ISO: Light, refreshing, non-alcoholic drink

[Karen from VA]

I'm having 4 couples as weekend guests. I'd like to offer a pitcher-full of a refreshing, not too sweet, non-alcoholic beverage--something a little more exciting than iced tea or lemonade. Any ideas? I once served a drink made up of sparkling cider, cranberry juice and something else--club soda maybe. I can't remember and I didn't keep the recipe--I think it was in Southern Living, but can't find it in a search. Any ideas will be appreciated.

Karen

[SandyM]

How about Raspberry Lemonade? I can post my recipe if you would like. It's wonderful, and very refreshing.

[gertdog]

This is a favorite "on the deck" drink at my house. The recipe recommends letting the ginger steep for at least an hour; I do several hours, minimum. We have varied it by using club soda in place of the water to make a fizzy drink.

I've seen another version of this where you simmer the ingredients on the stove for just a few minutes, which should cut the steeping time.

GINGER LIMEADE

“American Brasserie” by Gand, Tramonto, and Moskin

9 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (about 20 limes)
2 cups superfine sugar
10 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled

In a pitcher, whisk together all the ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Let steep at least 1 hour to bring
out the ginger flavor. Serve over ice.

[This message has been edited by gertdog (edited 05-23-2001).]

[Alisa]

I make a "punch" with grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and club soda or gingerale. I don't measure the ingredients - it's great everytime.

[comabri]

Sorry if this is long - but these are all great...

Summer-Girl Soda

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: 1997 ISSUE: June PAGE: 94

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:
3/4 cup raspberries
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1-1/4 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream, divided
1-1/2 cups club soda, chilled and divided
1 cup raspberry sherbet
1 cup orange sherbet

INSTRUCTIONS:
The All-American ice-cream soda reappears with a new look and taste:
fresh fruit, low-fat ice cream, and sherbet. You can substitute
chopped fresh strawberries for the raspberries.

1. Press raspberries through a sieve over a bowl; discard seeds.
Combine raspberry pulp and sugar; stir well. Divide the raspberry
mixture evenly among 4 parfait glasses. Spoon 1 tablespoon ice cream
into each glass; stir well. Stir 2 tablespoons club soda into each
glass. Spoon 1/4 cup ice cream, 1/4 cup raspberry sherbet, and 1/4
cup orange sherbet into each glass; pour 1/4 cup club soda over
sherbets. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 189 (16% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 1.7g, mono 0.8g, poly
0.2g); PROTEIN 2.8g; CARB 39g; FIBER 1.7g; CHOL 8mg; IRON 0.3mg;
SODIUM 109mg; CALC 112mg

Recipe Copyright © Cooking Light Magazine

Tutti-frutti Smoothie

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: 1997 ISSUE: October PAGE: 152

INGREDIENTS FOR 3 SERVINGS:
1 cup sliced ripe banana (about 1 medium)
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sliced peeled peaches
3/4 cup sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon honey

INSTRUCTIONS:
This creamy drink is ideal for an after-school snack, breakfast, or
dessert.

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Serve
immediately. Yield: 3 cups (serving size: 1 cup).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 134 (3% from fat); FAT 0.5g (sat 0.1g, mono 0.1g, poly
0.1g); PROTEIN 1.6g; CARB 33.8g; FIBER 3.3g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.5mg;
SODIUM 2mg; CALC 18mg

Recipe Copyright © Cooking Light Magazine

Lime Sunset

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: 1998 ISSUE: December PAGE: 103

INGREDIENTS FOR 9 SERVINGS:
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (11.5-ounce) can apricot nectar
9 lime slices
2 (12-ounce) cans ginger ale

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large pitcher; cover and chill.
Add ginger ale just before serving, and stir gently. Pour over ice.
Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 114 (1% from fat); FAT 0.1g (sat 0g, mono 0g, poly 0g);
PROTEIN 0.4g; CARB 29.7g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.4mg; SODIUM
9mg; CALC 15mg

Recipe Copyright © Cooking Light Magazine

[Jessica]

One easy drink I make is Ginger-Apricot Fizz. You just take a container of apricot nectar and thin it with water as desired, then add ginger ale.
Pineapple juice with lime-flavored sparking water also is very refreshing.

[Beth]

I like to mix orange, grapefruit or cranberry juice with lemon-lime soda or club soda/sparkling water. I thought I remembered a watermelon lemonade from CL. There may be another one, but this was on my Mastercook:


* Exported from MasterCook *

Watermelon Slush

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 7 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beverages Cooking Light 1995


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate -- thawed and undiluted
Mint sprigs -- (optional)

Place watermelon in a large bowl; cover and freeze.

Place half of frozen watermelon, half of powdered sugar, and half of concentrate in a blender, and process until smooth.

Pour mixture into individual glasses. Repeat procedure with remaining watermelon, powdered sugar, and concentrate.

(serving size: 1 cup)

Source:
"Cooking Light, Sept. 1995, page 140"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
Yield:
"7 cups"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 114 Calories; 1g Fat (5.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.


Nutr. Assoc. : 5476 0 3912 0

[Beth]

Did you try searching Southern Living's web site for recipes? You might find the one you were thinking of there.

[LSB]

I love CL's Key West Minted LImeade. It's in a summer issue from 1999. I may have it written down somewhere. Let me know if you want me to post it.

[Karen from VA]

What a nice variety. Thanks so much to all of you..............now, who can hold off the rain for the weekend?

Karen

[HUNGRY!]

You can jazz up your lemonade by putting sliced lemons and limes in it. Searved it a glass pitcher, it looks very pretty!

[Karen from VA]

Oh, they all sound so good--now I'm forced to make a decision.

Sandy, I would love to have your recipe for raspberry lemonade.

Gertdog, the ginger limeade sounds wonderful. Good thing I've been weight lifting to squeeze 20 limes (I don't have a juicer)but I love the ginger flavor--I think it would be a very interesting combination of flavors. It sounds especially good with club soda.

Thanks to all of you. You've been a great help.

Karen

[lsdesign]

At the restaurant I work at we have a summer drink that we're calling Italian Soda. It is a choice of vanilla or carmel flavored syrup, 2 oz. in a tall glass and then fill with seltzer and ice. The syrup comes in bottles with Italian labels and I am told they can be purchased in gourmet or coffee shops.

[SandyM]

Here it is - originally from Gourmet. Written up as limeade, but I use lemons. It's a personal preference.

Hope you like it!

RASPBERRY LIMEADE

2 cups raspberries
3 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1 cup fresh lime juice
Mint sprigs for garnish

In a blender or food processor purée 1 cup of the raspberries with 1 cup of the water and force the purée through a fine sieve set over a pitcher, pressing hard on the solids. Add the remaining 1 cup raspberries, the remaining 2 1/2 cups water, the sugar, and the lime juice and stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Divide the limeade among tall glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each drink with some of the mint sprigs.

Makes about 5 cups, serving 4.

Gourmet
July 1993