Guzzle this. I dare you.

An ad came up recently for a product that helps encourage people to drink more water, which got me thinking about the topic for this particular post. I’m still finding it difficult to encourage myself to drink enough water every day, even with teas and soups. The recommended daily intake isn’t quite 8 glasses of 8 ounces a day. It actually varies between genders, age groups, and levels of activity (here’s a handy table). Thing is, I’m certain that my intake is still less than what’s needed. There were some ingredients in the fridge that I haven’t used very often. One of them is mazaher, or orange blossom water (because the fridge is strange and wondrous and global like that). I used to work in a Middle Eastern food store, and saw it was always used in the syrup for baklava (the owners and other workers in the store were of Lebanese and Syrian descent, if I remember correctly, so they pronounced it but-la-oh-eh). It has a lovely fragrance, a bit like the jasmine in jasmine green tea, and makes an interesting addition to vinaigrettes, especially those that are going over a salad with orange segments… and once again, I am massively digressing. Back to the point: water intake. I’m still using the hydration advice from earlier, with lemon juice and honey mixed into water; but lately, I just needed something to make it more interesting. As another means to that end, there’s a second ingredient that’s been in the fridge a while but hasn’t been used: grenadine. (Because I enjoy Shirley Temples. Don’t care that they’re the kind of drinks you send a biker to start a bar fight, they’re still awesome.) Ended up putting that in as well, though the nutritional benefit probably isn’t as great. (I’ve tried several sources to incorporate grenadine into the calculations for this recipe. Splat all luck there…) So here you go - something that’s reawakened my interest in making mad scientist concoctions with whatever’s available. Just threw these things together to see if they work out. I think this drink does, even if it does end up being neon fuchsia pink. mazaher 2 T honey 4 T lemon or lime juice 1/4 cup grenadine 4 T water 1 L or 32 oz. Combine in a large container and shake to the beat of Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon. Drink the container dry twice a day (three times if you’re pregnant or a guy - come on, tough guys drink pink things too). If the container has markings to indicate volume, it’s also a handy way of monitoring how much you’ve drunk (I’m not swear); so between that and what liquid there is in your food, you should be pretty well covered. For the nutritional info, I used lime juice (because I think it tastes better with the mazaher), and doubled the amount of honey (because while grenadine’s a bit of a sweetener, it’s an ingredient not in my usual calculator).

Portions: 1

Recipe Cost: $2.83 Food Groups: Amount Per Portion Fruits ¼ cup(s) Fruit Juice ¼ cup(s) Limits: Amount Per Portion Total Calories 524 Calories Added Sugars 526 Calories Saturated Fat 0 Calories Nutrients: Amount Per Portion Protein 1 g Carbohydrate 143 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Total Sugars 139 g Added Sugars 131 g Total Fat 0 g Saturated Fat 0 g Monounsaturated Fat 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g Linoleic Acid 0 g α-Linolenic Acid 0.0 g Omega 3 - EPA 0 mg Omega 3 - DHA 0 mg Cholesterol 0 mg Minerals: Amount Per Portion Calcium 46 mg Potassium 134 mg Sodium 54 mg Copper 174 µg Iron 1 mg Magnesium 17 mg Phosphorus 13 mg Selenium 1 µg Zinc 1 mg Vitamins: Amount Per Portion Vitamin A 1 µg RAE Vitamin B6 0.1 mg

Vitamin C 5 mg

Folate 8 µg DFE

Riboflavin 0.1 mg

Choline 7 mg