Living Green With Jerinda: Make All-Natural Sodas at Home with "The Artisan Soda Workshop" Recipe Book

Soda is something most Americans enjoy, so when I was offered The Artisan Soda Workshop recipe book, I was excited to learn to make my own, all-natural sodas. With 70 yummy and interesting recipes, step-by-step instructions, and dozens of appetizing photos, this book makes it easy to create your own fizzy drinks using fruits, herbs, and spices.

When we got the book, we immediately started checking out all the different concoctions to choose which ones we thought we’d like best. We knew classics like cherry cola, root beer, and cream soda would be big hits, but we wanted to try out some of the other more unique ones like Fizzy Cantaloupe Agua Fresca, Green Tea, Grapefruit, and our new favorite, Apple Cider. With nearly all these recipes, you make a syrup, then add it to seltzer when you’re ready to drink it.

For the Apple Cider soda, you combine apple cider and spices over high heat until it boils. You then let it boil down for approximately 15-20 minutes, watching closely so you don’t scorch it. You then add maple syrup and stir it well and use a mesh strainer to strain out the spices. You can then add it to seltzer, or store it in the fridge for up to 5 days so you can have fresh soda all week long. This soda is delicious; unlike anything I’ve ever had. It wasn’t difficult to make either and we loved that we could enjoy the soda easily all week.

We have also made the soda and root beer varieties, and they were amazing as well. Not only are the delicious, but it’s nice to drink soda without all the guilt that usually goes along with it, not to mention all the harmful ingredients and chemicals that are in commercial soda. We definitely look forward to drinking more homemade sodas in the future.

The Artisan Soda Workshop by Andrea Lynn retails for $14.95 and is available through many major book retailers, such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Thank you to Andrea Lynn for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Easy Recipe: Summertime Popsicle Punch

In honor of the first day of summer, Mother Nature has decided to make it nearly 100 degrees here in Massachusetts.  I thought it would be the perfect time to share this super-easy, refreshing, and delicious recipe for Popsicle Punch.  I made these on Father's Day and it was a huge hit with both our children and my husband. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can make individual servings in just a minute if you have the frozen cubes ready in the freezer.  There is no need to make a big batch.

Recipe:  Popsicle Punch

INGREDIENTS:

Lemon-lime soda

Red fruit-flavored drink or juice

Non-red fruit flavored drink or juice

Step 1.  Fill an ice cube tray with the red fruit drink or juice.  Repeat with the other color of fruit drink or juice.  Put both trays in the freezer for at least one hour.

Step 2.  When the cubes are completely frozen, fill the glasses of your choice with the cubes, making sure to alternate the colors as you place them in.

Step 4.  Fill the glasses with chilled lemon-lime soda.  (You could also use room temperature soda, but your cubes will melt more quickly.)

After a few minutes, the cubes will begin to melt and the drink will have a peachy pink tint.  Depending on the size of your glasses, one ice cube tray of each color will make enough to serve approximately 5 people.  Our children could not finish all of theirs in one sitting, so next time I'll be using smaller glasses.  They are not usually allowed to drink soda anyways, so a smaller serving would also mean less of a sugar rush.

My Photos (W/E 5-7-11)

The past 30 days have been filled with lots of ailments in our house.  We've had fevers, coughs, eye infections, tooth aches, and more.  It's enough to drive you to drink.  Luckily my drink of choice is usually Pepsi or Ginger Ale . . .

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

Ruby Tuesday: A Little Punch

These are two more photos I took at the art museum.  Some refreshments were in order since the children were making it very clear that they had enough of art and were ready to move onto something more exciting.  The only thing that was remotely exciting to them was the museum gift shop.  That was the next intended stop after they finished their fruit punch.

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

My Photos (W/E 11-20-10)

Last weekend, we celebrated my parents' anniversary and my sister's birthday at one of our favorite local restaurants. Every year when these two occasions roll around, that is when we really know the holidays are upon us. I took many photos that evening, but here are my favorite of the bunch . . .

(Click any image to enlarge)

"My Kind of Ale"

"Double Smooches"

"In the Spotlight"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

My Photos (W/E 7-24-10)

We attended a dinner for bloggers this past week. It was the first date night my husband and I had in months. It was really nice to go somewhere different. We usually go to "our restaurant". I shared some of my favorite photos from the restaurant below, but I will make a separate post about the event later this week.

" . . . Visions of Catnip Dancing in His Head."

"Amongst the Stars"

"Inseparable"

"Ginger, Mint, and Lime!"

"Long Legs That Go On Forever"

"Coconut Cream For One"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

Boston's Mom Central Aquafina FlavorSplash Event

On May 27th, a small group of Massachusetts bloggers convened in the home of Stacy Debroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central, a consulting team based in Newton, MA known for their successful marketing campaigns targeting moms. This evening, we were invited to enjoy good food and conversation accompanied by the 6 delicious flavors of Aquafina FlavorSplash.

I very much enjoyed meeting Stacy and the entire Mom Central staff. There are many I have communicated with via email a hundred times over the past year or so. It was nice to be able to meet them face to face. I was also happy to reconnect with some bloggers I have met once or twice in the past, as well as meeting the authors of some great blogs that were unknown to me until last night.

From Left: Janice (Meal Makeover Moms), Stacy (Mom Central CEO, The DeBroff DeBrief), Liz (Meal Makeover Moms)

Members of the Mom Central team went through great efforts to pull off a successful evening. They even offered a raffle and planned a trivia game for our enjoyment. We split up into 3 teams. Luckily two of the teams each had a knowledgeable food blogger on their side because the topic was fruit!

The Winning Team! From Left: Keri (Toy Queen), Jill (The Daily Grind of a Work at Home Mom), Janice (Meal Makeover Moms)

Liz of Meal Makeover Moms won a Zoku Quick Pop Maker, which is just about the "coolest" invention I have seen in awhile (pun intended). Although I was totally jealous, I am so glad that Liz won. I can only imagine the wonderful things she will come up with to make using her Zoku.

Did I mention that this event was catered? Yes, my husband would be so sad if he saw all the delicious food we were served. Sorry, Honey, maybe next time.

Enjoying dessert and Aquafina FlavorSplash! From Left: Niri (Mommy Niri) and Nicole (Good Golly Miss Blondie)

Thank you to Mom Central, Aquafina, and the DeBroff Family for making it possible for local bloggers to come together when we might not have otherwise. I am so happy to have more business cards to add to my stash solely devoted to Massachusetts bloggers.

I wrote this post after attending an event sponsored by Aquafina FlavorSplash and Mom Central. I received FlavorSplash goodies and a gift card as a thank you for posting.

Giveaway & Review: Bottle Tops No-Spill Can Toppers (Set of 12) [CLOSED]

One of my favorite beverages to enjoy is an ice cold Pepsi. The problem is that I may very well be the slowest drinker you have ever met. If I am just sipping from my can of soda, it could take me up to 5 hours to finish it. Halfway through that 5 hours, my soda has become slightly flat and warm. To remedy the problem with my soda turning warm, I use an ice pack that fits around the can. To combat my problem of losing the carbonation in my soda, I use Bottle Tops to keep the can covered.

What I thought about our Bottle Tops:

1) These tops appear to fit just fine on a standard can of soda.

2) Since these Bottle Tops are reusable, I think $10 plus S&H is a good price for twelve.

3) To put these toppers on, it is easiest to rinse off the top of the can and open your can first. Then push the Bottle Top on with the cover shut.

4) It does take some strength to put these covers on the can, as well as removing them. I do not think a younger child will be able to do either unassisted.

5) When you lift the drink to your lips, the flip top will touch your face. I found this to be bothersome, but it was not a problem if I remembered to hold the attached cap down with my finger when I took a drink.

6) These Bottle Tops are not dishwasher-safe. Because ours is such a busy household, I would rather pay more money and/or receive less toppers in exchange for ones that are top rack safe.

7) Since the soda washes over the top of the can when you take a sip of your drink, I was concerned about the seal around the perimeter not being tight, which would allow the liquid trapped around the seal to leak out and run down the sides of the can. Although there were no problems in general, there were two instances when soda did leak past that seal. Since I drink soda while I work at my desk during the evening, I usually leave the empty can on my desk until morning. Even though the topper did not leak while I was drinking my soda, it did leak after sitting on my desk overnight. We did have the topper leak one other time. That was when when my husband opened the topper with one hand while in the car. He must have squeezed the can and pushed the cap up in a way that broke the seal around the can.

8) Because these toppers come in different colors within the set, it makes it much easier to discern which soda belongs to whom in our house.

Overall, I think these Bottle Toppers would be great to use for children to prevent spilling and for using outdoors to keep debris and insects out. I do think that you can use these toppers on cans of soda that you put back in the refrigerator to save for later, but I would not leave it for more than half a day or the soda trapped around the edge of the topper might start to leak out the seal.

For a limited time, you can purchase 12 Bottle Tops and receive a free can tab lifter for $10 plus the cost of shipping and handling. You can read the details about this offer at BuyBottleTop.com .

Thank you to Bottle Top for sending us a set of sample toppers free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second set for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a set of 12 Bottle Tops (in assorted colors).

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what your favorite canned beverage is. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND BuyBottleTop.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

3 Easy Fruit Smoothie Recipes

I've found that an easy way to get my children to consume fruit without sitting down at the table is by serving them fruit smoothies. They can sip these smoothies out of covered straw cups while they are busy doing other things.

Here are three easy fruit smoothie recipes that you can make at home with a blender. Each recipe is less than 175 calories per serving.

Banilla Shake:
1 ½ cups skim or 1% milk
1 peeled and sliced medium banana, frozen (Wrap sliced banana in plastic wrap or place in a freezer storage bag. Freeze several hours or overnight.)
½ tsp. vanilla extract, optional
¼ tsp. almond extract, optional

In a blender combine all ingredients, except cinnamon. Blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour into glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired. Yield: approximately 2 ¼ cups.

Blueberry-Orange Whirl:
1 12-ounce package frozen blueberries, unthawed, or 2 1/2 cups fresh
8 ounce low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In an electric blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Yield: approximately 3 ½ cups.

Very Berry Smoothie
1/4 cup berries (your choice!)
4 ounces skim milk
6 ounces calcium-fortified orange juice

Blend together all three ingredients until smooth. Yield: approximately 1 serving.

These recipes were provided by Camp Shane, a weight-loss camp for children that focuses on well-balanced portion-controlled meals and snacks.

Thank you to Kel & Partners for providing the information shared in this article. There was no compensation received for sharing this information with my readers.

Giveaway: Guitar Hero 5 (For Xbox 360) [CLOSED]

My Coke Rewards is a points system where consumers can enter the My Coke Rewards codes found on Coca-Cola products to earn points towards fun prizes, such as gift cards and magazine subscriptions. If you are a fan of at least one of the twelve beverages produced by Coca-Cola and you have not registered with My Coke Rewards, then I highly recommend that you do, so you can begin to record your points online.

As a My Coke Rewards member, you can also enter to win and earn extra entries into sweepstakes such as the "Give the Gift of Gaming Holiday Instant Win" game, in which 50 prizes are being given away daily. These prizes include (2) Xbox 360 gaming systems and (48) Xbox games. This sweepstakes ends on December 31st, 2009 and you must be a My Coke Rewards member to enter. Visit the Instant Win page to read the official rules.

Thank you to Coca-Cola for providing a copy of Guitar Hero 5 for this contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a copy of the "Guitar Hero 5" video game for use with the Xbox 360 (ARV $59.99). This prize is for the game only. You must own an Xbox 360 console to be able to use this game.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me which of these 12 Coca-Cola products is your favorite. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND MyCokeRewards.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!