Hey y'all- This is a post I did for the Southern C a few weeks ago but with the heat wave coming, I thought I should share with my fellow bloggees.  If you haven't checked out the Southern C yet...you should!  Its a great place to read about all things Southern from a fun and diverse group of bloggers...

Summer is officially here!  Why do I love summer so much?  It’s the perfect season for my favorite food: ice cream.  Not that I don’t eat frozen desserts all year round (because I most certainly do), but I feel like the summer heat makes copious amounts of ice cream eating acceptable.

I got to thinking about my love affair with these sweet concoctions and it all leads back to spending a part of every summer at my grandparents house in Birmingham, AL.  My sweet grandmother kept her freezer stocked with the finest treats “the Pig” (aka Piggly Wiggly) had to offer- Firecracker pops, Flinstone push-ups, and Blue Bell Moo Bars.  After a long afternoon of swimming in her pool, we were allowed to pick out a dessert from the freezer…it was always a tough decision.

In recent years with the food carts craze, I’ve noticed more and more handmade ice cream and popsicle carts and businesses.  Being a total ice cream addict- I welcome this trend.

One of the major dessert players down South is the King of Pops.  This super cool company started by three brothers is taking over the frozen dessert scene (at least in Athens).  They have a year round menu of creative concoctions like Arnold Palmer and Chocolate Sea Salt, and a seasonal menu with options like Bluegrass (blueberry lemongrass) and Georgia Peach Basil.  They have popsicle carts in Atlanta, Athens, and Charleston and they’re even popping up in local restaurants like The National, Ike and Jane, and Jittery Joes.  Check their website for the cart’s location; they're a must try!

I recently heard about a new local Athens popsicle company called Hip Pops that serve up all natural popsicles named after favorite hip hop stars and rap songs.  Who doesn’t want to try a popsicle called Blu Pop Shakur and Kanye Zest?  Luckily my friend Julie, another frozen treat fan, spotted them at that the Daily Co-Op off of Prince Avenue and we immediately made plans for a taste test.  After a long day of thesis writing for me, we headed out on a brisk walk with her puppy dogs, and headed to the Daily for a pit stop.

They had several Hip Pop flavors that looked very appealing….all fruity and sounded delicious.  I had the MC Slammer: blackberry, mint and lemonade; Julie had the Kanye Zest:  Cucumber, Honeydew, Margarita; and Katie had the Big Peppa: pineapple and cayenne. They were just what we needed….cool, icy, refreshing, and mighty tasty.

The other day I bought a chocolate and sea salt King of Pop downtown, and as I walked back to the office eating my popsicle I realized that I had a ridiculous grin on my face, with melting chocolate was dripping all over my hands.  Despite my having to return to work (not to mention I am nearing the age of 30), I licked the melting chocolate off my hands, because God forbid I waste any of my delightful dessert… just like I did when I was 8 sitting on the edge of my grandmother’s pool (don’t judge- you know you do it too).  Maybe it has something to do with feeling like a kid again, or maybe its  because they taste so damn good- either way is fine by me.

Happy Summer y’all!

Other fun popsicle articles

• CHILL OUT {Gourmet Popsicles - A hot trend for Summer weddings & events} (eventpros.wordpress.com)
• Tapping into my Inner Child (confettistyle.wordpress.com)