Just in case you needed one last fix for Luau week – I decided to spend most of my weekend chopping fruit.
This is the Wheelbarrow Ice Bar!
AuthorRetroRuth
From How To Become A Cookout Champion, 1959
Tested Recipe!
[cooked-sharing]
Fill a wheelbarrow with ice. Cut fruit and keep shells intact to add as bowls. Fill cut fruit shells with ice cream, sorbet or cut fruit to be used in punch or cocktails.
Ingredients
Directions
Fill a wheelbarrow with ice. Cut fruit and keep shells intact to add as bowls. Fill cut fruit shells with ice cream, sorbet or cut fruit to be used in punch or cocktails.
Notes
This lovely is from How To Become A Cookout Champion, which was published in 1959. This cute book was put together as a contest cookbook for several companies, like Squirt, Kaiser Foil and a few others. It is full of “Bar-B-Tricks” that you can use for your next cookout, and this Wheelbarrow Ice Bar was one of them.
And I became obsessed with it.
Luckily I have others in my life who are either just as obsessed or put up with my obsession and are willing to help me recreate madness. Thanks to Carolyn (of the Aspic Aquarium) for bringing over her kids and sacrificing most of her Saturday, and Tom, of course.
Because he can never get away.
Here we are mid-carve. Things weren’t actually that hard, it was just a lot of chopping and such.
If you are curious, all the fruit, bottled soda, ice cream and ice ran just under $100, if you are wanting to recreate this for your next cookout. We already had a fun blue wheelbarrow on hand.
Carefully splitting.
It’s pineapple time!
Lots and lots and lots of ice.
Alex immediately wanted to jump into it and play. Good thing I bleached the heck out of it before filling it with ice.
Tom decided that it would look better tipped up, so we had to do some strategic ice piling.
Finished!
When it was done, I actually was pretty pleased. It was a good idea for an unusual drink cooler. The sodas and things were probably the best idea. Of course, the ice cream immediately started melting and the fruit was attacked by bugs, so maybe not the best idea for food service. But drinks, very yes. I would honestly park this thing in the kitchen if you have the room. It would be hilariously fun and actually did look very retro. I really liked the look of it all put together.
Overall it was pretty magical. But here was the best part:
Alex and Carolyn’s kids just loved it. We managed to eat a good portion of the ice cream and sherbet before it melted or was eaten by yellow jackets. And now Carolyn and I have fridges full of chopped fruit. So not too bad.
So, what do you guys think? Are you going to try the Wheelbarrow Ice Bar?
This looks awesome!
That is completely fabulous. I wish I had a wheelbarrow.
That came out amazing!
Lovely! Just Lovely! I have SO much enjoyed your Hawaiian week. It’s been a lifelong dream to go to Hawaii, and there was a little fast-foodish restaurant here with Hawaiian foods, alas, already gone….You people seem to have such fun! 😀
I love the look of this! The colors are Techniscope!
Thanks, Kerry!
I am so glad you enjoyed Hawaiian week!!!! It is a lot of work doing the themed weeks, but it is sure fun.
And yeah, I guess we do have a lot of fun. 🙂
It did! It was so pretty!
Thank you! It was totally worth it!
It does, doesn’t it. 😉
Puree some of that fruit, mix it with wine, and stick it in the freezer. Just a hint…
😀
I’m so impressed! You got all of the elements right and made a perfect luau wheelbarrow. What fun!
Love this! I have seen child sized wheelbarrows that would fit on a table inside and recreate it on a smaller scale..
We were going to puree with yogurt, you know, for the kids, but YOUR suggestion……… 🙂
I guess I’m really old because the wheelbarrow full of ice and food/drinks was a backyard summer staple of family get-togethers. Maybe I’m not old — I’m just RETRO! 😉
You guys did a fabulous job! It looks very professional! 🙂
My mom had that cookbook, and I loved looking at all the ice creams in the fruit. The most creative my mom got with fruit for entertaining was making a dip from pineapple that was served in a hollowed out pineapple half.