Cool Drinks for Summer

There's nothing quite like a refreshing frozen drink after a summer day of playing or working in the hot sun. Not only does it hydrate you, but it also cools your core body temperature. With choices you cannot find in fastfood establishments or restaurants and fresh ingredients, you can make a beverage better than anything you could buy.

Below are some great smoothies and shakes guaranteed to satiate and satisfy the pickiest palates. These are templates which can be tailored to each consumer’s tastes. Be prepared to be adventurous with your summer drinks.

Note: if your blender has difficulty with ice, be sure to use crushed rather than cubed ice.

FRUIT SMOOTHIES

Basic Template

Combine:

2 cups of desired fruit

1/4 cup water, juice, or milk of choice (dairy, soy, almond, or coconut)

1 cup ice

Blend, garnish if desired, serve

Flavor options:

Any fruit, fresh or frozen - If using frozen fruit, reduce or eliminate ice. Favorites: banana, pear, mango, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, kiwi, pineapple, peach, orange, lemon, and lime.

Vegetable options: cucumber, spinach, carrots, broccoli

Seasonings: cilantro, cayenne, cinnamon, mint (fresh or extract)

Seeds: chia seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seed (ground)

Yogurt (your choice), coconut and nuts can also be added

Although fruits usually offer enough sweetness, below is a list for additives if you have a sweet tooth.

Sweeteners: honey, agave, stevia, powdered sugar

For the cover smoothie, these ingredients may surprise you, but don't dismiss it with a sour face. Give it a try. In addition to water and ice, I included: grapes, cucumber, kiwi, broccoli, lemon, cilantro, and apple (chopped, peeled). This is so tasty!

The smoothie in this photograph has watermelon, kiwi, and a bit of apple. Yum! This is great after a workout or post- work refreshment.

For this next smoothie, I added frozen mango, a banana, 1 1/2 mandarin oranges and a bit of water. Delicious!

For this last smoothie, I used almond milk, vanilla yogurt, fresh raspberries, a bit of banana, some sliced almonds, and a dash of agave nectar.

CREAMY SHAKES

The difference between a shake and a smoothie is that a shake has a creamy base, usually ice cream. Here are some fun options with which to experiment.

Basic template

Combine:

1 cup ice cream or frozen yogurt

1/2 cup ice (optional)

Desired flavors (see below)

You can also add cream if desired.

Blend well. Top with whipped cream, sprinkles, shaved chocolate, crushed graham crackers, cereal, and/or a maraschino cherry if desired.

There are so many options here. You can make a banana split shake, a peanut butter hot fudge shake, or a chocolate coconut mint shake. You may also consider using some of the flavors listed above for a shake.

Flavor options:

Chocolate (syrup, chips, baking cocoa, bars, hot fudge)

Fruit - fresh or frozen

Nuts of choice

Cereal of choice

Cookies

Mint (fresh or extract)

Coffee (beans or grounds)

Oats

Creme de cacao

For this shake, I included ice cream, almond milk, baking cocoa, banana, and a bit of ice. I topped it with whipped cream and sprinkles. I like using up my soft bananas this way in the summer instead of heating up the oven to make banana bread.

Any of these delicious drinks can be spiked. Simply add your alcohol of choice. You may choose to coat the rim with salt, Tahin or sugar.

The next time you come home hot and thirsty, consider making yourself a smoothie or a shake. After you are familiar with the above templates, consider having a smoothie party, making drinks to order. You can even ask friends their tastes ahead of time to have appropriate ingredients on hand.

Enjoy!