Strawberry Lemon Orange Frappe

I love a cool drink on a hot day, but a refreshing drink like this one is a true treat.  Its so fun to do something a little more special, just for no reason at all, or if people are coming over.  This would be a perfect drink to serve during the warmer days of the year. 

I absolutely love lemons, and grew up with a lemon tree in the back yard.  When I think back, it makes me realize just how lucky we were.  I love to garden, and now I know how hard it is to grow things sometimes.  I would give anything for that lemon tree!  We got fresh juice from lemons all the time, but here is the real kicker.  We didn't hardly pay that tree any attention at all.  We never pruned, or fertilized it, and never watered it.  Go figure, that we had too many lemons to know what to do with!  We would make a great mess in the backyard on a bored summer day, trying to come up with a drinkable lemonade.  It was so sour, and I have happy memories of our first few attempts.  We would try to sqeeze enough juice for a glass of "lemonade" for my friends and myself.  We didn't know you needed to add water!  Pure lemon juice, no matter how much sugar you add, will just make you pucker and make funny faces!  At any rate, this yummy beverage includes fresh lemon juice. Its so healthy for you with the strawberries and orange juice as well.

Ingredients:

4 Oranges, sqeezed for their juice. (roll palm over orange on table, to get the juices inside ready to release for when you do sqeeze it.)

2 Lemons, juiced

Eight to 10 Strawberries, fresh preferred, but frozen strawberries are great for this as well

three or four ice cubes

grated rind of lemon

grated rind of orange

In a good blender, combine all the ingredients, and blend together until good and frothy.  Should be smooth.

To serve, pour into fun glasses, and serve with a wedge of lemon, orange, or a sprig of mint. 

As if I needed another reason to drink this fun drink, here are just a few reasons lemons are good for you.  Add to this, the value of strawberries and oranges!

Lemons are obviously low in calories, but packed with flavor and health benefits.  No saturated fats or cholesterol, but rich in fiber.   The citric acid inside, is a natural preservative and aids in digestion.  Some studies have shown that it helps dissolve kidney stones. 

Vitamins A and C are found in lemons which are powerful water soluble anti oxidants.  We all need more of that in our diets.  We have heard often that it helps us to avoid scurvy, but did you know lemons are good for your blood?  They can help your body develop resistance to infectious agents, and also help fight against harmful free radicals in your blood.  Vitamin B complex is also found in lemons, along with other much needed minerals like iron, potassium, calcium and copper.