Alright people, there is nothing fancy to see here, just a make-it-in-30-seconds drink. I often find myself getting into trouble in the middle of the afternoon when I’m not actually hungry, but somehow how end up eating for sport. I don’t know how it happens. I go into the kitchen to look for a pen, and emerge two hours later dazed, confused, peanut butter in my hair, hummus in my teeth, dinner appetite spoiled, afternoon obligations shirked, it’s crazy.
I’m convinced that this usually happens because I’m just friggin thirsty. Today, in an attempt to stave off the demons, I made this delightfully refreshing drink, and thought I’d share it with you. For those of you who haven’t heard of stevia yet, it’s a perennial shrub, otherwise known as sweetleaf or sugarleaf. Depending on where you live, you can probably grow it in your back yard. It’s wonderfully sweet and has been used for centuries in other parts of the world, but only recently in the US. There’s some pretty juicy controversy on the topic, mainly about the FDA banning it because of pressure from the sugar industry. Shocking! (Google it for yourself, there are too many interesting articles for me to pick one to link to.)
Stevia is beautiful because it can be used in its natural state, it’s cheap, it doesn’t force anyone to produce a cash crop for foreign consumers at the expense of being able to grow food for themselves, and, probably most excitingly for most people, it’s non-caloric. What? That’s right, it’s a natural plant that doesn’t require refining, doesn’t spike your blood sugar, and doesn’t get stored as fat in your system. Yes, please.
In the pictures you’ll see that I have a big white jug of it. I bought this before I knew you could buy stevia whole-leaf, or ground. When I’ve finished this jug (in approximately 50 years, a little goes a loooooong way) I’ll pick up a less processed version.
For your own personal lime-aid, you’ll need to:
- squeeze half of a lime into a cup
- add water and ice if you like it cold
- and enough stevia to sweeten it to your taste.
Start with a wee bit and then add, it’s easy to over do it.
Enjoy! And have a lovely afternoon~
[…] with you my current favourite cold, creamy, sweet treat. It’s as simple as lemon juice, stevia, silken tofu and chia. Not into stevia? No worries, you can sub in maple syrup or agave syrup. […]
[…] quick note on sweetness: Go with your preferences! Personally, I love liquid stevia. A few drops go a long way and it’s non-caloric. For this recipe, I use a vanilla flavoured […]
Hey thanks AJ, I'll definitely give it a shot with Rosemary~
Lacey, I've been doing this too! Try putting the ice, stevia, lime juice (or lemon or both) in a shaker. I like to add basil, rosemary or mint. Give it a good shake, pour it into a glass and add a splash of soda water!
p.s.
Thanks for all of your great blog entries!