Peppermint Lemonade

I love lemons. I love lemon candy. I friggin' love lemonade!!  Yes, it's that serious.  Anyway,  back in November I mentioned making peppermint lemonade for Thanksgiving.  I've been craving the refreshing drink since Summertime hit with a vengeance.  The only thing about lemonade is that if you don't drink it quickly, the flavor turns more and more acidic until it's undrinkable.  Here's a recipe for a 1/2 gallon of peppermint lemonade that will make your mouth water.

Ingredients:

3 fresh lemons
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves (chopped finely)
1 used teabag that has already dried out
1/4 cup of sugar

Directions:

1. Put 1 quart of water into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 5 minutes.

2. Open up your used teabag and empty the tea.  If necessary, run under a low flow faucet until it runs clear to ensure all the tea has been removed.

3. Grate the zest of 1 lemon and place into the teabag along with the mint leaves.  Fold the teabag closed and secure with a staple (or you can just tie it closed using the string from the teabag).

4. Juice the lemons in your pitcher, cut them in quarters and put them into the pitcher.  Pour the hot water in and add your sugar and tea bag and stir until sugar dissolved.

5. Add enough water to fill the pitcher, cover and let chill for 3-4 hours.


This recipe does not use a lot of sugar, but is not too bland because the sugar is added to warm water which allows it to dissolve better.  My mother is diabetic and this recipe was created so that she could enjoy it without worrying too much about her diabetes going haywire.  I prefer mine a little sweeter so I simply add a few teaspoons to my glass.

Tip:  To make this lemonade even better for the gal on the go, you can prep a few teabags and keep them in the freezer. Also, to get the most juice out of your lemon you can roll it on your counter using gentle pressure or squeeze it several times until you start to smell the oil from the lemon zest.

Smooches