Meyer Lemon-ade

Today's recipe comes courtesy of a thirsty jaunt on the elliptical at the gym. I had been sitting for most of the day at my desk and I just wanted to move! I went all out on that thing and worked up a thirst pretty quickly. That's when it hit me...lemonade! I've got a bag of Meyer lemons sitting in my fridge, waiting to be used in something yummy. There were plans for those lemons to be made into curd or a custard, but for one reason or another, those recipes just never were made. Such is life... hence the lemonade.

It was so gorgeous and sunny out today, it actually felt like spring! Then on my drive home, it got progressively more cloudy and chilly and I kind of got a little depressed. Where did my sun go?? Thankfully, I had a bright, lovely glass of lemonade only minutes away to cheer me up! Take a look at that color, just like the sun. And a little purple umbrella is a nice touch, don't you think?

Meyer Lemon-ade
Based upon Ina Garten's recipe
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice , strained. (5 to 6 Meyer lemons)

½ cup superfine sugar, to taste

1 cup crushed ice

4 cups water

Directions:

In a pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir. Adjust sugar to taste.  Seriously, that's it. I told you it was simple!

So this is not just your average lemonade, it's Meyer lemon-ade. Meyer lemons have a deeper, sweeter, more pronounced flavor than your regular lemons. Let me tell you, they make for a fabulous beverage. This is such a simple recipe, one that begs to be homemade mind you, and you can tweak it to your taste. I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so I go a little light on the sugar, but feel free to use as much as you like. I believe Ina's original recipe calls for 3/4-1 cup of sugar.