Summer Sips: Healthy, Kid-Friendly Drink Recipes for Hot Summer Days

Looking for a way to beat the heat? These refreshing summer sips will quench your thirst and please your palate. Prepare them for an outdoor party, a day in the backyard with the kids, or after mowing the lawn!

Strawberry Watermelon Lemonade Slushy

Ingredients
– 2 to 3 cups seedless watermelon
– 2 tablespoons honey (more if you like things sweet)
– ¼ cup lemon juice
– 2 cups frozen strawberries
As many ice cubes as you can squish on the top and still get the lid on

Directions
1. Layer watermelon, followed by lemon concentrate, honey, frozen strawberries and ice in the pitcher of the blender.
2. Blend until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes approx)
3. Serve & enjoy!

Pink Hibiscus Spritzer

Ingredients
– 2 cups of pure water
– 4 whole hibiscus blossoms or about 2 tablespoons bulk dried flower petals (buy either of these from Latino Markets, or a reputable herb seller)
– ½ cup strong brewed stevia tea, or liquid stevia extract drops to taste
– 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar (more or less to taste)
– 2 cups bubbly water – mineral water, sodium free seltzer water or club soda

Directions
Bring water to a light boil, then turn off heat and add the hibiscus flowers.

Cover the pot and allow flowers to steep for 15-20 minutes, but no longer. (If you want a stronger flavor, use more flowers, as longer steeping times may bring out a bitter flavor, as with many herbs and teas.) Strain the tea into a pitcher, then add the stevia tea or stevia liquid extract drops to taste. The blend should be on the sweeter side since you’ll be diluting it with the bubbly water. Let tea cool to room temperature, or chill it if you like.

Fill 4 glasses halfway with cooled hibiscus tea. Add equal amount of bubbly water and enjoy!

Or try serving over ice, and garnish with fresh mint or sliced limes.

Makes about 4 servings

Hibiscus flowers make great sun tea! Or you can actually make hibiscus tea just by steeping the flowers in unheated water for two days. Soak the flowers in cold water, then simply strain the liquid after 48 hours without ever heating it. You’ll end up with a nice result.

Virgin Passion Fruit Colada

Ingredients
2 cups ice
1 cup passion fruit juice
1/4 cup cream of coconut

Directions
Combine ice, passion fruit juice, and cream of coconut in a blender and blend until smooth.

Cucumber Lime Cooler

Ingredients
1 cucumber – peeled and cut into chunks
juice of 2 or 3 limes
1 cup brewed stevia leaf tea (or between 5 – 10 drops liquid stevia extract, more if you like it sweeter)
about 1 quart (4 cups) water

Directions
Place the cucumber, lime juice, water and stevia tea or drops into a blender. Use just enough water to come up about one inch from the top of the blender. Cover tightly and blend well. Strain the mixture and serve in tall glasses full of ice. Garnish with a mint sprig, or slice of lime. Makes about 4 servings.

Other Water-Based Beverages
• Water with lemon juice. This is tastiest if ice cold. Alternatively, you can add a few slices of lemon or lime.
• Water with mint and lemon juice. Let the mint seep for a while.
• Water with orange juice. Squeeze a fresh orange into your pitcher of water. Alternatively, add a few slices of the fruit.
• Cucumber water. Just add a few slices of cucumber to your water.
• Cucumber lemon water. Same as above, just add a few slices of lemons to your mix. Ideally, let it sit for an hour refrigerated before serving. Consider adding a few sprigs of fresh mint to your water and let seep.

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