It's August and the dog days of summer are here. Even though it won't be long before cool winds blow our way, Mother Nature is trying her best to deceive us -- and it's working! The sun seems to actually enjoy pounding down on us for days on end. But, we won't let the hot days keep us from enjoying ourselves! We just need to remember to wear sunscreen and drink plenty of liquids.
It's the second part of that equation that we're celebrating here this month. August's hot days give us all the perfect opportunity to try our hands at making some terrific chilled drinks. All you need are some summer favorites and a blender! If you need some input about buying a blender, make sure you check out the recent Product Focus on that subject.
As for that list of summer favorites, it will change depending on your tastes. Here's mine:
whole strawberries - fresh and frozen
canned pineapple in its own juice
low fat vanilla ice cream
a wide variety of my favorite coffees
fresh limes and lemons
yogurt -- especially vanilla
Sprite or other white lemon-lime soda
Kahlua
ripe bananas
a wide variety of fruit juices
skim milk
as much fresh fruit as I can use before it goes bad!
The key to being able to make cold drinks in a snap is to have your ingredients on hand. For instance, I like popping some fresh strawberries that have had their stems removed into the freezer. That way, I can toss a few in a blender with some vanilla yogurt and skim milk and I've got a nutritious treat in short order! Try freezing some of your favorite fruits and berries for fast chilled drinks. You can also try keeping a couple of cans of fruit in heavy syrup there too. Don't worry, they won't explode and if you let them sit out for 5 minutes before you open them, they almost slide out of the cans!
If you don't have a blender or want an even quicker way to dress up your drinks, try some of the ice cube ideas given in this article. You can impress your summertime guests with little effort. Again, it's as simple as having the ingredients on hand.
I'm including some of my favorite summertime drinks here. Feel free to rearrange them to fit your likes. There are really no rules here!
Make sure you share your favorite chilled drink ideas too! I love getting new ideas from you. Just post them in the form below or send me email. Now you can face the dog days of summer with confidence and a frozen drink!
It's August and the dog days of summer are here. Even though it won't be long before cool winds blow our way, Mother Nature is trying her best to deceive us -- and it's working! The sun seems to actually enjoy pounding down on us for days on end. But, we won't let the hot days keep us from enjoying ourselves! We just need to remember to wear sunscreen and drink plenty of liquids.
It's the second part of that equation that we're celebrating here this month. August's hot days give us all the perfect opportunity to try our hands at making some terrific chilled drinks. All you need are some summer favorites and a blender! If you need some input about buying a blender, make sure you check out the recent 
The key to being able to make cold drinks in a snap is to have your ingredients on hand. For instance, I like popping some fresh strawberries that have had their stems removed into the freezer. That way, I can toss a few in a blender with some vanilla yogurt and skim milk and I've got a nutritious treat in short order! Try freezing some of your favorite fruits and berries for fast chilled drinks. You can also try keeping a couple of cans of fruit in heavy syrup there too. Don't worry, they won't explode and if you let them sit out for 5 minutes before you open them, they almost slide out of the cans!
If you don't have a blender or want an even quicker way to dress up your drinks, try some of the ice cube ideas given in this article. You can impress your summertime guests with little effort. Again, it's as simple as having the ingredients on hand.
I'm including some of my favorite summertime drinks here. Feel free to rearrange them to fit your likes. There are really no rules here!