Kompot

One big side effect of living in North America is temptation. I constantly find myself being tempted by all available products, entertainment and food. And if I found a way of restraining myself from the first two (being on limited family budget really helps), food and the whole food culture here is the worst coming into terms with for me. But I won't go into that right now. Today is a little topic on soft drinks.

Perhaps, it won't surprise you, my North American reader, but to me - newcomer from another country, this everyday drinking soda is something very foreign.
I mean, those drinks are available to buy anywhere: at grocery stores, restaurants, cinema theaters, malls, parking lots, colleges and even my office has a vending machine! No wonder people are so used to drinking that stuff everyday.
My first few years in Canada, I’ve been avoiding soda easily. Maybe because I’ve been busy studying or settling in the new country, maybe because my home ties and traditions were still in tight presence, I'm not sure. But now that I'm somewhat relaxed and settled, I find myself grabbing a can (or a pack!) of soda from time to time. Somehow "Ginger ale" or "Coke" made their way into my fridge, into my lunch bag and into my diet. See, I’m craving it as I’m typing this…
Only my husband’s harsh criticism made me stop. He also reminded me that we grew up without any soft drinks back home and instead, we had homemade Kompot. Since fresh fruit was not available at large when we were kids, our mothers made this drink out of available dried fruits: apples, pears, raisins, apricots and prunes. The recipe couldn't be simpler: boiling water+fruit = healthy drink.
So with all the apples being in season, I made Kompot last night. I also added pears from my parent’s garden, prunes and some raisins for sweetness and it was delicious. To make it a bit more "American" I spiced it up with cinnamon. I'm bringing some to work with me for lunch. No more space for soda can in my lunch bag:)

Basic Kompot recipe

Ingredients
1 cup cut-up apples (or dried)
1 cup cut-up pears (or dried)
1 cup prunes
1 cup dried apricots
½ cup raisins (or dried cranberries)
½ stick cinnamon (optional)

Preparation
In saucepan, combine apples, pears, apricots, prunes, raisins and cinnamon stick and 4 cups water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until fruit is tender, about 20 minutes.
Let cool. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.)