Lemonade 5 cents

Summer is not quite here but the signs are here and the anticipation of the summer delights have begun. One of the delights of summer is cooling off with a refreshing drink. I was asked to post some of our favorite summer refreshments. I can remember the joy of having a lemonade stand as a little girl. It was a fun way to pass the day. As a mom; a jug of lemonade and a few cups were a great way to occupy the little ones. I recently heard of sun tea and immediately thought of waiting for a batch of sun tea to brew while the children play in the pool. Blooming tea would be awesome for sun tea. A glass of Sangria sitting outside on a starry summer night can't be beat. We have lots of mint and just so happen to love a Mojito. Here are some of our old favorites and few new to choose from.

Lemonade

6 lemons

1 cup white sugar

6 cups cold water

Directions

Juice the lemons to make 1 cup of juice. To make your labor easier, FIRMLY roll the lemons between your hand and counter top before cutting in half and juicing.

In a gallon pitcher combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, and 6 cups cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

Lemon Mint Iced Tea

Mix 3 tea bags, fresh mint leaves, sugar or honey and let this mixture steep for 20 minutes. (It needs time to transform and believe me, it is worth the wait.)

After steeping for 20 minutes, strain out the tea bags and mint leaves.

Squeeze the lemon wedges into the tea mixture and add the squeezed slices to the mixture. Stir well.

Chill, serve over ice, garnish with a lemon wedge, (optional) and enjoy!

Serves Four to Five

Sun Tea

Fun to make with kids. It would seem like a fun thing to brew while splashing around the pool. Use the fruit teas or the blooming teas would be fun.

Wash a clear container thoroughly with hot water and antibacterial soap.

Sun tea steeps at an ideal temperature for bacterial growth, so it's important to sanitize the container before you start.

Fill the container with cups of cold water. Use the most purified water you can get your hands on

Add 5 teabags or 5 teaspoons of tea leaves and cover the container securely.

Place the container in direct sunlight for at least two hours. Taste the tea periodically to see if it's ready.

Remove the tea bags or strain out the tea leaves.

Pour into glasses, mix with sugar or honey (optional) and serve iced.

Drink all the tea within a few hours

Sangria

The beauty of the basic Sangria recipe is that it is as delicious as it is easy, and it only gets better as you spice it up with your own additions! Really, it is hard to add the "wrong" ingredient here, think favorite fruits, spice and liquors. Chill and enjoy!

1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)

1 Lemon cut into wedges

1 Orange cut into wedges

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Shot brandy

2 Cups ginger ale or club soda

Preparation:

Slice the fruit, then mash at the bottom with the sugar(muddle*). Add the wine, orange juice, triple sec, and brandy, and chill. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.

Addition ideas: sliced strawberries, peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot or two of gin, brandy or rum, a cup of ginger ale, citrus soda pop or lime juice.

Mojito

1.25 oz Captain Morgan Original spiced rum

12 mint leaves

1 tbsp sugar

0.5 oz lime juice

2 oz soda

Place mint leaves in bottom of glass. Add crushed ice, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, sugar, and lime juice, and muddle*. Add soda water and garnish with mint leaves.

*When mixing cocktails, herbs and/or fruit are often mashed or ground -- muddled -- with sugar in the bottom of a glass before adding the liquid ingredients to intensify their flavors. You can muddle with a spoon or a pestle-like tool called a muddler.