren’t quite set, so my layers went by the wayside, and each cup ended up being some sort of mystery fruit blend. A liquid-y fruit blend to boot, making it nearly impossible for the sticks to stand up....OH welllllll....we pressed on.

After a full night in the freezer, a trip to work in my handy cupcake caddy (get one! It’s so great!), they were ready for the party.


I was worried they’d be impossible to eat, but it worked out surprisingly well to just tear off the cups.

And surprise! A few flavors even had their layers intact! (and no- those aren't my nails...my coworkers are fancy too!)


And not surprise! Some of them were crooked and weird and crazy!


But that didn’t stop people from double-fisting popsicles in an attempt to try all the flavor combos. (I don't judge at all...I had two, one before the birthday girl even arrived, as a "test". And if you know me, you realize that 2 popsicles is actually a remarkable display of self control. In high school my friends and I would to hold "Popsicle Day" in which we would see how many popsicles we could eat before we got sick. We would end knee deep in boxes, I never even approached my threshold.)

My favs: Pineapple, and Watermelon-Strawberry. The limeade was a hit,and I liked it mixed with the raspberry, but as a layer on its own I think it was a little tart. And nothing personal- but Blueberry isn’t always my fav. That’s more Dustin’s thing. (he goes through the frozen bags like they’re candy. Or like I go through popsicles.)

So there you go. Press on popsicle lovers....don't let anything stop you.

2 comments :

  1. hey Dustin...do you own that fancy ladder in the first picture (i forget the brand name), or did you borrow it?
    Oh yeah Courtney, you probably already know this, but I say you can never go wrong with ice pops! Yum!

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  2. nice blog.. and nice pic of icecream.. wish i could have at least one bite of it.. :)

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