Tag: summer drinks

Frozen Watermelon Lemonade

Colleen James10 Comments

I thought I was so clever when I first “created” this recipe. It came about when I discovered a plump, ripe watermelon sitting on my counter after a 4th of July potluck I had hosted the day before.

My younger sister, who was also my roommate at the time, came home later that day from a trip out of town and realized my predicament. I don’t like watermelon. Fortunately, she does. She cut up the juicy fruit and enjoyed some, and then she decided to freeze the rest so that we could figure out what to do with what remained.

A few days later, we still had some lemonade in the refrigerator from the party, so I decided to blend some of the then-frozen watermelon with the juice on a whim. I figured I might be able to consume the watermelon in that manner and avoid wasting it in the end.

Fortunately, the watermelon lemonade combination was fantastic! It was refreshing, tangy, and sweet, and I found myself making more with the remaining frozen watermelon soon after and then making it in the summertime in the years to follow.

Years later, when my older brother and his family came to visit my family and me, I decided to make them this special “creation” and impress them with my culinary skills. I quickly discovered, however, that they had been making a version of this lemonade for years themselves! Since then, I’ve seen this recipe pop up quite a bit online as well.

All that to say, I may need to consider quoting Ecclesiastes 1:9 in all of my recipe blogposts from now on—the verse that reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun. 😊

This recipe may not be new, but it is definitely the perfect summer drink, so if you haven’t tried it for yourself, here’s an updated version of what I made so many years ago. Also, be sure to check out my Spiced Lemonade recipe, found here: https://anticipatingadventure.com/2021/05/16/spiced-lemonade/. And as always, please let me know what you think of these recipes if you try them. I would love to hear from you!

FROZEN WATERMELON LEMONADE

Ingredients:

  • 3 large lemons, juice of (slightly over ½ cup)
  • 4 c frozen watermelon*
  • 1/3 c monk fruit in the raw (or sweetener of choice)
  • 1 c water

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy! Makes 3-4 cups.

*When freezing watermelon, I suggest cutting the fruit into cubes and freezing it in smaller, one-cup portions in sealed sandwich bags. This will make it easier to fit into the blender when it comes time to make the lemonade.

Spiced Lemonade

Colleen James14 Comments
Tangy, fresh lemons blend together with golden honey and sweet cinnamon to make a refreshing twist to a classic, summer drink.

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time of year to drink fresh lemonade. This recipe is one I created years ago, when I was teaching ESL at the Spanish speaking seminary. I’m not sure what inspired me to add a cinnamon stick to the mixture other than the fact that I really like cinnamon—both for its taste and health benefits. That, and a friend of mine used to put a cinnamon stick in her iced tea when she brewed it, and I found the cinnamon to make her tea incredibly delicious.

Regardless of whatever the exact reason was, I’m glad I thought to do it. The tartness of the lemon juice blended together with honey, sweet cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla is the perfect blend. You’ll find yourself wanting to make this drink over and over again.

SPICED LEMONADE

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 c water, divided
  • 1/3 c honey (or sweetener of choice, to taste)
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ½ c fresh squeezed lemon juice (around 2-3 large lemons)

Instructions:

Heat two cups water and honey over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the honey dissolves. Add the vanilla, cinnamon stick, and fresh squeezed lemon juice and simmer on low for five minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and allow to cool for ten to twenty minutes, then place in the refrigerator and chill overnight, or a minimum of six hours (this will allow the cinnamon flavor to really infuse itself into the drink). Add the additional 1 ½ cups water before serving, stir, and serve over ice. Makes 3-4 servings.

NOTE: This lemonade tastes tart before fully chilled but will become sweeter once cold.