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Lime, Salt, Ice, and Heidi Swanson (Giveaway)

May 3, 2011   75 Comments

Spring is here and Snack Girl is revving up her blender. My neighbors are a bit annoyed :)

Super Natural Every Day - Heidi Swanson

Do you want to hear something sad? A FOUR ounce frozen margarita is 180 calories (do you know anyone who drinks a 4 ounce margarita?).

And, while I love frozen alcoholic drinks, they are not exactly the best choice on a hot day when you have two small children running around.

Why is mommy passed out in that lawn chair with a drink umbrella on her face?

So, I turned to my latest favorite cookbook,"Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen" by Heidi Swanson. If you don't know Heidi Swanson, you should.

She has an amazing blog, 101 Cookbooks, that focusses on natural, whole foods and contains stunning food photos. Her book reflects the blog and is a great one to own as a healthy eating resource.

Heidi Swanson was also kind enough to talk to Snack Girl (before she became Snack Girl) about food blogging - and she has inspired this website. She has over 1/2 million people visit her site every month, and I am sure she has inspired many people to change to a healthier lifestyle. Thanks for all your hard work, Heidi!

Back to the drink! So, she put together lime, salt, ice, honey, and CUCUMBER! This drink is like a "mock" margarita in that it has the salty, limey, sweetness and the consistency of a margarita. Of course, it is lacking in tequila - but in its place you have the healthy cucumber.

Did I miss the tequila? A little :) What I didn't miss was all those calories and this drink is seriously refreshing. It is quick to make and great for a crowd.

Ten Speed Press is giving away a copy of "Super Natural Every Day" to a Snack Girl reader.

Comment below on your ideas for a "mock" alcoholic drink to enter to win a copy of Super Natural Every Day.


Cucumber Cooler Recipe

Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Photo credit: Heidi Swanson © 2011

From Heidi:
I serve these fragrant pale-green cucumber coolers in short vintage water glasses. Think of the coolers as refreshing, nonalcoholic slushies, punctuated with a pop of lime. I try to seek out lemon cucumbers, but English cucumbers do the job as well. You can make a pitcher and store it in the refrigerator up to an hour ahead of time, just give a good stir before serving.

(makes 1 large pitcher)

1 cucumber (10 ounces, 280 g), partially peeled
1/2 cup/120 ml cold water
3 cups /710 ml ice cubes (about 1 1/2 trays)
1/3 cup/80 ml mild honey
Juice of 1/2 lime, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

In a blender, combine the cucumber, water, ice, honey, lime juice and salt. Pulse until completely smooth and frosty, and free of any ice chunks or honey globs. Taste and add more lime juice, if you like. Serve in a large glass pitcher or individual glasses.

For one serving (4 servings in pitcher) 97 calories, 0.1 g fat, 26 g carbohydrates, 0.6 g protein, 0 g fiber, 3 mg sodium, 3 Points+


What will I win?
A copy of Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson.

How do I enter?
Comment below on your ideas for a "mock" alcoholic drink.

Additional Ways To Enter:

  1. Follow Snack-Girl on FaceBook. Comment on the FB page on your "mock" alcoholic drink.
  2. Follow Snack-Girl on Twitter and Tweet this post (use the Tweet Button in the Share Box at the top of this post).
Snack-Girl can follow and count all the additional entries using magical website tools.

Am I eligible to enter?
This giveaway is offered to US residents only.

When do I find out if I am the winner?
The winner will be announced on May 10th, 2011. You will have 2 weeks to e-mail us back with your home address so we can mail the prize.

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Get Your Spring On With This Vegetable


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First 20 Comments: ( See all 75 )

I love this idea, I always forget to use fresh cukes for drinks when they arrive in the garden. :)

I love cucumber - I'll have to give this a try. If it ever warms up.... (Where is spring???)

Mmm.. sounds yummy! In Central America I have often ordered watermelon juice, which is just cold watermelon in a blender (maybe with ice?). It looks like a fancy drink and is very refreshing!

What a great drink idea!

I wonder if I could maybe make Virgin Bloody Mary popsicles? Kind of like a gazpacho on a stick? LOL

lol... well since I don't drink alcohol I guess all my drinks are "mock" alcoholic! But I think kombucha tea is really refreshing, especially on a hot summer tea and I've heard people remark that they think it has a sort of a "mock" alcoholic taste!

I would have to make a mock pina colada using fresh pineapple, bananas, and pineapple juice with some light coconut milk.

I love making "spa water"- letting cucumbers sit in a pitcher of water for a day. Add a bit of soda water, and it's a perfect drink for a sunny afternoon.

sounds refreshing! I like any kind of juice (cranberry, pomegranate, etc.) with selzer for a "mock" cocktail.

I'd love to find something to be a mock Gin and tonic! It's one of my favorite drinks, but I don't really need or want alcohol all the time just to feel refreshed.

I'm looking forward to trying this recipe this weekend!

My idea is for a super light and refreshing mock pina colada, minus all the heaviness of coconut milk, but still with coconut flavor. I blend pineapple juice (I like Dole 100% pineapple juice from the refrigerator section at the market, next to the OJ) with coconut water (Zico or any other brand) and ice. It is delish and very refreshing. Let me know what you think!

Sounds delicious - I forget about using cucumbers in drinks too - I may have to add a little tequilla to this just to try it that way! LOL

What a great recipe! I love the frozen fruit concentrates (even the bacardi frozen drink concentrates) mixed with seltzer... yum!

My standby is 1/2 cranberry juice, 1/2 club soda and a splash of lime.

I love margaritas, but the calories are a killer. Can't wait to try this.

i love her blog! the recipes are great.

my favorite "mocktail" is to use sparkling water, fresh lime, and muddled strawberries. it's so refreshing!

I love watermelon slushies with fresh mint.

I like to throw fresh strawberries, honey and ice in a blender. I pour it in glass with some seltzer water for a refreshing backyard drink! Super easy!

A drink I love that is wonderful on hot days is a mango lassi. Not so much a mock alcoholic drink, but it does feel like an indulgence.

I think this just might be the drink I've been looking for! Can't wait to try it out!

I bet it would be easy to make a pina colada and not miss the alcohol. Just ice, coconut milk, and pineapple!

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