*an explanation for this awesome graphic can be found at the bottom of this post
Just because we’re living out of a hotel seemingly just waiting for the perfect house to come and find us so we can buy it already doesn’t mean I can’t get a little Valentine’s Day inspiration at the thrift store, right?!?! And because I’m always looking for upcycling ideas for thrift store finds, when I came across this heart mini muffin tin for $0.49 when I was big thriftin’ my first thought was “ice cubes!”.
More specifically I thought red, heart shaped ice cubes would be the perfect accompaniment to any Valentine’s Day beverage.
I started with a pint of fresh raspberries, added a touch of cranberry juice and puree them in a blender. (Actually, I called in the big guns and Chef Peter helped me since I don’t actually have a kitchen these days. Thanks Chef!)
We opted to not bother straining out any seeds, the advantage of using a really good quality blender that pretty much purees all the seeds, too. 🙂
This goes without saying, but the very first step was giving that mini muffin tin a solid scrubbing or two. I’m all about upcycling ideas using thrift store finds, but I am not all about upcycling germs. But, I do eat in restaurants and trust someone else to wash the dishes that make my food. A few scrub downs of this mini muffin tin and she was good to go for my own use.
Then just pour your puree in the tin and freeze.
Man, it’s nice to have someone to pour the puree so I can take a picture. 🙂
And a bartender to make up a tasty martini for me to try my new creation.
Audrey’s Martini
2 oz Effen Black Cherry Vodka
.75 oz Absolute Vanilla Vodka
.25 Absolute Citron Vodka
sugar rim
raspberry puree heart shaped ice cube
Yum, right?!?! Well, I don’t have to ask you, I’m the lucky one who got to try it. And it is perfect with an added little touch of raspberry. To get the cubes out of the tin I just let them thaw maybe 5 minutes and then used a plastic knife, worked like a charm.
And for the non alcoholic drinkers and kids in your life … it’s pretty perfect for any clear beverage really. Stir it up after it dissolves and you’ve got a tasty little pink concoction with just a hint of raspberry flavor.
What a fun an easy little surprise to put a heart shaped ice cube in your loved one’s beverages for Valentine’s Day.
What tricks to do you have up your sleeve for next week’s day of love? And now that I think about it, this hotel livin’ ain’t half bad. Thanks again to Peter and Audrey for your help!! Next week, “how to make a bed like a pro” by the housekeeping department. 😉
And check out our other upcycling ideas here.
Oh, and the graphic … my buddy Kelly and couple of her buddies are having a fun link party for us all to mock show our love for our loves. I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Find out more here.
