Recipe Monday- Some Refreshing Drinks

Oi! If you're in Minnesota, you know why I have refreshing drinks on my mind!  It's an oven out there!  Thank goodness our family has central air, otherwise we'd be cookin'!  Hope everyone else is staying cool.  Here are some fun recipes for some yummy summer drinks!  Enjoy!

-Summer Drinks-

Sparkling Fruit Punch 

(source: Women's Day) 

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 bottle (64 oz) pomegranate-cherry juice or cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1 pint each blueberries and raspberries
• 1 Gala apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small cucumber
• 2 liters sparkling water
• Ice cubes

Recipe Preparation

1. In a large pitcher, combine juice with berries and apple slices. Chill for 1 hour.

2. To serve, peel cucumber and cut lengthwise in half. Remove seeds and cut into thin slices. Stir cucumber slices and sparkling water into juice mixture. Serve over ice.

Cherry Mint Spritzer

(source: Kitchen Daily) 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted fresh or frozen (thawed) cherries
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
• 8 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 cups cherry-flavored seltzer

Directions

Divide cherries, mint leaves and sugar among 4 glasses. Mash everything together with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in lime juice. Fill glasses with ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Pineapple Strawberry Cooler

(source: Urban Walls) 

Ingredients: 

1 12-ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
4 cups cold water * 1 liter club soda, chilled
Ice cubes
Fresh strawberries (optional)
Short (6-inch) wooden skewers
Assorted fruits such as halved orange slices, halved lime slices, orange sections, raspberries, strawberries, sliced kiwifruit, and mint sprigs

 

Directions:

Mix ingredients together in a pitcher and enjoy!