Pioneer Woman: Cherry Limeade

Totally not something we'd typically drink, but I was absolutely game for it.  (Actually, I wanted to make the adult version, but had no one to really sit and sip with -- it's packing time over here so there's not much time to sit and sip, and Mick's not a big fruity-drink kinda guy.)

Anyway.

PW Cherry Limeade

Verdict:  Yummy!  Definitely a nice summer treat, and with a little carbonation to differentiate it.
Make it again: Probably.
Cost factor:  Not bad, as drinks go.  A jar of cherries was the biggest expense.  But it did contain stuff we had to shop for specifically.

OKay.  So the other day in the midst of all our moving and packing chaos, Mick and I took the kids with us to the grocery store.  I told him I wanted/needed to go to Publix.  Now, Mick and I disagree on which Publix is best.  When I shop by myself, I go to my Publix.  It's bigger.  It has a better selection.  Most importantly, I know where stuff is, so I can shop efficiently.  But Mick was driving, and he missed the turn to my Publix, so we went to his.  Grrrr.

This recipe calls for one cup of fresh lime juice, and a 2-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda.  We don't typically drink soda -- or at least, at home.  (I know.  I practically have an IV of Pepsi at times.  But I drink only from cans, and only in spurts.  And Mick, despite his ability to drink 8443549235731 cups of Diet Coke whenever we sit down at a restaurant, doesn't keep DC at home.)  So, we're typically soda-less.  I like Sprite and 7-Up, but we just don't drink it.  I know, I know.  We're weird like that.  Trust me, it's not a health thing.  See earlier Pepsi reference and -- if you know me in real life -- the sweet tea that is attached to me at all times!

All that is to say, we didn't have a soda preference.  7-Up was on sale, so we went with The Uncola.  Mmmmm. 

Problem was, the "bad" Publix didn't have much going on by way of limes.  No, really.  This has been a theme of ours lately, entire stores not having what we need!

This was the only lime in the store, according to Mick.

Being ever-brilliant, my sweet husband did the next best thing, and grabbed a "squeezy bottle" of lime.

 BUT ... dum dum dummmmmm, I didn't pay attention to how much juice it yielded, and if you've ever shopped with Mick you know not to make too many vague "please run and get" requests, or he gets frustrated.  (Much like my future brother-in-law, who, one time in Alabama was asked by Courtney to run to Publix to "get potato salad."  Not knowing which flavor to get, he came back with five pounds of potato salad.  One of each. Just in case.  Totally something Mick would do -- and which he's done with other stuff, but not nearly as funnily!)

Well, don'tcha know that instead of getting the full cup of lime juice, we only got 2/3 of a cup!

Aw, no worries. The recipe called for one cup of lime juice, one cup of sugar and one two-liter bottle of soda.  It was easy enough to break out this bad boy to measure the sugar.

I didn't even have to think "fractions," which actually made me sad, because -- well, because I am me, really -- I quite enjoy manipulating recipes and having to work with bizarre fractions!

Back on track.  I approximated the soda, and used the entire jar of cherries minus the two or five that I may have eaten before I put them in the canister.  I won't tell. And then, I may or may not have said, "oh, who cares" and dumped in the rest of the soda, too.  So we might have been low on lime juice, high on soda.  I can't say it seemed to matter.

I didn't have a fancy pitcher or container at the ready, so I broke out this one -- one I purchased on clearance to turn into a bubbles dispenser for the kids.  (We hadn't yet put it to that use, though.)  Anyway, I bought a red bubbles jug, so you can't really see the pretty color of the limeade.

You'd think with all the beers I've poured in my life that I'd have remembered to pour the soda down the side of the jug.  Nope.  Just a modest bit of head on this!

The addition of the cherries and the lime slices toned that foam right down, and I am happy to say that the limeade was yummy!  The kids, who love all things sweet but don't drink soda, didn't really care for it -- CAM drank a few sips and said it was good, but didn't come back for any more.  I'm thinking it was the carbonation that did her in.  

Mmmm.  No fruit made it into my glass, but this was cold and delicious!

(Wow, my glass looks filthy!  I promise it was clean and film-free!)

PW Version:

Note the pretty serving jar!

Our final product:

Ah, much better with the bubbles all gone!

I'd say it was a success, and I'll add this advice:

Next time:  vodka.

--Jen

Pin It