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 :)

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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