Kid-friendly Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Recipe: Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

by Dylan Sabuco
Photo by Srboljub Stojanovic Aibo/Shutterstock.com
prep time
5 minutes
cook time
makes
4-6 servings

Fun Food Story

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Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

Here’s a drink that shouts autumn! Tangy orange juice and tart cranberries blend with a hint of vanilla to create a slushie that’s cool, refreshing, and full of cozy fall vibes.

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • blend :

    to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

  • measure :

    to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

  • pour :

    to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.

  • soak :

    to immerse a hard food for a certain amount of time in a liquid to soften it.

  • stir :

    to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

Equipment Checklist

  • Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Dry measuring cups
scale
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Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

  • 3 C orange juice
  • 1 C dried cranberries
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1 C ice
  • 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**

Food Allergen Substitutions

Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

  • Gluten/Wheat: Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.

Instructions

Cranberry Orange Rosemary Refresher

1.
measure + soak

Start by measuring 3 cups orange juice and 1 cup dried cranberries. Pour them both into a blender (or pitcher for use with an immersion blender). Stir a few times and then set to the side for at least 10 minutes. This will soften the cranberries for later in the recipe.

2.
measure + blend

In the blender, measure and add 2 cups ice and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. You are going for a slushie consistency. Pour the drink into cups. Cheers! Enjoy this tasty fall drink with Autumn’s Cranberry Orangey Spice Cakey!

Surprise Ingredient: Orange!

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Photo by Mariia Korneeva/Shutterstock.com

Hi!  I'm Orange!

“I'm both sweet and tart, and I'm best when I'm very juicy. Be careful when you peel my skin because my juice might squirt you in the eye! I make a refreshing breakfast juice and a tasty, nutritious snack. Since I'm a navel orange, my orange inside matches my orange outside, but my cousin, who's a blood orange, has orange skin and a dark red interior."

History & Etymology

  • The sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is a citrus fruit and part of the Rutaceae family, also known as the rue or citrus family. It is a hybrid, a cross between the mandarin orange, a small citrus fruit, and the pomelo, the largest of the citrus fruits, similar in flavor to a grapefruit. 
  • Sweet oranges have been grown since ancient times, coming from the region of Southern China, Northeast India, and Myanmar. Chinese literature from 314 BCE mentions them.
  • Christopher Columbus may have planted orange trees in the New World on his second voyage in 1493.
  • Because oranges do not spoil quickly and are full of vitamin C, sailors planted orange and other citrus trees along trade routes to prevent scurvy, which develops from a deficiency of vitamin C.
  • The navel orange is a variety that gets its name from the belly-button formation opposite the stem end. A 1917 USDA study reports that the navel orange may have developed from a mutation of a single orange in Brazil in the early 1800s. Another theory, though, is that it came from a similarly mutated Portuguese orange around the same time. The navel that forms is actually a second orange that begins to develop in the peel of the primary fruit. 
  • Blood oranges are a colorful variety with deep red or crimson flesh. They have been grown in the region of the southern Mediterranean since the 18th century, especially in Italy and Spain. The anthocyanins that cause the crimson color develop when the temperature is low at night. California has a Mediterranean-like climate, so that state grows the most blood oranges in the United States.
  • Valencia oranges are a hybrid developed by William Wolfskill, a man who was born in Kentucky and later became a Mexican citizen. Mexico still owned California when he received a land grant there. In addition to other crops, he grew Valencia oranges, named after the Spanish town known for its sweet oranges. These oranges have seeds and are grown primarily for their juice. 
  • Orange marmalade is a fruit preserve. Marmalades made with quince, lemon, and other fruit may have originated in ancient Rome. The first printed orange marmalade recipe was in a 1714 English cookbook. 
  • Brazil grows one-third of all the world's oranges. California and Florida are the largest producers of oranges in the United States.
  • Around 85 percent of all oranges produced are used for juice.
  • There are more than 400 varieties of oranges worldwide. Varieties are the result of mutations. 
  • The orange is Florida's official state fruit, orange juice its state beverage, and the orange blossom its state flower.
  • The word "orange" comes from late Middle English, from the Old French "orenge," from the Old Provençal "auranja," from the Arabic "nāranj," derived from the Persian "nārang," and based on "nāraṅga," the Sanskrit word for "orange tree," 

Anatomy

  • The orange tree is a citrus evergreen flowering plant. Its average height is 5 to 8 feet, but it can reach about 30 feet. They live 50 to 60 years.
  • Orange tree blossoms are white and have a wonderful fragrance. 
  • The fruit from citrus trees is called a hesperidium, a modified berry with a tough, leathery rind. Oranges have a bright orange outer rind covering the juicy, pulpy fruit. Lining the peel is the pith or white spongy tissue. Then there are the segments or carpels, typically ten of them, with many juice-filled vesicles or citrus kernels in each.
  • Oranges are seasonal citrus fruits. The flowers bloom in spring, and the fruit ripens in fall or winter. 
  • Can Oranges grow in Chicago or Colorado? No, because the ideal conditions for growing oranges are in subtropical areas with good amounts of sunshine yet moderate to warm temperatures (60 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Oranges are round to oval in shape, can be from 2 to 5 inches in diameter, and weigh 2 to 10 ounces.

How to Pick, Buy, & Eat

  • When picking oranges from a tree, choose ones that smell sweet and are firm and heavy. Avoid ones that smell moldy. Color does not necessarily indicate ripeness. They will not ripen or get any sweeter once they have been harvested. 
  • When selecting oranges from the store, choose ones heavy for their size, indicating juiciness, and no soft spots on their firm, smooth rinds.
  • Store oranges at room temperature for about one week or in the fridge for four weeks. 
  • Peeled oranges can be eaten as a snack or added to salads, desserts, main dishes, sorbets, and drinks. 
  • Orange marmalade is made with every part of an orange except the seeds, although sometimes the pith is removed. The peel contains pectin, which helps the marmalade to set. The preferred type of orange to use is the Seville or bitter orange, which has more pectin. The fruit is boiled with sugar and water, and often the juice and zest of a lemon.
  • Orange zest is used to flavor dishes. Other uses of an orange peel include making fragrant oils for air freshening or cleaning and using the peels to repel insects and slugs.
  • Orange blossoms are highly fragrant and have long been used for weddings as cake decorations, part of bridal bouquets, and head wreaths. In addition, their essence is a component in some perfumes, and their petals can be used to make orange blossom water.

Nutrition

  • One orange is high in vitamin C—64 percent of the daily value! Vitamin C boosts immunity, lowers your disease risk, and aids in iron absorption and wound healing. 
  • Oranges also have a moderate amount of B-complex vitamins, especially thiamine (B1) and folate (B9). The B-complex vitamins help improve cell function, form red blood cells, and convert carbohydrates into energy.

 

Let's Learn About Florida!

Photo by Levranii/Shutterstock.com (Florida Everglades)
  • Florida is the 27th state of the United States, located in the southeast. The Atlantic Ocean is on its eastern border, the Straits of Florida and Cuba are south of the state, the Gulf of Mexico is west, Georgia is north, and Alabama is northwest. 
  • The state capital is Tallahassee, and Jacksonville is the most populous city. The Miami metro area is the most populous urban area, at about 6.2 million.
  • The indigenous people who first came to America, the Paleo-Indians, arrived in Florida about 12,000 years ago. European explorers and settlers came to the area in the early 1500s. St. Augustine, a Spanish colony founded in 1565, is the oldest continuously lived-in city in the US.
  • Florida became a state on March 3, 1845. In 1861 it was one of the original seven Confederate States that seceded from the Union. It was restored to the Union in 1868 after the Civil War.  
  • Florida's total area is 65,758 square miles, and its population is 21,538,187. It has more residents over 65 than any other US state. Seniors often choose to retire to Florida for its warm, mild climate. 
  • Florida is only 90 miles north of the island country of Cuba. Hispanics and Latinos make up over a quarter of the state's population, with the majority of Cuban or Puerto Rican descent. 
  • The average elevation is 100 feet, with the highest elevation 345 feet and sea level the lowest.
  • Most of Florida has subtropical weather, but in the southern part of the state, below Lake Okeechobee, the climate is tropical, especially in the Florida Keys. 
  • The Everglades is 7,800 square miles of tropical wetlands and forests in southern Florida. The largest mangrove tree ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere is in the Everglades. Some animal species living there are American crocodiles, Florida panthers, West Indian (or North American) manatees, white-tailed deer, and banded water snakes. Bird species include American flamingos, green-backed herons, roseate spoonbills, and wood storks. 
  • Three of the most popular amusement parks in the US are in Florida: Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. 
  • Several professional sports teams play in Florida: the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football teams; and the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays MLB baseball teams. Golf is also an extremely popular professional and amateur sport in Florida.
  • Florida grows the most oranges in the US, followed by California. Most of the oranges are made into orange juice. The state fruit is the orange, the state beverage is orange juice, and the state flower is the orange blossom. The state is also known for its Key lime pie, gator bites, and Cuban food.

That's Berry Funny

"Knock, knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Orange!"

"Orange who?" 

"Orange you going to answer the door?"

Lettuce Joke Around

What’s the difference between a pirate and a cranberry farmer? 

A pirate buries his treasure, but a cranberry farmer treasures his berries.

Lettuce Joke Around

Why did the cranberries turn red? 

Because they saw the turkey dressing!

Lettuce Joke Around

Why did Rosemary get kicked out of the spice rack? 

She took too much Thyme!

The Yolk's On You

It took days to come up with this rosemary pun.

It was a long thyme cumin!

Lettuce Joke Around

Why do oranges wear suntan lotion? 

Because they peel.

The Yolk's On You

Why did the orange stop at the top of the hill?

Because it ran out of juice!

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