STRAWBERRY LEMON SAGE POPSICLES

Strawberry Lemon Sage Popsicles
     Makes 6 4oz Popsicles

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz container of strawberries, stems removed
• 1 lemon, juiced (should yield 3 Tbsp)
• 10 medium sage leaves (2-3 inches in length)
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 Tbsp grated ginger
• Edible Flowers (optional)

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients into blender and process until smooth.
2. Pour into popsicle molds of choice. If using edible flowers, place flowers in mold before pouring in mixture. I placed one flower at the bottom of the mold and filled IT 3/4 of the way. I then put in another flower and filled the mold to the top.
3. Freeze until solid (it should take 2-3 hours, but freezing time will depend on individual freezer temperature).

After receiving Kaitlin’s text suggesting we use lemons for our first post, I made the assumption that she in part wanted to do it because produce in New Zealand is outrageously expensive and she was trying to be thrifty. I agreed, thinking, unlike her, I am privileged enough to be able to just go to the store and buy a lemon without having to barter off my first born child to be able to afford it. (I know, it’s barbaric. Then you learn they don’t even have an Ikea in over there and their barbarianism reaches a whole new level.) When I explained this to her, she indignantly defended the little island country, “Christy! Lemons don’t cost THAT much!! …only limes.” Excuse me. You only have to sell your soul to buy limes, not lemons. And either way, they still don’t have an Ikea. Barbarians, I’m telling you.

The reason that I chose to make popsicles is that I’ve been in Florida for the past month for work, and even though the first day of Spring was just last week, it’s full on Summer here already (don’t you dare tell me how lucky I am or I will reach this computer screen and pull you into the literal hell that is Florida ALL THE TIME. Nevermind, you’d probably like that you weird masochist you). While most of the country is waiting for the winter to finally be over, I decided a popsicle recipe was exactly what I needed to cool off. It’s either that or lie naked on my bedroom floor with the AC turned low and the fan on high. Obviously (I should hope), only one of those choices both involves lemons and would be blog appropriate.

I made the decision that I absolutely needed flowers in my popsicles because SPRING, ya know? Yes, in the words of Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada, "Florals for spring? Groundbreaking." But I don’t need my food to be groundbreaking if it’s gorgeous and delicious.

I began my hunt for edible flowers at Whole Foods where a perplexed employee led me to the FLOUR aisle and said with a shrug, “maybe you can find what you need here?” I was tempted to snarkily ask is if this is the edible flour aisle, in what aisle can I find inedible flours, but I was focusing too hard on not bursting out laughing to even try to form a complete sentence. Fortunately, I found edible flowers in the end (in case you’re wondering where, Publix had them in the produce section with the herbs).

The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to modify. You could replace the sage with thyme or basil, the lemon with orange or lime, or even add a few shots of vodka or white rum (because the only thing better than popsicles are…well, a lot of things, actually, but one of those is popsicles that get you a little tipsy).