It has long been a tradition on my mother’s side of the family to gather annually to prepare lemonade while sharing embarrassing stories of one another through the years. They call this ritual a family reunion and the making of the lemonade is akin to a religious rite of passage. “Bring your lemons, young one, and you, too, shall be a maker of lemonade.” I have drunk from that sacred vat many times, but never contributed any lemons or sought the ancient family secrets to making great lemonade.
Actually, the last time I attended their reunion I realized the sought-after liquid refreshment wasn’t really that refreshing and decided I could probably do better given my own lemons and a bit of sugar. I was right.
When it’s hot outside, freshly-squeezed lemonade hits the proverbial “spot” when you need a drink. I searched all sorts of recipes online and decided to go with Paula Deen’s version of this summertime staple, but I infused the beverage with fresh mint from my own garden and that made all the difference.
So the next time you’re tempted to attend the family tell-all just for the lemonade, do yourself a favor and make your own while concocting just how you’d like to share those most embarrassing moments.
Lemonade: Liquid Refreshment
When it's hot outside, freshly-squeezed lemonade hits the proverbial "spot" when you need a drink.
Ingredients:
- Sugar - 2 cups
- Hot Water - 1 cup
- Fresh Lemon Juice - 2 cups
- Cold Water - 1 gallon
- Lemon - sliced
- Fresh Mint Sprigs - handful
Instructions:
In a 1 gallon container, place sugar and hot water, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and cold water to render 1 gallon. Stir until well mixed. Add sliced lemon and mint sprigs.
Can serve with additional mint sprig in the glass, but the flavor will infuse the entire batch.
Sounds good. It’s way too hot here.
Your friends will thank you for having this beverage on-hand when they stop by to commiserate with you about the heat. :-)