Lavender Lemonade

Congratulations to Claire who won a shiny new retro kitchen timer from my very first giveaway! Claire is looking forward to asparagus this spring. Thank you to everyone who participated. I loved reading your comments on what you are most excited for this spring. Many of you can’t wait to get your hands dirty and start your gardens, while others are excited for farmer’s markets, sunny days, bike rides, trips, as well as memorable events like graduating from college and having a child!

Spring is my favourite time of year. There is so much excitement surrounding the season, and the additional hour of sunlight adds an extra bounce to my step. I’m probably also biased, as I celebrate a spring birthday.

Like many of you, this spring I am very excited for fresh blooms, warm weather, and starting our very first garden! Many factors have prevented us from starting a garden in the past, some of which are our lack of gardening space in our apartment complex and more importantly my brown thumb.

Greg, however, seems to have inherited a green thumb from his mother, who grows most of her own fruits and vegetables. Back in February, Greg began germinating seeds indoors (many of which died). He persevered, and before we knew it there were jalapeno plants growing out of our ears! He has about twenty little planters lined up against our apartment, all of which contain tiny little sprouts for vegetables, herbs, catnip, and lavender.

I can’t wait until I have my own little herb garden at my disposal. Not only will it be convenient to just pop outside and grab a tablespoon of basil at a moments notice, but it will save a lot of money on our grocery bill!

What I am most excited for is the lavender. It smells so nice and I can harvest it to use in cooking and craft projects. I have some fabric just waiting be turned into a scented satchel. A few weeks ago I purchased some dried lavender at a local health food store and I’ve been dying to experiment with it. Seeing that lemons are in their prime, and that the southern humidity has arrived a little early, I thought nothing would be better than a tall glass of lavender lemonade!

Adding lavender gives your lemonade a beautiful pink colour without all the added food coloring and preservatives found in the store bought variety. It also adds a delicious floral flavor that perfectly complements spring. Enjoy!

Do you have any tips for gardening in small spaces? I’d love to hear them!

Lavender Lemonade

• 2 Tbsp. dried lavender (make sure it’s for culinary use)
  ½ cup sugar
  2 ½ cups water
  3 lemons, juiced
  2 cups water

In a medium pot combine 2 ½ cups of water with sugar and lavender. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Cover, and let stand one hour.

Strain out the lavender with a sieve and place liquid in a large jug. Add lemon juice and additional water, stir well.

Refrigerate until cold. Serve with ice cubes.

serves 4-6

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Tagged as: beverage, drink, easy, gluten free, healthy, lavender, lemon, lemonade, vegan