Frosty Friday: Kool-Aid Slushies (a.k.a. Fake Slurpees and Totally Fancy)

Alright friends, gather ‘round, because it’s time for another edition of Frosty Friday, where I bring you cold treats for hot days, because I care about your hydration and your happiness. And hoo-boy, is it HOT. Like, Africa hot. Like, open-the-front-door-and-it-slaps-you-in-the-face hot. Like, I-just-watered-my-plants-and-they-immediately-wilted hot. So yes, I shouldn’t be surprised—it is summer and everything—but this Colorado girl is still over here sweating like I’m in a sauna I didn’t sign up for.

So today, we're keeping it extremely chill with a “recipe” that I feel slightly guilty even calling a recipe. Because it’s really more of a magical summer hack, born from desperation and refined over years of trial, error, and… well, really just hot afternoons and an undying love of sugar water.

Kool-Aid Slushies.

Yes. Kool-Aid. Ice. La Croix. Blender. DONE.

There. I gave it away already. Post over. You’re welcome.

But since I’ve committed to making this into a whole vibe and also because I like talking to you all more than is probably reasonable, I’m going to keep going. Also, my blender is currently in slushie-mode and I need to stall while it does its thing (and scares the cat in the process).

Flashback: Slushie Nostalgia

Now, if you’re anything like me, you remember dragging yourself into a 7-Eleven or gas station as a sweaty kid, coins jangling in your pocket, laser-focused on the Slurpee machine. That magical, humming beast. You’d stand there, agonizing over whether to go with Blue Raspberry or Wild Cherry—or if you were a chaotic goblin child like me, you’d swirl all the flavors together in a sugary hurricane of regret.

Well, welcome to your Slushie Redemption Arc, because we’re bringing that feeling home. Only this time, we’re older, maybe wiser, and we use La Croix instead of tap water because we’re fancy. It adds "sparkle." Literally.

Why Kool-Aid Slushies?

Because they are:

• Cold.

• Cheap.

• Easy.

• Magical.

• And they make you feel like a kid again, in the best possible way.

Also, my grown kids—adults who pay taxes—still request these like they’re six years old and have just come inside from chasing the ice cream truck. Which, by the way, we should all do again sometime. YOLO and all that.

The “Recipe” (if we’re being generous)

Alright, here’s what you need to make your very own Fake Slurpees a.k.a. Kool-Aid Slushies at home:

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Kool-Aid (your favorite flavor, but Blue Raspberry Lemonade is the obvious champion here)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (more or less depending on your sweet tooth and how nostalgic you’re feeling)

• 2 cups ice

• 1 cup cold La Croix (I like Lemon, Lime, or Berry for this—whatever you’ve got in the fridge)

• Optional: a splash of lemon or lime juice if you want to feel “mixologist-y”

• Optional but encouraged: brightly colored straws and a glass with a rainbow sugar rim that makes you feel like summer royalty

Instructions:

1. Add your Kool-Aid packet and sugar to the blender. Think of this step as summoning childhood joy.

2. Toss in the ice. Try not to drop it on the floor like I do every single time.

3. Pour in your La Croix. The fizz gives it a little something extra. Effervescence, dahling.

4. Blend until it looks like a slushie. You want that perfect texture—icy but drinkable, not smoothie-thick and not snow-cone-chunky. Somewhere in the middle. The blender will make terrifying noises. This is normal.

5. Taste test. Too tart? Add a little more sugar. Too thick? More La Croix. Too warm? Add more ice. Too boring? Add a paper umbrella and pretend you’re on a beach instead of your kid’s trampoline.

Boom. Done. Stick a straw in it and go sit outside in the shade with your feet in a kiddie pool. You just made summer magic, my friend.

But Is It Healthy?

Let’s not. It’s Kool-Aid, people. This is not a green smoothie. This is not macro-balanced. This is not Whole30, Paleo, Keto, or anything that ends in -o. This is pure nostalgic joy, frozen and slurpable. It’s emotionally healthy, and that counts too.

Variations for the Adventurous:

• Add frozen fruit for a smoothie-slushie hybrid. Frozen strawberries in the cherry Kool-Aid = a delight.

• Use soda instead of La Croix if you’re going full sugar-fueled chaos monster. (My kids call this "double trouble.")

• Boozy adult version: Add a splash of vodka or rum. But maybe not for the kids. Probably. You do you.

Final Thoughts from the Slushie Queen

Look. It’s hot. We’re sweaty. We’re out here trying to live that summer life without melting into the patio furniture. And sometimes, you just need a cold cup of sweet, fake-fruit-flavored ice slurry to make the world feel a little less cruel.

This isn’t gourmet. It’s not sophisticated. It won’t win you any bake-off ribbons. But it will make you smile. And isn’t that what Frosty Fridays are all about?

So crank that blender, grab your Kool-Aid, and lean into the absurd joy of it all. Sit with your kids, your partner, your cat, or just your sweaty self and sip something neon-colored with pride.

Happy Frosty Friday, my friends. Stay cool. Stay silly. And please, please remember: never trust the red slushie to not stain your shirt. 

TL;DR Kool-Aid Slushie Recap:

1. Kool-Aid + Sugar + Ice + La Croix

2. Blend.

3. Slurp.

4. Grin like a 6-year-old.

See you next week for more Frosty Friday fun. And maybe—just maybe—I’ll finally make something with a vegetable in it. (But let’s not get carried away.)