It has hot as the blazes outside today. A steamy, humid 90 degrees.  Hydration is in order.

I am first to admit that I do not love to drink plain water and I am not very consistent with it if it is sitting all lonely in a bottle or glass.  It is why I usually add in cucumbers, mint, basil, lemons, limes. You name it, I have added it to water.

I  have a small bumper crop of cucumbers lying on my counter, patiently waiting to be turned into pickles or soup but today it felt too hot to even do that. I needed liquid.  I decided on some agua fresca.

Agua fresca is a spanish name for “fresh water” and is made with a variety of fruits, vegetables,  blended with water, lime juice and a little sugar, and then strained.

I made quick use of those cucumbers, all 12 of them. I then took it further and used the giant watermelon sitting on the counter and turned that into watermelon aqua fresca.

Remember that nut bag I told you to buy a while back? Get that out now.  Turns out you can use it to not only make almond milk but to also strain the cucumber pulp out of cucumber juice.  If you don’t have a nut bag (and you may not, but I suggest you run and get one), you can always strain the liquid with cheesecloth over a bowl.

Turns out watermelon aqua fresca and cucumber aqua fresca make a winning combination.

Now here’s where it gets really fun. Add seltzer, add a splash of vodka for a “clean” cocktail or add both. Throw in some more mint, a little extra lime juice, or even try basil or thyme (which I am going to try since it is getting out of control in my garden). I am drinking mine as is, right from that mason jar. The point is, when you make your hydration count, you can’t go wrong with these two beauties. Click HERE for the recipes and enjoy!

Now I would love to hear from you. Besides plain water, how do you stay hydrated in the summer? Let m know in the comments below!