QUESTION: It has finally become obvious to me that I am putting my kids at risk by always serving alcohol when our friends and family party, but serving non-alcoholic punch or pop seems so dull. What can I serve that is non-alcoholic and looks and tastes special?

 

ANSWER: Here’s a list of recipes for non-alcoholic drinks provided by the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center:

 Catawba Cocktail

•Place several ice cubes in a large old-fashioned glass. Add a dash of lime juice. Garnish with cherry and a slice of orange. Fill glass with Catawba grape juice.

 Pina Colada Perfecto

•1 jigger crème of coconut

•2 jiggers pineapple juice

•1 and one-half jiggers club soda

•Mix over ice. One serving

 Sangaree Punch

•Chill 1 quart of cranberry cocktail and 1 cup of grape juice. At serving time, pour chilled juice over cracked ice. Top with maraschino cherry, lemon slice and orange slice.

 Mexican Sunset

•1 cup chilled orange juice

•1 and one-half jiggers grenadine

•Pour orange juice into tall glass. Add grenadine and allow to settle on bottom. May be served over ice. One serving.

 Shirley Temple

•1 serving of ginger ale or 7Up

•1 jigger of grenadine

•Fill old-fashioned glass with ice cubes and ginger ale or 7Up. Add grenadine. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

 Houdini Cocktail

•One-half pint strawberry ice cream

•1 cup milk

•4 teaspoons bottled grenadine syrup

•Whole strawberries

•Beat ice cream and milk until foamy thick in blender; pour into glasses.

•Pour grenadine from spoon down inside each glass (forms bright crimson layer at the bottom).

•Garnish with strawberries. Three to four servings.

Orange Julius

•One-half 6 ounce can (one-third cup) frozen orange juice concentrate

•One-half cup milk

•One-half teaspoon vanilla

•One-half cup water

•5 or 6 ice cubes

•One-fourth cup sugar

•Combine all ingredients in blender; cover and blend until smooth. Two to three servings.

If you would like to talk about the challenges of raising children, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Línea de Apoyo at 877-434-9528. For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599. Check out www.familiesandcommunities.org