Cherry Coke gets “dirty” with a little vanilla, a little lemon and just a touch of cream!

Every kid wants a tree house don’t they? A hangout just for kids where they can escape the adult world. It’s just them, their imagination and their leafy green surroundings. My kids would love to have their own tree house. Unfortunately, we do not have the intellectual capital to help them make one.

My kids are creative and resourceful. Since a tree house is NOT an option, they’ve constructed the next best thing: a fort deep (well sort of) in the woods. And I couldn’t be prouder.

For some time they’ve been hard at work making the fort perfect. They’ve spent hours working on this fort. They’ve haled rocks, gathered sticks, cut wood, and collected mossy grass. My son would come in and tell me all about his progress. I tried to picture the project in my head, but with no real success. Finally I went to see it for myself.

I felt like I was in a movie where you step into the woods and are transported to a magical place. They lined the path to the fort with sticks so you can always find your way. There is a perfectly placed log over a trench to make your passage easy. Finally you find the fort. I was struck by the serene and expansive clearing in which the fort is located. You can see our house, but it feels just far enough away so that the kids feel secret and secluded. The area is cool and dry; it is lush and peaceful.

The fort itself is more of a lean-to with sticks standing up holding a makeshift roof. Grass and mud cover the roof to keep it cool and rocks form the floor to keep them dry. For a moment, I had the thought that this would be a great spot for teenagers to drink, but I quickly tossed that aside. Because what this is, is beauty. It’s a child’s perfect idea of what the ideal world is like. It is quiet, it’s close enough to feel safe, but far enough to be independent. It is made with their own hands, with natural things no one has to buy. It’s simple, it’s honest, and it is like nothing else in the world, just like them.

I have been eyeing dirty Cokes for quite some time. I had to change it up a bit because I prefer Cherry Coke to Diet Coke. Dirty Diet Cokes are made with coconut flavored syrup and a splash of lime. I made mine with vanilla syrup, mainly because I couldn’t find coconut. I went with a lemon because I thought it would taste better with the cherry and vanilla. The splash of half and half made it creamy and smooth. The cherry and vanilla were perfect together!

After exploring in the woods with the kids, all the dirty made me thirsty! I made a few of these dirty Cherry Cokes for myself and the kids. We all agreed these were just about the best Cherry Cokes ever! I don’t think we’ll be able to have it plain again!

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