Happy Hour: Pregnancy Mocktails

Just because I am preggo does not mean that I can't enjoy a happy hour with the girls or a drink on the patio with The Husband after a long day of work.  It just means that I have to be a bit more creative with my beverage choices.  Here are some of the pregnant cocktails - "mocktails" as I have been calling them - that I have been enjoying lately

**Note, I am not a nutritionist so I don't know if these things are really good or bad for me, I just know they make me happy.  I have been trying to cut out cafine, so most of these are caffine free

For wine night or book club with the girls - Try sparkling cider or juice.  Its available in the juice aisle - usually at the bottom - and comes in flavors like plain, apple or cranberry.  Its cheap and quite good and when put in a wine glass you can kind of pretend its the real thing

For a day at the pool - Try mixing diet tonic water (no calories), with a splash of cranberry juice and a squirt of lime.  Serve with plenty of ice in an insulated mug.  Super refreshing!

For Happy Hour with the girls - Since most bars don't have diet tonic water, try plain soda with cranberry.  If that is too tart for you I have also been drinking old fashioned shirley temples - sprite and grinadine.

For a special occasion toast - Try the same sparking cider as above, but put a splash of cranberry and a few fresh raspberries at the bottom of the glass first.  You can even rim the glass with colored sugar to make it extra festive!

For a nice restaurant treat - Most restarants have a virgin cocktail list - but beware that some of the mixes are loaded with fat and calories!  I personally prefer to eat my calories, not drink them, so I try to be aware of this.

For a backyard party - Try a virgin margarita.  Recipe taken from here.

Ingredients required for a virgin margarita drink:


4 cups ice cubes
¼ cup orange juice
6 ounces thawed limeade concentrate
4 wedges of lime
2 table spoons of coarse salt

Method of making the virgin margarita:

Prepare the margarita glasses by rubbing the rim with a wedge of lime and dipping the rim on course salt which is placed on a plate allowing it to get coated.

Put the ingredients in a blender and blend on a high speed for a few minutes until it is blended well and the ice cubes crushed. If beer is being used pour part of it into the blender and blend it into the mixture. Pour the drinks evenly into the glasses and add the remaining beer to each glass. Put lime wedges on each glass rim and serve. Pour evenly into the glasses and garnish with the lime wedges. Serve immediately.

See you can still celebrate and have fun without the booze - its just nice to pretend that you are really drinking!