Watermelon Lemonade | Summer Drinks

Looking for some refreshing Iftar drinks ? Then here is a simple one to blend and enjoy. Quite simple and tastes delicious. 

Watermelon gives me bloating issues and gastric upsets. So Iam not very fond of mixing milk with this fruit. So for people who looks for simple water based drinks with watermelon, then you're at the right recipe. Adding a small piece of ginger and mint leaves help reduce all the tummy issues and just chill, enjoy !!

Watch the making in this YouTube #shorts here.

Preparation time~ 10 minutes 

Cooking time ~ 3 minutes

Serves ~ 3 glasses

Author ~ Julie

Ingredients

watermelon 2 cups (cubed)

sugar syrup 1/2 cup (recipe below)

lemon 1/2 of 1 
water 1 cup
mint leaves few

ginger a small piece (optional)

to make sugar syrup
granulated white sugar 3/4
water 1/2 cup

Method

• Boil the water and sugar in a sauce pan to make syrup.Stir until sugar is dissolved, and the syrup turns thick.Switch off flame and let it cool.
• Cut the watermelon and dice in cubes. Add in a blender jar, mint leaves, ginger, lemon juice extracted and crush the mix to blend. Add water, and ice cubes.Pulse a second to mix well in the blender. Strain the juice using a sieve the pure juice.
• Serve in glasses by pouring the syrup and then adding the blended mix on top.Add extra ice cubes and torn mint leaves, cut water melon for garnish (optional). Serve, mix and enjoy !!!

NOTES
* You can refrigerate the leftover syrup and use whenever making juices.Adds a great flavour than just adding sugar. Use this simple sugar syrup to make shakes.
* You can double or triple these ingredients to make a larger batch, always.

Strawberry Beet Juice

Strawberry-Beet juice works as a healthy detox for the body, and so can be added to a healthy breakfast menu. This drink doesn't require many ingredients, you can always add a piece of ginger or lime to spike a bit, but I have kept it very simple. Give this a try and enjoy !!

Watch the YouTube #shorts here on the Strawberry Beet juice.

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ nil

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 3 glasses

Ingredients
beetroot 1 small, peeled & cubed
strawberry 5-6, hulled
sugar 2 tbsp

water 3 glasses
ice cubes

Method

Wash, clean the strawberries, hull and cut small. Peel, wash and cut the beetroot in small cubes. Add the beetroot cubes to blender jar, pulse in a mixer. Then, add the strawberries. Grind again smooth. Add water, sugar and blend again. Strain and serve in glasses with ice cubes.  The taste is on the sweeter side, though strawberries have a tangy flavour which gets subsided in the sugar and beetroot. You can always add half a lemon to spike the tangy flavours.

NOTES

* You can add a piece of ginger and half of lemon.

RELATED POSTS

* Strawberry Falooda

* Mango Mastani

* Strawberry Banana Smoothie

* Strawberry Shrikhand

* Strawberry Milk shake

* ABC Juice

* Mango- Strawberry Smoothie

* Kesar Badam Milk shake

* Avil Milk

* Oreo Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Oreo Chocolate Banana Shake

Wishing all a happy New Year !!

Hope all are doing good. I had a very busy Christmas holidays followed by a busy week there after due to some emergencies at home. Then my lap had some issues, still not rectified though. But am trying to keep this page alive and so posting a simple oreo banana milk shake, am sure kids would love this drink. Prepare this as an after school snack, am sure they will enjoy.

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves~ 3 glasses

Ingredients

oreo vanilla pack 1

milk 3 cups

chocolate syrup 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp

banana 2-3 small

sugar 2 tbsp (optional) 

Watch the YouTube #shorts on this recipe.

Method

• Break 4-5 oreo biscuits in a blender jar. To this, add peeled ripe bananas. Add chilled milk. 
• Finally add sugar(if using), chocolate syrup and blend smooth. 
• Pour chocolate syrup to the wall of the glass. Break two biscuits and add in each glass. Pour the blended mix. Top with some more chocolate syrup. Serve chilled.

NOTES

* Adding banana is  optional, you can add a scoop of ice cream instead or whipped cream to make it more creamy.

RELATED POSTS

* Blueberry Milkshake

* Strawberry Milkshake

* Cantaloupe Carrot Milk Shake

* Apple Milkshake

* Amrakhand(Mango Shrikhand)

* Mango Strawberry Smoothie

* Passion Fruit Juice

* Papaya Milkshake

* Strawberry Falooda

* Banana- Mango Smoothie

* Kesar Badam Milk

* Avocado Milkshake

* Strawberry Banana Oats Smoothie

* Strawberry Shrikhand

* Mango Mastani

* Avil MIlk

Mango Mastani

Mango season is almost coming to an end, but mango recipes are always a big YES here at home. Do you love mangoes? Can someone say no to this King of fruits, mango. India has one of the largest collections of different varieties of mangoes, Alphonso, Kesar, badami, Sindhoora, Malgova, Totapuri, Banganpali to list a few. As we are rich in mango varieties from different states, so are the number of recipes with ripe mango. Mangoes are a summer fruit and so milk shakes, desserts like mango ice cream, mango mousse are very popular.

Mango Mastani is yet another popular ice cream drink from Pune. Pune's iconic Sujatha Mastani is one of the early outlets that served the best mango mastani. They still have so many flavours and additions to the age-old traditional mango mastani. Though we don't have the original recipe that they serve, but this recipe comes closer to what they serve. The recipe is quite simple to put together, and you can enjoy this chilled drink anytime during the hot summers. Give this a try for your kids as after school drink and am sure they will totally go mad over this drink. Enjoy !!

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 3 tall glasses

Ingredients 

ripe mango 2 (sindhoora/ alphonsa)

*ice cream 4-5 scoops 

sliced almonds 2 tbsp

sliced pistachios 2 tbsp

milk 1 cup (chilled)

granulated sugar 2 tbsp

maraschino cherries 2-3

Method

• Wash, peel and cut the mangoes in small pieces. Reserve 3-4 tbsp of chopped mangoes. Add the remaining to the blender jar.
• Add 2 scoops of ice cream, add chilled milk, granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add 2 tbsp of mango pieces to the glass and pour the mango milk shake over it. Drop few slices of chopped pistachios and almonds. Top it again with mango shake. Add a scoop of ice cream and garnish with sliced pistachios, almonds, chopped mangoes and cherry.
• Serve chilled.

NOTES

* You can use mango ice cream for added colour and taste. I have added vanilla ice cream.

* You can add tutty fruity too to enhance the looks.

* Use chilled milk and cold mangoes, for best results.

RELATED POSTS

* Blueberry Milkshake

* Strawberry Milkshake

* Cantaloupe Carrot Milk Shake

* Apple Milkshake

* Amrakhand(Mango Shrikhand)

* Mango Strawberry Smoothie

* Passion Fruit Juice

* Papaya Milkshake

* Strawberry Falooda

* Banana- Mango Smoothie

* Kesar Badam Milk

* Avocado Milkshake

* Strawberry Banana Oats Smoothie

* Strawberry Shrikhand

YouTube Shorts

 

Coconut Mango Pops | Mango Popsicles | Summer Treats

Though the season of mangoes is over,this had been saved to my drafts since the start of summer and was forgotten.Kids are very fond of pops more than any other milk shakes and so I make it often with different flavors and fruits.It easy to prepare,freeze and you get the natural flavors of real fruits with no added preservatives.This was book marked from here and the coconut milk mango combination worked really yum.The pops needs to melt down slightly to taste the actual flavors as the coconut milk tends to be hard when freezed.You can style your pops in your desired styles.This is a fun project to do with kids and in fact they remember to do layers perfectly.I just added alternate layers or you may just use mango puree and make mango pops.Or even try out different fruit flavor with coconut milk as the mango season is almost over.I have used canned coconut milk but I think fresh coconut milk will add on to the tastes.Try these and enjoy !!

Preparation time~20 minutes
Serves~6-8 (depending on the size of the moulds)
Ingredients
for 1st layer
mango 2 cups (diced 1 cup)
orange juice 1/3 cup

for second layer
canned coconut milk 1 can / coconut milk 400 ml
sugar 2tbsp
low fat yogurt, 2tbsp

Method

• If you are using fresh mangoes, then wash, peel and chop the mangoes.Blend in a blender until smooth (if you need water to blend then add the orange juice listed) or just add orange juice to the purée.Mix well.(I didn't add any sugar to the mango purée, as the mangoes were very sweet.But if you wish to add sugar, can add at this point).Mix well and add a tbsp in each of the popsicle mould.Freeze the popsicle mould for 15 mins.
• In the meantime, mix the coconut milk with the beaten yogurt and sugar.Combine well.Add this as a second layer by adding a tbsp in each of the moulds.Freeze again for 15 mins.
• After you reach half of the mould, instil the sticks in the centre and similarly keep repeating the layers until you finish filling the moulds.Freeze overnight or 3–4 hours until set.
• Hold the moulds over the tap to pour water on the outside for 30 secs.Twist and turn the sticks to remove.Serve !!
  

NOTES
* Adding yogurt to coconut milk adds a tangy flavour and smoothens the coconut milk. Use condensed milk instead of yogurt and sugar for a simpler version.
* If you don't have popsicle moulds, then just use small steel tumblers or disposable cups.Add ice cream sticks instead.Cover the glass with a cling wrap or aluminium foil piercing through the sticks.
* Orange juice enhances the colour with mangoes as well as adds a tanginess.Use lemon juice instead, too. Adding orange juice is optional.

* You can just use condensed milk instead of oranges in the mango layer for a sweeter version.

RELATED POSTS
* Strawberry popsicles
* Cantaloupe Strawberry Pops
* Cucumber Lime Pops

Enjoy !!!

Butterscotch Ice Cream | Indian Style Butter Scotch Icecream(Step by Step Pics) | Summer Treats

Summers are the best time for all ice creams,ice pops,smoothie,drinks and much more.Kids being at home these days demand all sorts of ice creams and ice pops.And in a way I feel relaxed and happy to make for them as by making this at home,I can be assured of the ingredients that goes in them and they love the homemade ice creams just like store brought.This is the butter scotch ice cream that we get in India.The ice cream has a natural light yellow color after freezing from the addition of caramelized nuts(I have omitted adding color but if you add a pinch of yellow,it goes to the perfect store brought ice cream) which I loved the flavor very much.The other day when I saw the recipe I couldn't stop trying this and all loved this very much.The biggest concern was to click pics before it starts to melt down.Kids had the ice cream in ice cream cones and my elder son's compliment was-'I had the best ice cream ever and a yummy ice cream treat too'.What else makes you a happy mom?? Do try and get ready to get all good compliments on your ice cream.

Preparation time~30 minutes
Freezing time~overnight
Serves ~6-8 scoops
Ingredients
heavy cream 1.5 cups
powdered sugar 3-5tbsp
butterscotch chips 1/3 cups(optional)
vanilla essence /butterscotch essence 1tsp
milk powder 2tbsp

for praline
sugar 1/3 cup
roughly chopped cashew 1.5tbsp
roughly chopped almonds 1.5tbsp

Method

• Place the bowl and in the freezer for 15-20 mins before you start whipping the cream.Add the heavy cream in the bowl and add powdered sugar.Beat until soft peaks.Add the butterscotch eesence or vanilla essence and milk powder.Mix well.Freeze for 2hours.

• Heat a pan and add the sugar for making praline.In a tray,line parchment paper and keep ready.Wait till the sugar starts to dissolves,then using a spatula mix this well.Reduce the flame and wait till it turns golden brown.Add the roughly chopped nuts,mix well.Switch off flame and work quick to transfer the mixture to the parchment paper.Try spreading as much as you can and leave the rest just like that.Wait to cool down completely(it becomes hard like a rock).Break this in pieces and add to the blender.Coarsely powder the praline by just pulsing once or twice(Mine was more powdered so reserved a little praline to get the crunch and butter scotch chips complimented well but I feel the coarse powder and broken pieces does add a little crunch to the ice cream).

• Now,remove the whipped cream from freezer and add the powdered praline(reserve a small amount for garnish)and add butter scotch chips (if using)..Mix well and refreeze for 6 hours.Remove from freezer and mix well.Refreeze over night until nicely set.

• Garnish with few more butter scotch chips and powdered praline and serve chilled in ice cream cups/cones or serving bowls.

NOTES
* I used sugar but you can use condensed milk too.
* If you wish to make the copycat of Indian version,add a pinch of yellow food color too.I omitted the color but taste wise its perfect.
* The recipe is from here but tweaked slightly as per our tastes.

Cantaloupe(Musk Melon)- Strawberry Popsicle | Summer Treats

Popsicles are so easy to make and hardly require any expertize to prepare.They can be made with any fruits and vegetables of your choice with the natural colors.Though kids eat cantaloupes but they don't favor this much.So,I decided to sneak this in as popsicle with a tiny bits of strawberries.This really worked and now they have started to demand cantaloupes as popsicle 'Only',no eating just like that.Ultimately my work is increased but still if they nod a 'yes' to eating this way as popsicle,am happy feeding them as a mom too.Do you agree,moms?? Cantaloupes are readily available in summers and popsicles are best for this weather too.Just to add a few more benefits of trying cantaloupes,they are an excellent source of vitamin A,beta carotene(which helps prevent colon,prostate and many other cancers) and has moderate amounts of potassium.Hope you all love this summer treat,enjoy with your loved ones!!

Preparation time~ 10 minutes
Cooking time~nil
Serves~4 popsicles
Ingredients
cantaloupe puree 2 cups
strawberry 4 hulled and sliced
sugar if needed

Method

• Wash and peel the cantaloupe.Dice it in cubes.Blend the chopped cantaloupe smooth and add sugar if needed,mix well.(I added half a tsp of sugar in kids popsicles just to make it tempting for them but otherwise didn't add any sugar for us).
• Add the blended puree in 1/4 portion,cover and freeze for 1 hour.After an hour,add sliced or chopped strawberries in the cup and pour the remaining puree in all the molds to fill them.
• Cover with a cling wrap and insert ice cream sticks in the center piercing through the cling wrap(so that it stays in position).If using popsicle molds with sticks in them,then there is no need of covering with cling wrap and ice cream sticks.
• Freeze over night or a minimum of 5-6 hours until set.Once set,dip the mold /glass in hot water or under tap water for 45 secs.Twist and loosen slightly holding the stick and pull out.Enjoy immediately before it starts to melt down.

NOTES
* I just used steel tumblers,covered with cling wrap and inserted ice cream sticks.Or use disposable glasses with ice cream sticks,both works fine.
* You can avoid using strawberries and make it plain too.

Related posts
*Cantaloupe Icecream
*Strawberry Popsicles
*Strawberry Icecream