Natural Sparkling Grape & Mandarin Soda

Here is my latest drink creation, “Natural Sparking Grape & Mandarin Soda with Mandarin” Katherine helped with add the sugar to the rim, to dress it up a little. I don’t know about you, but our seasonal allergies are really kicking in. Everything is blooming especially the Juniper trees and the pollen really floats around here in the southwestern part of the USA. We don’t get much rain so it can really build up and stay awhile. So along with allergies often comes a dry cough. Did you know that grape juice is good for a cough? Grape juice is very soothing to the throat and can help when you are suffering from a cold or seasonal allergies. Grapes have a natural expectorant and are a great source of antioxidants. Grapes contain polyphenols which have many health benefits including, fighting cholesterol, preventing certain types of cancer from growing in your body, aiding with asthma, helping maintain good bone health and aiding in digestion. The have many of the same healthy benefits as a glass of wine. I picked up some 100% grape juice to give to my children, they both have had an ongoing cough. I think it is allergies. Since grape juice is high in calories as well as high in natural sugar I usually mix it with some fresh squeezed citrus and add sparking water to help dilute it. My children love when I make them a fun drink, and who doesn't enjoy drinking something that looks amazing and beautiful? I choose mandarins because they pack a powerful punch in such a small fruit. You can even zest the rind to increase the flavor. They are great to use in sparking water with mint, or in ice tea. It is almost time for sun tea, another one of my favorite summer drinks, I can hardly wait to start making it. Try this recipe and tell me it is not an amazing mix of flavors, you can decide if you would like to sugar coat the rim of the glass to make it fancy. It really doesn't need the extra sugar, but you decide for yourself. Please let me know what you think of my Natural Sparkling Grape & Mandarin Soda. Bon Appetit, Cecelia