This is a vintage heavy gauge aluminum ice cube tray, circa 1950. We used it to make ice cubes. The pull-back handle would break and separate the ice cubes. This particular type made 18 ice cubes.  On rare occasions when it would snow, we used it to freeze the “snow ice cream” we made.

After mixing our favorite Kool-Aid flavor with plenty of sugar and water, we would pour the sweet liquid concoction into old-fashioned ice cube trays (with the built-in top handle) and place in the refrigerator’s top freezer until they were frozen.

It normally would take a couple of hours to freeze the pops, provided I did not open the freezer door fifty or more times to peep at the liquid turn to ice. It was my job to notify my sister immediately when the pops were frozen. My sister had mastered a way to separate and remove the cubes from the tray without causing a lot of breakage to the ice cubes.

Here are a couple of vintage aluminum pastel colored drinking glasses waiting to be filled with ice cubes from the bowl. With these metal glasses, my grandmother didn’t have to worry about us breaking her good glasses when we made our treat. I remember the metal glasses were very cold to hold and would sweat profusely when anything cold was placed in them.

This was one of the most refreshing treats to cool off with during a hot summer day. For me, it represented the end of summer and the beginning of the new school year.

Did you have a favorite treat that marked the end of summer? Feel free to share your own favorites in the comments.