Recipe: Frozen Coconut Limeade for Two

Frozen Coconut Limeade for Two

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• blend :

  to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

• juice :

  to extract or squeeze out the juice of a fruit or vegetable, like a lemon, orange, or carrot, often cutting open or peeling the fruit or veggie first to access its flesh.

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• slice :

  to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.

What is "Limonada de Coco"?

• "Limonada de Coco" (coconut limeade) is a cool and creamy drink made from cream of coconut (or coconut milk), lime juice, sugar, and ice. Think of a tropical slushy! 
• This refreshing drink comes from the South American country of Colombia and is very popular in summer on Colombia's northern Caribbean coast, especially in the port city of Cartagena. Colombians and visitors to the country enjoy "limonada de coco" at the beach, brunch, dinner, or parties.

Let's Learn About Colombia!

• The Republic of Colombia is a country in the northwestern part of South America. It also has an insular region of oceanic islands in the Caribbean Sea outside the continental territory and part of North America.
• The Caribbean Sea borders Colombia to the north, Panama to the northwest, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador and Peru to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the northeast, and Brazil to the southeast.
• There are 32 departments or administrative divisions in Colombia. Spanish (Castilian) is the official language, and over 99 percent of Colombians speak Spanish. There are 65 other recognized languages in the country. Creole English is spoken in the archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia, the only department located in Central America (a subregion of the North American continent). 
• Bogotá is the country's capital, largest city, and one of the largest cities in the world. It is run as a capital district with the same administrative status as a department. It is located on a high plateau in the Andes and is the third-highest capital in South America and worldwide at 8,660 feet above sea level. 
• The Colombian government is a unitary presidential republic with a president, vice president, and congress. Their currency is the Colombian peso.
• Colombia's total area is 440,831 square miles. It is almost 60 percent larger than Texas but smaller than Alaska. The population is over 52.6 million. 
• The country's population is diverse. Colombians are descendants of indigenous peoples, Spanish conquerors, enslaved Africans, and 20th-century immigrants from Europe and the Middle East. Along with those of the Caribbean, these influences are seen in the country's culture, including architecture, cuisine, literature, and music. 
• You may be familiar with Shakira, Colombia's most popular singing artist. Gabriel García Márquez is a well-known Nobel prize-winning novelist, and Fernando Botero is a famous painter and sculptor. Juan Pablo Montoya is a race car driver who has driven in the Nascar Cup series and won several Formula One, Indy, and other international car races.
• Colombia's geography includes the Amazon rainforest, deserts, grasslands, and highlands. It has coastlines and islands along both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Andes mountain range goes through Colombia. The highest point is Pico Cristobal Colon, at 18,947 feet. 
• Colombia is one of the top five coffee producers in the world. Most of their coffee is grown on plantations in the Paisa region in the Andes. Since 1958, the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia has used the image of a fictional Paisa coffee farmer, Juan Valdez, and his donkey, Conchita, in their advertising.
• Rice, corn, potato, cassava, legumes, meat, and fruit are typical ingredients in Colombian cuisine. "Bandeja paisa," is a traditional "platter" of food from the Paisa region of the Andes. It originated in rural areas with peasant farmers or "campesinos." They would eat a selection of hearty, protein-packed foods to start their day. The dish typically consists of red beans, rice, arepas, chorizo, plantain, chicharrón, avocado, ground meat, and a fried egg. "Ajiaco" is another traditional Colombian dish. It is a soup made of chicken, potatoes, and the herb "guasca." 
• Snacks include "aborrajados colombianos" (cheese-filled, deep-fried plantains), "arepas" (cheese or egg-filled corn flour pancakes), and "pandebono" (bread made with cassava starch). 

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Colombia?

• Families are important in Colombia, and they are usually closely knit. As with most countries, life in Colombia for kids depends on whether they live in the city or country.
• Columbian children may attend preschool before age 5 and then go on to compulsory basic education (grades 1-9) and middle vocational education (grades 10-11). Students must wear uniforms in both public and private schools. 
• Football (soccer) is the most popular sport for kids in Colombia. They may also participate in cycling, inline skating, basketball, gymnastics, and swimming.
• Traditional games include "trompo" (performing difficult tricks with a spinning top), "canicas" (marbles), "balero" (cup and ball), and "cinco huecos" (five players try to get coins into five holes). 
• Families may enjoy visiting the old walled city and beaches of Cartagena. In Bogotá, they can see the displays of pre-Columbian gold at the Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold) or take the cable car to the summit of the 10,335-foot Cerro de Monserrate. In Medellín, the Parque Explora is an interactive science museum and aquarium, and Parque Norte is an amusement park. 
• Popular sweets eaten by kids include "bocadillo de guayaba" or guava jelly; "torta de nata, a thick, creamy cake made with "natas" or cooked milk; and "oblea," a sandwich wafer cookie filled with "arequipe" (dulce de leche).