Juice Box Alternative

Kids love their juice boxes... but how much sugar do those little things have? Here is a great alternative to serve up, and you can control the amount of sugar added!

Late summer and early fall is when you will find the sweetest melons of the year. Make this delicious drink as a tasty alternative to soda, sports drinks or juice boxes. It's a great way to rehydrate with far less sugar and fewer calories, not to mention loads of vitamins A and C, potassium and more. The kids will love to find a pitcher of this waiting for them in the fridge when they get home from school!

• 1 large cantaloupe, musk melon, or other melon, about 5lbs
• Juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1 to 2 Tbl of sugar or agave syrup
• Ice; 2 trays

Peel, seed, and cut the melon into 1" cubes.
Fill a blender or food processor with cubes of melon. (You may have to do this in batches). Add enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of blender/processor with the melon inside (about 2 cups of water). Pulse the mixture to achieve very small pieces of melon (a little smaller than the size of peas) but be sure NOT to blend it smooth. Pour your first batch into a large bowl and repeat these steps with more melon and cold water.
Let rest for 10 minutes to infuse.
Strain to remove the pulp. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar/agave and 1/2 the juice of a lemon (or lime), mix well and taste.
You may want to add the remaining sugar and citrus juice if needed. Conversely, if the mixture is too sweet or sour, simply dilute with more water as needed. Chill in the fridge and serve over ice, enjoy!