Foody Friday - Drinkables

Summer makes me thirsty. Just writing about beverages and looking out my bedroom window, feeling the breeze on my arms makes me thirsty.

What's the best drink to drink when you're thirsty? If you listen to the doctors or mothers of the world, the overwhelming answer would be... water. Of course.

Houston, we have a problem.

I detest water. Sipping is as much as I can do. I just can't drink the stuff.

I come by this disease honestly. My brother is a doctor, and I once heard this conversation between my dad and him:

Dr Jeff: You don't drink hardly any water at all, Dad! It's so important that you get enough water!

Dad: I drink water.

Dr Jeff: I've never seen you drink water. When do you drink water?

Dad: I get lots of water. In my coffee.

SEE??!! It's in my genes.

But, I do believe in good health, and drinking water is part of that, so I've come up with some cheaty ways to like water. I know most people like water. I'm weird.

But for the 3 of you reading this who share my pain, I have a few tips for you. And, please, oh please, raise your hand and be counted in the comments? Just so I feel better? Please?

1)My favorite way to drink water is 7:1 ratio of water to Welch's white grape juice (that brand is 400 times better than any other; and I've tried them all). I can actually get almost my daily allotment of water in if I do this.

2)Of course, there's lemon or lime. (Although lime in my water just makes me wish that it was Coke in my glass with lime wedges in it... mmmm)

*Note- This may seem like a no-brainer, but make sure you wash the outside of your lemons if you are putting them in your water...

3)One of the yummiest, weirdest tricks I've ever done to make water yummy (and beautiful!!) is to peel and slice a cucumber, and slice a lemon into rounds. Put one slice each of cucumber and lemon in a glass and fill with cold water. I could drink water like this all day! Yum!

This is a great way to serve water to guests when you have company. It's elegant and beautiful.

Since Mexican food is the best food there is, of course my drink recipe to share is from South America. It is best enjoyed while eating chips and guacamole. And carne asada in corn tortillas. With pico de gallo, onions, and cilantro. With just a bit of lime juice squeezed on top...

Aaaah, sorry. Where was I? Oh, my recipe. Excuse me while I wipe away my drool.

You can find it here, but I will also write it out since it's pretty simple.

It's called lemonade, but it uses limes. Go figure.

Brazilian Lemonade

INGREDIENTS
2 limes
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
ice

DIRECTIONS
Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water, and ice.
Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice.

note: original recipe uses 1/2 cup sugar, I decrease that as it is soooooooo sweet.

**IMPORTANT NOTE** Please make sure that when you strain through a fine mesh strainer, that you put the strainer over your pitcher, not over the sink as if you were draining pasta, so that all of the lemonade goes down the drain, and you are left holding a strainer full of lime peels.

If you do this, you will be horrified, as well as humiliated, especially if Uncle Lee is watching over your shoulder and laughing at you without ceasing.

This is a hypothetical, scenario, of course. Nobody I know has EVER done that.

Enjoy!