Minty Watermelon Lemonade

Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients

* 2 Lemons, Quartered
* 1 cup Fresh mint leaves
* ½ Medium watermelon (about 9 lbs.), rind removed, cut into chunks
* add agave, or other sweetener to taste

Preparation

1. Squeeze lemons into a large pitcher; add squeezed lemon quarters. Add mint and sweetener; mash with a wooden spoon until mint is bruised

2. In a blender, puree watermelon in batches until smooth; pour through a fine-mesh sieve into pitcher. Stir to combine. Serve with ice.

*Stays for about 3 days in the fridge


Can add 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Vodka or White Rum ... or for a more exotic taste 1/3 c silver patron. Keep some fresh mint leaves and curl up some lemon rind for garnish.

YUMMY!!

Gingery Limeade

Ginger is a natural way to sooth uneasy stomaches and is a natural digestive aid. It can be used to treat nausea and also helps to eliminate harmful intestinal bacteria (so now you know why they serve ginger with sushi!). Lime is a natural diuretic and is also good for soothing stomach ailments and headaches, they are very high in vitamin C and help to clean out those stuffy nasal passages. So not only is this drink tastey but it has some wonderful benefits too!


3/4 cup sugar (Splenda can be used instead)
1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger (don't substitute!)
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 1/2 cold water

Combine first four ingredients in a small pan, whisk until sugar is dissolved. Give it a bit of heat, if needed. Strain mixture through a sieve into a pitcher. Add juice and 2 1/2 cups cold water through the sieve, discard the ginger and lime zest. Chill completely.

Garnish the pitcher by floating a few thinly sliced limes on top.

Mayan Hot Chocolate

This recipe is inspired by Vianne from the book/film Chocolat by Joanne Harris

2 cups boiling water
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed (with gloves)
5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or
3 tablets Mexican chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sugar or honey, or to taste
l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Whipped cream

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside. (You can omit this step by using 2 large pinches to 1/4 teaspoon pasilla or ancho dried chile pepper powder or a combination of the two. Do not use chili powder — a mix of spices with cumin and oregano. Use pure ground red chile pepper like the rich pasilla, chile negro or ancho).

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Serve in small cups and offer ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

Swamp Zombie

Prep: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 - 1 blenderful

Are your mixed drinks running on fumes? Here's a way to perk up the dregs from various liquor bottles into a blender full of minty joy

Ingredients

• 1 can frozen limeade
  
• 4-6 oz of mixed booze (gin, tequila, vodka, rum and/or whiskey)
  
• handful of mint leaves
  
• 3 cups of ice

Directions

1. Pour 1 can defrosted frozen limeade, 1 can of water, 4-6 ounces of mixed booze (gin, tequila, vodka, rum and/or whiskey), 1 handful of mint leaves stolen from your neighbor's yard, and 3 cups crushed ice.
   
2. Blend and serve in a cup with a straw.