The Coolest Summer Drinks

Here are recipes I'm thrilled to share because breaking out the blender means the real, official start to summer. Plus, they are so easy to add or make sans the alcohol that it almost makes a person feel genius-like. So, get your blenders started!

Curtesy of cooks.com :

Blender Special Drink

Combine in blender:

1 scoop Orange Sherbet

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Sliced Banana

1 1/2 Cup Gingerale

Blend and serve in tall glasses. You may choose to add alcohol, but I wouldn't suggest anything except Vodka.

One of my own concoctions is taking a classy, standard of all fancy backyard parties, and making it Trendster friendly.

Frozen Gin & Tonic

1 1/2 oz. Gin

1 oz. Tonic

1 scoop of Ice

Splash of Lime juice

Mix everything together in a blender and serve immediately with a slice of lime as garnish. If you want to take it a cooler step further decrease the amount of Tonic and serve drink as a snow cone. For the virgin drink substitute the Gin with Margarita mix.

Strawberry, Banana, Kiwi Summer Sensation

1 container Strawberries

3 large Bananas

4 kiwis

1 cup light Rum

1 1/2 cup ice

Prepare fresh fruit in general way - remove stems, remove skins. Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high until ingredients are slushy. Take remaining fruits and slice. Then layer on long decorative pick for garnish.

Curtesy of Rachel Ray and the Food Network:

Frozen Peach Champagne Cocktail

1/4 cup sugar, to rim glasses

1 pint peach sorbet

2 shots Triple Sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Chilled champagne or sparkling wine, to fill blender, 1/3 bottle

Raspberries and 4 springs mint, optional garnish

Place a shallow bowl of water along side a shallow bowl with 1/4 cup sugar in it. Dip 4 cocktail glasses in water, then sugar to rim glass.

Place 4 scoops peach sorbet in blender. Add 2 shots orange liqueur. Fill blender with Champagne to maximum fill line or up to 1-inch from top of blending pitcher. Place cover on blender tightly. Blend until smooth and pour into cocktail glasses, keeping an eye out not to wreck the pretty sugar rims. Garnish with a few raspberries and a sprig of mint and serve.

This next coolie was discovered on Blender.com and served as a Highball, but I've tweaked it just a tiny bit.

Alligator Bait

2 oz. Melon Liqueur

1 oz. Strawberry Daiquiri mix

1 scoop of Ice

Top with Orange Juice

Blend everything until smooth. Add Strawberry and Melon slices on a long pick for garnish.

The last entry is not frozen or blended and is possibly the easiest drink on Earth just shy of opening a bottle of beer. I add it here because this is the way that I was taught to make it so many years ago and I never see it made this way. If your way is the "other" way, sorry, but this is so much better you just might convert!

Lemon Drop

1 oz. Lemon flavored Vodka

1 Lemon slice

Small plate of Sugar

It's imperative that your Lemon Flavored Vodka have lived in the freezer for a good few hours before making. Pour Vodka into shot glass and push both sides of the Lemon slice into the sugar. Treat this like a "Tequila shooter light" - drink the Vodka and follow immediately with Lemon slice! Trust me, you'll love it!

It's important to note that all of these drinks are pretty darn strong, so drink with caution, never drive after even one of these drinks and of course, use common sense! Otherwise, enjoy!