Watermelon Aqua Fresca

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Homemade Ginger Ale

Grate the ginger very fine, place the pulp in a paper towel and carefully squeeze the juice out. Place the lemon juice, sugar and ginger juice in a large glass and stir in 3 oz of the club soda to dissolve the sugar. Fill the glass with the ice and slowly stir in the rest of the cold club soda.

Made from chunks of fresh fruit, ice and sugar, aqua fresca is the most refreshing beverage to drink during the summer time. This "fresh water" is generally found in Central American/ Mexican markets, bodegas and taquerias and is blended fresh for each order. They come in various flavors like melon, watermelon, mango, strawberry, coconut, guava, passion fruit, kiwi and pineapple. If your are luck and ask really nicely they will mix up the flavors up for you.

Try this simple recipe below and stay refreshed through the hot summer months. You can also add any kind of fresh of frozen fruit to this mix and make it your own.

Now Get Crackin'! Chef Egg

Mango Aqua Fresca

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes or unit the ice has melted.

Protein Pineapple Power Smoothie

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth

My all time favorite summer beverage is Sonic's sparkling strawberry limeade. I am not a fast food fan and let get this straight, Sonic's food is horrible but, of the one hundred original drinks they serve, the limeade line is the absolute best.

I usually stop at Sonic during the summer months for this tasty beverage. After one visit on an especially hot day it struck me that I could make this nectar of the gods at home and for very little money.

The recipe below makes a 1 pint serving and cost less than a dollar. The best part about this drink is that it is basically a fresh strawberry daiquiri and can be made for kids and adults. Just add a shot of vodka, rum or flavored fruit liquors to really get the party started.

You will find the strawberries in sugar syrup ($2.99) and limeade ($1.99) in the frozen isle of your grocery store. You can use any kind of sparkling water for this recipe; I find that canned seltzer or club soda work the best because they both have big effervescent bubbles that last. I just got a soda stream so I got fizzy bubbly for days!

Sonic's Sparkling Strawberry Limeade

Place the ice, strawberries and limeade in a pint glass. Squeeze the lime in the glass then throw it in. Stir in the ice cold seltzer and enjoy. You can add more or less limeade to suit your taste.