I’ve long been a fan of homemade ice cream. Not homemade in the store…homemade in my home. It’s really one of the easiest recipes to make…as long as you keep the ice cream maker in your freezer, you’re always ready to go.
But what about something a bit lower in fat? Say a popsicle? Every kid loves to make popsicles…but as every kid also knows, it JUST TAKES SOOOO LONG.
Enter the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.
Now I’ll admit that in comparison to the plastic molds available for just a few bucks at any grocery store (and sometimes less than that at any garage sale), at $50, this is a pretty hefty investment, but the thing works like a charm and you cannot put a price on instant gratification for your children.
It has a base that you keep frozen, just like an ice cream maker. You put the sticks in, pour in your flavor of choice and voila, in 10 minutes, you have 3 popsicles. Do it again and in a bit longer than 10 minutes, you have 3 more (you can buy more sticks if you need more than six at a time). For kids, they can sit there and actually watch the popsicles freeze, something you can’t of course do the conventional way unless your kids enjoy sitting in a walk-in freezer in a parka. And as they start to freeze, you can use a straw to suck out the middle (which freezes last) and then fill the center with a different flavor juice (we’ve found great success with lemonade and limeade).
They’re for sale at Williams-Sonoma if you want to keep summer going for a few more months!
Disclosure: I bought this product without incentive using my own dollars, no freebie, no gift. The review above is my own.
It is back to school time, and today my youngest child, my daughter, started at a new school. This time, however, I didn’t have to pack her lunch, or walk her to the bus stop. I won’t be looking forward to any more parent teacher conferences or notes sent home about missed homework assignments. Nope. Those days are officially over as today my daughter started college. Daddy’s little girl has entered the land of higher education, as her older brothers have done before her, and as such, the proverbial ball is now in her court. I can encourage and inspire and advise, but in the end her school career, and her career thereafter, is now officially up to her.
Fatherhood Is An Education
Parenting is a series of never-ending milestones, and for many years we gauge our children’s growth and progress by their progression through school. From their first day at Pre-K to the day they don their caps and gowns for High School Graduation, through their schooling we see them grow from toddlers to teens, from mischief to maturity, from youngsters to young adults. As they pass from grade to grade, we mark off yet another year in our quest to be the best parent we can. Every graduation is filled with enormous pride, and just a little touch of sadness as we realize a teeny bit more of our work here is done. Of course, the good news is that being a dad is forever, and as our kids grow older and move on to new phases of their lives, we are right by their side, entering a new degree of parenthood.
My daughter called me after her first day on “campus.” She loved her first classes and was thrilled and excited. But not as thrilled and excited as I am for her!
Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 22, Ethan, 20 and Olivia, 18). He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast. You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab and you can listen to Jeff on the Cast of Dads podcast.
Here’s the scoop: As you know, for the past few years I have been active as a so-called “Daddy Blogger,” sharing my dad point of view and stories here at Dadomatic.com and in the weekly Cast of Dads podcast. With three awesome kids now ages 22, 20 and 18, I have no shortage of experiences and opinions on just about every parenting angle imaginable, so don’t expect me to shut up anytime soon. On top of that, I am very lucky to often be handed new and interesting things to write about, and in this case I am looking forward to being able to share some insights on exciting new technologies, and how they will impact our family lives as an official “Intel Insider” advisor.
Inside Intel Insiders
Now in its third year, the Intel Insiders program originally sought to connect with early adopters and influencers to help Intel stay in touch and connected with technology enthusiasts. According to Intel’s Ken Kaplan, “…this year we will be working with influencers actively engaging in lifestyle and parenting conversations online. We are hoping this helps us connect with people who are finding that technology is becoming more important in their lives.” I am honored and excited to be one of this year’s Intel Insiders along with this impressive group of bloggers:
In June I had the pleasure of visiting Intel’s Portland Campus and today I will be attending an Intel Insiders Summit in NY. I look forward to sharing more Intel insights with you soon. Stay tuned…
In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that Intel Corporation has covered my travel, accommodations and expenses incurred for the Intel Insider Year III Summit.
Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 22, Ethan, 20 and Olivia, 18). He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast. You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab and you can listen to Jeff on the Cast of Dads podcast.
I’ve long been a fan of homemade ice cream. Not homemade in the store…homemade in my home. It’s really one of the easiest recipes to make…as long as you keep the ice cream maker in your freezer, you’re always ready to go.
