Zoku Quick Pops - Product Review

Our family absolutely loves the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.

What is a Zoku Quick Pop Maker you ask?  Well, it is this amazing little, in just 8 minutes, you have a frozen treat maker.  I am not talking about crappy popsicles made out of cool aid.  I am talking about amazing looking and tasting frozen whole food good for you treats!  Don't worry.  Zoku has a fantastic recipe book to go with the pop maker.  Lots and lots of fun, creative and tasty recipes.  

This is how it works. Very simple. The Zoku pop maker lives in the freezer.  When you are ready to use it, pull it out, add a stick and pour in the liquid.  Wait 8 to 10 minutes and use the super tool, as they call it and remove the frozen treat.  It is that simple and fast.  The Zoku pop maker holds enough cold to do three cycles. 

This is the maker.  It comes in a single, a double or a triple.  I have the double, pictured above.  I can make 6 pops before the unit gets to warm to be use and needs to be returned to the freezer. 

This is the recipe book.  The Zoku pop maker does come with instructions and a few recipes but this book is a must.  Every recipe has a picture.  This book also gives an abundance of advice and ideas to get the most from the pop maker.

The Zoku Character Kit makes the pops supper fun and cute.  

Can you say, Rock Star Mom!  

This is a fun accessory, but not needed.  

These pops made using the Zoku Character Kit.

Zoku Tool Kit.  

Another not needed accessory, but fun to have and use.

These pops were made using the Zoku Tool Kit

Oh, My!

This is the Dipping station.

It allows you to perfectly dip each pop.  

The dipping station gives each pop a professional looking appearance.

The dipping station can be used with Magic Shell.

These pops were decorated using the Zoku Dipping Station.

The storage case

Look how pretty the pops look.

Extra Sticks with drip catch guards.

All of the above pictures were taken from the Zoku website.  You can purchase directly from Zoku or my personal favorite, Amazon.com.

In time I will be posting recipes and pictures of pops the girls and I have made.

Plant Sources of Protein

Vegan Humor

It's Whats for Lunch

Easy, portable, low calorie and good for you.

Diary free, Soy free, Gluten free.

Vegetable Broth

Recently I cleaned out our freezer.

Out went the meat.

Out went the cabbage.

Out went the chicken bones.

The meat found a new home.

The cabbage missed the garbage truck by 1/2 hour and spent the week fermenting in the garage.

My stock pile of chicken bones was going to be turned into chicken broth, but hey, wait a minute.  Isn't chicken broth an animal product?  Oh, yes it is!  Problem.  I can live without meat and I can live without cabbage but chicken broth is used in so many recipes.  What is a girl to do?  Make my own and with the help of my new friend, The Happy Herbivore, that is what I set out to do.

Look at all these pretty vegetables

12 - 1 cup containers of vegetable broth

The following recipe is taken from The Happy Herbivore, written by Lindsay Nixon.

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled
1 large carrot
1 celery stalk
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 to 2 tsp yellow miso
4 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 to 5 oz fresh or dried herbs (any)
  I used oregano, thyme and rosemary

Plus any three of the following
1 small brown potato
2 to 4 small red potatoes
1 cup of mushrooms
1 bell pepper, seeded
1 medium turnip
1 medium zucchini
1 parsnip
1 leek

cider vinegar - splash (optional)

Directions

Add ingredients except vinegar to a large pot with 8 to 10 cups of water.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are falling apart, about 1 hour.
Turn off heat and allow to cool.
Remove vegetables.
Add cider vinegar if using.
Strain liquid.
Store in 1 cup containers.

This will keep in the fridge for up to three days or indefinitely in the freezer.

Note:  To make this soy free remove the miso and add salt to taste.