For a refreshing glass of Old-fashioned lemonade, in a Tall glass stir together 1/2 Cup of the Make-Ahead Lemonade Base and 1/2 cup Cold water. Add ice cubes And serve.

LEMONADE-BASE:
2 1/2 c Water
1 1/4 c Sugar
1/2 ts Finely shredded lemon peel
1 1/4 c Lemon juice

For sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan heat and stir water and sugar over medium heat till sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool about 20 minutes.

Add lemon peel and lemon juice to the sugar syrup. Pour into a covered jar and chill. Store lemonade base in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Use to make the Lemon Sherbet Float, the Strawberry lemonade slush or the Tropical Lemon Iced Tea. Makes about 5 cups of lemonade base.

LEMON SHERBET FLOAT (Sippable sherbet with a sweet and tangy lemon taste.) For each serving, place 1 or 2 small scoops lemon sherbet in a tall glass. Pour 1/2 cup carbonated water over the sherbet. Sprinkle with fresh raspberries or blueberries, if desired. Serve immediately. (187 calories)

STRAWBERRY-LEMONADE SLUSH (Two summer-fresh tastes in one.) For each serving, in a blender container combine 1/2 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, 1/3 cup Make-Ahead Lemonade Base, and 1 tablespoon sugar.

Blend till smooth. With blender running, add about 1 cup ice cubes, one at a time, through opening in lid till strawberry mixture becomes slushy. Pour into a tall glass. Garnish slush with a fresh strawberry half, if desired. Serve immediately. (198 calories)

3 c Water
1/2 c Sugar
1 tb Orange peel; grated
2 c Mango; flesh, mashed
1 c Orange juice, fresh
1/2 c Lemon juice, fresh

"As a variation, use papaya instead of mango."

Heat the water with the sugar and the orange peel over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool down to room temperature. Add the mango flesh and the orange and lemon juices and mix well. Serve cold.

6 c Cold Water
1/3 c Milk; (or to taste)
1 3" stick Cinnamon
6 Green Cardamoms, whole
4 Cloves, whole
12 Black Peppercorn;(opt)
12 ts Sugar;(or to taste)
6 ts Leaf Tea (heaping) OR 9 tea bags (orange pekoe)

Combine water and milk in a deep pan, and bring to a boil. Add the spices and sugar. Stir to blend, and turn off the heat. Cover the pan, and let the spices soak for at least 10 minutes.

Add the tea leaves or tea bags, and bring the water to a second boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, check the color and taste, and if desired add more milk and sugar. Strain the tea into a warm teapot, and serve immediately.

Note: This is the way traditional spiced tea is made. You may, however, omit the milk or sugar, or both, in which case reduce the quantity of tea to 2 heaping teaspoons or 3 tea bags.

3 c Plain yogurt
2/3 c Sugar
1/2 c Iced water
8 Ice cubes, partially cracked

Add all ingredients to a blender & blend for a couple of minutes.

Pour into 4 chilled glasses & serve.

1 Canteloupe melon
1/2 c Cold water
2 tb Lime juice
1 tb Sugar, instant dissolving; fruit/berry sugar -OR- icing sugar

If using fruits with seeds, remove the seeds first; other fruits may be combined in the blender, poured over ice and enjoyed. Some of the most delicious frescos are made with mulberry, soursop, papaya and starfruit, but they can also be made with peaches or strawberries - or with home grown canteloupe. After pureeing, you can adjust the sweetness to taste.

Peel and seed melon, chop coarsely. In blender, puree melon, water, lime juice and sugar until frothy and smooth. Divide among 4 glasses, adding ice if desired. Serve immediately.

1 c Lime juice; fresh-squeezed
Water, enough to make 1/2 gal total

SIMPLE SYRUP:
2 c Sugar, white
1 c Water

Simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, and heat until it barely begins to boil. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine one cup of syrup and one cup of lime juice in a pitcher. Add enough water to make up a half gallon. Serve over ice.

2 3/4 c Nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c Powdered sugar substitute*
1 ts Ground cinnamon

*Not aspertame - loses sweetness when heated.

For cocoa mix, in a storage container combine dry milk powder, cocoa powder, sugar substitute and cinnamon. Mix well. Cover and store in a cool, dry place up to 8 weeks.

For each serving, place 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug. Add 2/3 cup boiling water; stir to mix. Makes 9 servings, each 8 oz.

8 c Mint leaves, fresh; chopped
2 1/2 c Boiling water
8 c Sugar
3 c Water
Green food coloring
3 tb Mint essential oil or mint extract

Place chopped mint leaves in a crock or deep bowl; add boiling water.

Place a flat dish over the leaves and weight it down. Allow to stand overnight.

Bring sugar and 3 cups water to a boil and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the mint leaves; add mint juice to the syrup, bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes and remove from heat. Discard leaves. Add green food color to make the syrup a bright green. Add the mint oil and stir.

Pour into sterile bottles. Refrigerate. Syrup is ready to use.

Dilute with cold water or sparkling water.

14 oz Peaches; drained, reserve juice
1 tb Lemon juice
6 Ice cubes
1/3 c Milk, homogenized
1/2 c Peach juice
1/2 ts Rum flavoring

Pot peaches, lemon juice, ice cubes, milk, peach juice and rum flavoring into blender. Blend until ice is gone. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Fresh peaches may be used. Add 1 tbsp granulated sugar or to taste.

MOCK STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI: Use fresh strawberries instead of peaches. Add 1 tbsp granulated sugar or to taste.

1 1/2 c Milk, homogenized
2 tb Lemon juice
1 tb Grenadine
1 tb Sugar, granulated
6 Ice cubes

Measure milk, lemon juice, grenadine, sugar and ice cubes into blender. Blend until ice is gone. Serve immediately.

1/2 c Sugar, granulated
1/2 c Bottle spring water
6 English Breakfast tea bags
4 c Boiling water
1 1/2 c Orange juice; fresh squeezed from Valencia oranges
3/4 c Pineapple juice

"At one time, I intended to teach law, so I went to Boston to get a Master's of Law degree; while there I lived with the Swindells family. Mrs. Swindells made a superb iced tea with a pronounced citrusy flavor. She insisted on using bottle spring water for a clear tasting iced tea, the sweetest and most flavored oranges and English Breakfast Tea."

In saucepan, combine sugar and spring water and bring to a boil; continue to boil until liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Chill thoroughly. Place tea bags in heat-resistant pitcher, add boiling water and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Let cool and refrigerate until chilled.

Add orange juice, lemon juice and pineapple juice and chilled sugar syrup. Refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight. Serve over ice in tall glasses.

5 c Cider
1/4 c Lemon juice
1/4 c Lightly packed brown sugar
4 Whole cloves
1 1 1/2" piece cinnamon stick
1 1 1/2" piece dry ginger root
Freshly grated nutmeg

Combine the cider, lemon juice and brown sugar in a stainless steel pot. Heat the mixture slowly to the simmering point. Meanwhile, tie the cloves, cinnamon stick and ginger root together in a piece of cheesecloth. Add the bag of spices to the simmering liquid and heat over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove the spice bag. Serve hot with a sprinkling of nutmeg in mugs. Yields 6 servings.

3 Nectarines; up to 4 peeled & sliced, to make 1 cup slices
1/2 c Orange juice; fresh
1 tb Lemon juice
1 tb Sugar
1 c Cracked ice

Try this also with peaches, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or raspberries.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute at medium speed until smooth.

4 c Tea; cold
4 c Orange juice
4 Lemons; juice of
4 Oranges; thinly sliced
2 c Sugar; to taste
12 c Ginger ale
4 c Soda water; or sparkling war
16 c Cracked ice
1 bn Mint; fresh

Combine tea, juices, orange slices and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Chill. Add ginger ale and soda just before serving. Garnish with fresh mint.

1 1/2 c Sugar, granulated
1 1/2 c Water
1 tb Lemon rind; finely grated
1 1/2 c Lemon juice; 6-7 lemons
1 Lemon; sliced thinly
Mint sprigs

In small saucepan, stir together sugar, water and lemon rind. Bring to a boil; stirring constantly; boil for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a jar; cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

To serve, place 2 ice cubes in each tall glass. Add 1/4 cup (50ml) of the syrup and 3/4 cup (175ml) cold water; stir well. Garnish with lemon slice and sprig of mint.

6 c Orange juice
1 Envelope Dream Whip Powder
1/2 ts Vanilla
1 pk (3.4 oz) INSTANT vanilla pudding & pie filling mix

In a blender, puree 3 cups orange juice and all remaining ingredients until smooth. Stir in remaining 3 cups orange juice. Serve over cracked ice. Makes 6 drinks.

3 1/2 c Water
1/4 c Rosemary, fresh; chopped
15 Juice oranges
5 c Sugar

"This syrup is delicious with fruits, in a marinade for chicken or pork, or as the basis of a cooling drink." (add water or sparkling water to dilute).

In a non-aluminium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Pour over the rosemary and let steep for 1 hour. Strain.

Remove the zest from 5 of the oranges and set aside, then squeeze the juice into a large bowl. Set a rack over the bowl and arrange the zests on the rack.

Combine the rosemary infusion and the sugar mixture in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, boiling until you have a heavy syrup about 20 minutes. Pour the boiling syrup over the zests and let it drain into the juice. Return the juice mixture to the saucepan. Bring quickly to a boil, remove from the heat, and return to the bowl to cool. Skim, then bottle and store in the refrigerator.

1 c Papaya; ripe, diced, mashed well
1 c Yogurt, plain
2 c Chilled water
2 tb Lime juice
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
Mint; few sprigs
Ice cubes

Beat or blend yogurt, then add water and beat or blend again. Add mashed papaya with all the seasonings. Beat or blend again. Pour in individual glasses. Garnish with mint and serve cold.

If you want to make sweet papaya lassi, then omit salt, lime juice and pepper. Add 2 tbsp sugar instead and flavour with rose water.

3 Peaches, fresh; peeled & pitted
1 lg Banana
2 c Milk
1 c Yogurt
1/4 ts Almond extract

Blend.

2 c Blackberries
2 1/2 c Water
Raw sugar; to taste
1 pn Sea salt; small pinch
Crushed ice, to serve
Pineapple slices; to garnish

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus overnight soaking and 30 minutes chilling time

Soak the blackberries in the measured water overnight. Mash the blackberries into the water, then put the mixture through a sieve. Add sugar and salt and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes.

Serve in tall glasses, topped with crushed ice and garnished with pineapple.

1/2 c Sugar
3 c Pineapple Juice
1/2 c Lime Juice
1 qt Sparkling Water; Chilled

Mix all ingredients except sparkling water; refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, stir in sparkling water. Serve over ice. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Peel & core of 1 pineapple - cut into small pieces
1 qt Water; approx
4 c Sugar; approx
1/2 c Lemon juice, fresh

"This is a good way to use up leftover pineapple skins and cores. Keep the squash refrigerated."

Put the pineapple peel and core in a nonreactive saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a cloth and press the juice out of the peel and core. Measure the mixture, and for each cup (1/4 litre) use 1 cup of sugar. Heat the juice with the sugar over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool the mixture. Add the lemon juice. Pour into clean bottles, cork and store.

12 oz Pineapple Juice; Chilled, 1 Can
8 3/4 oz Apricot Halves; Undrained, 1 Can
6 Ice Cubes; Up To 8 Can Be Used

Blend the first two ingredients in a blender container, until the apricots are pureed. Add the ice cubes 1 at a time until you reach a slushy consistency. Before making the drink, check the owners manual about ice cubes. A heavy duty machine will do them just fine.

2 1/2 c Distilled water
1 1/2 c Sugar 6 lg Strawberries; hulled
-OR- 1/4 c Pink hibiscus flowers; dried - pesticide free
1/4 c Lavender leaves; chopped
-OR- 1 tb -dried Lavender flowers
2 1/2 c Distilled water
2 1/4 c Lemon juice
1/2 c Sugar; optional Fresh lavender flowers for garnish

The original recipe calls for hibiscus flowers and suggested strawberries as a substitute. I have reversed the order. As well, I don't think it is necessary to use distilled water in most locations.

In medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups water, sugar and hibiscus flowers (or hulled strawberries). Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes to extract pink to extract pink from flowers.

Remove from heat. Stir in lavender leaves. Cover and cool. Strain cooled herb liquid into large pitcher or jar (if using strawberries, gently press juice from berries.) Add remaining 2 1/2 cups water and lemon juice. Stir well. Add 1/2 cup more sugar, if desired. Just before serving, add ice cubes. Pour into chilled glasses.Garnish with lavender flowers.