# 55 Strawberry Lemonade

I'm sticking with my beverage theme for a couple more recipes but I'm going to piggyback on a new theme...strawberries.....We are just getting past strawberry season here in my neck of the woods. Albeit it's about a month past last year's season, but boy were the berries yummy.

I got up really early one morning and picked two flats of delicious, yummy strawberries.  I'm doing to share all my homemade pantry strawberry recipes over the next several posts!

Strawberry Lemonade

1- 1/2 cups strawberries
Juice of 2-3 large lemons
1/2 cup sugar
2- 1/2 cups cold water

1. Using a blender, crush your strawberries.

 

2. Place a small strainer over your blender and ream the lemon juice right into the blender.

 

3. Add the 1/2 sugar and blend until it is well combined and the sugar is dissolved.

4. Add the strawberry juice to a pitcher, add the cold water and refrigerate. Taste and adjust for your desired sweetness. You can always add more water or sugar.

This beverage is so yummy! I think this will be a new tradition on strawberry picking day. The whole family loved it. My only regret is not making more....I will have to double the recipe next time:)

#54 Iced Coffee

I became an avid daily coffee drinker when my 13 year old started kindergarten and we officially became a homeschool family. It turns out that the only thing that was keeping be awake during the previous 5 years was constant activity. When I had to sit down on a comfy couch and read aloud for long periods of time...forget it....I just wanted to curl up and take a nap. So I started drinking coffee and have now daily for the last eight years. My husband then picked up the habit not long after and we now share a love of coffee. During most of the year I like it hot...really hot. In fact, I make fun of my hubs when he drops an ice cube to cool his down...ha, ha.... but in the summer I like it cold....really cold. In the past, I have just brewed a pot, put it in the fridge and added ice, cream and sugar.....but I thought there must be a better and yummier way. After looking on the internet, I found what I was looking for and it came from one of my favorite foodies/ Food Network Celebs...Ree Drummond or commonly known as The Pioneer Women...I love her! Ree and I have more then a few things in common and one of them is a love for iced coffee. So on to the recipe.

Iced Coffee
1/2 pound of ground coffee
4 quarts of water (one gallon)
Ice
Cream, milk or half and half
Sugar to taste
Chocolate syrup (homemade)
For Vietnamese Iced Coffee: Sweetened Condensed Milk (homemade)

First measure and add your ground coffee to a one gallon pitcher.

 

Add the one gallon of cold water...or as much water as you can fit in the one gallon pitcher. And stir.

Make sure all the grounds are in contact with the water. Cover and let steep on the counter for at least 8 hours.

After the time has passed, place a fine wire sieve over another gallon pitcher and line with a few sheets of paper towel. And pour the coffee mixture through the "filter."

 

 

 

 

What you will have then is a coffee concentrate. Refrigerate and serve over ice. Keeps for 3 weeks to a month, tightly covered.

 

 

To make a yummy, flavored iced coffee feel free to mix in what pleases you.

 



 

Add a spoon full of sweetened condensed milk and a splash of milk, cream or half and half to make Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

 

I'm a mocha girl, so I add my freshly made chocolate syrup along with half and half and sugar to taste.

 

However you choose to flavor it....it is sure to be yummy!

# 53 Irish Cream

Now I'm going to get to the beverage recipe where I will use the two previous homemade ingredients that I just posted. Homemade Irish Cream....or most are more familiar with Bailey's Irish Cream.

Irish Cream (Adult Beverage)

1 cup cream
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (homemade)
1 2/3 cup Irish whiskey (I used Jameson's)
1 tsp. instant coffee
2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup (homemade)
1 tsp. vanilla (homemade)

1. Combine all ingredients in the blender.

2. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds.

3. Bottle in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. Shake before using. Will keep up to two months.

Yummmm......I like to drink this on the weekend over some frozen coffee cubes! My hubs and I love it.....way better and cheaper then the brand name:)

#52 Chocolate Syrup

Why have I not thought to make this homemade before? It is so easy and so much tastier!

Chocolate Syrup

1/2 cup cocoa powder (the best you can find)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Fat pinch of salt

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, add sugar and cocoa.

2. Add the water, salt and vanilla. Mix well until there are no lumps. Put on medium heat and once it boils simmer for 5-7 minutes or until you get a syrup consistency.

 

3. Switch off the heat and let cool until it comes to room temperature. Add syrup to a jar and refrigerate, it will keep for 2 weeks.

 

Oh my sweet chocolate!!! It is sooo good....WAY better then the other stuff, mostly because I used a high quality cocoa, so keep that in mind. Very, very easy....no need to buy the store-bought:)