Strawberry Ginger Lemonade

Tis the season to be making loads of outdoor goodness and lemonade is just an expected summer beverage. We get outside and BBQ and we hang outside and chat with friends. There's always lemonade or iced tea near by. I get easily bored, even with food, so I wanted to see if I could try something different. Strawberries are in season and I keep hearing fresh ginger is good for you… so why not. I also have a mint plant growing in my kitchen window (mojito season is upon us too, ya know). So, here I experimented and think I've come up with a tasty, refreshing twist on the classic lemonade.

• 2 lemons
• 3 slices of fresh ginger
• 4-6 fresh mint leaves
• A handful of strawberries, sliced (about 4-6)
• 1/2 cup sugar

1. Slice each lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of 3 halves into the pitcher. Slice the 4th half and set aside.
2. Fill the pitcher with water.
3. Add sugar and stir until well mixed. Taste – add more lemon or sugar as desired.
4. Add strawberries, mint leaves and ginger and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the juices to mix together on their own.
5. Top with lemon slices and serve.

This yummy lemonade turns a bit pink from the strawberries and becomes a bit cloudy from all the ingredients and the lemon pulp. It's not as sweet as a true strawberry lemonade, it's much more refreshing, in my opinion. I don't know that the giner would be missed if you left it out, but I read somewhere that ginger in lemonade was really good for you – can't hurt and I like the little extra zip.

Don't be afraid to experiment with flavors. If you like certain flavors separately, there's a good chance you'll like them combined. Let me know what creative recipes you come up with!