By James V. Ruocco
Looking for summer drink recipes? Or something that's simply cool and refreshing to quench your thirst.
Every
summer at my house, my mother Frances gathered up lots of fresh ingredients from outdoor markets or family gardens to make several, mouth-watering, home-made drinks from scratch. She enjoyed
it. We enjoyed it. The neighbors enjoyed it. And yes, everyone always came back for more.
These are some of her recipes.
Quick and simple. Lots of fun to make.
No fuss. No mess. No bother.
Fresh strawberries.
Fresh mangoes.
Lemonade.
Lemon-Lime soda.
Plain seltzer
Cut the strawberries and mangoes into small pieces for garnish.
Mix the lemonade, seltzer and lemon-lime soda.
Add a strawberry and mango single fruit pop into a tall glass for flavor/garnish purposes.
Old-Fashioned Lemonade
Six to eight lemons.
Mint.
Sugar or artificial sweetener.
Six to eight cups of ice cold water.
Ice cubes.
Slice the lemons in half and squeeze them to make the juice.
If using a clear pitcher, add three or four lemon slices or halves for extra flavor and garnishment.
Add water, ice cubes, mint and sugar or sweetener.
Stir and chill in refrigerator.
Strawberry Limeade Slush
Fresh strawberries.
Lime juice.
Sugar.
Ice cubes.
Lime slices.
Six to eight cups of water.
Place everything in a blender and process until smooth.
Pour into tall glasses. Add cut strawberries and lime slices for garnishment.
Berry Splash
1/2 cup of blueberries.
1/2 cup of blackberries.
1/2 cup of strawberries.
Sugar or artificial sweetener.
Six to eight cups of cold water.
Mint (optional for garnishment).
Ice cubes.
Cut the strawberries in half.
Add blueberries and blackberries.
Add water, fruit, ice cubes, sugar or sweetener into a clear pitcher.
Old-Fashioned Iced Tea
Six to eight Lipton tea bags.
One or two lemons.
Sugar or artificial sweetener.
Six to eight cups of cold water.
Ice cubes.
Add cold water, ice cubes, sugar or artificial sweetener.
Add tea bags into clear pitcher of water and let them steep.
Cut
the lemons into slices and squeeze them for juice. Add five or six slices
into the mix for garnishment and additional flavor.
Stir and chill in
refrigerator.
Iced Coffee
Ground Coffee.
Sugar.
Milk.
Water.
Ice Cubes.
Pour ground coffee (your choice) into French Press and mix with hot boiling water.
Let it steep.
Add sugar and milk.
Pour ingredients into a glass pitcher.
Stir and and chill in refrigerator.
When cold, pour mixture into tall glasses.
Add ice cubes.
Limeade
Eight to ten limes.
Six to eight cups of cold water.
Sugar or artificial sweetener.
Ice cubes.
Cut the limes into slices and squeeze them to make the juice.
In a clear pitcher, combine the lime juice, sugar or artificial sweetener. Use four or five lime slices for garnishment or extra flavor.
Add ice cubes. Stir and chill in refrigerator.
Lemonade/Mint Refresher
Six lemons.
Five fresh mint leaves.
Sugar or artificial sweetener.
Six to eight cups of cold water.
Ice cubes.
Slice the lemons in half and squeeze them to make the juice.
If using a clear pitcher, add 3-5 lemon slices or halves for extra flavor and garnishment.
Add water, ice cubes, sugar or sweetener. Stir and chill in refrigerator.
Add fresh mint leaves to the mix for special flavoring.
Tomato Juice Refresher
Three or four large garden ripe tomatoes.
Tomato juice.
Celery stalks.
Salt and pepper.
Mint.
Parsley.
Cayenne pepper.
In blender, add fresh tomatoes, parsley, celery and tomato juice and process until smooth.
Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
Add mint leaves for garnishment.
Vanilla Ice Cream Float Cooler
Vanilla ice cream.
Ginger Ale
Whipped Cream (optional)
Cherry (optional)
Scoop vanilla ice cream into tall glasses.
Pour ginger ale over the top.
Add cherry and whipped cream for garnishment.
Serve immediately.
Strawberry/ Orange Cooler
1 1/2 cups of strawberries.
1-2 oranges.
Orange juice.
Sugar or artificial sweetener.
Six to eight cups of cold water.
Ice cubes.
Cut up strawberries, toss in blender and puree.
Cut up oranges and squeeze them for juice.
Add orange juice, cold water, ice cubes, sugar or artificial sweetener in clear pitcher.
Toss in sliced oranges and sliced strawberries for additional flavor and garnishment.
Stir and chill in refrigerator.
Orange/Pineapple Cooler
Orange juice.
Pineapple juice
Canada Dry Ginger Ale.
1 lemon.
1 orange.
Ice cubes.
In a clear pitcher, combine the orange juice, the pineapple juice and the ginger ale.
Cut the lemon and the orange into slices and squeeze them to make the juice.
Use 2-4 orange slices for garnishment.
Add ice cubes.
Stir and chill in refrigerator.
Raspberry Lime Cooler
Raspberry lime soda.
Limes.
Raspberries.
Mint.
Ice cubes.
Pour raspberry lime soda in tall glass.
Cut lime into slices and squeeze them to make the juice.
Add ice cubes.
Add lime slices, mint and fresh raspberries for garnishment.
Serve immediately.
Vanilla Egg Cream
Vanilla syrup.
Seltzer.
Milk.
Sugar.
In blender, mix vanilla syrup, seltzer and milk together until creamy.
Add a dash or two of sugar.
Serve immediately.
Virgin Bloody Mary Cocktail
Tomato juice.
Celery.
Lemon.
Freshly ground pepper.
Salt.
Worcestershire sauce.
Tabasco hot sauce.
Ice cubes.
Pour tomato juice into tall glass.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco hot sauce and stir.
Add a dash or two of pepper and salt.
Add ice cubes.
Add celery stack with leaves for garnishment.
Serve immediately.
