Find Relief From the Heat with Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothies and Mint Mojitos

Summer hasn’t arrived yet, and we are already in the midst of our second heat wave. Temperatures are expected to reach near 99 degrees today, and the air is thick with humidity. I find myself daydreaming of frozen cocktails and a dip in the ocean. Since it is only early afternoon and I am not on a tropical vacation, I’ll stick to a refreshing frozen fruit smoothie and will save the cocktail for this evening when my girlfriends stop over for happy hour and mojitos by the pool.

I bought a KitchenAid 5 Speed blender this winter and discovered that it makes spectacular smoothies and frozen drinks. Popular Mechanics sold me on this blender after they tested high-end blenders and found that the KitchenAid KSB560 outperformed the others. I am delighted with it and am pleased with all aspects of its performance. It works wonders on ice cubes and frozen fruit. I even discovered a way to make mint mojitos with it.

I experiment with my smoothies and try to vary ingredients as much as possible to keep the flavors fresh and interesting. I use fresh and frozen fruit equally, but noticed flavors tend to be more intense with frozen fruit. This is simply due to ice diluting the intensity of ingredients. The more frozen fruit you use, the fewer ice cubes you need.

Following are two quick and delicious blender drink recipes. Both are ice-cold and are welcome refreshments for a hot summer day.

Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 cup chilled pomegranate cranberry juice (100% juice variety)
• 1/2 cup chilled coconut milk

Place all of these ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Immediately pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

This blueberry pomegranate smoothie is rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Fresh Mint Mojitos for Two

• 5 cups ice cubes
• 2 cups limeade (frozen concentrate variety, prepared as directed on can)
• 4 oz. rum (use your favorite kind: clear, lemon-flavored, spiced, or golden)
• club soda
• fresh mint leaves from 3 or 4 large sprigs

Pour 2 oz. of rum into each of two tall glasses. Place the ice, limeade, and mint leaves in a blender. Using the pulse mode, lightly crush the ice for a few seconds. Immediately pour into the two glasses and shake or stir. The mojitos taste delicious as they are or topped with a splash of club soda and garnished with a stick of sugar cane. Cheers!

Note: I think this mint mojito recipe is as enjoyable as a traditional Cuban mojito made with simple syrup and freshly squeezed lime juice. What I like about this version is the simplicity of it. Balancing simple syrup and lime juice are so important for a perfect mojito. With limeade, you guarantee the perfect balance, and you do not have to squeeze limes. Not to mention, it takes mere seconds to mix up a pitcher of limeade.