Blender

Here's a great breakfast or after-workout cooler that's ready in seconds and tastes as good as one you'd get at a juice bar.

Omit the alcohol for a kid-friendly drink.

For extra-slushy Margaritas, freeze the drinks in the blender jar at least thirty minutes and up to one hour; stir, if necessary, before serving. Instead of using salt, coat the glass rims with superfine sugar: Run a lime wedge along the rims to moisten, then dip them into a shallow saucer of sugar.

Lemon Gin Cocktail

If fresh passion fruit isn't available, substitute 3 cups passion-fruit nectar, frozen in ice-cube trays, for the strained fresh passion-fruit puree and, when ready to blend, omit the ice cubes.

This fizz is named after Henry C. Ramos who served it in his New Orleans bar, the Imperial Cabinet Saloon. Each drink must be shaken for as long as five minutes so Ramos hired young boys who did nothing but shake the fizzes for his clients. It is said that the staff of shakers reached its peak of 35 boys during the 1915 Mardi Gras celebration.