Come to Life Summer Slushie

Whew this summer is flying by!  Between starting a podcast, traveling to visit friends and family and working with Kiss the Ground to establish our New York City chapter, I was starting to feel a little run down.  Thankfully, my friends at Guayaki Yerba Maté ensured I always had refreshing and energy-boosting yerba maté on hand for these 85 degree days in Manhattan.  Yerba Maté is a caffeinated drink made from leaves of a tree native to South America, but naturally occurring vitamins and minerals make it so much more nourishing than an energy drink, aaand a lot better tasting.

This week I had to say goodbye to my little Guayaki family, and honestly after having them here all month and putting on events together, it wasn’t easy. We kicked off their Come to Life series (the theme of every event was Regeneration…can you hear me snapping my fingers?) by hosting a beautiful plant-based dinner at North Brooklyn Farms.  Each table talked about the challenges facing our local food system and what we can do to support one another.  Two of my friends from Kiss the Ground had flown in to present about the importance of healthy soil for a balanced climate, and I spoke about our work as a fledgling chapter.

I felt so energized after that first event that I made a point to attend as many more of Guayaki’s events as I could, and each one was like a different type of party.  One involved a full guided meditation before the music kicked in, and at another we handed out headphones playing disco songs for anyone who wanted to have a silent dance party.  We got some funny looks from people, but in the end our dancing was infectious and they started clamoring for our headphones. 

While I was grooving to throwbacks on the dance floor sipping sparkling mate, I started craving the icy slushies I used to drink as a kid.  So, I had the brilliant idea to combine the two to make my own (except of course without the artificial colors and flavors!). This strawberry cooler is seriously even better than I was expecting it to be, and I love how easily customizable it is.  If you want less sweetness, use the unsweetened traditional yerba mate as the base.  But if you want to feel like you’re on a tropical beach (um…yes?) go with the passion fruit.  Just don’t skip the fresh basil, it adds a whole different dimension to the flavor.  Plus, the prep time on this drink is the amount of time it takes you to load ingredients into a blender and press start.  If it’s having a hard time blending, shift the ingredients around and consider adding more maté, or if the consistency is too thin, just add more strawberries and ice. 

Come to Life Strawberry-Basil Slushie:

(Makes 1 drink)

Three handfuls of ice

6-8 frozen strawberries

Half a bottle of Traditional Guayaki Yerba Maté (Unsweetened or Passion)

Three large leaves of fresh basil

1 Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar (optional)

Blend ingredients together until all ice is blended into a slushie consistency.  Garnish with a fresh strawberry and enjoy!

For the rest of this summer may your slushies be icy and your dance moves infectious.