One thing that my husband and I do is get a $20 gift card to Dutch Bros. Reason being is that with getting the gift card you get a FREE drink, doesn't matter what it is, the size or the cost. We then use that $20 to occasionally get the happy hour special at our local Dutch Bros. (any cold medium drink for $2.50)
Some times I have our daughter with us and at which point she will ask for an Italian soda. She used to ask for smoothies, but decided one day she wanted an Italian soda and has stuck with that since.
Yesterday we were out and about getting some items for dinner and as we are close to the coffee shop she asks, "Are we stopping to get a coffee? I want an Italian soda please?!". I informed her we weren't because the happy hour specials are only Monday through Friday and from 1-4pm.
It got me thinking... I wonder if Walmart has the necessary items to make them at home? It was our next stop and I wasn't about to turn around and go ALL the way across town.
So, I told her that if Walmart did in fact have everything needed to make the Italian soda we could make one at home for her and buddy (her brother). She happily said, "Ok, mom.".
Wouldn't you know, Walmart DID have everything we needed to make them. Adalynn chose to get the vanilla flavored syrup as she wanted a vanilla flavored Italian soda.
Here are some photos to show the delicious Italian soda made by myself... they're so good that my husband had TWO last night, yes, the guy that doesn't like sweets. HAHA
So what we have here is Torani Vanilla flavored syrup, Darigold Half & Half and Mixer Club Soda. I chose those because that is what Walmart had and was more affordable than the other options. The Vanilla flavored syrup was because that's what my daughter wanted.
I just used the fridge to get a few ice cubes in a glass
Next, I poured the club soda into the glass. It just so happen that what is in the glass is all that was left in the plastic bottle.
I took the Half & Half and simply poured it into the mix of the ice cubes and club soda. Not a lot, just enough that I thought it was good!
Then with the remaining room left in the glass I filled it almost to the top with the vanilla flavored syrup. No exact measuring/math was used for this. I did however, use a stir stick to mix once done and did a taste test before giving it to the kids.
Once I was done and the taste test was finished. I scooped out an even amount of the ice cubes and placed them into the sippy cup for each of my children. I then poured the same amount in each of their cups. Of course it took me more time to make it (which wasn't a lot in my opinion) than it took for them to devour it!
I have never seen anything close to this, im trying to work out what club soda is, does it have a weird taste on its own? If so i could find something similar to it, the half and half i also have no idea what it is or what it was used for.
ReplyDeleteI may be able to try something similar here :)
Hi Linnie,
DeleteI apologize for not getting back to you earlier, I didn't get a notification of your comment. :(
The club soda is basically just carbonated water. :) I've not tasted it on its own, so I'm not sure if it would taste weird.
Half and half is basically a creamer that you can use for coffee or even making whip cream.
So if you have that in the land of Australia you could totally make an Italian Soda at home.
Here is a little tidbit...have you seen the Soda Stream? We have one and I use it to make my own club soda so it doesn't go flat between usages. It was a splurge but has turned out to be well worth it for us.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of them, saw a demonstration in Costco a few months back actually. The demonstrator made some delicious root beer soda!
DeleteI'm not sure that I could justify spending the money on one though, and to be honest, I'm not sure what the cost is.
We don't do Italian Sodas often at all and the last time we did it at home was the first time. We were out of club soda the next day. haha
Thank you for the suggestion though, in the future it might be something we could do. :)