Beat the heat with this patriotic frozen drink
Here’s a wonderful way to take advantage of cheap summer watermelon and the kiddies who love to push buttons on the food processor!
Just in time for Independence Day let’s make an icy refreshing drink filled with so much fruit it’s practically good for you.
Red, White and Blueberry Slushies
Yield: 6 (12 oz) servings Time: 20 minutes plus chilling time.
What you’ll need:
Ice cubes;
1 can frozen limeade concentrate;
1 ½ cups watermelon seeded, chopped and frozen - or - frozen strawberries;
1 cup frozen blueberries;
6 clear glasses or mugs, thoroughly chilled.
Here’s How:
Before you begin be sure all ingredients are frosty cold. Place ice cubes in a food processor and process until fluffy, like snow. You’ll need four cups of this finely crushed ice. Add the can of undiluted frozen limeade concentrate and blend.
Remove half of the mixture and set aside. This is your white layer. Keep it cold!
Divide the remaining mixture in half, remove half and set aside. To the outstanding half, add the frozen watermelon and blend until smooth. This is your red layer. Set aside and keep cold.
Blend the remaining mixture with the frozen blueberries and blend until smooth. You guessed it – blue layer. Or blue-ish layer, it’s really purple. See Diva Tip below.
You can strain this through a fine mesh sieve if you don’t like pulp. At our house we don’t mind drinks we can chew.
Into your chilled glasses, start with the blueberry mixture, pour 1/3 of the way up, and next add the white layer, and finally the red layer. Cue the marching band music and serve. Prepare for head freeze. Can’t say I didn’t warn you.
To make ahead: If you wish to make this in advance you can freeze the mixtures in ice cube trays. When you’re ready to serve, blend the frozen chunks until smooth and layer as directed.
Diva Tip - If you want a blue layer that is actually blue and not purple, skip the blueberries, add an additional cup of ice and add blue food coloring or blue colored Kool-Aid. The ice blue raspberry lemonade works nicely and tastes great with the limeade already in the recipe. Start with a teaspoon of the powder and add until you get the shade of blue that makes you feel proud to be an American. I suppose you could use red Kool-Aid in place of the watermelon but, come on! Let’s at least pretend we serve healthy fruit-laden beverages this summer.
Of course, if you want to make this red, white and boozy just add vodka or light rum. You can freeze the slushy with modest amounts of alcohol in it and still be able to blend and layer the drink.
If they melt before you get to serve them just stir the layers together. It’s purple now. Ta Da!
Happy Independence Day, y’all!
Frugal Festivity contributed by Patti Diamond author of Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous!, www.divasonadime.com Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom
