When life gives you lemons...

One of my favorite summertime drinks is lemonade, and in my opinion home-made is the very best lemonade you can find! Why not add some fresh herbs with lemony undertones to make it extra special? 


Lemonade 
1 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 c sugar
6 1/4 water
1 sprig lemon verbena 
1 sprig lemon balm
2-3 sprigs lemon thyme 


Place 1 c of the water, the sugar and all of the herbs into a small sauce pan and heat until sugar dissolves (this is called making a "simple syrup", it's quite handy for making lemonade and other drinks). Remove from the heat. Pour the lemon juice and the remaining water into a jar that can hold at least 2 quarts. Pour in 1-1 1/4 c of the simple syrup, depending on how sweet you like it(the simple syrup should make about 1 1/2 c, when pouring I like to use a little strainer to catch the herbs). Give it stir and enjoy!

I saw this idea in a book and I had to try it!
I used dianthus(a.k.a. pinks), but you could use any edible flower. Herb leaves or sprigs would work too.
I must say it worked very well! They make a beautiful garnish to summertime drinks.

I hope you enjoy the recipe!