Add to favoritesWhen I was a kid, my mom made everything from scratch. This was before DIY was all the rage and artisanal products were trendy. In my house this was all done in the name of health and nutrition. If my mom made everything herself, she could control what the family ate, ensuring that we had limited exposure to artificial ingredients and sugar. This was an act of devotion that required no small effort on her part, for which I am endlessly grateful today. But when I was younger, I wanted store-bought cookies and candy. And soda.
Of course all this meant that soda was strictly forbidden in our house. My mother is no tyrant, and there were outings for pizza, or meals at friends’ homes, at which we were allowed to enjoy a treat; at home, though, we had to make do with juice, water, or milk. But, as everybody knows, necessity is the mother of invention. My siblings and I were creative kids, and we were desperate for soda, so we made our own! We thought we were really on to something when we mixed juice and seltzer. Purple grape juice with seltzer was a particular favorite, but we loved mixing different juices and competing to create the best combinations.
Like many things our parents put us through when we’re little, when we grow up we realize the sense in it all, and now I do what I can to limit my family’s consumption foods that are not so good for us. Ironically, I’ve even fought my own battles with my husband and kids over soda! Thankfully, there’s a whole lot of awareness about that kind of thing now, which makes it a lot easier to enforce. There are so many healthy treats available on the market, but there is still a special satisfaction in creating your own, including soda. By combining ingredients of your choice with sparkling water, you get a fresher, more interesting tasting soda than store-bought, and you get to control the amount of sugar that’s in it. Buying seltzer is pretty inexpensive, but if you drink a lot of it at your house, it might be cheaper in the long run to invest in a Sodastream and make your own. After that, the possibilities are endless: Mix in basic juices like orange, grape, or cranberry, or get a little more exotic with mixtures including mango, pineapple, or pomegranate. Minimal effort and instant, delicious gratification! If you want to spend some more time on it and get a little more creative, try these yummy sounding recipes that I found:
- Homemade ginger ale from Bon Appetit
- Cherry-Vanilla from Women’s Health
- Lime Soda from Sunny Anderson at Food Network
- Strawberry Soda Syrup from All Recipes
- Orange Soda from Serious Eats
