Thandai Chuski Popsicle

Hot summer is always associated with chilled food. Icecream, gola or shaved ice, kalakhatta sharbat, Aam ras or mango juice, and who can forget chuski or what we use to call as pepsi cola. Try to recollect the childhood days where frozen colorful sharbat was available in long tube like plastic bags. My favorite was kalakhatta flavor: sweet, sour, and tangy! :)

Recollecting my childhood days I found cute popsicle bags: ZIPZICLE. Easy to use: just pour, zip, and freeze...and Popsicles are ready. So while it is the festival of holi...it is time to welcome spring and summer. This is the time when flowers will start to bloom and we will see color everywhere. Holi symbolizes prosperity... burn off sorrows in the Holi fire and bring colors in life. While Thandai is the drink of the season, I made Thandai flavored popsicles or chuskis to enjoy with my friends.

I also made some Eco-friendly holi colors with corn starch and food color. I had learned this two years back from one of the Facebook groups, and have made these every year. Here is the recipe to make holi colors at home. Just mix around 1/4 cup water with food color. Add around 3-4 tbsp of corn starch little at a time mixing well. When you have added enough corn starch and mixing becomes difficult, pour the solution on a plastic sheet or cling wrap. Let in dry completely for few hours. Crush into pieces, and grind in a mixer to form a smooth powder. Your holi color is ready to use...HAPPY HOLI!

I used my homemade Thandai Syrup to make Thandai. I poured in ZIPZICLE bags, and froze them. It was easy to make and mess free way to enjoy Thandai popsicle... perfect for the season!

Thandai Masala to gift friends.

 HAPPY HOLI

DIY- Cookie Cutter

Last year, while going through ETSY, I found cookie cutter in the shape of Diya/a clay pot specially for Diwali. They looked so cute and attractive. While I was about to order one for me, I realized they were all sold out. I was sad! But, where there is a will, there is a way and Google has solution to all! :)

I looked up for 'How to make a cookie cutter?' Eureka! it was possible, and found quite some interesting ways to make a cookie cutter for Diwali. Here is the one I made last year and saved $12 :)

  

You will need a food safe aluminum foil. scissors, pliers (optional) stapler with pins, card board, ruler, paper and pencil.

Cut the sides to obtain a flat sheet.

Be careful of the sides.  Use pliers or a ruler to press uneven edge.

 Now, we need to make a long strip of metal, to mold it to the desired shape.

This was one strip from last year.

Use a ruler to mark points and divided the sheet into 3 or 4 equal parts.

Use a ruler to fold 1/2 inch on the edge inwards.

Use pliers or tongs to press the sheet well.

To obtain a long strip, you might want to combine two of these together.

Staple them well to avoid sheets from getting apart.

Strips ready to be molded.

New cookie cutter designs for Diwali! Draw your favorite shape and the size of your choice on a sheet of paper.

Kindled Diya

Swastik

Paisley or Keri Design

Cut the design and trace it on a cardboard or a thick plastic sheet.

 

Use a string to measure the circumference of the design. This will facilitate to measure the length of aluminum strip to be used.

Bring the edges together, just like we did earlier.

Start molding the strip along the cardboard circumference.

Staple the edges, and your mold is ready!

Worked on two leftover diyas from last year. Here is glitter red and glitter blue over metallic silver.

Metallic gold puffy paint over mettalic purple. While the puffy paint is fresh, I use a pin to pick each tiny rhinestone and place it on the color.

Will share pictures as these dry out. 

Share some cookie cutter ideas for diwali. I will try to make those and will share it here.

Next, I will make some cookie diyas and will adorn them, just like I adorn the clay diyas!

So, watch out for more.