POPSICLE PALOOZA: TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE POPSICLES

I've had a lot of fun making homemade popsicles and ice pops this summer. From summertime favorites like homemade red, white, and blue Bomb Pops to crazy concoctions like Watermelon Cayenne Margarita, these sweet, frosty treats are fresh and delicious fun. You can go hi-tech, low tech, and no tech when it comes to popsicle making... and I've got ideas for all three.

FEW POPSICLE MAKING TIPS BEFORE YOU START

Make sure you read the directions on your popsicle molds or maker. I made the mistake of NOT reading them and ruined my first batch because I could not get the sticks in!

Use chilled ingredients. That helps the pops set up faster.

Leave a little room at the top of the mold because the liquids will expand when they begin to freeze and spill over unless you allow some room.

Anything with a high fat content like heavy cream or Half and Half tastes great- but won't set up as hard as whole milk will so use it in moderation or you will have a difficult time getting the pops to release from the mold.

I've found that it is difficult to use yogurt in the popsicle makers or popsicle molds because it is hard to get the pops to release in one piece. Either dilute the yogurt with a little milk until it becomes easy to pour or simply use a plastic cup for your mold when you want to use yogurt.

Fruit juice and tea will freeze very hard unless you dilute with a bit of water or add more sugar before freezing.

Fresh fruits freeze well and taste great. Puree the fruit and add a little agave nectar, simple syrup, or honey to sweeten. Artificial sweeteners don't freeze well for some reason. I like to use infused simple syrup- like mint or vanilla to make the fruits really exotic and full of flavor.

If you want to add soda to your pops, it's better to let them go flat first or you'll have lots of bubbles in the texture and they'll propably overflow in the freezing process.

Alcohol does not completely freeze. If you want to make adult versions of your pops, you'll need to dilute the liquor with some fruit juice or water. I recommend making the pops with very light liquor then serving the pops in a pretty glass with a shot of the chilled libation. Wait 'til you try it! Summer love!

HI-TECH POPS WITH THE ZOKU

Make homemade Patriotic bomb pops with Gatorade or another sports type drink to keep kids hydrated on a hot summer day!

The Zoku Quick Ice Pop maker is really fast. But you can only make a few at a time and can't use some ingredients.

Go hi-tech with this fantastic Zoku Ice Pop Maker... keep it in your freezer and make your pops in as little as 7 minutes. You can swirl colors, make layers, and do it all super fast. I made these Bomb Pops using red, white, and blue Gatorade which is a great idea for the kids after sports or a quick treat after working in the yard. It's even a great idea for those times when your kid is sick and needs hydration. When my mom was sick from Chemo, she loved it when I made popsicles or milk shakes for her. The pops make it easier to get fluid in them. Check out the wonderful colors, flavors, and recipes on the Zoku blog. They even have a book filled with fantastic ideas and recipes. I don't have the patience to do some of the complicated ones, I'll admit it. I have made their Pineapple Coconut recipe- and they turned out great. I really am in love with this new toy! You can find these and all of the accessories for them online, Williams-Sonoma and independent cook stores for about $50.

LOW-TECH POPS

These low-tech popsicle molds are easy to make but do take quite a long time to freeze completely. The top helps hold the sticks in place so you do not have to wait for them to set up to add the sticks.

A tried and true way to make popsicles is to use a mold. We had them when I was a kid...sometimes we'd pour kool-aid into ice trays and freeze them for a cold treat in the Alabama heat. I really like this Nor-Pro mold. You can make ten pops at one time; all the same or mix and match flavors and colors. I really like the fresh fruit juice pops with a bit of the fruit pieces in it. They are so delicious and a healthy, low calorie treat. You can find these in stores where they have cooking and baking supplies. About $16 on Amazon.com

Fast and easy, make these treats with your favorite Kool-Aid or Gatorade flavors. For the 4th of July, make these Red, White, and Blue pops for a cold treat in the Summer heat!

NO-TECH POPS

Now, this is probably the easiest way to throw some ice pops in the fridge. Fill small plastic or paper cups 2/3 full and freeze! You do have to wait about 30 mintues for them to set up a bit before you put the popsicle sticks in them. And it is best to put them on a tray or cake pan to keep them from turning over. To get the pops to release, just run them under warm water for a couple of seconds.   

For your next Girls Night party, make my Watermelon Margarita pops and serve in a pretty glass with a shot of chilled tequila over the top.

Here are links to some of my homemade popsicle and ice pop recipes. Some are for the kids and I also have some special recipes for the adults only. Try making these for your next pool party or Girls Night get together... some of my favorites include:

15 POPSICLES INCLUDING SMORES POPS

FRUITY SANGRIA POPS

WATERMELON MARGARITA POPS

POPSICLES AND PROSECCO

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE POPS

WILD BERRY POPS

SOME IMAGES COURTSEY ARDEN WARD UPTON, ARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY

PARTY THEME: BACKYARD CAMPING PARTY

Longing to take a trip but your budget has you staying home this year? Why not recreate your favorite vacation right in the backyard? My brother and his family love to camp and they have this backyard camping party when time or money keeps them home. If you love to camp, bring all the elements of a camping trip to your own backyard. Pop up a tent, grab a sleeping bag and build a campfire! And hey, if you don’t have a backyard, indoor camping can be a lot of fun, too.

Make memories and have more fun than you can imagine when you go backyard camping.

This is a great party for almost anyone: the kids, a birthday party, a dads and daughters get-together, a neighborhood party… it could even be a romantic date night… (You know, campfire and all?) It could even be the perfect wedding shower for that couple you know who love the great outdoors. To encourage spending time outdoors, the National Wildlife Federation hosts an annual campout called The Great American Backyard Campout. Find out how to participate!

Quilts, blankets, sleeping bags, plus other camping equipment like these inexpensive pop-up tents are all you need for a backyard camping party.

THE FOOD

Start with a super easy menu. Barbeque Hobo Packs are perfect. You remember those aluminum foil packages you can put right on the fire? Hobo packs make cooking simple. Even better, they are easy serve and easy clean-up. If you can’t build a fire, you can do these on the grill or in the oven. I like to start with onion, tomatoes, potatoes and add a hamburger patty. Add a splash of olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

I like to cook fish this way, too. Add a squeeze of lemon, some fresh herbs, shallots, and a drizzle of olive oil—so easy and so good. For a more sophisticated menu, try my Fish in Parchment recipe but wrap it in foil instead of parchment paper. 

If you want to keep it simple, you cannot beat a delicious fire-roasted hot dog!  Other great menu items depending on the weather could be hot chocolate, chili or soup served in a big cast iron pot, roasted corn-on-the-cob, and baked potatoes. These are all easy to cook over a fire.

NEED MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO START A FIRE? SMOKEY BEAR HAS SOME TIPS FOR STAYING FIRE SAFE

Have a designated area for your fire and make sure to follow all of Smokey Bear's rules for fire safety and keep a hose or bucket of water handy.

Make sure adults help the kids with any sharp objects used to grill or roast hot dogs and there is always plenty of adult supervision around the fire.

You’ve got to have S’mores at a campout. It’s a requirement! S’mores have really evolved. I love to put together a s’mores bar. It’s a lot of fun and everyone loves it. I put all of my ingredients for the S’mores bar in bowls so guests can select their favorites. In addition to the standard s’mores ingredients, Hershey bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers, I like to include Nutella, the hazelnut and chocolate spread – You don’t have to wait for the chocolate to melt!!! I also include raspberries or sliced strawberries, peanut butter, and different types of cookies. This will be a huge hit for the kids AND the adults!

Build a S'more Bar with plenty of toppings and add-ons: sliced strawberries, raspberries, bananas, peanut butter, Nutella. coconut, pineapple are all delicious options.

Other easy menu items include popcorn, popsicles, granola bars, or fresh fruit.

You know, I always like to see what I have that I can use before I run out to buy any decorations for a party. For this party, camping lanterns, tents, sleeping bags, cots, or anything else you’d take on a camping trip works. Ask guests to bring their camping items, too.

Find inexpensive cotton ticking at the fabric store to use for the table--- and bandanas make the perfect napkins. You can even find paper plates in a bandana print! Tin pails are cheap and make great containers for serving food or icing down beverages and they even make good seating--- Bonus---you can re-purpose them to wash the dog or the car after the party is over!

ENTERTAINMENT

For entertainment, you most certainly have to invite that guy you know who plays the guitar--- what’s a campout without singing around the campfire? Brush up on your ghost stories… that’s another camping essential. For the kids, you can have a game of hide ‘n seek or hide lots of small prizes around the yard and let the kids look for them. Get a telescope and star gaze; give prizes for the person who finds the most constellations. Baggo, the beanbag game, is always a winner! You can buy a baggo game online or make one with scrap plywood. Decorate the wood to match your party theme. Brilliant!

Make sure to have a “summer survival” kit handy for backyard entertaining: include bug spray, sunscreen, wipes, cheap sunglasses and even cheapie flip-flops so your guests can be comfortable. If it’s a cool night, make sure to have a few quilts or blankets available. Stack them or pile them up in baskets…

Make a backyard party survival kit with everything your guests will need to be comfortable.

OK, are you ready to go camping in the backyard? This party will bring back old memories and make lots of new ones…. I have to admit, this is my favorite way to camp—my warm bed and a hot shower are just inside!

PARTY THEME: HOST A BIG AND EASY MARDI GRAS PARTY!

Break out the beads, it’s Mardi Gras! You may not have the parades, floats, Krewes, and crowds of Mobile or New Orleans, but you can still have the best of Mardi Gras right in your home---the music, the mood, the food, and all the fun! Hosting a Mardi Gras party is painless because all the components are easy to find or make. We planned our party in just two days. You can, too, even if you’ve never been to “Nawleans.”

If you are planning a trip to the Big Easy, read my post about where to go, where to eat, and where to stay in New Orleans. Read more...

THE FOOD

Gumbo and boiled shrimp can easily be made in large quantities so this is one of the best party themes for a big crowd. Your regular grocery like Publix, Whole Foods, even Winn-Dixie will have most of what you need. Stop by the seafood counter for shrimp. They can steam it for you or you can do it at home using my shrimp boil recipe. You'll also find cocktail sauce there but I always make my own. If you stop as you first enter the store and ask them to steam the shrimp for you, you can pick it up just before you check out. Always ask for fresh Gulf shrimp; it makes a big difference!

A Mardi Gras menu of gumbo, boiled shrimp, Muffuletta sandwiches, Sazerac cocktails, and King Cake.

TIP: I always take an ice cooler with me to the store so I can keep the shrimp cold on the way home. Or if it has been steamed, the cooler will help keep it hot, too. Pack with newspaper or brown paper to keep heat in.

If you don't want to cook, you can find surprisingly good frozen gumbo chock full of sausage and shrimp along with some really spicy crawfish (just for fun) in the frozen seafood section of the store. My own Gumbo recipe is easy to make and everyone loves it. I always make a big (giant) batch a day before and freeze some for later. On party day, make sure to heat the gumbo to at least 140 F -It takes longer than you  might think to heat a big pot of gumbo thoroughly so make sure to start early. See my video tips on Food Safety.

Serve the gumbo with rice. I always follow the standard recipe: 1 cup of rice to 2 cups water. And salt the water first and add a little butter. You can always use boil-in-bag rice if you have to; find it in the rice aisle. Who knew? I have a large rice cooker I use specifically for this.

You might have to educate the deli counter on the art of the Muffuletta sandwich: a round loaf of Italian bread sliced in half, scooped out, then slathered with a thick layer of olive salad and stuffed until overflowing with several different meats and cheeses. My favorite Muffuletta can be found in New Orleans at Central Grocery. The bread is what makes the real difference but you won't find that anywhere outside of New Orleans. Any round loaf can substitute in a pinch.

I always scout the store in advance to make sure I can find everything I need well before party week. That way I'm not frantically trying to source something at the last minute.

You can make your own Gumbo in advance and freeze it in zip top bags. That's what I do. Early in Mardi Gras season, I make a huge batch then chill and freeze. I take out only as much as I need to serve, that way I have gumbo when I want it!

THE DECORATIONS

The decorations were even easier than the food. Balloons, string lights, feathered masks, and beads are inexpensive and readily available in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold. If you want to spend a little more, you might get a Bourbon Street sign and street lights at a rental store to complete the feel of the French Quarter. If you have time to order online, Oriental Trading Company has a great selection of Mardi Gras essentials.

I get or order my Mardi Gras beads from Toomey's in Mobile, Alabama. They have a great selection of hand-strung beads, cheap beads, collector's beads, and theme beads to select from.

ENTERTAINMENT

Jazz, blues, and the unique sounds of Zydeco are a big part of any Mardi Gras celebration. Make a playlist of traditional favorites and don’t forget native sons Harry Connick, Jr., Aaron Neville, Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Wynton Marsalis.

You’re all set to join the world’s largest party from the comfort of your own home. No middle seat or layover in Atlanta required!

IMAGES PROVIDED BY ARDEN WARD UPTON/ ARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY