the drink list

SPARKLING WATER

*those bubbles give a whole new meaning to "natures tonic" which is what my mother always called regular water.  Naturally carbonated at the source mineral water is even cooler because you're like "What?  God made this water bubbly just for me?"  Of course, they usually are from Italy and Germany and much more expensive.  Lately I've been purchasing the regional sparkling water of Wisconsin and Minnesota and it has proven to be just as refreshing.  Eventually I would like to make my own to cut back on all that plastic and aluminum waste....

- mixing sparkling water with fruit juices takes the juice to a whole new level, almost       like soda!  My fave is oj.

KOMBUCHA

*this fermented tea is native to China and Japan and is known to have many health benefits.  The trend is sweeping the U.S. and many of my friends are brewing their own at home.  

-depending on what part of the country you are in and how hip your local groceries are you may or may not be able to find the stuff, usually in single bottles.  

www.katalystkombucha.com     is from my home state of Massachusetts.

www.synergydrinks.com  is the Kombucha I've managed to find in the midwest.  

FRESH JUICES

* I try to get as fresh as possible depending on where I am living.  In Northampton, the Haymarket Cafe makes fresh juices to order. In Madison, the Willy Street Co-Op.  Otherwise I have to stick to the bottled stuff.  At least its out there right?   I  have learned to love Spirulina, it just makes whatever drink you put it in seem that much healthier because it looks like a cup of green algae.  I also enjoy Spinach and Beets.  What better way to get your daily dose of veggies than to suck it down in one cool glass?

- My favorite combination would be:

beet, spinach, carrot, apple and spirulina

- If you do have to go the bottled route I suggest anything with the word GREEN in it (i.e. Green Goddess, Green Goodness, oh and SUPERFOOD is a good flavor as well)

FRUIT SMOOTHIE

*Who can deny that this is one of the best parts of summer?  I am a big fan of blenders and they aren't that expensive these days.  Certainly worth the investment.  Beware of used blenders, I purchased one from a flea market and it happened to be missing a very important part and as soon as I started mixing up stuff in it I had spills all over my kitchen floor!  As long as you have some frozen fruit and a juice base, like oj or lemonade you're good to go!  Just remember to omit the sugar! Fruit has enough naturally to keep your drink sweet.

-I like to have frozen strawberries, raspberries, mango chucks, fruit medlies.

- Adding yogurt or Kefir makes it creamy and gives added live enzymes!

ICED COFFEE

*I think most of us know the joy that comes over us when the neighborhood coffee shop starts brewing the ICED brew!  It is a sure sign that summer has arrived.  I've started to make my own at home, this way I don't have to wash my face before enjoying a sweet cup.  And yes, I said sweet.  I like mine with soy milk and sugar (in the raw OF COURSE), agave works as a really good sweetener for the iced drinks also because it is already in a liquid form.

- When I am in the mood for a real treat I go to Rao's in Amherst and order a "Blended Soy Mint Mocha"  it is possibly the best espresso drink there is!  You can also just order an iced mocha with a mint shot, but Rao's gives the option of blending, which makes it more of a milkshake.  Yummy!

COCA-COLA CLASSIC

*Alright, I'm not about to promote mass consumption of soda, it is terrible for you in so many ways.  But honestly, who can deny the awesomeness of a crisp Coca-Cola Classic on a hot day?  The best one I ever had was in South Africa, out of an iced bin outside this roadside convenience store in the country.  I'm pretty sure there were chickens running around.  The cola came in a glass bottle and had some sort of sugar on steroids that I think might not be FDA approved in the US.