My New Favorite Fruit Infusion Water

I cannot begin to tell you how much I thoroughly enjoy reading all of your comments on yesterday’s post discussing all things cake.

Some people have zero interest in the delicacies that interest others. I am not one of those people.

I love reading which cakes, frostings and varieties you prefer and learning more about your favorite birthday memories.

I have also come to realize that I haven’t made cupcakes in ice cream cones in way too long and need to add that to my summer bucket list which I never wrote.

Moving on from cake for the moment, let’s talk beverages.

I never liked soda.

When I say I never liked soda, I mean, I must have been offered a sip when I was like three years old and decided right then and there I didn’t care for the bubbles (or the fizz as I called it) and never tried it again.

I may not have made the best of eating choices when I was younger but aside from my daily Tropicana orange juice, I was all about water.

Did you know that the male body is 60% water and the female body is 50% water? And did you know that muscles hold more water than fat cells?

I never paid attention to how many glasses of water you were supposed to drink in a day. I didn’t need to since I drank my weight in water anyway but also because I am stubborn and I don’t like being told I have to do something.

Isn’t it better to want to do something?

I know I have talked about the importance of hydration and will focus more on it again soon rather than bombard you today with all of the facts.

All I will say today is how important it is to stay hydrated, especially if you are running or working out in the heat.

They say sometimes we confuse hunger with thirst. I always laughed at that but it is so totally true.

I have been drinking more water lately in place of cups of coffee and definitely find less of a need for a random snack or even a piece of gum.

Being hydrated keeps you all sorts of balanced and happy. And also keeps your lips from getting dry and chapped.

Sometimes you don’t even realize how dry you are until you drink more and feel like moisture has been instantly infused into your skin, hair, lips and complexion.

Wrinkles on your face that aren’t usually there? Skin is dehydrated.

Now, I understand that some people find water bland and boring and unchuggable.

If you prefer the taste of juice, sports drinks or somehow soda but know you need more water in your diet, may I suggest my new favorite kitchen item.

I love adding lemons and limes to my water and so does my son.

He is a kid so of course he loves juice but since he is happy to drink lemon water, I decided it was time to get one of these pitchers to bring some fruity excitement to our cups for the summer beyond the basic squeeze of a lemon.

I bought this Fruit Infusion pitcher which I found at Bed Bath And Beyond. All you do is fill up the center tube with fresh fruit, add your water to the pitcher and voila – fruit infused water.

The fruit stays in place and keeps from getting soggy. It takes a few hours to experience the full flavor but even right away, it is rather enjoyable.

Do you like this week’s birthday party napkins? Is it just me or do pretty napkins instantly put a smile on your face too?

My son and I are obsessed with our water. He loves tasting it at different times to see how infused the water has become and enjoys creating different fruit combinations for our next round.

I actually can’t get over how flavored the water really is. I read some reviews that claimed it takes on flavor but not to expect much. I totally disagree.

And, if my son agrees with me on the taste, you know it has to be good.

So here’s the thing – the info that came with the pitcher claims you can keep refilling the Fruit Infusion pitcher with water while using the same fruit for seven to ten days.

I disagree.

Our experience has been that after 24 hours, the flavor becomes milder and weaker.

Granted, we drink a ton of water in our house so we kept refilling it several times over the course of 24 hours but even so, I think it is best to expect to swap out your fruit after a day and replace it with a new combination.

What I can’t get over is how the fruit stays fresh and firm enough to still eat when you are done using it in your pitcher.

After 24 hours, I took the berries out of the pitcher  and they were still totally delicious with some oatmeal.  I waited longer than the 24 hours just to see on a different day what would happen to the strawberries and I was correct – the strawberries had lost almost all flavor and were getting soggy.

Fruit isn’t cheap; I don’t want to start needing a berry supply for both water and my plate.

Right now our pitcher is filled with strawberries and lemons. We love this combo but intend to try something new in a few days.

Tip: If filling your pitcher insert with lemons, cut off the skin. The skin will make the water too sour and you also don’t want the pesticides and whatever else lurks on the skin in your water.

I found this website which offers a ton of fruit infusion recipes for making your water.

It is such an easy process to flavor your own water which sure beats the sugared fruit juices, preservatives in sports drinks and may even help you to curb your soda habit (sorry, can’t relate).

Not to mention, you are getting the nutrients and antioxidants from the fruits without even thinking about it.

The only downside to all of this water fun is that you will need to use the bathroom more frequently.

Trader Joe’s is so smart to place a wall of soaps and moisturizers for you to sample while using their facilities.

I guess I am not the only one to need a bathroom while food shopping.

*****

Are you a soda drinker?

Do you have a fruit infuser?

Favorite fruit infusing recipe?

Cucumber water – love it or hate it?