Hello, all! It’s been almost a month since I’ve posted, but it’s great to see people are visiting teensygreen and gaining insight into living more simple, greener lives. I have a lot planned to write about this summer, and I thought I’d start off with a great giveaway!
I am not one to shy away from soda, but I have been trying to cut down/cut it out completely this year. One alternative I love is carbonated water, or club soda or seltzer, or “bubbly water” as my kids put it. I feel like I’m getting that carbonated soda-y feeling without the caffeine, sugar, or sodium. What I don’t like is buying bottles and bottles of seltzer and, even though I recycled the bottles, just felt like there could be an alternative to all the liters of water.
Sodastream is doing just that - liberating people from plastic bottles and soda cans by allowing people to make their own sodas and carbonated water at home. If the average American consumes almost 600 cans or bottles of soda every year, more than bottled water - doesn’t it make sense to stop the cycle and make your own, avoiding the waste? Here are the amazing environmental benefits of a soda maker -
- No batteries or electricity
- Reduces energy used to manufacture bottles and cans
- Reduces gas and pollution from shipping packaged beverages
- Eliminates pollution from batteries
I have the Pure home soda system, and I LOVE it. It doesn’t use electricity or batteries to work - just the power of carbon dioxide injected into their special water container. It’s very easy to use - install the carbon dioxide canister, fill the bottle with cold water, attach it to the system, and inject the CO2. You can leave the carbonated water as is, or add Sodastream’s large variety of soda-flavored syrups or natural essence water enhancers to give it great flavor.
I’m going to mention this about the SodaMix flavors. They do have less sugar than regular soda, but they are make with a Splenda-sugar mix, which is an often controversial alternative sweetner. I’ve tried a few of the flavors - ginger ale, root beer, orange - but am looking into alternatives to these syrups. My friend Tara Burner (follow on Twitter @taraburner) let me know about natural fruit syrups at Whole Foods, or simply adding fruit juice to the water for a natural spritzer. It’s up to you if you want to use the syrups, and I have to admit, they’re good. I’m not comfortable endorsing a Splenda-flavored product, but it’s worth getting a Sodastream and using it as you’d like. I’m drinking more water now, and am happy to not have to add more waste, even to the recycling bin!
So, now to the fun part! I’m giving away one Pure Sodastream at-home soda making kit, which comes with a carbon dioxide canister, water bottles, and sample soda/water flavors. It’s a $150 value, and worth every penny! To enter, please leave a comment here with an answer to this question - What will you make with your Sodastream? Use these recipes as a handy guide, or make up your own flavor! I’m all about the Shirley Temple this weekend - ginger ale, grenadine, and cherries. And my husband think egg creams and black and white sodas are in order. Who’s with me?
The contest will be open now until next Thursday, June 11th at midnight, PST. Open to residents of the continental US only. The winner will be chosen at random. No PO boxes, please! Good luck!
Comments
I am all about the guilt free rootbeer float. I love rootbeer floats! Thanks for the great green giveaway.
xo.
Are you kidding me? No electricity? That is so cool! Hmm I’d love to try and make the Hawaiian Burst sounds delicious! Heavy emphasis on the try part. haha
OMG, this is fabulous! I am dying to try out the Morning Rush (I am SO not a morning person!) and my kids want to try out the Creamsicle so bad they are drooling all over my keyboard!
I love seltzer! I gave up diet soda and anything with artificial sweeteners when I was pregnant and never went back. I’d love to try the Ginger Chai Refresher.
My idea of a great soda is the regular old classic; cream soda…that’s what I’d be making for me, but for the kids; I’d definitely be making the guilt free root beer float flavors…they love rootbeer floats!!!
I have wanted one of these systems since they came out some time ago but have never managed to get one…I’m leaving it to chance this time, maybe then I’ll be lucky enough to own one 
Great giveaway!!!!!
-barbarabaker
What a cool concept and just in time for summer! Fizzy lemonade sounds like a delicious idea and there are hundreds more of tasty things to try and make up!
Double chocolate sodas!
Hmmmm. How to choose? They all sound so good. But i’d def start with plain ol sparking water — with a lime, of course. i love it!
I would make a chocolate cola. Using the cola mix and add chocolate syrup.
I would love to try the Cranberry Lime Sparkler. That sounds so refreshing!!
Thank you,
Sarah Joy
What a great way for people to get their “bubbly” without going through tons of bottles and cans!
Berry Dream: Sodastream Cranberry-Raspberry, Light cream and Strawberries, raspberries or blueberries in syrup
YUMM!
Whoever wins will love it! I love mine, though different model…and the fruit in it is yummy!
I’d make a Ginger Chai Refresher! Sounds so yum!
Guilt free root beer float, yum
If I won this I would make the Margarita Fizz. YUMMO! But the Cos-Mojito is something else I would try!!!
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What perfect timing! I’ve just switched from soda to seltzer with fruit juices! I was thinking that I wanted to take it a step further and eliminate half of the bottles (still need to buy juice :-S ) My favorite so far is Trader Joe’s Strawberry Lemonade with seltzer - about 2/3 water, 1/3 juice.
I’d love to make some lime ricky’s using cherry juice and lime! I like that this would eliminate plastic bottles in my home.
ahhh my favorite fruit in the Blueberries and Cream Supreme recipe
Ginger Chai Refresher is my choice. I began drinking Chai tea about 10 years ago. Ever since, I was hooked.
I would make the Diet Harvest Iced Tea.
Thank you!
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
As a disabled soldier I sometimes need a “pick me up” to get moving but I don’t want caffeine. I would use it with something like Zipfizz to get a boost without sugar or caffeine.
I SOOOO want one of these. I make a fizzy drink with rhubarb/rosemary syrup. That’s what I’d do with mine!
I think I would like to try the Shooting Star drink. I haven’t ever tried it.
Diet Lime Cola!
3/4th glass Sodastream Diet Cola
4 table spoons lime juice/syrup
My husband is a heavy Diet Coke with Lime drinker. This would save us a fortune!
The caffeine-free diet cola will be my first choice.
Italian sodas!
Seltzer + Torani Syrup = the best!
We’d probably make flavored sodas for old-fashioned ice cream sodas (e.g., vanilla, chocolate, coffee, strawberry, etc.). I still remember having those when I was younger and it’s hard to find those types of flavors now, even in ice cream shops.
I am such a purist, nothing but club soda for me with a splash of lime.
I would love to try the Cos-Mojito. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’d probably use it for Spritzers, but Hubby is a major Coke field…I’d love to explore a more eco-friendly way for him to get his “fix”.
Creamsicle!
I would make an “All That Jazz” drink - cream soda and Pete’s Choice with a cherry topper. Yum!
The Peppermint Eggn Nog Recipe sounds awesome!
I love root beer so I’d love to make my own root beer. My nephews and nieces like root beer floats and this would be a way for them to make everything from start.
The Tart and Tiny looks yummy.
Of course, my choice would have to be something with a little bit of booze!
Tart and Tiny
4 oz. Sodastream Diet Pink Grapefruit
4 oz. Sodastream Diet Cranberry-Raspberry
1 1/2 oz. Gin
1 1/2 oz. Raspberry liqueur
Slice of orange
Over ice in a highball glass, pour gin and raspberry liqueur
Add Diet Pink Grapefruit and Diet Cranberry-Raspberry sodas
Stir gently
Garnish with a slice of orange
Variation: Use orange liqueur instead of raspberry
I am a freak for ice cream sodas and really good egg creams (I’m from NJ, there are some great places to get some around here) so that’s what I’d make first.
I have been wanting one of these forever! The Cranberry Lime Sparkler sounds yummy!
I’ve been wanting to get one of these for my husband–he loves seltzer water. I’d use it to make ‘fizzy drinks’ for my kids, something like fizzy lemonade or cherry limeade (so they’d stop wanting soda).
Nothing says summer like orange creamsicles and sparkling lemonade!
I’d like to make some water with their MyWater Unsweetened, all-natural flavor essences in Lemon-Lime. Thanks for the giveaway!
Sparkling lemonade sounds great.
iluvchrisnlevi@aol.com
I love colas but the rest of my family love the fruit flavored carbonated water. We would have so much fun with this. I love that it doesn’t use electricity or batteries.
Oh my gosh, how neat! No electricity either? wow! I’d love to try the Hawaiian Burst, it sounds great. Thanks.
kport207 at gmail dot com
I’d use it to make sparkling lemonade, or just a spritzer with some cranberry juice. Mmmm.
Thank you for the giveaway! I remember ordering shirley temple drinks when I would dine with my late grandmother, I’d love to bring back those memories!
YES to guilt free root beer!
Ooooh! A Margarita Fizz with some mango added! (I know we don’t get local mango in Seattle, but maybe an exception can be made just this once??!!)
I would like the orange and lemon-lime.
my kids and I love Root Beer Floats!
The Creamsicle would be great for the kids.
I =love= seltzer/soda/fizzy water, and will probably drink it unflavored, but I also love in the summer to let a can of frozen limeade melt, then I mix it with unflavored fizzy water instead of regular water to have fizzy limeade!!! Oh, yum, yum, yum!
emvark at gmail dot com
I will make the Berry Dream.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com
I would just like to make sparkling water with some lemon.
ohh I would love to make a chocolate rootbeer! 2 of my favorite things!
I would love to make the Creamsicle but would like to change it up to be strawberry instead of orange! YUM
SourBerry Spritzer. Yummm
I want to make ginger ale and green tea.
I think I’d be making some good root beer floats for the family.
my kids would love the root bear floats
harborlad@optonline.net
CREAMSICLE SOUNDS GOOD! HAWAIIAN BURST SOUNDS GOOD TOO! THANKS.
I would make the guilt-free root beer float. Yum!
I would make a lemon/ginger/rosemary simple syrup to add to seltzer. Perfect for a hot day! Not bad with some vodka thrown in as well. 
I have been running around the blogosphere since Christmas trying to win one of these! Creamsicle sounds awesome!
creamsicle and shirley temples are a must have, this is a fantastic giveaway!
The Blueberries and Cream Supreme sounds great, but I might replace the blueberries with some raspberries.
Blueberries and Cream Supreme sounds wonderful!!
creamsicle and rootbeer
I’d love to make the Lite Berry-Lime Punch for a more…adult beverage
Oh this would be so much fun! I’d create a chocolate flavored soda (kinda like an old fashioned cream soda)
I’d make Root Beer - not only is it my favorite soda, but it’s also a key ingredient in Root Beer Floats.
The Margarita Fizz sounds interesting. Thanks!
You say that one of the environmental benefits is not using batteries or electricity, but when you look at the big picture, all that compressed CO2 took energy to store up in the thing, before you bought it. So really, it’s just a matter of who’s energy it uses.
Most likely, it would be more environmental if it used electricity, to take carbon out of the air and put it in the water. Then you wouldn’t have to get a new one when it runs out of CO2.
