I love all sorts of kitchen gadgets, so for Mother’s Day my hubby always knows that anything that creates fun, edible treats is always welcome. Let’s face it, with picky toddlers and not enough hours in the day, moms are always looking for ways to sneak healthy foods into little bellies – why not have some fun with it?
I heard of the ZOKU Quick Pop Maker a few months ago and researched it, along with other products that claimed to perform the same job. It wasn’t until I received and tested the ZOKU Quick Pop Maker that I realized just how great it is and that nothing out there can possibly compare. The first thing I did when I received the unit was wash it. I made sure it was completely dry before popping it in the freezer. The freezer would be it’s new home from now on, so that we can make ice pops on demand. The unit takes about 24 hours to freeze, and then the magic happens! Within those 24 hours, you can start thinking of all the frozen concoctions you can make with your ZOKU Quick Pop Maker! I decided on our first try to go simple – I opened a few baby food pouches which consisted of fruit and yogurt – then I followed the easy directions that came with the ZOKU. Place the included popsicle stick into the unit, add ingredients to the fill line, then wait 7-9 minutes until your pop is ready. Once it is ready, the handy screw-on tool will pull your popsicle right out of the freezing unit and VOILA! You have yourself a frozen healthy treat!
Some things that will not work with the unit are artificial sweeteners and high-fat dairy products. There is some science and chemistry behind it involving molecules and energy, but we can bypass all that mumbo jumbo and use REAL, natural sweeteners if necessary. My sweetener of choice is honey. My toddler is not a fan of yogurt so by adding some honey to otherwise bitter Greek yogurt and then freezing it with the ZOKU, I can get her to eat this healthy yummy treat! Maybe I’m starting her off on a bad foot here, but after she eats her breakfast in the morning, we always follow it with a frozen popsicle of fruit and yogurt. She doesn’t know that it is not loaded with sugar and artificial colors like store-bought pops, but I do – and I can feel good about giving her something that is natural and healthy.
This Mother’s Day, why not give your mom a gift that she will actually use? She can make 9 popsicles at a time (great for playdates!) and there are lots of accessories that you can purchase separately which work with ZOKU – You can make fun shapes out of fruit, create geometric designs with various fruit juices and even store your concoctions in their handy freezer storage case! With so many options and accessories, the ZOKU is sure to be a hit with that mama in your life that loves to give her family healthy sweet treats! I also want to mention that ZOKU has excellent customer service! I stripped my Super Tool when trying to pull out an ice pop – NEVER NEVER NEVER PULL! The simple turning motion should be enough to pop out your ice pop! I contacted ZOKU and within a few hours they responded, giving me helpful tips on how to remove stubborn ice pops and sending a new Super Tool in the mail.
You can purchase ZOKU at many retailers such as Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Macy’s! Check out my healthy tot frozen pops below! I made them with Earth’s Best Fruit and Yogurt pouches and they froze within minutes. My toddler no longer has to wait hours for a yummy treat!
You can find out more by visiting ZOKU, connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter, and finding yummy recipes on the ZOKU Blog.
A Time Out for Mommy Review Disclosure: I was provided (free of charge) with the featured item(s) by the manufacturer or its PR agency to review the product and give my personal opinion of it. The opinions expressed above are my own thoughts and have not been influenced by monetary compensation.