Ice Lolly Ideas

scuzz

What about some grown up ones for you? Vodka and lemonade? Gin and tonic? etc.

I used to love lemonade lollies

KK

does anyone remember cider lollies from about 30 odd years ago - they used to be 2p from the icecream van - I wonder if normal cider would freeze. I have just made some lemon liqueur and I know that wouldn't freeze as it is 50% 45% proof vodka, so presumably alcohol lollies would have to have a small amount of alcohol in to freeze properly!?

Delia Smith also has a recipe for mini choc ices where you remould ice cream into round shapes, put them on a cocktail stick and dip them in melted chocolate and nuts and refreeze them - yummy!

Allexie

KK wrote:

does anyone remember cider lollies from about 30 odd years ago - they used to be 2p from the icecream van

certainly do...though I liked Frozen Jubblies better...they lasted for aaa...gggg....eee..ssssss!

aghent

If you want to go totally healthy, try a natural fruit smootie. If you've got a juicer this helps. Simply juice oranges, apples, pears or melon, enough to make about 250ml. Put the liquid into a blender and then blend in any fruit you like that will break up nicely, i.e. strawberries, raspberrys etc and finally blend in a medium sized banana. Will make up to about a pint of smoothie which you can then freeze into lollies or whatever.

Totally natural, totally sugar free and really healthy not to mention really tasty!

lipidicman

aghent wrote:

Totally natural, totally sugar free and really healthy not to mention really tasty!

Totally sugar free? with all that fruit in it?

Myth: Sugar in fruit is good, sugar in candy is bad.

Fact: The sugar in most fruit is primarily fructose, which has few, if any, advantages over sucrose (the sugar in candy). So it doesn't matter, for instance, if your jam is sweetened with "sugar" or "fruit juice sweetener."

What you can say is the sugar is combined with loads of good vitamins and nutrients, but it is still sugar. I will go with you on the tasty and healthy bit though!

aghent

Maybe suger free is a misnoma however you need to consider the following.

Both fructose and sucrose occur naturally in plants (i.e. fruits) as does glucose. In fact sucrose is basically a molecule of fructose and glucose joined together minus a single molecule of water. So whether it's sweetened by fructose, gluscose or sucrose it really doesn't matter and your comment about fructose being no more advantageous than sucrose is, in essence, correct. These are all naturally occuring sugars which are basically carbohydrates which your body needs for fuel. What isn't so good for you are the refined sugars that are often used to sweeten things like jams and candy etc. What are even worse are the artificial sweeteners but that's another story.

It's a common sense approach really when you think about it. The "sugars" produced by mother nature have to better for you than man made sugars any day.

maybird_2

This thread reminds me of the time I was desperate to make my little one 'go' to the toilet in a potty and not a nappy!! She would hang on for days. In the end I pureed up prunes in apples juice and froze them into ice lollies which she really liked. Can't remember whether I got the result I was looking for but the health visitor certainly found it amusing. I am going to have a bash at some of the suggestions here when the weather warms up. Thanks.

Plumbuddle

I like to make a rocket lolly with first layer being summer fruits, cooked for a couple mins then squashed (add icing sugar if sweet tooth), then when that has frozen add yog then when that frozen a smoothie. Luscious for gourmet kids.
Milk lollies have a better texture if flavoured milk is heated with a bit of cream of tartar to thicken it up -- you get a mini milk style lolly. Good with cocoa.
Grapes are very luxurious frozen too.
The best tip for anyone with a young family is to have a policy right from the start of not using squashes etc. There is a widespread assumption that babies should be allowed "juice" (really squash) at nurseries, playgroups, etc. No-one questions it and the health con is as serious as that of breakfast cereal. If one resists these substances one really finds that kids continue to enjoy water. For example my two (7 & 2) absolutely adore sucking fancy ice shapes (we have trays with Xmas trees, stars, rings etc) and these can be served as a treat snack -- I'm not kidding -- they feel as treated as if another parent had given their child an expensive trash lolly.

lipidicman

aghent wrote:

Both fructose and sucrose occur naturally in plants......What isn't so good for you are the refined sugars that are often used to sweeten things like jams and candy etc. What are even worse are the artificial sweeteners but that's another story. The "sugars" produced by mother nature have to better for you than man made sugars any day.

You do know your sugars. So you have to say 'no-added sugar' on a fruit smoothie.

Refined sugar is usually nothing more than sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup. These are all 'natural' (but processed and purified) rather than man made. The problem is you are not getting the good stuff you would get from fruit - ie if it was sweetened with apple juice.

However, I do agree with you about artificial sweetners - why anyone would switch to that stuff is beyond me - it is easier to get used to a less sweet tea/coffee/cereal than it is to switch to that awful tasting stuff, and way better for you. It takes about 6 months to gradually cut from 2 sugars in coffee to none and you wont be able to tell the difference. Also, sweetened coffee will then taste like poison to you, I wouldnt believe it if I hadnt done it myself.

lipidicman

Plumbuddle wrote:

The best tip for anyone with a young family is to have a policy right from the start of not using squashes etc. There is a widespread assumption that babies should be allowed "juice" (really squash) at nurseries, playgroups, etc. No-one questions it and the health con is as serious as that of breakfast cereal. If one resists these substances one really finds that kids continue to enjoy water.

I couldnt agree more - if one can get used to cutting out all added sugar then the same principle applies to if you never get used to it in the first place. I also think that the absence of sweetened drinks will only make sweet fruit more appealing. I would be interested to know if children brought up on water find things like cola over-sweet if they are first exposed to it later in life - ie as teenagers.

By cereal i assume you mean things like coco-pops which claim to be fortified with vitamins whilst being mostly sugar?