SweetReviews: Prepara & Tovolo Popsicle Molds + Recipe!

With summer hot on the horizon ( it is actually 85 degrees right now) I have been on the search for popsicle molds. Last summer, I used baby cubes and sicks but this year we needed some grown up pops for our toddler and the adults of course. I wanted to save up for the Zoku but decided it would be way more economical to wait it out while the pops froze.

After searching, reading and watching demo videos on many different molds, I decided to try Prepara Ice Pops 4 Piece Volcano Set and Tovolo's Groovy Ice Pop Molds. We bought one of each set as we are real popsicle fanatics in this house. Each pack retailed for $9.99 each at Bed Bath & Beyond. ( Sadly I did not have a coupon even though I get them in the mail!)

Let's get down to the reviews, shall we?


Prepara Ice Pops 

With cute colors and a toddler friendly handle I was in love with the design at first sight. BPA free, dishwasher safe. They do not come with a bulky tray and can be conveniently stored anywhere in the freezer.

Each mold is hollow halfway creating a mini volcano. The inside can be filled with all sorts of lovely things: whipped cream, vodka, yogurt, candy, tequila. So by day, these pops are terrific for toddlers by night they morph into a trendy frozen cocktail for mom. Pretty sweet.

Overall they work well. I did find that they were a tad bit difficult to remove ( I may have been impatient.) But with a little warm water soaking they popped out. Giraffe was all about trying these new pops and specifically asks for them by their color.



Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds


These are by far my favorite molds. They are HUGE. Quite big for toddler paws but lovely for adults and bigger kids. They slip out of their mold easily and freeze rather quickly. The best feature is a little built in drip reservoir above the handle that actually works. BPA free and dishwasher safe make them even more delicious. They also come in rocket and star shapes. I also love that they are individual pops like the Prepara. There is NOTHING worse than getting excited about pops and not being able to remove them from the tray one by one.

The only major con is the bulky tray they stand in. Had a bit of a hard time rearranging the freezer to accommodate them.

Giraffe and I went to a fun birthday party over the weekend. The mom served up watermelon popsicles that were out of this world. They were perfect on a hot day. I thought she was by far better than Martha Stewart, thinking of serving pops to kids, but she let me in on the recipe. Super simple watermelon granita! There are a ton of different combos for this recipe, mostly how much sugar, or lemon or lime.

Here is the one I used and modified for pops:

Watermelon Granita Pops 

• 4 cups seedless watermelon chunks
• 1/2 cup sugar OR add 1 cup orange juice
• Juice of 1 lemon OR lime 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. ( tip: if the chunks get stuck in the blender be sure to stir or add a bit of water to thin.)  Pour into molds and freeze for 3 hours. 

Looking for more recipes to fill those pops? Check out Growing a Green Family.  I look forward to trying herbal tea and the lavender creme sorbet.