I have a No Bummer Summer to-do list. The list includes going swimming outdoors, lots of long bike rides, sitting around a campfire, and doing more beach hang-outs. Unfortunately, there is a serious lack of summer fun in my life at the moment. The weather is awesome and totally cooperative, it’s just the rest of my life that isn’t so “on board”. I will not bore you with the details, but suffice to say, I need to make more summer fun in my life.
And I’m taking fun where I can. Check out this gorgeous pink slushie – doesn’t it just scream FUN?! It’s made with grape soda pop and fresh lime juice and it will give you a good pucker if that’s what you’re going for (add less lime and you’ll get less pucker face). It all gets mixed in an ice cream maker, if you’ve got one. If you don’t, just pour the thing in a metal baking tray, pop it in the freezer and run a fork through it every 30 minutes to break up the ice crystals, until you’ve got a good slush-on.
The flavours in this treat remind me of a couple of years ago when I did follow through on summer fun ideas. I went with Cornelius and a few friends on a bike trip to Lopez Island and San Juan Island in Washington state. We camped, we rode our bikes on meandering island roads and we had a sour grape and lime ice cone at a little ice cream stop on one of the islands. I loved it. Sure, it was all chemical snow-cone flavours, but in the hot sun after all that bike riding, it hit the spot. I’ve always thought back to that treat and when I spied a similar recipe on Pinterest, I decided to bring back the fun.
I walked to my corner store and picked up a grape pop. I was hoping for grape Crush – the only-once-in-the-summer pop my mom would buy. But sadly, all I could find was grape Fanta. I was disappointed in the colour – it was more pink than purple. I wanted that deep, artificial style purple Kool-Aid colour! Oh well, the end result was perfect. It was sour from the lime and had that lovely artificial grape-ness that I was seeking. Sure you could go ahead and use something more natural. Squeeze your own grapes! Use a grape juice from concentrate! Or just make it easy on yourself and go for a soda (I swear I could taste the bubbles!). You could eat it/drink it all yourself, but I think it’s more fun to share. I managed to get our 4 full little juice glasses of slush – the perfect amount to reminisce about summer fun times with friends or make new summer traditions.
sour grape slush
(adapted from creme de la crumb)
1 can of grape soda
1/2 limeAdd the soda to your ice cream maker along with the lime juice and turn it on. Or read through the 2nd paragraph of my post for an alternative if you are without an ice cream machine. In a few minutes the liquid it will turn into an icy, slushy medium. Taste and add in more lime juice if needed (sometimes you want super pucker face). Scoop into 4 small glasses and serve immediately.
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This looks so pretty! Love the pinks. I have some black cherry soda in my fridge so maybe I’ll try a puckering cherry lime slush this week!
Mmm, this grape slushie sounds like heaven. Grape popsicle was my fave flavour as a kid. I’d pop into Becker’s or Mac’s Milk on my way home from school and get one for 10 cents(!) I also liked how the purple dye made my lips look like I was wearing vampy lipstick. Ah, to be 10 years old again.
Your summer is bound to get better with that No-Bummer Summer list! I think you’ve done way more than I have in terms of recreational activities. I haven’t gone for a single swim or bike ride or picnic. I’ve gone on a couple of short hikes so far and summer is not over yet, right? We’ve still got time.
Looks like a winner. I think I need to go make a summer no bummer bucket list of things to do before we have ten feet of snow on the ground!
Lovely colour! And I could use one right now as I sweat away in my apartment!
Julie, pucker away 🙂
JoanneM, this is totally my idea of heaven. OMG does Becker’s still exist? Memories of growing up in Ontario!!
Thanks RMW 🙂
Thanks Hag.