Few things beat the heat like well-chilled, frosty drinks. Iced water, juice, lemonade, and iced tea are fine, but they can get a bit boring after a while. Here are some ideas for some interesting, easy-to-make drinks to quench your thirst this summer.

1. Melon Slushy (4 servings)

* 2 cups chopped watermelon
* 1 cup chopped cantaloupe
* 1 cup chopped honeydew
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons (or to taste) sugar, honey, or other sweetener

Freeze the chopped fruit chunks on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet. When frozen, place the frozen melon chunks in a blender along with the lemon juice, water, and sugar. Blend until smooth and pourable, adding more water if necessary. Serve over crushed ice.

Tropical Variation: instead of melon, chop and freeze 2 cups fresh pineapple and 2 cups mangoes. Use orange juice instead of lemon juice, and leave out the sweetener until you’ve tasted it.

2. Minty Lemonade (6 servings)

* 2 cups sugar
* 6 cups water (2 cups boiling, 4 cups very cold)
* 2 cups lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (spearmint or peppermint)

Pour the two cups boiling water over the mint leaves; steep for 10 minutes. Strain into a saucepan, add sugar, and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and cool. While it’s cooling, squeeze the lemons and combine the juice with 4 cups of water in a pitcher. Stir in the cooled mint syrup and serve over ice (taste as you go – you might not want all the syrup). For a decorative touch, garnish glasses with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.

Easy variation: mix commercial lemonade with lightly sweetened mint tea.

3. Chocolate Mint Cooler (1 serving)

You don’t have to wait for winter to enjoy chocolate drinks. Try this refreshing, fizzy drink on a hot day.

* 1 tablespoons chocolate syrup
* 1 tablespoons mint syrup
* 6 to 8 ounces seltzer or sparkling water

Make mint syrup as described in Minty Lemonade above. Add 1 tablespoon of this syrup to a tall glass. Add the chocolate syrup and stir to combine. Pour in fizzy water, leaving room for ice, and stir briskly. Add ice cubes and stir again.

4. Ginger Water (3 servings)

A forerunner of ginger ale, ginger water is a traditional drink enjoyed by farmers working in the fields. It’s tart and refreshing, not unlike a sports drink.

* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
* -2 cups cold water

Shake or stir the vinegar with the brown sugar and ginger until the ginger and sugar are dissolved. Stir in cold water and mix well. Serve over full glasses of ice.

Have Me Later Freezer Chili Recipe

What You Need:

1 lb ground chuck
1 lg onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 (15 oz) cans chili beans
2 T cornstarch, optional
1/4 C water, optional

How to Make It:

Place the ground chuck in a large skillet over medium heat. 
Add the onions and garlic.
Cook until meat is browned through and vegetables are tender.
Drain well.
Place the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper into a large saucepan. 
Place over high heat.
Bring to a rapid boil.
Add the meat and beans.
Reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove lid and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Place saucepan in the refrigerator for a rapid cool.
Pour chili into freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, remove chili from the freezer.
Place 1/4 C of water in a saucepan.
Add the chili and cook over medium heat until heated through.
To thicken chili mix the cornstarch and 1/4 C water together.
Add to the chili and stir well. 

You’re looking for new snack ideas to use up your bananas before they go bad, or maybe you’re trying to think of some healthy snack alternatives for your kids to take to school. Bananas are a favorite among kids and adults alike, and these delicious snack recipes will please the whole family.

Chocolate Covered Bananas

Cut 2 bananas in half and insert an ice cream stick in the end of each. Place on a tray on a sheet of wax paper and leave in the freezer for 1 hour. Pour your topping of choice (crushed peanut pieces, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or coconut work well) onto a plate. Melt one bag of melting chocolates in a double broiler. When the chocolate is melted, dip each banana into the chocolate until covered, then immediately roll in your topping of choice. Place back onto the wax paper and freeze until firm. Enjoy!

Rolled Bananas

Peel one or more bananas, then cut into quarters or smaller pieces if desired. Coat the outside of the banana pieces with creamy peanut butter until a thin layer of peanut butter covers the entire piece. Pour some of your favorite cereal or topping onto a plate or other flat surface, then roll the banana piece until it is completely coated. This snack is creamy, crunchy, and delicious!

Banana-Peanut Butter Miniwiches

Spread crunchy or smooth peanut butter onto two pieces of white or wheat bread. Cut a banana into thin slices and place on the peanut butter side of each bread slice. Stick the two together to make a tasty banana-peanut butter sandwich, then slice into quarters to make more manageable miniwiches.

Must Have Gadget : Chef’n Bananza Banana Slicer -  Perfectly slices bananas in seconds, just hold over a bowl or plate and squeeze.

Cinnamon Banana Toast

Place a griddle on the stove and turn the stove on low heat. Place a slice of white or wheat bread on the griddle. While the griddle is heating, cut a banana into slices, then place on the bread slice. Then sprinkle cinnamon (or cinnamon and sugar) onto the bananas and allow it to heat. Using a spatula or knife, gently press the bananas into the piece of bread. When the bottom of the bread is golden brown, the toast should be warm but not hot. Remove from the griddle, allow to cool slightly if necessary, and enjoy.

Crunchy Bananas

Fill a sandwich bag halfway full with your or your kids’ favorite breakfast cereal. Zip the bag shut and crush the cereal into small pieces. Peel one or more bananas, then cut into thin slices. Drop one slice of banana into the bag of crushed cereal, and shake until the slice is completely coated. Remove the coated slice from the bag, and repeat. The cereal adds an entirely new texture to this versatile snack fruit.

To Learn More

For more creative recipes to try with bananas and other delicious fruits, please visit the fun, innovative cooking website CD Kitchen today.

Joseph Devine

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but lunch is what gets you through until dinner time. The price of school lunches rises each year and it is hard for some parents to keep up. This is besides the fact that many lunch menus, not just in schools either, are not as nutritious as they could be. Here are some money saving lunch ideas for frugal families.

1. Take your lunch. This goes for parents as well as kids. We are tempted to eat out with the group everyday, too. That adds up after awhile. Those cute insulated lunch bags make it easier to carry hot and cold items. We can throw even throw out the brown bags in favor of reusable options which are more environmentally friendly. When you pack your own lunch, you know what is in it so it is easier to avoid a lot of unhealthy fats and junk food.

2. Make a sandwich. I’m not talking about just any sandwich. This can be a wrap, pita, crust less bread, or bun sandwich. Varying the bread each day will help you decide what ingredients to put on it. You may want turkey with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and onion on a pita or chicken strips with barbecue sauce, lettuce, and shredded cheese in a tortilla wrap. Many kids like bread without crust for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This makes lunch fun and your kids are more likely to eat it if they have a creative variety. Invest in single packs of condiments. They can be used in lunches as opposed to putting them on the sandwich and saturating the bread before lunchtime rolls around.

3. Bottled water and drink crystals. Water has never been the same since they came out with those handy packs of flavorings. You can find them everywhere. Best of all they have five calories or less. You can turn a bottle of water into a drink that is better than soda. Kids love them too.

4. Dessert courtesy of home. Stop! Put down that candy bar and walk away from the vending machine. Instead, choose a better option. Homemade granola can be shaped into bars and used as an after lunch snack. How about dried fruit pieces? They are sweeter than candy bars and won’t spike your blood sugar. It’s okay to have a naughty treat every now and then, but even at those times you can choose a healthier option than chips or candy. Make a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies and pack a few in your lunch.

5. Ice packs. These nifty items will keep lunch from spoiling. The perfect complement to an insulated bag, they allow you to take yogurt or a sandwich with meat and not have to worry about it getting warm before it’s time to eat.

6. Veggie sticks. Eat them with your sandwich and add some Ranch dressing for dipping.

Lunch doesn’t have to come from the school cafeteria or the fast food joint around the corner to be good. Coming from home, it can be healthier, taste better and cost less.  Now that’s a combination you can’t beat.