So, for my birthday my brother and sister-in-law got me the weirdest, coolest toy ever:

. It makes popsicles on your counter. In like, 5 minutes.

Wacky, right? But so totally cool. They also got me the official Zoku popsicle cookbook. I opened it and immediately shouted "I sense a new blog project coming on!"

That's right people. It's popsicle blog time.

I started on Saturday night. The first I made were the easiest, I think: peach pops. Some of my own home-canned peaches, a little yogurt, agave and lime juice. I mixed the ingredients together, and then poured them into the Zoku mould, which had been chilling in the freezer for 24 hours. I filled it up to the "fill line," placed a stick in carefully, and waited, staring dubiously at the little thing as it sat on my counter. 6 minutes later - voila. I pulled out a perfect pop! I gave Andrew the first one and he said, "Mmm. Peachy." "Good peachy or bad peachy?" "Good." And they were.

The Zoku's trial run. I must admit, I was dubious. I should never have doubted you Zoku.

Peachy pop!

Next up was the "Summer Morning" pop - honeydew melon (we used chinese honeydew, which are slightly different in colour and texture), fresh basil, and lime juice - and then sanded with sugar. They were very tart, very basil-y, and I couldn't really taste the honeydew. But they were certainly refreshing.

Summer Morning pop. Very strong, tart flavour.

I could tell after just a few tries that Zoku and I were going to become good friends. So much so, in fact, that I made a trip to Williams-Sonoma today to buy some Zoko accessories: the "fruit wand" (which allows you to artfully place pieces of fruit in the mould), and the fruit stencils (starts and hearts), and the special "pour cups." I opted not to get the Zoku storage case (my freezer is too tiny), but did not with interest that you can get a BIGGER Zoku, with 3 moulds - think how many more popsicles I could make!

I already have little jars of leftover peach mix and Summer morning mix in the fridge, and I've just made a mix for Chai Pops that I am dying to try. I'll make do with my lil' red Zoku for now - but I'm envisioning an entire gourmet popsicle empire...