I’ve been playing with cherries all week.
They’re so darn pretty but that’s not stopping me from finding some pretty darn unique ways to eat ’em up.
Or should I say drink ’em up?
In the mood for a lil’ non alcoholic drink?
Mmmmmm. Ya.
That’s what I thought.
Off the record – I’ve been hibernating in my air conditioning along with 10 bags of cherries from Whole Foods Market. They’re so nice to me over there – they treated me to cherries this week and I’ve got the stained pink lips to prove it.
Pucker up.
Because this spritzer is a heck of a lotta fun to sip.
Kinda like a mint julep – but without the whole alcohol thing.
And since I can’t drink alcohol – this has become my go-to beverage of the Sweltering Summer of 2012.
Welcome to Manhattan in a heat wave.
Add in some cherries and you’ll be giddy enough to add them to your beverages, too.
I mean, what else were you gunna do with those pretty pink cherries?
If you don’t wanna drink ’em… you can always make a cherry guacamole instead.
But I think you should go for the spritzer.
It’s 90 degrees outside – give yourself a break, will ya?
It’s cheap n’ sweet… and o so very tasty.
Sip up.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. lime zest plus more for garnish
- 4 fresh mint leaves
- 2 cups fresh cherries pitted
- 1 tsp. chia seeds
- 2 cups sparkling water or seltzer
Instructions
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Juice cherries using a juicer or a blender into a large glass.
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Strain through a sieve, pushing juice through with a spatula. Discard cherry solids.
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Pour cherry juice into a large pitcher. Add remaining ingredients; mix well to combine.
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Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
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Serve chilled with additional lime zest, if desired.
this is so refreshing
Your recipe lists BASIL leaves, but all the photos show MINT.
You can use fresh mint or fresh basil for this recipe. Enjoy!!
Looks like it’s time for me to play with some cherries too!
Glad I saw this recipe – I have a bunch of frozen cherries and this would be perfect for our holiday parties! thanks!
Good post. I’m going through a few of these issues as well..
Thank you Micheal!
This recipe is so simple and healthy – and quick to make. A great alternative to soda and other sugary, calorie dense beverages. Question – do you remove the chia seeds or chug them down?
Thanks Tonya; hope you enjoy it. I chug those chia seeds right on down, girl! Hehee…they’re delish. Hope you like it. Have a great day! xo
What a beautiful drink! I love the addition of basil!! 🙂 I hope that you can come and link up that recipe at our Gluten Free Fridays recipe party! Its only a couple of days away! 🙂 Hope to see you then! 🙂
Cindy
Awe; thank you Cindy; it’s delish and I hope you like it! Your gluten-free Fridays sound so much fun! Thank you so much for the invite.
xox
It’s beautiful! Can I add alcohol? 😉 Miss ya Girl!
You crack me up. I am dying right now; lordy do I miss you! Haha…yes of course! I made this recipe without alcohol but I served it last weekend and many friends added alcohol such as vodka and loved the taste. Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the giggle! Miss you tons and hope all is well, Lori.
xo
So refreshing! No types of alcohol? What’s the ingredient that’s not good for you?
Thanks Jen. Alcohol doesn’t agree with my stomach so I stay away from it!
I am always on the lookout for tasty beverages my family will enjoy that are made of pure ingredients and this drink looks wonderful. The cherries must make this sparkling drink burst with flavor!
Thank you so much Laura! Great to hear from you and I hope you enjoy it! Have a great weekend.
A perfect healthy drink. This will work great with my Sodastream.
Thank you. Hope you like this refreshing treat!