Ring in some holiday cheer with this sweetly refreshing Fresh Squeezed Cranberry Almond Lemonade.
There are days that I wish I drank. Like today, and yesterday, and probably tomorrow…and actually every day of the year between January 1st and December 31st.
It’s true when they say kids will drive you to drink. Okay, I don’t actually know if people say that, but I’m saying that now. Every day is something new with these pint sized bodies filled with gallon sized attitudes parading around my house.
Now Braelyn has ALWAYS given me a run for my money…or should I say my sanity. That girl is filled to the brim with spunk, defiance, energy, sass, attitude, creativity, imagination, you name it. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if one day she became the president. Not just of the United States. I’m pretty sure she could figure out how to become the president of the world.
She LOVES telling people what to do.
As of now she says she wants to be an art teacher when she grows up. I explained to her that art teachers have to allow their students to be creative and interpret projects the way they see them. She wouldn’t be able to just dictate exactly what and how her students created.
She paused for a moment to let this information sink in and then matter of factly stated, “Well I can at least show them an example of how it should look.”
Hmmm…okay.
Now Emry, on the other hand, has always been my sweeter child. She thinks of others, likes to please, is well mannered, and usually listens the first (or at least second) time around. However, slowly but surely, these sweet characteristics are starting to diminish, whether it be because she is getting older and discovering her own free will or whether she is picking up cues from big sister.
Whatever it is, Miss Emry Pie is beginning to be NOT so sweet.
I’ll spare you the details, but in a nutshell that little nougat spit in my face yesterday. Can you believe that?! SPIT!
So, yes, on days like those I do wish that I drank. Haha!
But because I don’t drink, I have to improvise and create sweet refreshing drinks like this Fresh Squeezed Cranberry Almond Lemonade.
There is nothing so relaxing than sitting down to sip a sweet tangy beverage that is just as equally pretty as it is tasty. The sweetness that comes from a mixture of sugar and honey, is quite euphoric.
My friend recently moved into a new rental that came with a lemon tree. Green lemons to be exact. Kind of weird, but just as tasty. Anyway, she gave me a handful of lemons and after being inspired by seeing this gorgeous drink over at Grain Changer, I couldn’t help but make a kid friendly, or Mormon friendly (Haha!), holiday drink.
Says who lemonade is just for summer?!
Basically this drink is fresh squeezed lemonade with a handful of halved fresh cranberries to infuse flavor. A splash of almond extract really enhances the cranberry and honey flavor. It’s really very tasty.
And if you want a bit of earthiness to your lemonade, you can add a sprig of rosemary. It’s up to you.
As easy as this lemonade is to make, you will just want to remember to make it at least a few hours in advance so it has time to chill and the cranberries have time to release their tart flavor throughout the drink.
Also, make sure your water isn’t too cold when you mix in the honey. The honey won’t dissolve into the water if it is too cold. It’s best to add it to room temperature water and then chill the lemonade with ice cubes when it’s time to serve.
So as you get ready to jump into these holidays, remember to take time to refresh, literally.
And as much as Emry loved this lemonade, I’m hoping that some of its sweetness will have rubbed off on her.
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
- 5 cups water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1½ cups fresh cranberries, halved
- Cut lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a pitcher, making sure to strain and discard the seeds. Add water, sugar, honey, and almond extract and stir until sugar and honey have dissolved.
- Cut about 1½ cups of fresh cranberries in half and add them to the lemonade. Cover pitcher with a lid or plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 hours.
- Serve with ice and a sprig of rosemary if desired.
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