Happy first day of summer, Veggies!!!
I'm dreaming of sun soaked days, margarita fueled nights and every bit of glorious summer fun that falls in between. As a kid, my favorite summer pastime was taking nightly trips to the local pizza place for Italian ice. Back then the summers were scorchers and your entire goal was to finish your ice before you were wearing it. My favorite flavor was "rainbow", a swirly mishmash of cherry, lemon and whatever flavor "blue" was supposed to be. Today, in honor of that childhood memory, I'll be making...Homemade "Rainbow" Italian Ice
You will need:
2 cups frozen blueberries
2 cups frozen pineapple
2 cups frozen raspberries
agave syrup
a blender
a glass bowl
and some water
-Blend 2 cups of frozen blueberries with 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons of agave syrup.
-Fill 1/3 of the glass bowl with the blueberry mixture.
-Put bowl in freezer.
-Blend 2 cups of frozen pineapple with 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons of agave syrup.
-Take bowl from freezer and layer pineapple mixture on top of blueberry mixture.
-Put bowl back in freezer.
-Blend 2 cups of frozen raspberries with 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons of agave syrup.
-Take bowl from freezer and layer raspberry mixture on top of pineapple mixture.
-Put bowl back in freezer and let set for 40 minutes or until frozen.
Or if you are impatient like me...
Dive right in and enjoy!!!
Now the trick with this recipe is the consistency of the fruit mixture. You don't want it to be watery like a smoothie, but you don't want it to be so dense that you can't work with it. Experiment with your own blender. If it comes out too watery just add more frozen fruit or put the mixture back into the freezer to thicken it up.
I put this recipe in these pyrex glass containers because they come with lids and that makes for super easy storage. However, if you are feeling like a fancy pants, you can serve your "Italian ice" in pretty martini glasses or champagne glasses with long spoons. These would make great popsicles as well.
(Note to self….buy popsicle molds. Oooh, maybe these???)
For all you perfectionists out there, DO NOT stress if the layers run together. It's all about how this treat tastes…not how it looks. Besides what is summer for if not for having some good, sloppy fun. And if the hot sun melts your ice and you wind up wearing it...worry not. It has happened to the best of us.
- ♥ J :)
