A Fizzy, Frosty, Fruity, Freeze

So I’m sick. I caught the sore throat/cough/cold bug that’s been going around—S had it last week and I thought I'd dodged the bullet once he recuperated, but no such luck. Today is day three, and I’ve had it up to here with Halls sugar free black cherry lozenges, mint tea, and soup. I’m hungry, goddammit! But with a throat as scratchy as mine, the idea of eating anything substantial makes me cringe. Even crusty bread hurts (trust me, I tried it). Just now I opened the refrigerator doors for the thousandth time, thinking that perhaps the food fairies had stopped by when I wasn’t looking, and what do you know: They did. Well, they didn’t really—it’s more like after seeing the same stuff several dozen times, it finally occurred to me to try something new.

Instead of my usual nonfat yogurt-based smoothie (dairy, as my RN mother will tell you, being a no-no with a cough—something about phlegm), I made a freeze with diet ginger ale, pomegranate juice, bananas, and strawberries. It was fabulous—refreshing, tingly, sweet from the fruit yet mellow and mysterious from the pomegranate juice, with a hint of slightly fizzy spice from the ginger ale. I drank it down in about one minute, and right now I’m considering rinsing out the blender jar and making another…

A Fizzy, Frosty, Fruity, Freeze
Serves 1

1 cup diet ginger ale
½ large or 1 small banana, frozen in chunks
6-8 frozen strawberries
4 oz. pomegranate juice

Put the ginger ale and the banana in the blender and get it whirring on high. Add the strawberries and continue blending. When the mixture thickens and slows the machine, add the juice.