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Lemonade

Most of us enjoy a refreshing glass of lemonade when the weather becomes intolerably hot or when we want to spend a few moments on the porch chatting with a neighbor about anything & everything.  No barbecue, cookout or child's birthday party would be complete without glasses of ice cold lemonade for guests.  Ask any youngster who's ever had a stand along the sidewalk or neighborhood corner, and they will tell you that lemonade is the drink to make when one wants to raise funds for a project or worthy cause.  If I see one of Alex's Lemonade Stands in town or in the city, I always buy a glass.  I hope you do too!

Making a single lemonade or dozens of them is very simple to do.  Of the utmost importance is finding the juiciest of lemons (the juice must be freshly squeezed!) that feel heavy for their size and having plenty of ice & cold water.  Last, but not least, is the simple syrup.  As I've shown you in a previous post, it takes mere minutes to make and if you're lucky to have some already on hand, pouring a lemonade can be done in a flash.  This old time drink will never go out of fashion, so gather your favorite glasses (a Ball Jar style glass would be perfect) and make some today.   


Ice Cold Lemonade

Lemonade - 1 serving
  • 3/4 cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Simple Syrup
  • crushed ice or ice cubes
Lemonade (about 1 liter) - 4 servings
  • 3 cups cold water
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Lemon Simple Syrup
  • crushed ice or ice cubes
In a single glass (if you're only making 1) or large carafe, pour the cold water, lemon juice & simple syrup.  Stir to combine thoroughly.  The lemonade can be made ahead of time and be kept in the refrigerator until you wish to enjoy some. 

Note: if you prefer to have people sweeten their drinks to taste, simply omit adding the simple syrup to the carafe or pitcher and let each guest do so to their liking.

Add enough ice into a glass and pour the lemonade, garnishing with a few raspberries (I love doing this) or leaves of fresh mint straight from the garden or herb pot. 



Pink Lemonade
  • any of the above recipes
  • 2 splashes of cherry or pomegranate juice per drink


Lemonade is certainly the stuff of childhood.  I can remember as a child having our lemonade in the refrigerator sitting next to a setting jello or two, poured from one of mom's tupperware pitchers (hers was bright orange) into one of those multi-colored tupperware "glasses".  If mom had family or friends drop by, a lemonade was usually poured for them to cool off from the summer heat.  Although we no longer have those containers at mom's house, we can still enjoy this old-fashioned drink whenever we feel like it.  I hope you make some now that we're entering summer and treat your family to a thirst quenching favorite.

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