Something Lemony This Way Comes

Ok, so are there any Harry Potter fans out there? Yeah, I thought so; don’t try to hide your guilty smile, just be loud and proud about it. I am. I have read all of the books (and I’m working on re-reading them-theirs is just so much to read right now!) and I’ve seen all of the movies. Personally I liked Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the most for the movie aspect and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the books. When Dumbledore died, I cried my eyes out. My dad walked into my room to tell me good night and witnessed me sobbing into the book. When he asked what was wrong, I told him and I think he truly felt so bad for me because here is this little 10/11 year old girl crying because a character in a book died.

I was obsessed with Harry Potter for quite some time, and I still love the story. I know I’m dragging out the beaten horse here, but if given the choice to reread Harry Potter and Twilight-Breaking Dawn, I would hands down pick Harry Potter without even wanting to hear the second option. I would love to re-read the series, if I had the time. However, I can still feel like I’m that squealing 11 year old girl without having to read the books because I own The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. Yes, that’s right, someone made a cookbook for Harry Potter fans. When I first saw it, I thought it was really funny and depending on price I would get it, but I felt it was a little too expensive at the time, but I still kept the book in the back of my brain. Well, a while ago I found it on sale for like 40% off and I knew then that I would get it, so I did.

Now, this book has tons of stuff in it, ranging from Treats from the Train to Lunch and Dinner in the Dining Hall. It has everything (except Butter Beer, but that’s because it’s been copy written, I think). There is even a blurb before each recipe of where the author got the idea and where it can be located in the Harry Potter books. The first recipe I decided to make from this book was the Tripe Power Icy Lemon Pop found on page 5. This recipe is meant to be the Ice Pop that Harry was allowed to consume when he had to endure going with the Dursleys to the zoo after Dudley had been given a chocolate ice cream cone. This is all found in chapter 2 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (according to the book). These are lemony, but not too lemony, just the way I like it. I know many people put in food coloring to resemble what a Icy Pop is supposed to be flavored as, but I didn’t do that, and I’m glad I didn’t. If you do, then you don’t get to see the pretty specs of lemon zest in the pops. I also went all old school and used paper cups and popsicle sticks because I don’t own a popsicle molder thing, haha. But seriously, these are some pretty good pops, and if you leave them long enough, a little bit of lemon syrup forms near the stick which is super tasty to lick off (like how some factory popsicles have those sticky, syrupy, sugary stuff stuck to the wrapper).

Also, in honor of Harry Potter, a majority of my posts for the month of July will be coming from this Harry Potter cookbook. By the way, who's excited for The End?

Triple Power Icy Lemon Pops
from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz
makes 4 (4 oz) pops

Ingredients
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
7 tbsp sugar
1 ¾ cups water
½ tsp lemon extract

Directions

1. Place lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and water into a medium sized sauce pan and heat on medium/medium-high. Stir, and keep stirring until the mixture begins to simmer and the sugar has completely dissolved. Once sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the lemon extract.
2. Pour into molds and set in the freezer for about 5 hours or until, well, frozen.
3. Enjoy Icy Lemon op on a nice, hot, summer day.