~ A hot day spent with you is pretty cool. ~
It’s not quite Summer here in Florida but it sure does feel like summer and our days are just getting hotter and hotter!
I try to take our girls outside each day. We enjoy playing and exploring outdoors and it’s a goal of mine to make sure our girls spend a significant amount of time outside each day. Playing outside is extremely beneficial, for both children and adults, not only for educational reasons but for health and spiritual reasons as well. Even though I am aware of all the benefits, sometimes it is still difficult to get outside when the temperature is nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity level is 75%. It isn’t always fun when you open the door to walk outside and you get hit in the face with a ball of humidity like you just walked into a sauna. So, to prevent us from getting discouraged, we implemented a special routine or tradition into our day. This helps us get excited to go outside to play and spend time together.
Popsicles, Smoothies, & Frozen Lemonade…Yum!
This tradition started years ago with popsicles and a pregnant belly. During my pregnancies, I craved popsicles and cold drinks. I could go through a box of popsicles VERY fast. During my last pregnancy, I had a toddler in tow and of course, she wanted to have popsicles too. So, we would take the popsicles outside to make an easier cleanup for me. Plus, it is was a great opportunity for us to just sit together to talk or read a story.
Now that the girls are older, we tend to change things up a bit. Some days we have popsicles, other days we will have smoothies, and occasionally we will bring out ice cream bars. Recently though, I have added another treat to the mix: Frozen Strawberry Lemonade.
I love taking a moment in the middle of the day to relax and just watch our children play, and it is certainly more enjoyable in the heat with this cool drink in hand. This Frozen Strawberry Lemonade drink is refreshing with a good mix of sweet and sour for a little pick-me-up.
When you have two little ones running around, you also need to be able to whip up something quickly, or at least be easy enough to let them help you. Thankfully, this recipe, that I quickly threw together, worked out great! Our little ones love helping me place all of the ingredients into the cup. Then they run away when it is time to blend because “It’s so loud!”
I have no idea about the calories, sugar content, or any other specific nutritional information in this drink BUT what I do know is that it is full of REAL food. Nothing artificial. No harmful ingredients. Those are the things that are important to me. I like knowing the food we eat will benefit our health and not harm our family in the long run. The goal is to have our food work to improve our immune systems, that way we have the opportunity to go on all of the fun adventures we plan together.
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
1 Cup Fresh Strawberries
½ Cup Apple Sauce (3/4 if you like it sweeter)
½ of a Lemon (Freshly Squeezed)
(Use 1/4 of a lemon if you don’t like it too sour)
1 Cup Water
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into a blender (I use a Nutribullet).
Blend together to desired consistency.
You will have about 1 ¼ Pints (20oz) of lemonade. (Which is a little more than one 16 oz mason jar shown in the photo above.)
Enjoy!
*If you want to feel fancy, place a lemon slice or a fresh strawberry as a garnish on the rim of your cup!*
Here’s to a fun, healthy, & cool Summer! Cheers!
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
To follow along with all of our Summer adventures, make sure to follow along with us on Facebook and Instagram at Passion in the Purpose!
For educational activity ideas, make sure to join me in my private Facebook group TEACHING CHILDREN ON PURPOSE
