If I’m hosting my nephews on a school night or a week night, I keep everything healthy. They’re offered the option of milk or water with their meal.
But if they’re staying over for the weekend, or attending a special event (back yard camping, a holiday, a birthday party) then they get indulged with some sugary drinks they aren’t allowed to drink at their own home.
Instead of sugary pop, I serve them fruit juice – still sugary, but at least it doesn’t have caffeine!
On nights we haven’t been eating birthday cake, we make root beer floats with A&W Root Beer. (I prefer the taste of Barq’s, but it has caffeine. I don’t need any more hyped up nephews!)
For years we’ve been alternating between Simply Lemonade and Simply Limeade for our summer weekend beverages. Next time I’ll serve them a taste test with the two newest Simply juice flavors: Simply Fruit Punch and Simply Tropical.
Only one of my nephews likes cherry-flavored things, so he and I will have our own tasting party to check out the new Cheerwine Cherry Soda which we’ll pick up at Cost Plus World Market some weekend soon.
I can’t stand it myself (too sweet, and not chocolatey enough) but the only kind of hot cocoa my nephews will drink is Swiss Miss milk chocolate. I make it for them in the mornings and in the evenings if it’s cool enough. I make it with milk, not water, and for one of the kids I add a sprinkle of cinnamon. They never, ever finish their hot cocoa though, after waiting interminable ages for the not-hot cocoa to “cool down.” Wimps!
For holidays (especially Thanksgiving) it’s our tradition to drink Martinelli’s sparkling cider.
So far I can’t get any of them to enjoy my own favorite – iced tea, unsweetened, made fresh in a pitcher set out in the sun. Maybe someday!
