Two Summer Drinks to Cool You Down (Summer)

Frozen Cocoa
Makes – 3 cups (750 mL)
Serves – 2 – 1 ½ cup (375 mL) per serving

Hormones are a powerful thing, out of the blue they’ll scream in your ear, “Must have chocolate.” I’ve never been one to argue with my hormones, so the last time I heard the chocolate voice I remembered I had seen a recipe for frozen hot chocolate on Oprah and the way she’d been dancing around I just knew I had to try some.

I Googled Frozen Hot Chocolate, and no wonder Ms Winfrey had gone crazy, it was loaded with tons of high end chocolate, whipping cream and full fat milk. By now you know I don’t do the full fat thing, so I came up with lower fat heart healthy version that packs a cocoa punch that’ll have you drinking and dancing all summer long.

1 cup (250 mL) skim milk
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp. (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) skim milk powder
2 cups ice

1. Put all ingredients into a blender. Whirl till smooth and the ice is blended in. This is slightly noisy, but well worth it. Divide into 2 equal servings, share. Viva La Cocoa Frozen!

Each 1 ½ cup (375 mL) serving contains:
145 Calories, 2 g Total Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 90 mg Sodium, 18 g CHO, 1 g Fiber, 9 g Protein.

Old Fashioned Iced Black Tea
Makes – 9 cups

On a hot summer day there’s nothing like a really cold beer, but iced tea is a close runner up. Commercial iced teas are loaded with sugar, sugar and more sugar plus the valuable antioxidants are destroyed in the processing.

This recipe let’s you utilize those antioxidants as well as decide on the sweetness level by adding what you like right after brewing.

Although most people think of ice tea as regular tea that is cold, try being creative and brew a pot of ice tea with Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast or your favourite blended tea.

½ cup (125 mL) loose tea or 8 – 2 cup tea bags
4 cups (1 L) boiling water
4 cups (1 L) cold water

1. Hot your clean 4 cup (1 L) tea pot with some hot water for 10-20 seconds, discard.

2. Add loose tea or tea bags. Pour in boiling water and let steep for 4-6 minutes

3. Fill a 10 cup (2.2L) jug with 4 cups (1 L) cold water.

4. Stir tea. Gently squeeze tea bags and discard. If you want sweet ice tea, add desired granulated sugar, honey or for diabetics use a sweetener, stir to dissolve. Pour tea into the jug of cold water.(If using leaves add the sugar. Stir well to dissolve and pour tea throw a strainer to catch the loose leaves into the jug of cold water.) Refrigerate till cold.

5. To serve, add lemon if desired. Pour into glasses filled with ice.

If you drink really weak tea, this one maybe too strong, add extra cold water to your liking.

For a mint flavour add fresh mint to the pot while brewing. Discard when you discard the tea bags.

Recipes from Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health and don’t forget the chocolate!

by: Mairlyn Smith H.Ec. & Liz Pearson R.D.

(Whitecap 2007)