'Tis the Season for Prickly Pear Aguas Frescas

The night before Thanksgiving, our family enjoyed a festive, filling and flavorful meal of my homemade spoon bread topped with Cookwell & Company all natural, gluten-free Green Chili Stew made with Hatch chilies, a green salad, chips and salsa, seedless grapes and Effie's incredibly delicious Prickly Pear Aguas Frescas.

Here is Effie's recipe for non-alcoholic Prickly Pear Aguas Frescas:

Ingredients:

4 prickly pears (available fall/winter seasons), peeled with a knife and rubber gloves (a must)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 limes, juiced plus 1 lime for slices to garnish
1/4 teaspoon ground canela (Mexican cinnamon) or regular cinnamon
2 cups ice

Directions:

1. Puree the prickly pears in a blender.
2. Pass through a fine sieve or mesh strainer in to a bowl to strain out ever seed; use rubber spatula.
3. Puree the pear liquid again, adding in the sugar, lime juice and ice in a blender for 1 minute.
4. Pour into glasses and garnish with lime.

Serves 2-4