Kiddie Drinks (for kids of all ages)

This post will cover a lot of territory and I will keep adding to it and republishing it as time goes by. These are not Mocktails as they do not imitate the appearance or taste of any cocktail. They are just interesting drinks you can make at home with a blender and a few fairly common ingredients.

Florida Frosty Treat

1. Blend 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream and 1/2 cup orange sherbet.

2. Pour into a tall frosted glass (one that has been wetted then placed in the freezer for an hour).

3. Add 2 Oz of cold orange soda and mix well with a spoon.

4. Top with whipped cream.

Green Lantern Apple Punch

1. Cut a lime in half, wrap up half in Saran Wrap and save it in the fridge for something else.

2. Slice out a circular section from the middle of the lime to use as garnish.

3. Rub the rim of a tall glass with lime then dip the rim in a shallow bowl containing sugar and twist to sugar coat the rim.

4. Pour 2 Oz Granny Smith apple syrup (or Simple Syrup mixed 50/50 with apple juice) into the glass.

5. Add in 8 Oz any type of lemon soda.

6. Squeeze the juice from the half lime into the glass.

7. Add 2 or 3 thin Granny Smith apple slices.

8. Mix with a spoon.

9. Add enough ice cubes to fill the glass.

10. Cut a slot in the lime wheel and press it onto the rim and serve.

Prickly Pear Slushy

1. Blend 4 Oz lemon-lime soda, 2 Oz Monin Desert Pear syrup (or homemade using 2 cups Simple Syrup and the juice of 4 of prickly pears that were scooped out, heated with Simple Syrup, and strained to remove pulp), and 2 cups of ice until very smooth.

2. Pour into a 16 Oz glass and serve.

Mexican Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (sweetened or unsweetened)

• 1 Tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips

• 1/2 Tbsp granulated white sugar

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• dash of cayenne pepper

• whipped cream

Directions

• Put all ingredients except for whipped cream in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring continually, until all ingredients melted together and hot.

• Pour into a mug and top with whipped cream.

Mint Julep

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup club soda

• 1/2 cup lemonade

• 2 Tbsp mint syrup (Simple Syrup infused with fresh mint leaves)

• 1 lemon wheel

• 1 to 3 fresh mint leaves

• 1 cup ice cubes

Directions

1. Pour club soda, lemonade, and mint syrup into a tall glass and stir well.

2. Fill glass the rest of the way with ice.

3. Cut a slot in the lemon wheel and place on rim of glass.

4. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

S’mores Milkshake

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream

• 1 cup chocolate ice cream

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 2 marshmallows

• 1/2 graham cracker, crumbled

• 1/2 tsp fudge sauce

Directions

1. Put one of the ice creams and half the milk in a blender and blend until creamy. Pour into large glass.

2. Repeat with the other ice cream flavor and stir slightly to partially mix the flavors.

3. Toast the marshmallows slightly and place on top of drink.

4. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top and drizzle on the hot fudge.

Pineapple Plantation Dole Whip Float

An ice cream machine is needed to make this treat. This drink recipe goes back to earlier days on Oahu when there were pineapple and sugar cane plantations (before the land became too valuable to sustain this kind of agriculture).

• 1 cup chilled fresh pineapple juice (substitute bottled or canned if you have to and Dole is a good brand although no longer produced in Hawaii)

• Dole whip Ingredients to make Dole Whip:

2 cups fresh pineapple juice (or bottled or canned)

3/4 cup raw cane sugar (which is more authentic than white sugar as it was produced on sugar plantations in Hawaii alongside pineapple fields)

1/2 cup water

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions to make Dole Whip:

1. Make the sweeter than normal Simple Syrup using the sugar and water but heating on medium heat and stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a mason jar after it has cooled to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

2. Pour the 2 cups chilled pineapple juice into a bowl and add the Simple Syrup, lemon juice, and stir.

3. Pour mixture into an ice cream machine and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Scoop out the Dole Whip and place in freezer for half an hour so it is nice and firm.

Directions to make the float:

1. Pour 1 cup chilled pineapple juice into a float glass (larger at top).

2. Top with the Dole Whip.

3. Serve immediately.

Orange Pineapple Frost

This makes two tall glasses of very refreshing and not very acidic frosty citrus drink.

Equipment Needed

• Blender

• Juicer (to get best results, use fresh squeezed fruit)

• 2 Frosted mugs or glasses taken out of freezer (preferably frosted … or just 2 tall mugs/glasses)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice (juice of 5 to 6 navel oranges) [or 3 oz frozen OJ concentrate and 9 oz water]

• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice [or 1 oz frozen pineapple concentrate and 3 oz water]

• 1/2 cup simple syrup (buy in Mixer section of supermarket or make a batch using 1:1 ratio of water and sugar, boiled and stirred until sugar is dissolved, then refrigerated to be used in various drinks)

• 1 tsp Bob’s Red Mill powdered egg substitute (which is gluten free and vegan by the way)

• 1 tsp vanilla Jello powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 to 4 handfuls of ice cubes

Directions

1. Pour the wet ingredients in blender, then the dry. Add ice last.

2. Blend throughly (a few minutes on Smoothie setting).

3. Pour and serve with straws.