Hydration Challenge: Orange, Basil and Grape-Infused Water

January 18, 2016

I’m still plugging away at my attempt to drink more water. It’s been pretty chilly out, though, so I’ve been alternating my infused water with cups of hot tea (decaf) with lemon. I still sneak a Diet Coke a few times a week, but I don’t feel too guilty about that because I used to be flat-out addicted to the stuff. When I think of all the Diet Coke I slugged down during my college years, it sort of makes me cringe. Yeesh. Then again, isn’t what the college years are all about? The Years of Reckless and Questionable Decisions?

This latest infused water was pretty tasty, I thought, although I’m not sure what purpose the grapes serve. Even when I muddled the grapes with the orange before adding the water and basil, I couldn’t really detect any grape flavor. Maybe purple or black grapes would have a more pronounced flavor? If I try them, I’ll let you know.

The Minxes are getting used to opening the refrigerator and seeing a pitcher of water with weird stuff floating around in it. They’re not willing to sample it, though. In fact, the first time Miss M. saw my pitcher of “salad water,” she backed away from the refrigerator and narrowed her eyes at me in abject suspicion.

“Don’t worry,” I chuckled. “That’s Mommy’s water. It’s an experiment. I won’t make you try it.”

“Good,” she said. “Because I don’t like experiments.”

This declaration made me immediately nostalgic and I longed to call Mama, because during my childhood, whenever she tried out a new recipe, Mama would bring it to the dinner table with a flourish and say, “Girls, we’re trying an experiment tonight.”

My sister would groan and roll her eyes and I’d pout and poke at whatever was on my plate with disdain.

My mother usually saved “experiments” for nights my father was out of town on business. Like his daughters, Daddy wasn’t big on trying new and unusual things. When it came to his dinner, Daddy was strictly a meat-and-potatoes man and he remains so to this day.

“Experiments” usually came from the White Trash MotherLode Cookbook and contained at least one can of condensed soup per recipe. Most of them were met with rejection, although my sister’s favorite, the dreaded Shipwreck Casserole of my youth, came straight out of that cookbook, and I was the only one who deemed it disgusting. I guess my girls come by their picky eating habits rightly. Miss D. is now, at 14, a fairly good eater and willing to at least try new things, but Miss M. is still a total ass-pain in that regard. I suggested she try a hot dog the other day and you’d have thought I’d sent her to the guillotine.

Oh well. I guess my infused water is under no threat of thievery. More “salad water” for me.

 

P1060117

Orange, Basil and Grape-Infused Water

slightly adapted from Cooking Light magazine

 

In a large pitcher, muddle a small sliced orange and ten cut grapes with a large spoon. Add filtered or sparkling water and 4 sprigs of fresh basil. Stir and let steep in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.

 

ps: Congrats to our Denver Broncos for our sort of ugly win yesterday! Time to think about playoff food! What’s your go-to game day fare?

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Biz January 19, 2016 at 2:32 pm

Cucumber and lemon water is still my favorite combo – but like you, I find it hard to drink a lot of water when my car reads -2 degrees before the wind chill.

My nearly 24 year old daughter will still seek out chicken fingers if it’s on a dinner menu. For realz. :P

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Dana January 20, 2016 at 10:06 am

Oh kitchen experiments. My poor husband has been subjected to quite a few of those. :)

I’m enjoying your salad waters. I tend to do lime and mint, but then it makes me sad that it isn’t a mojito.

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Dawn January 21, 2016 at 12:44 pm

Interesting. We stopped drinking diet coke (or any soda) about a year ago. Just drink water now. My husband is struggling with plain water and we’ve been buying some flavored waters. I should try this instead.

Good job on divesting yourself of Diet Coke. The more I hear the more I think we were poisoning ourselves all those years.

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Tiffany January 24, 2016 at 6:33 pm

What has been your favorite water so far?

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