Limeade

I'm trying to kick my 4 cans per day diet cola addiction.  Not because I'm one of those everything-must-be-organic-artificial-sweeteners-are-the-devil people (not that there's anything wrong with that).  Or because I think a minor caffeine addiction is a problem.  I drink my two cups of coffee every morning serene in the knowledge that said cups are full of antioxidants and also allow me to string words together in coherent sentences (left to its own devices, my brain wakes up around noon).  But, being white, female and small-boned, I'm concerned about the carbonation inhibiting calcium absorption.

The problem is: I hate water.  Yes, it quenches thirst.  But it doesn't taste good.  At best, it tastes like nothing.  At its worst, it tastes funky.  And that's with the water filter.  And while my time in the UK gave me a taste for splenda & skim builder's tea, I can't seem to get behind iced tea as a full-time diet coke substitute.

Then I tried limeade.  I've always loved lime juice, and when I make it with diet sweeteners, it's everything I want when I crave a diet coke: sweet, tangy, refreshing and low calorie.

Diet Limeade
4 cups water
1/2 cup sucralose
1/2 cup stevia (I recommend Stevia in the Raw, which you can buy in big bags at Krogers)
3/4 cup lime juice (bottled or squeezed)

In a pitcher, combine the water, sweeteners, and lastly the lime juice.  Stir and serve!
serves: 4
calories per serving: 9