Drinks For Kids

The last time our oldest grandson was here, I served him some juice he apparently had not had before. Normally, he gulps down whatever is in his cup, except water. This time however, he took a sip, rolled it around in his mouth and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. He sure took his time drinking it.

That urged me to find some more drinks for the little ones. Something special, which they could even help with, fixing and mixing it. Here are some I found:

Darth Vadar
Single serving

Ingredients:
6 ounces cola
1-1/2 teaspoons grenadine (or substitute pure pomegranate juice)
1 orange slice
1 cherry

Put crushed or cubed ice in a tall glass, pour in cola, top with grenadine. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.


Tootie Fruity
Serves six

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup strawberries, sliced (set aside 6 whole berries for garnish)
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup coconut cream

Place all ingredients in blender with two cups of ice and puree until smooth. Garnish each glass with a strawberry.


Bubble, Bubble, Toil, No Trouble
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 cups white grape juice
1 cup pink grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 bottle club soda (750 ml)
1 pink grapefruit
1 orange
1 apple

Combine all juices in a pitcher and refrigerate. Slice pink grapefruit, orange, and apple. Add club soda and sliced fruits to the pitcher. Serve cold, like sangria.


Orange You Glad
Single serving

Ingredients:
3 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all ingredients in blender with six ice cubes until smooth. Serve in a tall glass.


Mellow Jell-O
Serves six

Ingredients:
2 quarts apple cider
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
3 ounces cherry Jell-O

Add apple cider and cinnamon stick to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add Jell-O to cider and stir until it dissolves (about two minutes). Serve hot.


Creamsicle Cooler
Single serving

Ingredients:
orange juice
papaya juice
grenadine syrup

Fill tall glass with ice. Add one part orange juice, one part papaya juice, and top with grenadine. Pour mixture into blender and whip until ice is blended. Top with cherry.


Little Manhattan
Single serving

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cherry juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 dashes orange bitters
1 cherry

First, chill a glass. Fill the juice glass with ice and add water. Let sit for 30 seconds, then dump the contents. The glass will be chilled. Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into the glass and add a cherry.


Shirley Temple's Sister
Single serving

Ingredients:
6 ounces watermelon juice
6 ounces Sprite or 7-UP
2 teaspoon confectioner's sugar

Place all ingredients in blender and mix. Pour over crushed ice in tall glass.


Monkey's Jungle Juice
1-2 Servings

Ingredients:
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup milk

In blender, mix banana and vanilla ice cream. Pour in vanilla extract, orange juice, and milk, and puree until thick and smooth. Serve in a tall glass.
~Grandparents.com

I noticed, that some recipes called for sugar, but I am not too fond of hyping up the kids. My suggestion would be, to use splenda as a substitute. How about honey? That might even spice it up a little more.

If you have another suggestion to add to this list, I would appreciate it and be grateful if you shared it. No doubt, the little ones would as well. :-)