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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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75 Comments:

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!

I don't drink alcohol...but I love using melon with carbonated water. Any kind of melon: Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon are all awesome! And the book sounds amazing!

I make mock strawberry daquiris without the alochol all the time :) I would LOVE to win this book!

I liked you on FB!

Looks yummy! I would love to try making a "mock" drink with fresh orange slices, limes, and then add it to pierre water or the like.

I am easy - I like to take those fancy flavored sodas, pour some over ice and garnish with a wedge of lime. I call it my "mocktail!"

Cocktails all basically serve to mask the flavor of alcohol anyway so I just make mocktails using sparkling h20, crystal light, & berries. put it in a pretty glass & slap on a drunk grin.

I follow Heidi's blog!

One of my favorite summer time refreshers is blending crystal light rasberry ice mix with some water ice and served with a twist of lime.

I love water with any type of fresh fruit (or squeeze of lemon) and/or crystal light.

Thanks for the great idea! I rarely drink margaritas due to the calorie count (well that and the whole mommy passed out in the lawn chair thing! lol)

A mock mojito is sounding pretty good right now!

This drink sounds delicious! I would definitely have to try some form of a "Nada Colada" as Chi-Chi's restaurant used to call them! Pineapple juice (maybe some frozen pineapple?), coconut milk, ice cubes... hmmmm Sounds yummy!

Can I still enter if I don't have a mock alcoholic beverage? x___x

I'm addicted to bubbly water (seltzer water from safeway, which has no calories and no sodium either! or just make my own with my lovely Sodastream~~) so for a while i would mix it with orange juice to make it less sweet, but has that bubbly kick! :D

Ginger ale, pineapple juice and frozen cubes of orange juice.

I make a mock caesar. Mix calmatoe juice,limes juice,tobasco and pour over ice. You can also rim the glass with lime and salt.

I like to experiment with spa waters. Fresh filtered water(I hate that chlorine taste) infused with any of the following: fresh fruit slices, cucumbers, citrus, mint, lavender, ginger. Let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

I follow Snack Girl on Twitter and I tweeted!

I follow Snack Girl on FB and I commented on the FB page re: my mocktail!

This sounds delish! Thanks SG! Fruit juice mixed with iced unseet tea is all i need for a refreshing pick-me-up. Sandra Lee made a raspberry lemonade cocktail/mocktail on her "money saving meals" show the other day that i want to try sometime soon - she made her own sweet raspberry juice/sauce from frozed raspberries and added it to homemade, fresh lemonade. YUM-O!

I made some mock cocktails (mocktails?) for a pregnant friend that were just cranberry juice, soda water, and squeeze of lime. You could really use any kind of juice/soda/fruit in a fun glass whenever you want to abstain from booze:)

Frozen strawberry drink or pina colada. I'm a big strawberry frozen granita person.

Wasn't too surprised at all that you like Heidi Swanson too! Very glad for both your blogs. A gin & tonic option would be fun - the tonic's probably low calories, but what else would get the kind of herbal flavor of the gin?

diet 7up with a splash of pomegranate juice...yum!

Great idea...Since I started working out, I pretty much gave up alcoholic beverages. I do miss margaritas, though. It would also be good to have the other natual recipes to go along with the margaritas as well. I may even do a "super natural" cookout this summer and include the margarita...

I love - love - LOVE Heidi!!

Strawberries, watermelon, and lime - lots of lime, blended with a bit of sparkling mineral water and served with a sprig of mint. There's my mocktail!! Agave Nectar if you need it...

Love crystal light any flavor with a squeeze of lemon or lime to add a fresh flavor without all the calories and don't forget a pretty glass and a colorful straw doesn't hurt either ENJOY!!!!

I love Horchata. It's made from oatmeal and no alcohol, so it's actually super good for you! It's made in South America and my husband made it for me a day. YUM! This recipe that's featured also sounds great!

Green tea chilled, kiwi, blended with ice and served with a strawberry slice. I some times add a honey drizzle on the rim of the glass if I want more sweetness. I think the kiwi is enough.

My girlfriends swears green tea and cucumber work well but I can't stop making the kiwi version!

I love mixing diffrent fruits like rasberries or strawberries or whatever your favorite fruit is with lime to make diffent limeades cherries are also great

I love to blend up some coconut milk, pineapple & banana for a mock pina colada!! Yum!

I like to take seltzer and mix it with different juices depending on my mood.. but after reading the other posts I am looking forward to using these new ideas! I would love this new cookbook! Thx Snack Girl!

yum

This sounds good. I haven't ever tried a drink with cucumbers in it, but I bet they are good with the lime. I think I'd try adding a bit of strawberry to it, but that might make the color a bit unpalatable. I guess I'll need to experiment!

Cukes with watermelon would be amazing methinks :)

That sounds delicious. My blended gave up the ghost last fall so I have to get my you know what in gear and buy a new one so I can try these ideas!! Yummers!

My favorite is Odwalla grapefruit juice (a couple of oz), club soda and fresh squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 a limes worth) w/ a lot of ice. Very refreshing and not very sweet, which is my preference.

I just made Cranberry Coolers for our family the other night: 100% Cranberry Juice, juice of a lime, a little grenadine and some raspberry-flavored club soda. Everybody loved it, and I would LOVE that book!! ;-)

My favorite mocktail is cranberry juice mixed with Fresca. Even the people who usually drink alcohol will drink it.

This isn't really a "mock" alcoholic drink, but there is something called Skinny Girl Margherita by Bethany Frankel that's sold in most liquor stores. It only has about 100 calories per 4-ounce serving. Also, Applebee's has a few "Skinny Bee" drinks that are all under 110 calories for good sized drinks.

It's already been said, but I became absolutely addicted to seltzer or club soda with a splash of OJ or cranberry juice when I was pregnant. It really does give me (almost) the same satisfaction as a screwdriver or vodka cranberry.

anything with orange juice is a good mock cocktail :)

I'm following you on twitter and I tweeted about it!

I love to add ginger juice, made by the ginger people to sparkling water with a fresh squeeze of lemon.....well mixed and over ice.....yum!

thanks for the chance to win

Spring is almost around the corner for me. For a mock cocktail, something with juice, like pomegranite or cranberry juice for tartness. Lime/lemon juice, and water to keep it from making your lips pucker like crazy. Then some fruit: watermelon, kiwi, etc (olives, even maybe)

I love this idea and can't wait to try it. I want to see a "mocktail" with rhubarb...non that you have me addicted!

I can't wait to try this mocktail since I also abstain from alcohol. It sounds delicious and I love cucumbers!

I mix coconut milk with pinapple juice in a blender and *pour over* crushed ice! (the pour and crushed very important). it's great fake rita-makings

A mint julep is my favorite sunny day, backyard drink, but I'm not a fan of all the sugar. My 'healthy' version is to brew up strong mint tea, add lemon juice and chill. Then I mix it with sparkling water and pour over ice. If company is coming I use ginger ale instead of sparkling water.

I love anything Heidi makes - can't wait to check out her book!

To make "mock"tails, I generally replace clear alcohols with sparkling soda. Soda-pineapple-lime is particularly refreshing to me right now. :)

I generally go for the real shebang but I do an ice tea/fruit sort of non-booze sangria for my kids. I'd love to be considered for the book.

This sounds awesome! I don't drink alcohol anymore and usually am quite happy with water with cucumber and/or citrus fruits. Refreshing on a hot day and I forget that I can't have an ice cold beer anymore. :)

I love adding cucumbers to ice water! I also enjoy watermelon juice whenever I can get it/make it!

I don't know that it's really a cocktail but we make mock grape soda by mixing 2 ounces of 100% grape juice with 4 oz of soda water.

Love your blog and Heidi's!!!!

I've been liking tequila lately, so this recipe is right up my alley. Thank you. I can't wait to try it, without the tequila. It has inspired me to suggest a cucumber-tomato-celery-hot sauce blender drink, a la Bloody Mary without the vodka. Cheers!

Love this one! I'm trying it out today!

My recipe is an old Indian refresher we use in the sultry summer months: It's a blend of crushed ice, a glass of water, handful of crushed mint, sugar and lemon juice (to taste). You can substitute the sugar with honey if you don't want the excess calories. I also recommend a dash of 'rock salt' for added flavor and roasted cumin seed powder for it's digestive qualities. This is also an instant electrolyte boost if you're feeling low on energy. enjoy! :)

Watermelon & Mint agua frescas made by blending chilled watermelon, mint leaves and water. Delicious and refreshing!

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