Cool Drinks for Hot Days

By Elizabeth Wells

This 4th of July, beat the heat with a frosty red, white, and blue drink that's as much fun to make as it is to slurp. Made with fruit, these patriotic slushies are tasty and nutritious. Kids mash up the fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, pears and bananas and as one mom from Ohio pointed out, "It's another fruit serving in one day."

To keep in the holiday spirit, sing or hum some traditional patriotic songs like "The Star Spangled Banner," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "America the Beautiful" while mashing the fruit; you can make a family game out of seeing who remembers all the words. Old Glory never tasted so good!

What You Need:

• 2 cups canned pears, without the juice
• 1 medium banana
• 2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• Potato masher and/or forks
• 2 Liters of 7-Up or Sprite soda

What to Do:

1. Place the pears and banana* in one medium-sized bowl, the strawberries in a second, and the blueberries in a third. (If you are using frozen berries, microwave to thaw).

* One test family substituted honeydew mixed with a little sugar for the white part of the drink and reported it was "very yummy!"

2. Persuade the kids to mash the fruit gently with the potato masher and forks. All our test families reported that children know how to mash very well -- even without specific tools. "We had fun mashing the fruit with the forks," said a mother from New York. Leave some chunks, for later discoveries in the glass.

3. Keep the fruits separated by color, cover the bowls or place in other sealed containers and put in freezer for at least three hours. Hint: If the fruit freezes too hard, allow time to thaw slightly before moving on to the serving directions. A microwave can help this process.

Serving Directions:

1. Give each child a clear 6-8-ounce glass.

2. Have your designated scooper scoop a layer of strawberries (about 2 tablespoons) in the bottom of the glass, then smooth with the flat side of mixing spoon. Repeat scooping and smoothing with one scoop of the pears or bananas and then, one scoop of blueberries.

3. Slowly pour 7-Up or Sprite over the top of the fruit to fill glass to three-quarters full.

4. Serve with a straw and a long spoon!

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