Hello, hello!
Most of my life, I drank soda, Coke to be exact, then I found out how many calories were in Coke so I switched to Diet Coke. I drank about a 12 pack a week, for years! Then about 4 years ago, my co-worker and I made a bet about who could go the longest without drinking any kind of soda. I won the bet, he gave in at about 1 day, me, it’s been four years and I have been soda free. Not one drop of any kind of soda has touched my lips! I am very proud of that! That was probably one of the best bets I have ever made. As the years passed, I never missed it, matter in fact I don’t really drink to many carbonated drinks at all because it gives me a stomach ache. I have the tendency to drink my drinks way to quick. I do it with hot or cold drinks, so for that reason I tend to stick to water, except for frappes, smoothies and the occasional fun drink. Speaking of fun drinks I have a healthy, no sugar, all natural soda drink for you today. I have made you Cherry Lime Soda.
I never had any intent on making soda, but I had a bottle of 100% Cherry Juice from Trader Joe’s that I used for my Skinny Cherry Milkshake, and I wasn’t sure what else to do with it, so I thought why not soda? I have to admit TJ’s Cherry Juice is pretty strong, so I had to add a packet of stevia to it and you don’t need much in this recipe. Since I made my 100th stop at TJ’s this week, I picked up some sparkling mineral water to use as my carbonated soda. Mineral water is a little healthier than carbonated water, since it’s natural, where as carbonated water is tap water with air put in it to make bubbles.
When making this recipe, be sure to taste test your cherry juice before adding the sugar. Not all cherry juice is the same, mine was not sweet at all. I also added a little bit of lime to give it that Sprite effect. The drink came out beautifully and my Husband loved it! He drank two of them this evening, and matter in fact I wasn’t even done photographing my drink when he finished his. He really loved it, especially since he is a huge cherry fan. He said it tastes almost like Cherry Crush.
This drink is totally healthy and guilt-free. Perfect for serving to kids or having for yourself. It quenches your thirst and is so refreshing on a hot summers day. The sugar in the nutritional stats is natural sugar. I made sure that TJ’s didn’t add any additional sugar to the juice. You have to watch out for that, so read your labels!
- Serves: 2 Cups including ice
- Serving size: 1
- ⅓ cup 100% cherry juice
- ¼ tsp. lime juice
- ½ tsp. stevia (one packet)
- sparkling mineral water
- ice
- In a measuring cup, add cherry juice, lime and stevia, mix until combined. Pour into a glass, I used a 2 cup Mason Jar. Fill glass up with ice cubes then top with sparkling mineral water. Give a stir and serve.
- Note: My cherry juice was pretty strong, taste test it to see how much stevia you want to add to it.
I guess it’s pretty apparent that I like to make drinks. I think it’s because I live in the dessert and the air is always dry. I seem to not be able to get enough liquid in me. Plus my Husband and I are drink people. He’s always buying vitamin waters, orange drinks, ice tea, and lemonade. I tend to stick to the drinks I share with you and water! Oh one thing I have to share with you is my Husband said this drink would be very good with a pinch of grapefruit vodka in it. Just saying. I’m not a vodka person, but he claims it would be good, so if you want to spike your drink, that is his recommendation.
Well that’s it for me today!!
Have a great day!
Toodles,
Jennifer
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I don’t drink Coke every day but I love it. I’m not addicted to it though. I drink coffee and tea everyday. Haha! I wanna try this one. Let me borrow your recipeeeeee 😀
You can borrow my recipe! 🙂 Have a great weekend Debi!
I used to be a big soda drinker as well. Now the commercial stuff all tastes like poison to me but I love homemade healthy versions such as this!
Thanks Jen! I don’t like soda anymore myself. I find it heavy and too sweet, plus not healthy!!!
I have all the ingredients (the same cherry juice!) and I’m making this today! Looks fantastic.
Hi Linda! Hope you like it, let me know how it goes!
Love how simple this bad boy is!!
lol, Thank you Sophia! 🙂
I love the cherry lime combo!!! SO GOOD! I haven’t had Coke in probably over 10 years. I’m happy with water. 🙂 BUT, I do love me some of these homemade soda drinks. I make them all the time in the summer.
Wow, 10 years, congrats! I’m heading that way and I don’t miss it!!!
I always choose diet coke when I do drink coke. MMM cherry and lime? That sounds perfect!