REFRESHING SUMMER DRINKS:
One of the things we love to do is stock up on an array of sparkling and effervescent no-alcoholic drinks to make colorful fruity concoctions for summertime. Whether it’s a backyard barbecue, the Fourth of July, or family pizza night or burgers on the grill, these delicious drinks are always a hit!
We stock up on things like World Market’s all-natural Italian sodas in Pomegranate, Lemon, and Blood Orange Flavors. We also stock up on Sanfaustino Natural Mineral Water, Martinelli’s Sparkling Ciders, RW Knudsen’s sparkling beverages like Sparkling Blueberry, and various nectars and juices. Plus, we always have a bottle of Simple Syrup in the refrigerator. You can buy it at the grocery store, but I like to make my own.
We also visit the food sections of the Home Goods store and TJ Maxx for treats like Efferve Sparkling Petillante Pomegranate-Blueberry Lemonade and other flavors that are not so easy to find. We also keep lots of fresh fruit and frozen fruit in the fridge and freezer. Our Pete & Brenda nutritionist specialist extraordinaire, Heidi Diller of Albertson’s, who offers us healthy tips on a weekly basis often recommends frozen fruit because it’s easier on the wallet and these fruits are flash-frozen to retain their nutrients. Plus, it makes it easier to buy out-of-season fruits at a more affordable price.
Family and friends always rave about these concoctions and they are always a hit. Below are some delicious recipes.
***************************************
1. Sparkling Apricot Fruit Sensation:
2 cups of diced fruit like peaches, nectarines, and plums or use frozen fruit.
2 cups of apricot juice/nectar (My favorite is Bionaturae Organic Apricot Fruit Nectar)
2 cups of sparkling cider
1 cup of seltzer
Mix all the ingredients together in a clear pitcher (the fruit looks inviting), chill, and serve!
***************************************
2. Juicy Peach Tea:
Peach tea or Orange Pekoe tea
Simple Syrup***
Peach Nectar
Fresh or frozen peaches
***Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Preparation
Stir together sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into an airtight container. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. The syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 month.
Steep 3 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes and then chill tea in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Add 3 1/3 cups of peach nectar, ¼ cup of simple syrup and stir.
Add fresh or frozen fruit and serve.
******************************************
3. Italian Basil Lemonade: (Don't let the mention of basil in lemonade be a turn-off for those of you with a less adventurous palate, it's delicious!)
2 cups of chilled Italian Lemon Soda (World Market & Whole Foods have great selections)
2 cups of fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons)
2 cups of chilled Sparkling Water
2 cups of Basil Simple Syrup***(see below)
2 lemons sliced
Mix Italian Lemon Soda, lemon juice, sparkling water and Basil Simple Syrup. Stir and add lemon slices. Chill and serve.
***Basil Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh basil (make sure it's stemmed and washed)
Preparation
Stir together sugar, water and basil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into an airtight container, discarding basil. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. The syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 month.
***For Basil-Lemon Simple Syrup add 4 one-inch strips of fresh lemon zest (make sure you get more of the yellow skin and not the white part of the lemon which is bitter tasting).
***************************************************
4. White Non-alcoholic Sangria:
1 Bottle of Italian Orange Soda
1 Bottle of Sparkling Cider
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup of water
½ cup Simple Syrup
1 ½ cups of green grapes
1 ½ cups of sliced kiwi
Mix together orange soda, sparkling cider, lemon juice, orange juice concentrate, water, and Simple Syrup and stir. Add fruit and chill. Serve over ice.
************************************************
5. Tuscan Lemon-Blueberry Bliss:
1 Bottle of RW Knudsen’s Sparkling Blueberry
1/2 Bottle of Italian Blueberry Soda
1/2 Bottle of Italian Lemon Soda
2 cups of Lemon Sparkling Water
¼ cup of Simple Syrup
1 cup of frozen blueberries
Mix all of the ingredients, stir, and add blueberries. Chill and serve over ice.
There are countless combinations of these refreshing summertime beverages. Experiment and enjoy your own recipes. It’s simple, fun, and the whole family will enjoy!
One of the things we love to do is stock up on an array of sparkling and effervescent no-alcoholic drinks to make colorful fruity concoctions for summertime. Whether it’s a backyard barbecue, the Fourth of July, or family pizza night or burgers on the grill, these delicious drinks are always a hit!
We stock up on things like World Market’s all-natural Italian sodas in Pomegranate, Lemon, and Blood Orange Flavors. We also stock up on Sanfaustino Natural Mineral Water, Martinelli’s Sparkling Ciders, RW Knudsen’s sparkling beverages like Sparkling Blueberry, and various nectars and juices. Plus, we always have a bottle of Simple Syrup in the refrigerator. You can buy it at the grocery store, but I like to make my own.
We also visit the food sections of the Home Goods store and TJ Maxx for treats like Efferve Sparkling Petillante Pomegranate-Blueberry Lemonade and other flavors that are not so easy to find. We also keep lots of fresh fruit and frozen fruit in the fridge and freezer. Our Pete & Brenda nutritionist specialist extraordinaire, Heidi Diller of Albertson’s, who offers us healthy tips on a weekly basis often recommends frozen fruit because it’s easier on the wallet and these fruits are flash-frozen to retain their nutrients. Plus, it makes it easier to buy out-of-season fruits at a more affordable price.
Family and friends always rave about these concoctions and they are always a hit. Below are some delicious recipes.
***************************************
1. Sparkling Apricot Fruit Sensation:
2 cups of diced fruit like peaches, nectarines, and plums or use frozen fruit.
2 cups of apricot juice/nectar (My favorite is Bionaturae Organic Apricot Fruit Nectar)
2 cups of sparkling cider
1 cup of seltzer
Mix all the ingredients together in a clear pitcher (the fruit looks inviting), chill, and serve!
***************************************
2. Juicy Peach Tea:
Peach tea or Orange Pekoe tea
Simple Syrup***
Peach Nectar
Fresh or frozen peaches
***Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Preparation
Stir together sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into an airtight container. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. The syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 month.
Steep 3 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes and then chill tea in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Add 3 1/3 cups of peach nectar, ¼ cup of simple syrup and stir.
Add fresh or frozen fruit and serve.
******************************************
3. Italian Basil Lemonade: (Don't let the mention of basil in lemonade be a turn-off for those of you with a less adventurous palate, it's delicious!)
2 cups of chilled Italian Lemon Soda (World Market & Whole Foods have great selections)
2 cups of fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons)
2 cups of chilled Sparkling Water
2 cups of Basil Simple Syrup***(see below)
2 lemons sliced
Mix Italian Lemon Soda, lemon juice, sparkling water and Basil Simple Syrup. Stir and add lemon slices. Chill and serve.
***Basil Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh basil (make sure it's stemmed and washed)
Preparation
Stir together sugar, water and basil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into an airtight container, discarding basil. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. The syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 month.
***For Basil-Lemon Simple Syrup add 4 one-inch strips of fresh lemon zest (make sure you get more of the yellow skin and not the white part of the lemon which is bitter tasting).
***************************************************
4. White Non-alcoholic Sangria:
1 Bottle of Italian Orange Soda
1 Bottle of Sparkling Cider
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup of water
½ cup Simple Syrup
1 ½ cups of green grapes
1 ½ cups of sliced kiwi
Mix together orange soda, sparkling cider, lemon juice, orange juice concentrate, water, and Simple Syrup and stir. Add fruit and chill. Serve over ice.
************************************************
5. Tuscan Lemon-Blueberry Bliss:
1 Bottle of RW Knudsen’s Sparkling Blueberry
1/2 Bottle of Italian Blueberry Soda
1/2 Bottle of Italian Lemon Soda
2 cups of Lemon Sparkling Water
¼ cup of Simple Syrup
1 cup of frozen blueberries
Mix all of the ingredients, stir, and add blueberries. Chill and serve over ice.
There are countless combinations of these refreshing summertime beverages. Experiment and enjoy your own recipes. It’s simple, fun, and the whole family will enjoy!
