zoku

i was going to embed details of this fabulous new toy we received a few weeks back, but it's much to cool to hide. instead i'm shouting from the rooftops of my blog how amazing our zoku is!

zoku, you ask?! what's a zoku? well, it's an instant gratification popsicle maker. here's our story...

i created this summer to-do list back at my mom's group craft night, and among my to-do's included making popsicles. we've been rocking our summer vacation already, and have 6 things checked off already. but i digress...

so, i bought a plastic popsicle mold last year and it was met with sub-par results. you had to dip the molds in warm water to loosen the frozen pops and by the time they were loose enough to remove, half the popsicle fell off the stick and was left in the mold. ugh. it was frustrating.

so, i heard about this zoku popsicle maker. popsicles in 7-9 minutes, it boasted, freezing right before your eyes all while sitting on the counter. i decided to give it a go. we bought the maker and the additional recipe book. my eyes grew wider with each turn of the page. chocolate banana pops. strawberry shortcake pops. mint chip pops. coffee pops. pink mojito pops. mango pops. lemonade pops. the list goes on and on.

and the best part is that the recipes call for agave nectar, milk, yogurt, fruits, lemon juice- wholesome ingredients you can feel good about giving your kids, instead of the sugary pops you buy in the store that are laden with high fructose corn syrup and dyes.

and literally, you whip together the ingredients, pour it in the mold (which is kept in the freezer for at least 24 hours) and watch your popsicles freeze right before you. it's fabulous stuff.

so far, we've made oh, fudge! (harper's favorite, of course)...

strawberry banana...

watermelon...

kid-friendly strawberry daquiri and coconut macaroon (my fave so far).

harper has devoured them all, and i don't feel the least bit guilty about giving her this frozen treat on the hot days of summer. we give it a full two thumbs up.

next up on our list now that we've purchased additional popsicle sticks is pistachio, in honor of our little one, and summer morning (honeydew melon, lime juice and basil). i even pledged last night to michael that i will freeze my way through this recipe book this summer, a la julie and julia. i'll be sharing my results here with every lick.