I don’t drink alcohol, however, I absolutely love fun, girly drinks in fancy glasses.  Hence, this deliciously refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage that I am calling a Ginger Lime Mocktail.  I think you could also call this sparkling zesty drink liquid superfood.  The ginger is full of anti-oxidants, good for digestion and is also anti-viral and anti-fungal.  The lime juice is packed with Vitamin C and bioflavanoids.

Today was our first beautiful summer day, and the boys are out of school for summer vacation already; so to celebrate I’ve been drinking this yummy mocktail all day.

Here are some of my favorite mocktail recipes on Elana’s Pantry:

• Watermelon Aguas Frescas
• Orange Fizzie Cocktail
• DIY Sparkling Beverage
• Lemon Cooler

The winners of last weeks giveaway for the Cook It Allergy Free iPad/iPhone app are Donna C and Jessica Lopez!

Here are a few more refreshing cool drinks you might enjoy from some of my blogging friends:
-Sparkling Watermelonade from Silvana of Silvana’s Kitchen
-Homemade Tonic Water from Georgia of Georgia Pellegrini
-Apricot Spritzer from Lexie of Lexie’s Kitchen

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I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked for a vegan eggnog recipe.  This gluten free, dairy free (egg free) eggnog is not too challenging to make and full of filling rich yumminess.

Unlike other eggnogs, it’s not too sweet and has a nice delicate nutmeg flavor.  If you want to decrease the sweetness further, go with only 1 tablespoon of agave in the recipe below, or eliminate it entirely.  You’ll still have the natural sweetness of the almonds and the rich round sweetness of yacón.

Vegan Eggnog (dairy free, egg free, gluten free)Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
3 cups almonds
4 cups water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons yacon syrup
2 teaspoons nutmeg, ground
¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
pinch cloves, ground

1. Soak almonds overnight
2. Discard soaking water and rinse almonds in a deep bowl of water, repeat until water is clear
3. Place soaked almonds and 4 cups of water in a vitamix
4. Blend on highest speed for 90 seconds
5. Strain milk through a fine mesh paint bag, discarding solids
6. Place almond milk in a half gallon mason jar
7. Add vanilla, agave, yacon, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, then shake well
8. Refrigerate until cold and serve

Serves 6

As you all know, I love almonds.  I wrote an entire gluten free cookbook on them called The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.  So it was a lot of fun when I found this very positive article on almonds over at Men’s Health Magazine.  Men’s Health is on the almond bandwagon!

It’s Friday again and the winner of last weeks Friday Freebie is Lauren!  She won the Virgin Coconut Oil book from Tropical Traditions.

For this weeks Friday Freebie I’ve received a 5lb bag of blanched almond flour from Honeyville to give away (again).  Go ahead and leave a comment below to be entered. On top of that, Honeyville currently has special on almond flour –a 15% discount that continues until November 17th, 2009.  To receive your discount, enter the coupon code VETERANS into your order.

UPDATE: this giveaway has ended, the winner was Sarah Yao

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Today while I was in the kitchen working on some experimental recipes, I decided to make cocktails for my younger son and myself.

I pulled out two large tumblers and asked my little guy to grab a bottle of sparkling water from the dining room.  He came back with the requested water and “fancy” glasses, wanting me to make our beverages a little more upscale.  Of course, I obliged.

Full credit for this photo goes to my younger son.  While I was in my office (our former laundry room, it’s just off the kitchen), he commandeered my camera and set up this photo shoot, organizing the backgrounds, etc.  He is 9 years old and I wish I could take a picture that is as good as his.  He is quite the artist and does amazing drawings and water colors.

Here is a message from my little sweetie, “I’m glad to be able to take pictures on my mom’s website.”  My older son’s baseball tournament continues and we’re off to see tonight’s game!

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Although I don’t drink alcohol, I do enjoy indulging in a sparkling beverage at festive events.

This little fruit based treat below is perfect for adults and children on special occasions.  My boys love it, as do I.  Here, I use pinapple juice, though feel free to use any juice of your choice and garnish with your favorite citrus or other fruits.

Make sure to use organic fruit juice from a bottle or fresh from a juicer for better flavor and a more nutrient dense drink.

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