Thirsty Friday - A Recap

Last Friday marked the end of my Thirsty Friday series.  Sad day.

However, though the series is at an end, the excuse for a fancy drink is by no means lost.  We are still able to get our hands on a selection of summery produce just waiting to be frozen, blended, and turned into something wonderful.  

Here is a compilation of all the refreshing recipes from this Summer.  Don’t pack away your paper straws just yet!  

This Watermelon & Raspberry Lemon Slushie was definitely my favorite of all the Thirsty Friday recipes.  I could easily drink 4.25 of these slushies without stopping if my brain was not so easily frozen.  So. Good.  I will happily become a true fan of Summer if I can have a constant supply of slushies.  

This Mango Rum & Mint Limeade Slushie whisked me away from my desk and overcrowded inbox, onto a perfect, 74 degree beach with sand that does not stick to you and a doughnut buffet.

This Grapefruit & Jalapeño Spritzer was one of those recipes I thought of late at night when I was craving a glass of icy cold juice and a bowl of queso.  Happily, the weirdness translated into a perfectly refreshing beverage with a surprising kick.  

Ah, this Peach & Basil Spritzer was an elegant taste of Summer.  It was rich with the flavors of the south and faintly herbal. 

Total decadence happening here.  This Toasted Coconut Fudge Malt was unreasonably indulgent, a characteristic I happen to love in drinkable desserts.  I was obsessed with scraping the fudge off the inside of the glass. 

This Coffee Granita with Almond Milk was as refreshing in the morning as it was in the afternoon. I really, really, really like slushy coffee now. 

Hibiscus tea.  I cannot stop drinking it.  Maybe it's because of the color.  For whatever reason, I love it, and this Plum & Hibiscus Cooler strikes a perfect balance between fruity and floral.  

This Muskmelon Frozen Lemonade was the first thing I made post wisdom teeth extraction.  I wanted something classic, and frozen lemonade fit all the demands of my sore mouth.  The muskmelon plays beautifully off of the tangy lemon.  

This Pina Colnada was definitely one of my favorite recipes.  I loved the frothy creaminess and the combination of pineapple and cinnamon.  Oh, and did I mention that you can pull this together in about 4.5 minutes?

If you have never tried an Italian Soda before, this Orange Rosemary Italian Cream Soda is a great place to start.  The combination of orange and rosemary is everything.

Limeade has always been refreshing, but this Blackberry Mint Limeade takes it to the next level.  The sweetness of the berries is ever so slight and the mint only highlights the brightness of the lime.  

This Green Tea Summer Punch was the perfect last drink of the Summer.  I really loved the combination of bright berries and earthy, green tea.

{Thirsty Friday} Green Tea Summer Punch

Friends, readers, faithful followers, I am sad to inform you that this is the last Friday of August, which means that it is also the last Thirsty Friday post of the year.  Sniff, sniff...  

Sometime within the next week I'll compile a comprehensive list of all the refreshing recipes I gave to you this summer, for your drinking pleasure.  

(On a side note, the word comprehensive makes me twinge.  It sounds like I'm talking about an exam... Blah.)

I am aware that the summer season is not technically over, but it's almost September and in my mind Fall kind of begins on September first.  My brain has already transitioned from slushies and watermelons to pumpkin lattes and apple cider doughnuts.  I'm also having to exhibit a gross amount of willpower in order to keep myself from buying all the cute school supplies.  It's an annual battle.  Pretty pencils and lined notebooks just get to me.  

This has been a good Summer.  One of the best of my life, actually, and I am rather despondent to say goodbye -- especially to the slushies.  However, we are going out with flying colors because that's the only right way to do it.

However, I may have been unfair to punch.  Due to my past unpleasant encounters, I utterly disregarded its part in the beverage world.  The whole idea of punch is not bad in and of itself.  

So, in hopes that I could break down my own unfair misconceptions, I decided to make my own punch.  A fruity, green tea based punch that would be a balance of bitter earthiness and sweet, summery fruit, without any of those artificial flavorings. 

Our punch begins with green tea.  Strongly brewed and lightly sweetened. 

To be honest, I am not in the habit of drinking green tea straight up.  There is just something about it that I do not find incredibly appealing. I think its grassy vibe steers me away. 

However, green tea has some wonderful health properties and I have been eager to find a way to work it into my diet.  I found the way, and it includes sweet berries and tangy orange juice. 

I used a combination of frozen cherries and fresh blueberries for this punch but you could use whatever you have on hand.  I think that frozen strawberries would be especially delicious.  

The fruit is blended up with the fresh orange juice and strained through a fine mesh strainer to give us a clean, pulp-free consistency.  

The fruit puree is stirred into our cooled green tea, creating a vibrant, purple punch.  

I enjoyed this punch best when it was served over a full glass of ice and dotted with blueberries and cherries.  Oh, and if your using frozen berries they can be edible ice cubes! 

The sweetness of the berries perfectly balances the bitter earthiness of the green tea.  

No more pineapple soda punch around here.  

Did I mention that this drink is full of antioxidants?  Look at us starting the weekend out right!

I am sad to say goodbye to Thirsty Fridays for now, but excited about the new projects that are in the works. 

Happy Summer, dear friends.  I hope your final August weekend is simply smashing. 

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

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Green Tea Summer Punch

serves 6-8

• 4 bags green tea 
• 5 cups water 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 cup black cherries, frozen or fresh 
• 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
• juice of two oranges

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil.  Add tea bags and steep for 5-6 minutes.  Remove tea and stir in sugar.  Refrigerate until cool.  

In the base of your blender combine cherries, blueberries, and orange juice.  Strain the berry mixture through a fine mesh strainer.  

Pour the strained berries into the cooled green tea and stir until thoroughly combined.  

Refrigerate punch until ready to serve.  Serve with lots of ice and a few fresh berries.  Enjoy!

{Thirsty Friday} Mango Rum & Mint Limeade Slushie

Once upon a time I was in Southeast Asia, and I discovered the luxury of eating multiple mangos every single day.  We had them for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks, and I gawked with envy as we bought three of the ripe, blushing fruits for less than a dollar.

Sadly, I couldn't take a mango tree back home with me, so I returned to my little section of the world where these beloved fruits come at a much higher price, but are nonetheless delicious.  Especially when we turn them into slushies…oh my goodness.

I'm out of control with the slushie game this Summer - it's not a cry for help as much as a request for more paper straws.

The silky texture of the mango is perfect for creating smooth, perfectly-thickened slushies that will whisk you away from your annoying long to-do list and to a personal island where every day is Friday and stress stops at the shore. 

Okay, maybe I can't promise all of that, but if you need some help cooling down after a stressful week, this slushie is your new best friend. 

So here we go!  Frozen mango, ginger beer - the strong, spicy stuff, please, and rum extract - blended until silky smooth.

Maybe you turn your nose up to the thought of rum extract, but I kind of love it because it provides a whole lot of that rich, buttery, rum flavor while still keeping our slushie appropriate for early afternoon sipping and the youngest of palates.

This is our first layer.

Next we combine tart lime juice with a simple mint syrup, sparkling water, and a good handful of ice, and let the blender do her thing.  

This is a layered slushie that doesn't layer perfectly because the mango Slushie is slightly less viscous than the mint limeade layer - but it's Friday and refreshment is more essential than perfectly even layers.

The slushies are layered and garnishes are prepared.

I love how vibrant and colorful food is during the Summer.  It's just so cheery.

I hope your weekend is filled with relaxing afternoons and third and fourth refills.  

Happy Friday, friends!

Sincerely,

  Pedantic Foodie

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Mango Rum & Mint Limeade Slushie

serves 4

for the mint syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, torn 

In a small bowl combine sugar and mint leaves.  Use the tines of a fork to press the mint into the sugar.  Allow to sit for about 15 minutes so that the oils from the mint can permeate the sugar. 

In a small saucepan combine mint sugar and water and place over medium high heat.  Stirring often, cook until the sugar has dissolved and a light syrup has come together, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare the remaining components. 

for the mango rum slushie

• 1 medium, ripe mango, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon imitation rum extract 
• 1 cup ice 
• 3/4 cup ginger beer

Spread the cubed mango out unto a baking sheet lined with parchment and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until frozen solid. 

In the pitcher of your blender, combine frozen mango, rum extract, ice, and ginger beer.  Pulse until smooth. 

for the mint limeade slushie

• mint syrup
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 
• 2 cups ice 
• 1/2 cup sparkling water 

Combine all ingredients in the pitcher of your blender and pulse until smooth.  

assembly

• fresh mint and lime wedges, for garnish

Layer the slushies in glass, adding the mango layer first and then the mint limeade.  Garnish with fresh mint and a slice of lime and serve immediately with cute straws and fun friends.  Enjoy!