I know I’ve been out of the blogosphere the last several months……like six months actually.  Eeeeek!  But, with work being so busy and life being so busy it’s just been impossible for me to get to.  And, I must say….I miss it.  But, I’m trying….really trying to take life more in stride and not worrying myself silly over every little thing.  I don’t have a staff member to write my blogs for me so it’s just been put on temporary hold till I could get back to it.

And, you know what….I’m going to cut myself some slack over it!

That’s one of the nice things about getting older……you do tend to realize – life is short so give yourself a break.  Most things are just NOT the “end of the world”.  For those who follow me, though, I am sorry about the hiatus.  I’m quite sure your life has gone along just fine and you haven’t missed me all that much….but, I am sorry nonetheless.

This may seem like an odd blog to start back up with, but I’m going to do it anyway since it’s Tuesday and I tend to blog a “Tasty Tuesday” post fairly frequently.

Most of us know at this point that we are supposed to be drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day, but sometimes (a lot of the time) it’s not always such an easy task.  Since I have a medical condition that causes my blood pressure to drop suddenly, and in turn causes me to faint, I was told by my internist years ago to preferably drink even more than that. So being ever-conscious of my need to be sure and drink plenty of water and not allow myself to get dehydrated I’m always looking for ways to improve the taste and make it more enjoyable.

This summer I have been putting fresh Mint in my water which – trust me – is VERY refreshing on a Texas summer day.  But, I use it so much that I can’t keep the plant robust and full and I tend to run out and have to wait for it to grow back.  (I tried to buy more, but the store was out.  I’m going to find it and add it to this pot so I always have plenty.)  So – if you want another tip on tasty water – try fresh mint.  But that’s not what this blog post is about….

When I went out to check my mint this past weekend I noticed my basil growing like wild fire – especially since I’m not clipping bits off it everyday to add to my water.

So I started thinking….hmmmmmmm…..what could I do with all this basil?  Can you add basil to water, too? I thought, probably not – it just sounds weird – but, low and behold when I googled it I learned that yes, yes you can absolutely add it to water for a refreshing drink.  There were a number of combo’s to try, but I decided to do a little experimenting of my own.

I tried it with just basil……yummy.  Then I tried it with a basil and a squirt of lemon juice…..yummy.  Next I added a mint leaf with it (no lemon)….yummy. Then I added strawberries with basil…..double yummy. 

And the best of all was when I put several basil leaves in a glass of water, added one sprig of mint and then one sliced up strawberry.

Voila’!!

Delicious, refreshing, healthy way to get your full water intake.  I could sit and sip on this literally all day long.

And, it looks pretty, too.

I call it…..drum roll please….

The Tooty Fruity!

I’m telling you it’s delish!!  If you’re not a fan of strawberries just eliminate them.  It’s still scrumptious.  You could do blueberries instead or just eliminate the berries altogether and just have the basil with a sprig of mint.

And to top it off, as it turns out, basil is VERY good for you.  Lots of goodies that are beneficial to you in so many ways – especially for your complexion.  I had no idea.

First of all – if you’d like to find out more about growing it check out Bonnie Plants website here.

And if you want to check out the 7 Wonders Holy Basil Can Do For You take a look at Make Me Divine’s website here.  She’s much more detailed, but here’s the cool low-down:

1. It clears up acne

2. Reduces scar marks

3. Improves facial complexion

4. Prevents blackheads

5. Gives glow to the skin

6. Prevents inflammation

7. Tightens open pores

So nice to know that not only is this a tasty, refreshing way to help you guzzle tons of water like you’re suppose to, it’s a great way to improve your skin tone.  And who doesn’t want that?

A nice surprise bonus to my new favorite drink.

So try my Tooty Fruity and let me know what you think.

Happy Drinkin’!!