?So what else will you drink

I have a debt of honor from the last time I wrote to you. 

I so want to tell you about all the new things that have arrived to the garden – the tiny grapes that crackle in the mouth in unisonsinging  “Tastes like in the good ol days"! but I clearly remember promising to write about additionalavailable delicious drinksduring this challenging hot season (as well as for our plants, fruits and vegetables – may they live long and prosper and provide us with delicious blessings and lots of good vitamins, Amen) of July- August.

As I raked my brain for the best recommendations for you, it occurred to me that I neglected to mention the options that were most obvious, delicious, healthy and available. The first of which is to prepare fruit juices at home (you can also ask us when you are in the store and we will be happy to prepare the juice of your choice!).

For anyone who has a juicer suitable for hard fruit – the sky is the limit, and a most delicious limit indeed. Beginners can go for the classic combination of apple and almost anything (carrots, celery, beets in small quantities, and don’t be alarmed by the color of your pee, you are not going to die any minute). The slightly more advanced and daring levels can combine a whole lemon with apple, a little ginger (justa little) and some greens. Really tasty.

Those who want to share all this goodness with children who tend to frown upon bold combinations are presented with two options: One, let them do the juicing.

Sometimes they are so fascinated by the process that they do not care what goes inside. The second – be sure to maintain 90% apple juice and no suspicious coloring (like beets or celery), unless you managed to conceal them at the bottom of the glass, leaving no traces of foam on top. Add a few ice cubes – and voila! Deliciousness.

Sometimes it's so good that you considertaking it with you to work just to show colleagues what they're missing (I'm in favor of this type of missionaries!). If you have a little left, you can also make popsicles – especially if the kids had you make watermelon-grape juice.

Another and quite similar option is the smoothie option, which may also contain quite a bit of liquid. The principle is the same principle – you choose combinations that you like, mix the ingredients together and drink.

The advantage of a smoothie, over the juice, is that nothing is left out of the glass, we drink all the health and nutritional value in its entirety. Another advantage is that you can control it’s consistency.

If you like to eat your smoothie with a spoon – do not add anything beyond the basic ingredients. If you like it have it slowly flow from the glass into your mouth, you can add some liquids like milk or oatmeal, soy or almond milks, or even juice – depending on what blends best with the other flavors.

If you like drinking through a straw (compostale or reusable of course) – add lots of liquid. Here, too, you can go wild with the combinations – I really like banana-date-oatmeal-shredded cocoa beans, with or without a drop of tahini.

On days when avocados are looking good, I combine half an avocado with half a banana, oatmeal, cinnamon and some vanilla extract (real and organic of course) – and it's amazing how delicious it is. The only downside is that sometimes it doesn’t feel like it's “drinking”, it feels more like “eating”.

For dessert – the big secret that can be prepared at home with fruit juices is a lively and delicious drink called "Kombucha" or "Tea Mushroom". If you can find someone who will give you some of this wonderful mushroom (which is not a mushroom, or fungus, at all but looks like an alien in a jar), all you have to do is feed it sweet black tea, wait a week and transfer the liquid to a new bottle with the fruit juice of your choice.

After another week or so you get anactive and tingling juice, deliciously tasty, and probiotic on a crazy level (if that interests you, let me know and I will write more about this fun thing). How delicious? A friend told me that her son thought it was Coca cola–which, for her, is practically the ultimate victory on junk food.

Yours,