Drink in Spring

Spring has sprung. This is great for anyone who loves fresh fruit juice. users from all over the world has given us some great recipes for healthy and fresh fruit drinks that are perfect for the season.

Pineapple Smoothie

Pineapple is a very nutritious tropical fruit. It has a lot of Manganese and Vitamin C, making it a great start to the day. The Pineapple Smoothie is a great meal on the go.

- 1/3 Medium sized Pineapple cut into cubes.

- 12 Ice Cubes

- ½ Cup Xagave

- 2 ½ Cups of water

Instructions: Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for thirty seconds. Drink and enjoy! Makes 32 oz.

Note: If you don’t like pulp, blend the water and pineapple, strain and then add all ingredients into the blender.

Lassi

This is a popular Indian drink generally served with spicy meals to cool it down. This Strawberry Lassi is delicious and a great liquid breakfast or midday snack.

- 1 ½ Cups of Unsweetened Yogurt

- 3 tbs Xagave

- 1 tbs Rosewater (or regular water)

- 1 cup fresh chopped strawberries

- 10 Ice Cubes

Instructions: Blend yogurt, Xagave, Rosewater, and Strawberries for twenty seconds. Slowly add ice cubes. Makes three servings.

Note: Rosewater can be bought at many ethnic food stores, however, it can be substituted for regular water.

Avocado Smoothie

At first glance, this may seem a little strange. Sweet avocados are very counterintuitive to the American palate. However, in Brazil, the avocado is only eaten sweet. Brazilians eat avocados (abacate – a-bah-cah-chee) whole with honey and lemon juice or blended with milk and sugar into a drink known as a Vitamina de Abacate. Avocados are a great source of potassium, B vitamins and vitamins E and K.

- 1 Small Avocado

- 2 ½ cups Milk

- 1 cup Xagave

- 4 ice cubes

Instructions: Cut into halves and remove pit from avocado. Scrape out the meat from each half into a blender. Add milk, Xagave and ice and blend until smooth. Makes four servings.

The above are some great ideas for cooling down on warm Spring days, feel free to use your own drink recipes by substituting ½ cup of Xagave to every cup of sugar.