Real Strawberry Slushy

In case you haven't checked out this week's It's Playtime, I featured some ways to keep cool, including a yummy, healthy slushy from We-Made-That.  Being pregnant, I see food (or drinks) and I want them...right away!  Since it was a simple idea, with items I had in the fridge, I decided to make them.  Here's how mine turned out with a slight variation on the recipe.

 Start with fresh strawberries, or in my case, almost fresh.  When I make smoothies and slushies I like to use the strawberries that are on their way out.  You know the ones: soft spots, a bit mushy (not too much), the ones that nobody is going to eat because they look yucky, but really, they are just fine, especially for slushies!

 I have one of those super duper blenders so I threw in the strawberries with ice and blended until it was  the consistency I wanted.  Since it was a bit thick (more like a smoothie) I added about 1/4 cup of water, maybe a bit more, to thin it a tad.  

Instead of sugar, I added honey.  This I do by taste rather then measurement.  Do you like sweet or tart?  It's really up to you.  After adding the honey, I blended it some more to mix.  Just watch what you are doing, you don't want to over-blend or you'll just have a cold drink rather then an icy one.    

My son was very happy with his drink (he doesn't like his picture being taken; this is hard when you are blogging something you want people to try!).  I gave him the options of a spoon or a straw.  He chose spoon.  I used a thick boba straw to drink mine.  It was fresh, healthy, and the perfect cool drink for a hot day.   

What you will need:

• Strawberries or any other fruit you might enjoy (lemons are delicious but you will need sugar instead of honey)
• Ice
• Honey
• A bit of water

Tips & Tricks:

• If you use frozen fruit, you can use less ice
• Instead of water, add a bit of real fruit juice for a different flavor.  Try apple or OJ.  If you do this, cut back on the amount of honey you add to your drink.  
• If you don't have a high powered blender, try pureeing the fruit first (with the honey and water or juice), set aside, and throw in the ice to crush.  Once it's broken up, add the fruit puree and blend well.