Sparkling Citrus Punch (Non-Alcoholic)

How to make Non-Alcoholic, Sparkling Citrus Punch

          Come summer, and all I crave for is something light & refreshing to drink. The thick beverages like smoothies, and ice-cream shakes that struggle to climb up the straw to quench my parched throat, are just not liquid enough to be my summer drink. Infact, the sad truth is that I miss my Indian fresh fruit juices, which has more of the real fruit juice & less of everything else. The american fresh juices are too very diluted with ice, and barely fruity!! That's one of the reasons, I've added frozen fruits in both the recipes below, instead of ice cubes - so none of the fruity flavor is Lost in Dilution.

                     Double Recipe Alert - There are two recipes in this post. The Sparkling Citrus Punch requires sparkling fruit cider. If that is not easily accessible to you; then you can make the Sparkling Lemon Soda which is also an equally refreshing drink for the summer.

Recipe I - Non- Alcoholic Sparkling Citrus Punch

Ingredients for about 15 small servings:

1 lemon, sliced & frozen

1 lime, sliced & frozen
1 large orange, sliced & frozen

1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 liter chilled, club soda/seltzer water
2 (750ml) bottles of chilled, sparkling fruit cider (I used apple cider)
1 tablespoon white sugar

Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions for the Sparkling Citrus Punch:
              

•  Just before serving, place all of the frozen fruits in the punch bowl.  Add the lemonade concentrate, club soda & sparkling fruit cider. Taste & add sugar if needed & serve cold. Add ice cubes to chill it again, if needed.

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Recipe II - Sparkling Lemon Soda

Ingredients for 3 medium servings:

1/2 a lemon, sliced & frozen

1/2 a lime, sliced & frozen
1/2 an orange, sliced & frozen (Optional)

a handful of frozen raspberries
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
2 cups of chilled, club soda/seltzer water

Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions for the Sparkling Lemon Soda:

•  Just before serving, place all of the frozen fruits in a pitcher.  Add the lemonade concentrate & club soda. Add ice cubes if needed.

Notes:

• Addition of ice, will dilute the flavor of the drink. So, use sparingly if needed.
• I used Apple cider & Apple-Peach cider for the punch.
• If you have left overs & want to save the drink, make sure you fish out the citrus fruits and then refrigerate or else it might develop some bitterness.

Thengai-Pottukadalai chutney / Coconut-Dalia Chutney

How to make Thengai-Pottukadalai chutney / Coconut-Dalia Chutney

         Many of the Tamilian households, get away with repeatedly making this Chutney for breakfast and dinner to accompany their popular tiffin items like Idli, Dosai, Upma, Pongal, Kichadi etc. I have seen people requesting this Chutney for Poori's or even steamed white rice. The pro's of this Chutney are that, this can be made in a jiffy; is equally liked by all age groups (my kids call it the 'White Chutney') and goes with almost any south indian tiffin. 

Choco-Nana Sweet Sandwiches

How to make Choco-Nana Sweet Sandwiches

         I try my best & succeed most of the time, in my attempts to not stock Nutella at home. If I do buy, I have to make it a point to hide the jar from my kid! Now; if only I had an episode of selective amnesia every time my craving hits - that would be great for my waistline too ;o) Truth be told, I prefer stocking Nutella, over most brands of milk chocolates, as this can do more, than just satisfy a sweet tooth - like being a part of this delectably sweet & crunchy sandwich.

         Have you tried a sweet & crunchy sandwich before? Simple everyday ingredients make up this delicious sandwich, that's crunchy on the outside; soft & creamy on the inside. This is an all time favorite with kids & a must have for weekend breakfast in my home. The soft banana slices add an interesting texture to this otherwise crunchy sandwich. Add slivered nuts of your choice to make it more healthy & appetizing. 

Ingredients:

Thick slices of White Bread -4 slices
Butter - for toasting

Ripe Banana - 1

Sugar - 1 Tbsp

Cinnamon powder - 1 to 2 tsp

Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut) spread

(Optional) chopped Nuts - 1 Tbsp

Pico De Gallo/Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa

How to make Pico De Gallo/Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa

Feliz Cinco De Mayo, people!! Cinco de Mayo is a celebration that is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride on the 5th of May. I should admit, I was a little surprised & 'duh'-ed when i found that Cinco de Mayo's translation, simply means "fifth of May"! Check out this interesting video to find out more about this holiday, that's apparently celebrated more in the US than in Mexico.

The colors in the Pico de gallo, instantly remind us of a Mexican fiesta. Mexican Cuisine is probably the next best thing; for people like me, who find it hard to sustain without chillies in some form or the other. Any kind of Salsa is good - all I beg for, is some heat in it. The Pico de Gallo is probably the easiest variety to make. All you have to do is, chop up the ingredients & serve chilled. My son, who has a chronic distaste for tomatoes, loves Salsa - I wonder, if i should tell him what the main ingredient is?

Very Easy Berry Ice-Cream

How to make easy Berry Ice-Cream

           I can hear some of your mind voices going "Ice-Cream, in this kind of weather!!" :) There are 2 kinds are people I know; people like myself, who relate ice-creams to classic Summers, when the mercury is soaring & the Sun is shining bright. And then; there are people, like my older son who loves to lick up an ice-cream, even if the Polar Vortex is going around freezing everything in it's path, including the awe-inspiring Niagara falls. The record-breaking chill last week was so frigid, it literally stopped Niagara Falls in its tracks. On the day, when the sub-zero temperatures were breaking records - I asked him how his early morning walk to the bus stop was & he simply replies "Good!". What else can i say... So, here goes - a very quick & easy recipe with just three ingredients to make your loved ones, something they will like with no added color, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup etc. Just simple, fruity, all-natural & delicious Ice-Cream.

               

Ingredients:

1.5 cups frozen Berries 

5 Tbsp powdered Sugar

1/2 cup Whipping Cream

Irresistible Hot Cocoa/Chocolate

How to make an Irresistible Hot Cocoa in 3 minutes

                 

         There's something about hot chocolate - A well made hot chocolate can brighten your day & bring a smile on your face, even when the skies are gray with sub zero temperatures and the only flowers are the icicles on the eaves and the beads on each twig. There's nothing better than sipping on a mug of piping hot cocoa with X'mas songs in the background & watching a snow covered territory; all from the comfort of staying warm indoors; at least for me.

         Most of us just use the ready mix to make Hot Cocoa; i did too, until i tried this recipe. Now i don't think I'll ever go back to the store-bought mix again. If you like the convenience of the mix, you can store all the dry ingredients in a jar & just add milk & Vanilla, when you are ready to serve. The store bought mix has a lot besides Sugar & Cocoa - artificial flavors, preservatives, colors & what not. Plus, when you make your own; you can control the sweetness as well as the amount of chocolate (X 2) that goes in it. Plain hot cocoa is something in itself, but with whipped cream & chocolate shavings on top, imagine the smooth & creamy deliciousness in your mouth & you will want one right away :) You can even drop a square of your favorite chocolate into it.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

2 Tbsp Sugar

3 Tsp Cocoa powder (Go for the best)

Dash of Salt

1 Cup of Milk

1/4 Tsp Vanilla extract
Unsweetened Whipped Cream
Grated Chocolate/Chocolate shavings
Few Marshmallows (optional)