Tomato Popsicles

This year we were lucky to have an abundance of tomatoes thanks to my parents and neighbors. The past couple of weeks our meals have included chili, stews, homemade spaghetti sauce and sides of just plain sliced tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.

Yesterday I was juicing the rest of our tomatoes to freeze because even though my husband and daughter eat them like candy there was even too many for them to go through before they went bad. I will use the juice for future stews, soups and chili.

While I was juicing an idea popped into my head!

Tomato Popsicles!!

One of my first blog posts was Rhubarb Popsicles so I am not a stranger to obscure popsicle flavors.

So into my popsicle mold went some of my freshly juiced tomatoes.

When the kids got home from school I presented them with this new and amazing snack. I told them it was a surprise flavor and they had to figure it out on their own.

Bency, my five year old thought it was watermelon and thought it was REALLY good (he hates fresh tomatoes).

Iris thought it tasted like a vegetable and really healthy and thought it was pretty good.

When I finally told them what it was Bency wouldn’t eat anymore while Iris started devouring it even faster saying it was the best popsicle ever!

Kids are weird. If you find yourself with an abundance of tomatoes try Tomato Popsicles!!

Bency eating a tomato popsicle

Rhubarb Popsicles

My parents were generous enough to give me the majority of their rhubarb from their garden this year; partly because I asked nicely and partly because I expressed my children’s new addiction and I NEEDED it!

I grew up loving rhubarb pie. ( I once entered a contest as a child with a local ice cream company for a new flavor…rhubarb custard…I didn’t win…they sent me a pencil…I felt they made a BIG mistake.) Over the years all of my kids and my husband (he hails from New Mexico and never had rhubarb until he met me) have claimed rhubarb pie as their favorite.

This year, my mom gave me a handful of stalks to take home and make my pie. A few days went by and when I didn’t see a trip to the grocery store in the near future to get a pie crust I decided to make rhubarb sauce (think applesauce but only with rhubarb).

It was an instant hit with the kids so I went and got more and more to make this nutritious (I looked it up..rhubarb has tons of vitamins and health benefits) dish for the kids.

As I mentioned before, I am NOT a perfectionist. I do not measure when I cook. I have a LOT of things that do not turn out like they probably should. Over the years I have become a master at “fixing” and improvising. Anyway, when one batch of rhubarb sauce went awry when I added too much water I made popsicles.

My children were over the moon with this concept and had me check every hour or so to see if they were frozen. When they finally got one they were in agreement it was the best popsicle they ever had! The next morning they asked if they could have one if they ate all their oatmeal. I agreed and they felt they had really pulled one over on me; which they have been known to do on my really tired days (chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, sure why not).

My mother said it perfectly….”When life hands you runny rhubarb sauce, make popsicles”

Recipe for Rhubarb Sauce:

1. Add chopped up fresh or frozen rhubarb to a pot (as much as your heart desires)
2. Add a little water (not too much if you don’t want to make popsicles)
3. Bring to a boil and unload the dishwasher
4. Add a couple spoonfuls of sugar to give it a little sweet taste but keep it healthy
5. Put to simmer and stir
6. Change a diaper, get the mail, break up an argument between the older kids
7. Stir again and let cool. Store in refrigerator and serve cold