My mom got me a penguin-shaped popsicle mold, so I knew I had to pair a penguin-themed movie with them. I chose “Happy Feet,” one of my favorites.

This vegan, gluten-free and soy-free recipe is super easy and makes 2 popsicles. I chose berry juice after learning that there is a berry-producing plant called Cissus Antarctica, a misleading name since the plant does not grow there.

(Note: I did two recipes with 2 different types of juice, so if my pictures look like they’re of different popsicles, that’s because they are!)

Ingredients
1 cup berry juice

Instructions
These instructions and the quantity of berry juice will vary with the size and design of your popsicle mold. If you don’t have a penguin-shaped mold, any popsicle mold will do.

Place the popsicle sticks in the mold.

Pour in the juice so it is at or just below the top of the mold. Wipe away any excess juice that may have spilled or splashed over.

Put the cover on and carefully transfer the mold to a flat spot in the freezer.

Let the popsicles freeze for at least 12 hours.

Carefully remove the popsicles from the mold.

Eat and enjoy with “Happy Feet!”

The Easy Route
Given that I used premade juice, this is probably one of the easiest recipes on the blog.

If you want to go the easiest route, grab some berry popsicles from your favorite grocery store.

The Pairing
I was very intrigued to hear that “Mad Max” director George Miller was making an animated penguin movie.

His involvement and my love for penguins led me to “Happy Feet,” which I now count as one of my favorite animated films and a favorite musical.

Yes, I love this movie so much that my mom took me to Build-a-Bear for the first time for Christmas — when I was 20 — to get my own stuffed animal version of the lead character, Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood). I still have him sitting in the middle of my display of stuffed penguins, not dissimilar from Sally’s penguin collection in “When Harry Met Sally.”

But back to this movie. “Happy Feet” tells the story of Mumble, a baby penguin who struggles to speak and find his heartsong, a crucial thing for his survival.

While he has that perceived deficiency, the boy can dance, tapping his toes (and claws) all over the icy landscape of Antarctica.

Five years after “Moulin Rouge,” Nicole Kidman returned to the jukebox musical world as Mumble’s mom, Norma Jean. Hugh Jackman is her duet partner as Mumble’s dad, Memphis.

On top of being cute and having fun musical moments, “Happy Feet” is a heartwarming story about growing up and learning how to use what makes you unique or different as an asset in life.

I think that is a message we could all use in this new year.

If you decide to make these popsicles and/or watch “Happy Feet,” let us know! Tag us in your Instagram posts & stories, threads, TikToks and/or tweets: @veg_out_recipes. We’re also on Bluesky as @vegoutrecipes.bsky.social.