Minty Limeade

Fill a two quart pot with water and set on the stove on high.  As the water heats, wash and half two limes.  Juice the limes and add to the water.  Toss in a sprig of mint.  Bring to a boil and turn off the heat, allowing the pot to remain on the burner.  If you'd like the beverage sweetened, add 1/2 cup of raw sugar and stir to dissolve.  Once cool, strain into a pitcher.

This is like a virgin Mojito and so refreshing!

Strawberry Lemonade

Fill a two quart pot with water and set on the stove on high.  As the water begins to boil, wash, cap and dice a half pint of fresh strawberries.  Add to the heating water.  Wash and half one lemon.  Juice the whole lemon and add to the water.  Bring to a boil and turn off the heat, allowing the pot to remain on the burner.  If you'd like the beverage sweetened, add 1/2 cup of raw sugar and stir to dissolve.  Once cool, strain into a pitcher, pressing out any liquid from the strawberries.

What's neat with this drink is that all of the color comes out of the strawberries and into the drink.  The berries lose their color which is why I don't leave them in.  They get creepy looking.

Cherry Lime Drink

In the search for something different to eat, I often find myself looking for something different to drink.  I don't drink alcohol so sometimes the selection of non-alcoholic drinks is a bit underwhelming.  I've been experimenting with some at home and thought I could start posting them here.

I went to a mushroom festival this past weekend and on the way out, there was a pickup truck completely filled with cherries.  Of course I got a giant bag of them and have been eating them every day for breakfast.  I took a bunch this afternoon and pitted them as they're starting to get too soft.  I looked over and saw a lime on the counter and had a thought.  One of my favorite drinks as a kid was a cherry smash from the local pharmacy so I grabbed a glass and that lime.  I squeezed half of the lime in the glass and then dropped in about 6 cherries.  I took my pestle and carefully crushed the cherries in the glass until they were pulpy.  I then topped off the glass with cold water.  I took a taste and it was super sour so I dumped in one packet of sweetener (I use Splenda).  I gave it a stir and yum!  I sat in the fridge until dinner in the hopes that some more of the cherry flavor comes through but it was pretty tasty just as it was.  Can't wait!