Cool Summer Drinks

With the hot weather here, we are always looking for a cold drink to cool us down. Whether I’ve been working in the garden or just playing in the woman cave/studio, it’s nice to have a cold, refreshing drink.

While teaching this spring, I stopped by a local coffee shop to pick up a non-coffee drink. It tasted just like the snow ice cream I remember making years ago. So I came home and told hubby all about it. After listening to me rattle on, he decided to try and duplicate it. He did and it’s wonderful! It is our favorite drink now for our afternoon snack time.

We call it the Skinny Happy Cino and here is the recipe. You can make it in all different flavors. Yesterday it was Malted Cocoa. Yum!

Chocolate Malt Happy Cino
Malted Cocoa Happy Cino

Since we have purchased several of the sugar free syrups which we use in the Happy Cinos, we also make another drink.

Our cupboard of flavorings
Our cupboard of syrups

This one is a soda made with a jigger of the syrup (more or less to your taste), poured over ice and seltzer water.

Almond Roche Soda
Almond Roca Soda

But we can’t forget the great sodas we make from our own fruit syrups – blackberry and cherry. Check out the recipe HERE.

Blackberry Soda
Blackberry Soda

Then we have the smoothies. We use whatever fruit we have and always include our homemade yogurt and a banana.

Blueberry Smoothies
Blueberry Smoothies

Last Fall Dave got on the green smoothie kick after we attended a class. We’ve not had any yet this summer, but I’m sure we will. Right now we are kind of stuck on the Happy Cinos!

 

Green Smoothie
Green Smoothie

We also drink a lot of iced tea, usually green. Dave makes it every day and adds mint or lemon balm from the garden.

Well, that’s the round up of our summer drinks. We also drink water. I’ve finally weaned myself off of Diet Coke. I can’t remember the last time I had one. What do you drink in the summer to keep cool?