In Praise of Popsicles

To say that I am completely obsessed with popsicles would be something of an understatement. I recently considered buying a second set of popsicle molds because apparently, I need to have sixteen popsicles on hand at all times. Because you never know when a sweaty kickball team is going to pound on your door, demanding the rest of those strawberry/rhubarb 'sicles you made last week. It's a concern, guys.

Popsicles are fantastic for many a reason. They're doable for even the most culinarily challenged, they're cheap to make and you can eat multiples without feeling tooooo guilty. But let's not limit ourselves to freezing orange juice and calling that a popsicle. We're better than that, right?

Fruity
Strawberry Rhubarb
Chop up some rhubarb and boil it with a bit of water and plenty of sugar until it's delicious and mushy. Add some smashed strawberries, pour into the molds and thank me later.

Cherry Lime
Mash up some cherries and top with some nice, high-quality limeade.

Peach Blueberry
Stuff some of those tiny, flavorful organic blueberries into the bottom of your popsicle mold and cover with pureed peaches. Yummo!

Watermelon and White Grape
Puree a bit of watermelon with some white grape juice. Maybe even sparkling grape juice if you're feeling kicky, you rogue, you!

Nectarine Sun Tea
Brew an extra-strong jug of sun tea and pour on top of thin slices of nectarine. Super fancy.

Creamy
Coffee Pops
Using either vanilla or chocolate pudding, use your left over espresso to mix up a batch of coffee-flavored, creamy goodness.

Caramel Creme
Drizzle a bit of caramel ice cream topping into the bottom of your popsicle molds and top with vanilla pudding.

Greek Cherry
In the blender, whip together a hand full of de-pitted dark cherries and some Greek yogurt. Transfer to molds and eat while wearing a toga.

Oreo Cheesecake
Sure, it sounds unhealthy and decadent, but I'm pretty sure once you put something in the freezer and put a stick in it, the calories are cut in two.

Coconut Cream
In the event that you're like me and have to fight the urge to eat that coconut-scented sunscreen.

Adult
Did you know that you actually can freeze alcohol, if it's a relatively low proof? If possible, turn your freezer up as high as it will go for these and stick them in the back corner, away from the door.

Sangria
wine plus rum plus pineapple equals fantastic!

Margarita
Not only are these refreshing and delicious, you could make them ahead of time for a party, so you don't spend hours hovering over the blender.

Mimo-sicles
Orange juice and your favorite cheap champagne. This would be a great way to use up all those half-bottles of champagne that accompany most graduation parties and wedding receptions.

Cranberry Reisling
This super sweet wine would pair nicely with some tart cranberry juice. And super pretty!

Shandy-sicles
How good would lemonade and beer taste in popsicle form on a hot day? Answer: incredible.

What's your favorite popsicle flavor?