COOL RELIEF

Wow.

When we asked readers to submit their favorite recipes for nonalcoholic summer beverages, we thought we might get a lot of virgin variations of classic cocktails, or maybe numerous riffs on soft drinks.

But readers remind us once again just how creative they are, especially when it comes to food and drink. Many of them use fruit to create their concoctions, and all aim for a refreshing reward, which will be much appreciated in the dog days ahead.

Barbara Fredette wins the drawing for the $100 prize.

BERRY SUMMER SPLASH

1 10-ounce package frozen mixed berries

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail or white cranberry juice drink

Lemon-lime soft drink or lime sparkling water

In blender, blend frozen berries and juice drink until smooth. Freeze in storage containers or heavy freezer bags.

To serve, add 2 heaping spoonfuls of frozen mix to glass with ice and add lemon-lime soft drink or sparkling water.

Note: Frozen strawberries, raspberries or blueberries can be substituted for mixed berries.

-- Recipe from Barbara Fredette

CRANMOSA

Fill tall glass with ice. Fill half-full with cranberry juice cocktail (use reduced-sugar, if preferred). Fill the rest of the glass with orange juice. Garnish with a swizzle stick with a piece of mandarin orange and a maraschino cherry.

Serves 1.

-- Recipe from Alice Peters

CREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE

4 ounces mandarin orange syrup

2 ounces club soda

1 scoop vanilla smoothie powder

Splash of half-and-half

Scoop of ice

Whipped cream

Mix first five ingredients in blender until smooth. Top with whipped cream.

Note: Torani Mandarin Orange Syrup and Cafe d'Amore Vanilla Smoothie Powder are available at Smart & Final.

Serves 1.

-- Recipe from Carrie Houtman, Boulder Bean, Boulder City

FAUX FRAPPUCINO

2 tablespoons instant French vanilla pudding and pie filling powder

 1/4 cup vanilla syrup

 1/2 cup brewed espresso

 1/4 cup whipping cream

 1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons chocolate-mocha topping

2 cups ice

Mix all ingredients (including ice) in blender. Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Serves 2.

-- Recipe from Jean Duarte

FRESH WATERMELON JUICE

 1/2 watermelon (seedless preferred)

1 teaspoon lime juice

Cut watermelon off the rind. Remove seeds if necessary. Cut into chunks. Put in blender with lime juice. Liquify. Chill before drinking.

Note: For an alternative serving method, pour juice into ice-cube trays and freeze. Drop ice cubes into punch for melon flavor.

-- Recipe from Colleen Courtney

GRAPEFRUITY-ADE

Juice of 3 grapefruit (preferably big, juicy red ones), about 2 cups

Juice of 3 lemons, about  1/2 cup

3 cups cold water

 1/2 to 1/3 cup Splenda or sugar (to taste)

Mix, straining out any seeds, and chill. Serve cold, with ice, if desired.

-- Recipe from Tiffany Lance

ICED TEA COOLER

For mint syrup:

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 cup fresh mint leaves

For tea:

6 cups boiling water

4 black tea bags

2 lemons, freshly squeezed

Additional mint leaves

To prepare mint syrup, bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir to make sure sugar is dissolved. Let cool about 10 minutes. Add mint leaves and let steep in hot syrup for about 5 minutes. Drain and discard mint. (Keeps in refrigerator for three days.)

To prepare tea, boil water and pour over tea bags in heat-proof bowl. Let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags.

In a serving pitcher, combine tea and 1 cup of mint syrup. (Reserve remaining syrup for another use.) Squeeze the lemons, discarding pits, directly into pitcher and stir to combine. Let rest for about 5 minutes.

To serve, place ice cubes in a tall glass. Add a few mint leaves to the glass and muddle with a muddler or long iced-tea spoon. Pour in tea and garnish glass with a wedge of fresh lemon, if desired.

-- Recipe from Suzanne Orrell

KOOL-AID PUNCH

1 package Kool-Aid (flavor of your choice)

1 large can frozen lemonade, thawed

1 or 2 cans soda (flavor to match the Kool-Aid)

1 or 2 cans lemon-lime soda

Mix all ingredients, adding water in quantity to equal the lemonade and Kool-Aid. Add ice.

-- Recipe from Dorothy Barker

LEMONADE

3 lemons

2 limes

1 orange

1 cup sugar

3 to 4 cups water (to taste)

Squeeze fruit juices into pitcher. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add water and serve over ice.

-- Recipe from Jann Bell

MELON LIMEADE

3 pounds honeydew melon

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

3 cups cold water

1 cup ice cubes

Remove rind from melon and discard. Cut enough fruit into 1-inch pieces to measure 3 cups. In a blender, puree melon in batches with sugar, lime juice and mint until completely smooth. Add water and ice. Shake or stir limeade before serving.

Makes about 9 cups.

-- Recipe from Melissa Candek

MOTOWN SUNRISE

4 ounces orange juice

2 ounces Ruby Red grapefruit juice

3 ounces cranberry-raspberry juice drink

3 ounces Vernors ginger ale

Pour all ingredients over 2/3 cup ice in a tall glass. Stir gently and add a straw.

-- Recipe from Barbara Engelhardt

NONRED FRUIT SLUSH

2 8-ounce cans frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 8-ounce cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 46-ounce can pineapple juice

4 cups sugar

6 cups water

6 bananas, mashed

2 2-liter bottles lemon-lime soft drink

Combine juices, sugar and water in a large pitcher. Add bananas; mix well. Pour into freezer containers and freeze until firm.

Remove from freezer. Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes. Place in punch bowl and mash until slushy; add soft drink.

Can be made ahead and frozen for a later date.

Serves about 30.

-- Recipe from Karen Sharkey

SPARKLING APPLE AND WHITE GRAPE PUNCH

2 750-milliliter bottles of sparkling apple cider, chilled

64 ounces white grape juice, chilled

2 cups grapes (a mixture of colors looks best), frozen

Mix together the juices 30 to 45 minutes before your event. Add 2 to 3 cups ice to the punch bowl, and the frozen grapes.

-- Recipe from Maggie Pallan and Malinda Kolias, Two Chefs to Go

STRAWBERNADE COOLER

1 small can frozen pink lemonade, thawed

1 small package frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed

Lemon-lime soft drink to fill lemonade can 1 1/2 times

Place all ingredients in blender. Add ice cubes and mix until desired consistency is reached.

Note: Using crushed ice in the blender makes a smoother drink.

-- Recipe from Joyce A. Cureton

STRAWBERRY MINT LEMONADE

1 1/4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar (or more or less to taste)

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

4 cups cold water

Additional (whole) strawberries for garnish

Additional mint (sprigs) for garnish

Place strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and mint in a blender. Set on frappe or other high setting and blend until the mint leaves are no longer visible. Pour into a large pitcher and add water. Serve with skewers of fresh strawberries and a sprig of mint.

-- Recipe from Laura Friedlander

SWEET & SOUR

WATERMELON LEMONADE

2 cups fresh lemon juice

4 cups purified water

2 cups sugar

4 cups pureed seedless watermelon

1 whole lemon

Fresh mint

Combine lemon juice, water and sugar in a large pitcher. Cut watermelon from rind and then into chunks and place in a blender. Puree on high until liquid. Add watermelon puree to lemonade mixture and stir well to combine. Slice lemon into rounds and place in pitcher with the lemonade. Add ice and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

-- Recipe from Kristen O'Connor