Yep, it’s been a long time. I feel like I’m writing on someone else’s blog. I’m much weirder now. Spending a lot of time hitting other women on 8 wheels while using a pseudonym or spending 12 hours a day talking to a 2 year old will do that to you.

But no matter, we’ve got popicles! And the world is full of flowers and sausages!

I spend a lot of time sitting in the huge convection oven that is the state of Texas in summer watching a naked preschooler play slip n slide. Therefore…popsicles. Mama’s gotta keep cool. Preferably without alcohol. These help.

Some folks call it a paleta. I call it a popsicle. Mmm Mmm. (And then I hit my mother upside the head with it.)

I did warn you, right?

Whatever you call them, they’re awesome. Summer strawberries, fresh mint, the sweet/tart balance of honey versus lime juice. Kids love them but they’re also not too sweet for adults who tend to have more sophisticated tastes than the crap popsicles you can appease a kid with. Remember those plastic tubes of frozen food coloring? They give me and Owen Meany THE SHIVERS.

These are also a great way to use strawberries that are still good to eat but are looking a bit dodgy. You know the ones.

Don’t have popsicle molds? No problem. I use kids’ paper mouthwash cups and actually prefer them to proper molds. I can have multiple flavors available without buying more bulky plastic gadgets.

I’d even serve these at a grown-up party. I’m finding people are generally wanting fewer heavy desserts and I don’t think I’ve cooked for any group over the last two years that didn’t include at least one gluten-free or dairy-free or vegan eater in the mix. These are perfect for a crowd like that.

Even better, you just chuck it all in the whizzer and go.

Fish on.

Strawberry Mint Popsicles

Makes 8-10 small pops (depends on your molds or cups)

Minimally adapted from The Black Peppercorn. I basically just added mint and more rambling instructions.

4 cups strawberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup water
3-4 fresh mint leaves (or to taste)
popsicle molds or cups and sticks (I use kids’ mouthwash cups)

Put all ingredients in the blender and puree until very smooth.
Pour into molds or cups.

If using cups, freeze for an hour, then insert sticks to partially-frozen slush. This makes the sticks stand up straight.

Freeze until solid.

Rinse under cold water to remove from molds or cup. Or you can peel the paper cups away with no rinsing, which is better if you want to plate them up fancy without slush forming.

 

 

(P.S. I have no patience or time for dealing with comment spam so for now I’ve got comments closed until I figure that out.  Also, there’s a lot of old links, too much stuff laying about, etc, and I’m hoping to work on that ASAP so this site will be easier to read. )