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Lynsey Lou's

Enjoying Life One Bite at a Time!

Lemonade

Blackberry Basil Lemonade

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I love lemonade year around, but when summer rolls around I get an intense urge to whip up a big batch of the tart, cold drink.  Whether it be classic yellow or some version with various other fruits, it’s pretty much a given that once those temps start spiking I will be in the kitchen squeezing some lemons. 

This year isn’t any different.  At the first sign of the heat I was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of ice cold lemonade and we’ve been sucking it down as quickly as I make it. 

One of the batches I’ve whipped up so far included some basil from my garden and some big, juicy blackberries.  And I must admit, it’s incredibly delicious.  Tart lemons, sweet blackberries and fresh basil make a tasty combination.

This lemonade comes together extremely quickly.  I combined the lemon juice and sugar in a mason jar and shook the mess out of it until the sugar dissolved.  The rest was a matter of squishing some blackberries and adding some water to the mix to dilute it slightly.  When ready to serve plop some basil leaves in a glass filled with ice and top with lemonade. 

If you like a little fizz you could fill three quarters full with lemonade and top off with soda water.  If you’re looking to make it an adult beverage a splash of bourbon or vodka can be mixed in to make a refreshing summer cocktail perfect for sipping on those warm summer nights, poolside or at your next backyard bbq.

Blackberry Basil Lemonade

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup (about 3 1/2 large lemons) fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup blackberries
1 1/2 Cup water
6-7 Basil leaves
Directions:

Pour lemon juice and sugar in a mason jar, secure lid on the jar and shake vigorously until sugar is dissolved.  Add the blackberries to the lemon juice, using a muddle or spoon gently press the blackberries to release juice.  Pour the lemonade mixture and water in a pitcher and stir to combine.  Roughly chop 2 to 3 leaves per glass, fill glasses with ice and fill with lemonade.
Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Hard Cherry Lemonade

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I’ve had 3 bottles of cherry ginger beer sitting on my shelf for several months.  Every time I walk past them I hear them screaming at me, “uuuuuse meeee”.  And for the past few months I’ve ignored their plea. 

…..Until now.

I finally had enough time to devote a little thought to write a recipe that utilized the amazingness that is this ginger beer.  And just in time for the warmer weather and Memorial Day. 

This has to be one of the simplest cocktails I’ve ever made.  I mean, it comes together in under 5 minutes and is pure perfection. 

For those of you that are new, you must know that I’m obsessed with ginger beer and all it’s awesomeness.  It’s light, refreshing, crispy, with a hint of spice.  It’s perfect in mules, in fact, that’s how I was first introduced to it.  But it’s also great in mojitos and to brighten up several other cocktails.  And the other day, well, I used it to make a hard lemonade.

I came across this cherry version of one of my favorite beverages in the super market a few months ago.  It’s got all the flavors and characteristics I love about ginger beer but with a subtle cherry undertone.  This ginger beer is amazing and the perfect thing to add to lemonade.

So, when the temps dipped and the humidity subsided I whipped up this hard cherry lemonade.  Oh-mah-goodness, it was love at first sip. 

Fresh, tart lemon juice, crispy, slightly spicy, cherry ginger beer, a splash of rum and a sprig of mint come together in this perfectly delicious and refreshing hard lemonade.  This is one of those drinks that comes together in no time, but would be easy to multiply to make a big batch making it easy for serving a crowd. 

This hard lemonade is summer in a glass.  Refreshing, bright, fizzy and pretty. 

Hard Cherry Lemonade


Ingredients:

1/2 Medium-large lemon, cut in quarters
2 Tsp sugar
4 Oz rum
1 bottle cherry ginger beer
Ice
Mint, optional
Maraschino cherries
Directions:

Place 2 lemon wedges in 2 glasses.  Muddle to release the juices.  Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to each glass, stir to combine.  Divide rum between two glasses and mix.  Fill each glass with ice, fill with ginger beer, stir to mix.  Garnish with a lemon wedge, cherry and sprig of mint if desired.
Serve.
Recipe source: A Lynsey original

Raspberry Lemonade Crinkle Cookies

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Crinkle cookies have long been a favorite of so many.  Especially the chocolate version that is oh-so-popular around Christmas.  What is it about those cookies that is so enticing?  Is it the chewy, crackled cookie?  Or is it the white, powdered sugar coating?

Maybe, it’s just a combination of all the above.

But why stop with the chocolate?  Right?  Right!

So, by now you know that I’m quite the lover of lemonade.  Pink, yellow, blueberry, the list goes on and on….and on.  But why stop the lemonade love with the drink?  Let’s carry that on over to baked goods.

Like, oh, raspberry lemonade crinkle cookies.  Perfection.  Pure perfection.

These cookies are are so incredibly easy to make.  No creaming of butter and sugar, no alternating wet and dry ingredients.  Heck, you don’t even have to break out your mixer.  If you’ve got a bowl, spatula, cake mix and a few other ingredients then you are set.

Combine cake mix, one of those on-the-go lemonade packs, eggs and oil and you’re over half way there.  Then the magic happens.  Instead of tossing those cookies directly in the powdered sugar, give them a dunk in granulated sugar first.  This forms a nice little coating around the dough, the powdered sugar adheres to it and during the baking process the granulated sugar dissolves, leaving a perfectly powder-sugar coated cookie.

These cookies absolutely amazing.  Sweet, tangy, chewy, soft, coated in powdered sugar and the absolute perfect shade of pink!

Raspberry Lemonade Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:


1 Box white cake mix
1 Packet raspberry lemonade of Crystal Light to go
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup canola oil
Red food coloring, optional
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup powdered sugar

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone backing mat, set aside.

Combine cake mix, lemonade, eggs and canola oil in a large bowl and stir until ingredients are completely combined and the dough is smooth.

Place granulated sugar in one bowl and powdered sugar in another bowl.

Form the dough in 1-inch balls, roll in the granulated sugar then the powdered sugar and place on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving one to two inches between each cookie.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through.  Allow to rest on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes, transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Homemade Pink Lemonade

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When it comes to lemonade I have a few requirements.  It has to be the perfect balance of sweet, tart and a hint of sourness.  I’m one of those sour-loving people.  I mean, I like to feel it in my jaw and have my cheeks pucker.

I know so of you are quite the opposite, and probably reading the above paragraph you’re thinking “that girl is crazy”.  But, what can I say, I love my sour stuff.


This applies to my lemonade too.  I love sipping on freshly squeezed lemonade; it’s sweet, sour and so refreshing.  Getting those bits of pulp through the straw only make things that much better.

I’ve always been a lemonade junkie; pink, yellow or combined with various other flavors.  Pour it over it, stick a straw in it and I’ll slurp it up.  The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree; my little man is just as obsessed as me, if not more so.  When we go out to eat there’s a 99.999999% chance he will get lemonade.  He’ll drink whatever is on hand, but his preference is pink…unless we are at a certain chicken restaurant and then he’s all about the yellow version.

So, this got me to thinking.  I’ve made various flavors of lemonade over the years, but have yet to make the pink stuff.  Why is that?  Honestly, I have no clue.  But, I did know that all needed to change.  And now.  So, without further adieu I present this perfectly pink homemade lemonade.

This lemonade is beyond simple to make.  It comes together in about 15 minutes and consists of 4 very basic ingredients.  Does it really get much better than that?  I think not!  So go ahead, whip up a batch of this lemonade, pour it over ice and sip away!

Homemade Pink Lemonade

Ingredients:


2 Cups water
1 Cup sugar
2/3 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 Cup 100% Cranberry juice

Directions:


Combine sugar and water in a saucepan, stir and place over medium-low heat.  Keep over heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally, once the sugar has dissolved remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature.

Combine the cooled water, lemon juice and cranberry juice in a pitcher and stir to combine.  Add a quarter cup of cold water, stir to combine and place in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: A Lynsey original

The Best Strawberry Lemonade

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This week marks the start of Race for the Cure in Arkansas and several other states across the country.  Training for the big race has been going on for months, fundraising for cancer research is in full swing and ladies and gents from all over the state are making plans for their trip to the capitol city.  Saturday morning downtown Little Rock will be flooded with a sea of pink and thousands of individuals; some fighting, some remembering, and others supporting.  All with one goal in mind, to find a cure for the horrid disease we call cancer.

Odds are every single person has been touched by cancer.  Whether you’ve battled it, lost a love one or are supporting someone in their battle right now, cancer has touched practically everyone everywhere.  I lost my sweet MaMaw to the stuff and I get sick to my stomach every time I think about it.  She was an amazing lady that touched so many and there’s no telling what other lives she would have touched had she not been stricken.  I am sure there are stories like hers being told everyday.

Since we are embarking are breast cancer awareness month and Race for the Cure, I decided to paint my blog pink this week.  I have several recipes donning the color pink for the memory of my MaMaw, the countless others who lost their battles and the thousands fighting their battle right now.

My MaMaw was a huge fan of lemonade and she was into bold, bright and cheery colors.  So I decided to kick start the week with a drink that I can just picture her holding in her hands and sipping on while she’s sitting on her front porch taking in God’s creation.  A bright, deep pink strawberry lemonade.

This is a strawberry lemonade that is bursting with flavor.  It’s full of fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest, bringing that intense tartness to the drink.  A strawberry puree; a combination of strawberries, sugar and water, is added to the lemonade base.  It’s then finished with a strawberry simple syrup; which adds a little more sweetness to balance the tart while also adding another level of strawberry flavor.

This is strawberry lemonade at it’s finest.  Everything you want in a delicious, refreshing drink in every sip.  Tucker’s eyes lit up when he saw the pink stuff and his taste buds lit up at the first sip.  My little guy has a special place in his heart for lemonade; but he truly loves the tart stuff that makes you pucker just a tad and this is right up his alley.

While this drink is perfect for the kiddos to sip on, it can also be made for the adults too.  Coat the rim of the glass with a little raw sugar, add a splash of rum or vodka, add the lemonade and you could even add a little soda water to give a little fizz.

So whip up a batch of the pink drink.  Sip on it.  Enjoy it.  Remember those you may have lost, reflect on the good times.  Support the one’s who are fighting…and together we will find a cure.

#letsfindacure #ihatecancer

The Best Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:


For the strawberry simple syrup-
1/2 Cup whole strawberries
Rind of one lemon
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup sugar

For the strawberry puree-
3/4 Cup strawberries
1/2 Cup water
2 Tsp sugar

For the lemonade base-
1/2 Cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
1 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Cup water

Directions:


In a saucepan combine strawberries, water and sugar and place over medium-low heat.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add lemon rind and allow to set while making the puree and lemonade.

For the puree-
Combine strawberries, water and sugar in a blender and turn on high until pureed and smooth.  Set aside.

For the lemonade base-
Combine sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and water and stir to combined and until sugar has dissolved. Add the puree and stir to combine.

Remove strawberries and lemon rind from the simple syrup and discard.  Pour the simple syrup in the lemonade mixture and stir to combine.  Taste, add more water if too tart.  Place in refrigerator to chill.

To serve, pour over ice.  For an adult version add vodka, rum or tequila.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

The Best Blueberry Lemonade

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It’s July!  So what does that mean?  Well, a couple of things actually.  First, it’s national blueberry month.  Woohoo!  Who doesn’t love a handful of fresh, juicy and sweet blueberries?  Of course they deserve their own month!  Secondly, it’s July which mean we are smack dab in the middle of summer and the heat from the hot summer sun.

How do you beat the heat?  I can’t think of anything better than sipping on a big ol’ glass of tart and sweet lemonade.  There’s just something about a tall glass of it that is so refreshing.  Tucker loves lemonade, but if you asked him if plain lemonade could get any better he’d say yes.  How?  Well, while he loves the basic stuff he gets ecstatic about flavored lemonade.  Pink lemonade, strawberry and yes, blueberry too. 


So in honor of summer and national blueberry month I decided to make a batch of homemade  blueberry lemonade.  You should have seen his face when I told him, it was like his face on Christmas morning.  He couldn’t wait, and of course, he was right by my side throughout the whole process.  He poured, stirred, mashed and strained.  Oh, and yes, he had the most important job as well, the taste test.  Needless to say it passed with flying colors.

This lemonade is deliciously perfect.  It’s packed with blueberry flavor thanks to the blueberry infused simply syrup, the blueberry puree and the fresh squeezed lemon juice with the pulp and all.  It’s sweet and perfectly tart.  Everything anyone (especially my little guy) could want in a glass of ice cold lemonade.

This lemonade is the perfect beverage to sip on while beating the heat on a hot summer day, during a cookout, or by the pool.  While it’s perfect as is, it can be made special for adults by adding a splash or two of vodka…blueberry or lemon vodka would go perfectly.  To make it a little fizzy, add a splash of soda water and you’ll have the ultimate summer cocktail.

The BEST Blueberry Lemonade

Ingredients:


The simple syrup-
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Cup blueberries
Rind of one lemon

Blueberry puree-
1 Cup blueberries
1/2 Cup water
1 Tsp sugar

Lemonade-
Zest of one lemon
1 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup sugar

Optional-
Vodka-plain, blueberry or lemon
Soda water

Directions:


For the simple syrup-

Place water, sugar and blueberries in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat bring to a simmer.  Reduce, stirring gradually and gently pressing the blueberries to smash them, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add the lemon rind and allow set for 5 minutes, or until completing the puree and lemonade portions.  Strain the syrup through a sieve and discard the blueberries and lemon rind.

For the puree-

Combine water, blueberries and sugar in a blender and blend until mixture is pureed, about 30 seconds.

For the lemonade-

Pour the blueberry puree in a large pitcher and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, water and sugar and stir to combine.  Add the simple syrup and stir to combine.  Place in the refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

To serve-
Fill a glass or mason jar with ice and 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, pour the lemonade over the ice.  Garnish with a lemon slice and serve.  For adults, add 1/2-1 ounce of vodka and a splash of soda water.

Recipe source: A Lynsey original