… of course, you learn how to make lemonade. There’s nothing like a cool breeze on a hot summer day and sitting on the front porch with a glass of fresh-made lemonade.  Since I have a yard full of peppermint, I also float that on top. And if you have southern roots like I do, chances are you’re very familiar with drinking lemonade from a mason jar. My friend Sherry, also the co-owner of this blog site, wrote an entire post on mason jars.

Most people I knew down south always had an assortment of mason jars when I was growing up. They used them for a variety of things, including canning, storing leftovers, rooting plants in and drinking from. My grandmother Muddie always had a collection of them, and at several of the homes I used to frequent in Greensboro, NC, some of the elderly women always had one special jar that they liked to drink from. Usually, they chose a specific jar because it was the right size and had a top. They’d claimed it as theirs exclusively by putting a rubber band around the neck, and we all knew not to ever touch it.

Lemonade is my favorite drink, and I throw it in the blender with strawberries or blueberries. My children like it better than Kool Aid or juice.

But lemons are also useful for a variety of other things besides making lemonade. They are a great disinfectant either for cleaning the house or to use on and inside of our bodies. Lemons have great medicinal powers.

We use fresh lemon juice on small cuts (although it really burns when you do this, but just for a minute). It can also help freshen up your breath, and it makes a nice air freshener. I even like a nice bowl or vase of lemons to use as a centerpiece on my dining room table.

Internally, lemons are a blood purifier, and also help lower blood pressure and clean out the intestinal track.

Finally, get used to squeezing fresh lemon juice into your glass of water. Of course it will be sour at first, but you’ll get used to the taste and thrilled with the health benefits (which you’ll realize almost immediately). Then you’ll wonder why you ever drank water without it.

Strawberry-mint lemonade

12 lemons juiced and seeded

½ lime washed and sliced

½ lemon washed and sliced

½ cup of honey (more to taste)

½ cup boiling hot water

6 cups cold filtered or spring water

1 cup of strawberries, washed, with tops removed (fresh is better but frozen is acceptable)

3 sprigs of fresh peppermint (washed and cut to fit in the glass)

 Directions

Stir honey into hot water so it dissolves completely.

Pour into blender along with lemon juice, strawberries and water, then blend.

Pour into a large pitcher with the lemon and lime slices floating on top.

Pour into glasses over ice and garnish with sprigs of fresh peppermint.

Related posts:

1. Refreshing lemonade on a hot summer day
2. Beating the heat with a cool fruity drink
3. Little Elijah & his lemonade stand
4. Change your mind, change your life
5. Heart-healthy beans