The past couple of weeks have been full of knowledge that I honestly could have done without learning. Things like how crappy it is to have mono, how many IV bags it takes to combat severe dehydration, and that steroids can leech calcium from your bones. Yep, that's a bunch of information that no one needs to know, unless your a healthcare professional trying to make someone like me feel better.
One healthcare professional had a special secret that not only made me feel better, but almost made it worth spending three days in the hospital...ALMOST.
My first afternoon in the hospital I was charged with drinking as much as possible. Having a severely swollen and soar throat I found the colder the drink the better, and since eating was pretty difficult, the nurses wanted me to try to drink some juice. I should say that I'm not really a juice kind of person. I like juice, but it's not usually my first choice of beverages so when Marilyn, my Patient Care Technician, asked what kind of juice I wanted, I took a few minutes to answer. Before I could answer Marilyn said, "or would you like the mix? It's the best."
With that recommendation I agreed, not knowing what "the mix" was. Marilyn returned in a few minutes with a large glass of pink colored juice. I took a sip and immediately I felt like I was sitting on a lanai in Hawaii! It wasn't guava juice, or pineapple, or cherry, but it was tropical and so delicious. I couldn't believe it! How could something so amazingly delicious be in the hospital? When Marilyn looked in on my next and noticed that I had finished off my juice, she asked what I thought.
What did I think? I thought I was on vacation! Well, minus the horrible sore throat and IV and the hospital bed and gown, that is. But it was amazing! I couldn't believe it. So I asked Marilyn what he had mixed to make such a delicious concoction. She readily shared the recipe for what I am calling Hawaii in a Glass. Once I'm back to 100% I plan to try this recipe with either a shot of rum or vodka for a Grown Up Hawaii in a Glass. But until then, I'm sticking with the original recipe:
Hawaii in a Glass
In a large pint glass filled with ice add the following:
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup Apple Juice
1/2 cup Cranberry Juice
Stir and enjoy!
You can make pitchers full. Just make sure to keep the proportions of the three juices equal.
I'm happy to be home from the hospital and even happier to be able to enjoy Hawaii in a Glass from the comfort of my own living room!
