COOL for kids!
0 Comments | Daily Mirror, The; London (UK), Aug 5, 2010 | by Judy Yorke
with five kids, Nicola Heaps, 34, a care home worker from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, finds herself endlessly running to the ice- cream van and back. she put the make-your-own gadgets to the test – with a little help from her children Alice, 15, Mollie, 12, Harvey, seven, Matilda, four and Kittie, nine months.
Kenwood IM200 Ice Cream Maker, pounds 24.99, http://www.amazon.co.uk
NICOLA MADE: Raspberry ice-cream “You have to put the base in the freezer for about 12 hours so you do need to plan in advance. once it’s ready, you pour all the ingredients in and switch it on. It came with a recipe book too.
We made raspberry icecream with fruit, sugar, cream and milk.
The machine churns the mixture to theconsistency you want – it took about 30 minutes, getting slower as the mixture thickened. We put it in the freezer for about half an hour to firm it up even more, though you don’t have to.
It was great fun and the ice-cream was delicious. The only downside was that it was a bit noisy and the base is very heavy. The machine itself looked a bit cheap.”
Gino D’Acampo Ice Cream Maker, pounds 29.99, Robert Dyas
NICOLA MADE: Lemon ice-cream “This was great, although the power lead is in the back of the lid so I felt I had to watch it in case it tipped over rather than leaving it to its own devices.
You have to freeze the icecream bowl overnight, but making the ice-cream was simple – pour the ingredients in and switch it on. It took 15-30 minutes.
The ice-cream was delicious and a perfect consistency. The machine is attractive and stylish, too.”
Zoku Quick Pop Maker, pounds 39.99, Lakeland
NICOLA MADE: Fresh orange juice lollies with banana pieces
“This was fabulous, the kids adored it. It makes three lollies in about seven minutes and you can use it three times before it has to be frozen again. You put the base in the freezer overnight, then put the lolly sticks in the top, pour the ingredients in and watch it freeze, which the kids thought was fantastic.
We made fruit juice lollies with pieces of fruit and stripy ones where we’d put a little juice in, watch it freeze, then add a different one.
It was really easy and great fun – and a great way of getting fruit into the kids! We made so many we had to put some in the freezer.”
Tovolo Set of Three Rocket Ice Lolly Moulds, pounds 9.50, http://www.salamandercookshop.com
NICOLA MADE: Orange and blackcurrant lollies “these are three rocket-shaped ice lolly moulds. Like all the others, the sticks are part of the handle so you don’t need to buy sticks.
“There’s a hole in the middle of the mould which you fill with a different flavour. these were taller than all the others and wouldn’t stand up in the freezer so I had to tilt them, which meant they dripped a bit.
“We froze the lollies overnight and when we took them out of the moulds they were a really brilliant rocket shape which the kids loved.
“They were a little bit fiddly, though the kids were able to make them on their own.”
Wilko Four Compartment Lolly Maker, 97p, Wilkinsons
NICOLA MADE: Apple juice lollies “This was very simple – a plastic mould with four holes in. You pour the juice in, put the lids on and freeze it. Easy, straightforward and basic!
They did drip, but you can’t really complain at this price and the lollies were nice. It’s a good budget option but not as interesting as some of the others.”
Let’s Cook Fruit Factory, pounds 20, http://www.woolworths.co.uk
NICOLA MADE: Strawberry smoothies “This was a bit different – the machine was a bit more like a smoothie maker. You put the fruit in, whizz it up in a jug and then pour it into the lolly moulds and freeze.
It was tricky to pour the smoothie juice into the moulds and the jug was difficult to clean. It suggests you use a baby brush but I didn’t have one.
The kids couldn’t always be bothered to wait for them to freeze so they drank some of it just as smoothies – they were nice and healthy though.
The moulds were just a plain shape but the results were very tasty.”
Twist up Lolly Makers, pounds 5.50, Great little Trading Company
NICOLA MADE: Orange juice lollies “This was fab! The four lolly moulds came in really bright colours which the children loved.
You have a piece of plastic which you pour juice into. then you put on the lids and freeze the lollies. when you eat them, you take the lid off and put it at the bottom to catch the drips, so it all goes back into the mouldice cream machine
COOL for kids! « deanvargas.com
When I drove Cherry to Green County so she could work at the beach, the two of us stayed with our good friend Nora Charles. I had been great friends with Nora before I moved to Indianapolis. Nora has the ability to make anyone laugh regardless of the situation. She is literally the funniest girl I have ever met. She is one of the easiest people to talk to as well. No matter how long it is until the next time I see her, I’m always immediately at ease and never worried if things will be awkward. most of the havoc my friends and I wreaked upon Green County started at her house. She lived way out in the boondocks roughly ten minutes from town. I once got lost in the mint fields surrounding her house (It was dark, and it’s a lot easier to do than you would think especially when ditches are involved.).
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