Fruit Waters  Spring is here and so are warmer temperatures.  That means it is growing season and fresh, local fruit is on it’s way!!  To stay hydrated during the warmer months I love making my own fruit and herbal infusions.  My favorite way to drink enough H2O in my day is by making fruit waters. A fruit water is just fruit infused in cold water.  I like to use the fruits in season and add some fragrant herbs to compliment the fruit flavor. It doesn’t take very long for the water to take on the flavor of the fruit you have chosen. Just add fruit and herbs to room temperature or ice water and let sit for a few minutes and you have a delicious infused drink. My favorite combinations are Peach, Blueberries and Thyme; Cucumber, lemon and Mint or Strawberry and Basil.  All of these are fantastic. Lemon and Lime with Lemon Balm and Watermelon, Lime and Mint. My herb garden had been completely taken over by Lemon Balm so I am using it as much as I can. There are so many options but this is an amazing time of year to use the spring and summer fruits fruits and herbs to make many variations of fruit water. Let me know if you come up with some new combinations so I can share them on the blog. Happy Spring and Stay Hydrated!!

  My strawberry plants have been very fruitful this spring so I have put them to good use!  I came up with this beautiful and refreshing drink that incorporates fresh fruit, fruit juices and sweetened with Stevia so you are getting very little sugar but incredible flavor.  I topped this lemonade with some fresh basil for an extra touch and oh my goodness!!! It’s AWESOME! You can also top this with some sparkling water for a refreshing mocktail. Enjoy this recipe! It is so hydrating.        Ingredients: 1-pint strawberries 6-8 lemons 3TBS. Stevia 3 TBS. basil 1/2 gallon filtered water     1. Juice all the lemons and add to a pitcher.     2. Puree the strawberries in a blender and then pour through a strainer or a cheesecloth to get out the seeds  Add the strained strawberries into the pitcher with the lemon juice.     3. Add filtered water to the top of the pitcher and taste to see if lemon is tart enough. Add more lemon juice if needed. 4. Add 3 TBS. of Stevia or to taste. 5. Finely chop 3 TBS. of basil and add to lemonade mixture and let sit for 2 hours.     6. Pour over ice and enjoy!!!     You can opt to use limes instead of lemons or switch it up and use lavender instead of basil.  Make it your own! There are so many variations and a whole summer ahead to enjoy them!     […]

I love to come home in the evening and have some kind of special, celebratory beverage that helps me relax and I want it to feel like a treat. I got into mocktails and have been really loving them. They are such a good alternative for a glass of wine when you want to make sure you are hydrated and refreshed in the middle of your work week.  This is one of my favorite combinations so give it a try!!! Ingredients:  Juice of 1 1/2 Limes A few mint leaves, according to your taste, plus some for garnish Coconut LaCroix 1/4 teaspoon Stevia Directions:  I like to get out a drink tumbler and a muddler and muddle together the limes, stevia and mint in the bottom of the tumbler. You can also do this in the bottom of your glass. 2. Add the muddled mixture to your glass, add ice and la Croix and mix in the tumbler and then pour over into your glass. I like to mix it back and forth a bit between the tumbler and your glass, there is no wrong way! Make it pretty for yourself and garnish with lime wedge and a sprig of mint! Enjoy.         © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

The full name for this mocktail is the Calming lemon Tonic #2 because it is the new and improved version of the #1. This recipe is not only a fun drink but lemon is so good for detox and digestion, while lavender helps to calm the senses. This is the perfect drink for any time, but I especially enjoy it in the evening! Ingredients: Juice of 1 ½ lemons Fresh lavender (to your taste) Lemon spindrift or Perrier ¼ teaspoon Stevia. Directions: 1. Muddle the fresh lavender with the lemon juice and stevia   2. Pour over crushed ice and top with Perrier or Spindrift. 3. Garnish well and you have a very pretty drink with next to no calories, sugar or side effects!            © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

This final mocktail is especially fun because the blackberry gives it such a colorful, festive look. I can see this one fitting in perfectly for the holidays.  I never regret having one of these, the best part is you don’t have to wait till the evening to drink them, anytime is a good time for a mocktail! Ingredients: Juice of 1 ½ limes 3 or 4 blackberries A few sprigs of basil Blackberry Cucumber LaCroix ¼ tsp. Stevia   Directions:  Muddle together the lime juice, blackberries, Stevia and Basil. Pour over crushed ice and top with blackberry cucumber La Croix Stir, garnish and enjoy!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

  The inspiration for this recipe came from a local food truck, Goatacado, that is at our Saturday morning farmer’s market.  They specialize in various quinoa bowls with lots of veggies, avocado and topped with a fried egg. While these are delicious, I really love this ice tea.  I don’t generally like sweet tea but this combination is perfection. I am using Stevia in my recipe since I really am careful about excess sugar and I think I have finally come up with a tea that is very similar to theirs.   This is a great way to stay hydrated when you get tired of drinking just water! Happy Summer!          Ingredients:  4 cups boiling water 2 Peppermint tea bags (I use Pukka Three Mint Tea) Juice of 1 medium lime Stevia to taste     Directions: 1. Boil 4 cups of water. 2. Pour water over 2 tea bags in a shatterproof pitcher (I use my 4 cup pyrex glass measuring cup). 3. Steep for 5 minutes. 4. Add lime juice.     5. Add Stevia to taste (I use the powdered form from Trader Joes). 6. Pour over ice.  Garnish with a mint sprig and a slice of lime.    Enjoy!!!!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019