With warm weather on its way, I
think it’s time we start thinking about some summer drinks to keep us cool by
the pool. I have seen a couple different posts from other bloggers about
homemade margaritas and mint juleps, but I’m thinking about fun drinks for
those who aren’t really allowed to consume alcohol yet.
The Classic: The Virgin Strawberry
Daiquiri
I
have personally always been a HUGE fan of strawberry daiquiris. I think it
started when I went to the Bahamas on a family vacation when I was younger, and
I have been hooked since. The icy blend of strawberries and vanilla create a
beautiful harmony of flavors in my mouth. I looked up a couple different
recipes, but the one that stood out to me is from food.com. For ingredients,
you need 3oz of fresh strawberries, 1oz of fresh lime juice, ¼teaspoon of pure vanilla
extract, 1 teaspoon of Splenda (or another sugar substitute) and cracked ice. To
make the drink, add the lime juice, strawberries, vanilla, and sugar into a
blender. Put the blender on medium speed and blend until it’s smooth. After
that, add in the crushed ice a little at a time and blend until it is smooth
again. Voila! You have a yummy fruity drink to refresh your pallet.
The Exotic Drink: Aqua Fresca
I stumbled upon this drink from
Chelsie Kenyon as I was looking for fun summer recipes and it could not be any
easier. It can be made with any number of fruits. This drink should take less
than 5 minutes, it’s that easy. For a
pitcher of this yummy drink, you need 4 cups of drinking water, 2 cups of fresh
fruit, ¼ cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice. Once everything
is ready, put the water and fruit in a blender and puree until it’s smooth.
After that, pour the drink through a filter or sieve and into a serving
container. Add in the lemon/lime juice and sugar and your done. Test it for
flavor and adjust the amount of sugar accordingly. I don’t know about you, but
this sounds perfect for a day out on the boat when we want something refreshing
to take with.
My Favorite Drink in the World!: The
Arnold Palmer
I am not joking in the least when I say
that this is my favorite drink. Who knew that iced tea and lemonade could be
such an incredible combination? I usually only have a glass or two, but there
are some days where I have been known to finish 6-8 cans. I’ve been obsessed
with these for so long, that I’m not even sure when I first tried one. Arizona Tea has come out with their own
Arnold Palmer and begun selling it in cans, gallon jugs, popsicles, etc. I do
love their take on the Arnie, but sometimes it’s a little too sweet. When I
want a more savory drink, I will make my own. To make your own Arnold Palmer,
you need some fresh brewed iced tea, homemade or store-bought lemonade, and ice
(sugar is optional). If you want to make everything from scratch, here is how I
do it.
Fill a pitcher with hot water, and put 4
hot tea bags in (depending on the kind and strength of your tea). It doesn’t
matter if the little tags fall in too, you’ll be taking them out anyway. Let
the tea steep for a solid 5 minutes or so (again, it depends) and then remove
the tea bags with a wooden spoon or whatever you have in the kitchen. Let the
drink cool while you move on to the lemonade. Get a measuring cup and squeeze
your fresh lemons until you have a full cup of lemon juice. Poor that into
another pitcher of water and add ¾ - 1 cup of sugar. Stir and the lemonade is
done. Now that the tea and lemonade are ready, you can make your Arnold Palmer.
What I personally like to do is get out a glass and fill it halfway with ice.
Then pour half of it with lemonade and then the rest with tea. Stir it and it’s
done! Of course if this is too much work, go ahead and try using some
store-bought Arnie. If you’ve never had an Arnold Palmer, I highly recommend
trying it at least once! Comment below if you try any of the drinks and let me know how they taste!
Xo-Boo
