Summer treats, sewing and mud

Dang it's hot.  Is it hot where you are?  It's 8:00 a.m. and the humidity is 86%.  High humidity doesn't usually happen around here, so excuse my whining.  I don't know how you people in the South and back East do it.  I felt like Swamp Thing when I crawled out of bed this morning.  Thank goodness I made Popsicles yesterday.

I pulled out my Zoku ice pop mold and set about trying to recreate an Orange Creamsicle.  There are lots and lots of recipes online, so I got a few ideas then just combined what I had and stuck it in the freezer.  The original popular brand available at the grocery store contains around 36 ingredients, including 6 that are some form of sugar, and a few I can't even pronounce.  No thanks.

 Here's what's in mine.

1 can of Coconut milk (I use this brand)
3 fresh squeezed oranges
1 whole cut up pineapple
raw honey (about 2 tbsp.)
vanilla (about 1 tsp.)
I put it all in the blender and mixed it up.  It was still a bit pulpy from the pineapple, but I think that was a bonus.

I'd like to say they were fantastic, but they were just o.k.  Next time I would use more fruit juice and less coconut milk, or maybe use coconut water instead.  Or scrap the coconut milk altogether and use yogurt.  They were refreshing though, and creamy too, in a coconut milk-waxy-coating the roof of your mouth- kind of way.   I'd like to try a chocolate flavor, or combine a bunch of fruit in my juicer, with a small piece of ginger for some kick, and freeze it up for a juice bar.
 Too bad vodka doesn't freeze.  Imagine the possibilities!

Anyway, I can't think of how to cleverly segue my way into the next topic so I'm just going to post a picture.

I made a hot pad and some cotton crocheted washcloths.  The beige one is a pot holder with a little leather cord/button hangy thing.

I had fun adding a bit of kantha style stitching to the hot pad. This set is going into the gift basket.

Now for some mud.  A small town near us (Herald) celebrated their annual Herald Days last weekend.  After the parade, the small park filled to overflowing with booths selling hot dogs, hamburgers, beer, tri-tip sandwiches, snow-cones and other summertime goodies.  The air smelled like barbecue, a country-western band played under the oak trees, and everyone sat around picnic tables or on blankets, eating and visiting with their neighbors.  Ahhh summer!
 But the big attraction at Herald Days is the outdoor mud volleyball competition.
People sign up from miles around (46 teams this year), and all teams must have both men and women players.  The volleyball courts are flooded with several inches of mud and water, which makes for a very slippery and dirty game. Take a look...

I took these with my phone, so not quite good quality, but you get the idea.

My son and his friends put a team together, and have been practicing for months.  Turns out they won the tournament (they have been waiting 3 years for this), so I am the proud Mama of a Herald Days mud volleyball champion. Good job boys!  Now go take a shower.