Pineapple, mint & lime agua fresca

How many of you have a man at home that's a gadget fiend??? To say that of my husband Luis would be a bit of an understatement. When we first met, I was amazed to note that he possessed a pasta maker, bread maker, the best Kitchen Aid blender on the market (in our mutual favorite color - red!) and various other contraptions. Since we got married, our gadget collection has only expanded...mostly involving him scoring him new and exotic devices at crazy low prices and then coming home to excitedly proclaim that we would never be able to imagine life without our new X. Some of the time I'm quite skeptical, as I was when he brought home a pineapple corer that he found at the market for 30 baht (the equivalent of 1 USD). Sure we get amazing pineapples year-round here in Thailand, but just why did we need a corer when a nice kitchen knife does the trick just fine, I wondered?

Well I hate to admit it, but he was kind of right...the pineapple corer is a pretty awesome contraption (and it's small so doesn't take up space)! You basically whack off the top of the pineapple and then insert the corer into it and it takes out all the flesh you need. It's pretty darn cool.

As I reach the end of my pregnancy, I've been craving cool, refreshing beverages more than ever. I've always been a fan of Mexican agua frescas (basically fresh fruit juices blended with sugar and water), so I just knew that the big, ripe pineapple we had sitting around should be converted into one with the help of our handy new gadget. With the addition of some mint and fresh lime juice, it totally hit the spot for this pregnant woman, as well as her gadget fiend husband and mother. Whether you have a pineapple corer or not, try it whenever you can get your hands on some fresh pineapple, and consider making a big batch for a party or BBQ. Depending on the sweetness of your pineapple and your own taste, you may have to increase the honey/sugar syrup. For a grown-up version, feel free to spike with the alcohol of your choice!

PINEAPPLE, MINT & LIME AGUA FRESCA
Serves 4-6

Flesh of one medium to large fresh pineapple, cored and chopped
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons (or to taste) honey or concentrated sugar syrup (the latter is readily available here)
Ice cubes or crushed ice

1. In a blender, mix together all of the ingredients until well liquefied. Stir well and serve over ice.

If you're looking for another refreshing and delicious agua fresca, try my watermelon basil chile one as well!