Homemade Lemonade Weather

Homemade lemonade.

It's been hot here in Raleigh this week, over 90F one day, so it was time to make some refreshing homemade lemonade this evening when Patrick was grilling dinner for us---a belated Mother's Day treat. 

One of the kitchen gadgets that is my favorite is the lemon juicer.  For many years I used a reamer and picked out the seeds from the juice, and then I discovered the right tool for the job---the lemon (or lime) juicer. 

Lemon squeezer or juicer.

Cut the lemon in half and put the CUT side down into the well of the juicer and then press the juice out, the seeds stay in the rind.

Cut side down.  I usually cut off the pointed end of the lemon to make it easier to squeeze.
 

The seeds stay in the rind and not in the lemon juice.

So easy, and tomorrow when I make guacamole I will squeeze lime juice over the avocado using this gadget too.

Here's my favorite lemonade recipe:

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of lemon juice
6 cups of water

1. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

2. Remove seeds from lemon juice, using lemon juicer (or reamer).  In pitcher, stir together the chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 5 cups of water.  Serve over ice.

Makes 8 cups of lemonade.

I also made Southern sweet tea, because we also like Arnold Palmer's (half lemonade/half sweet tea).

I can't remember where I got my lemon juicer, but one like it is available here,

A Southern Style Meal in Kings Mountain, NC

Dan and I were in Shelby recently visiting with friends and relatives, and on our return home we had planned to meet my good friend PJ (Peggy Jean and I have been friends since first grade) in Kings Mountain for lunch.  Our original plan was to meet at Hardee's, but PJ's son-in-law Darryl suggested a family restaurant, Mountain View, that had good food and a quieter place for a visit. 

Mountain View specializes in home-cooked Southern style cuisine.  There were several lunch specials and a wide variety of choices on the menu.  All were reasonably priced.

Darryl opted for the steak and gravy special, and he cleaned his plate with great satisfaction.

Steak and gravy, a lunch special.

Dan liked the fried catfish special a lot, and Dan is something of a connoisseur of seafood so it must have been good. 

PJ and I each had a vegetable plate.  My selection of turnip greens, mac n' cheese, and beets along with banana pudding (obviously not a vegetable but a choice item on the veggie plate menu) was nicely prepared and the portions were filling. I liked having banana pudding as a choice---the perfect dessert for a southern meal. And the sweet tea was perfect---not too sweet as is often the case.

My plate of turnip greens, mac and cheese, pickled beets and banana pudding.

 The basket of hot cornmeal muffins was a nice complement for all our selections.  (The serving was so ample that I had a few to bring home for an afternoon snack of cornbread and milk---yummy.)

Wonderful corn muffins.

It had been a while since I had seen PJ's grandchildren and my how they have grown!  It seems like yesterday they were just toddlers.

PJ's granddaughter Kristin.

PJ's grandson Wesley.

The restaurant is conveniently located just off Interstate 85 at  100 W King St.  I'm sure that Dan and I will be returning to this restaurant when we visit Cleveland County---the food is good, the service excellent and the prices quite reasonable---especially when we might be hankering for a truly southern style meal served with southern hospitality.
 

Southern Sweet Tea

We southerners like our sweet iced tea, and this is how to make really good sweet tea.  I usually make it by the half gallon.  All you need is a pot of boiling water, tea bags, and lots of sugar.  We like our tea sweet.

1/2 gallon water
8 regular tea bags or 4 family size tea bags
1 cup white granulated sugar (Yes I like it sweet.)

1.  I boil the water in our electric kettle. 

Boil the water.

 2.  Pour a quart of boiling water over 8 tea bags (or 4 family size tea bags).

Eight tea bags.

Cover and let steep for 5 to 7 minutes.

3.  Cover and let steep 5 to 7 minutes.  Longer than 7 minutes makes the tea bitter.

Place 1 cup of sugar in pitcher.

4.  While tea is steeping, place a cup of sugar in your pitcher and add some hot water to dissolve the sugar into a syrup. 

Add hot water to sugar to dissolve into a syrup.

5.  When tea has steeped, remove the tea bags (don't squeeze the tea bags) and add the tea to the pitcher.  Stir until the syrup is mixed with the tea. Add enough cold water to make a half gallon.  Let this sit until tea reaches room temperature.

I used Trader Joe's green tea for this pitcher of tea.  Green tea has more antioxidants.

6.   Serve cold with ice and a lemon wedge. 

Glass of sweet iced tea with lemon.

Dan and I drink more hot tea in the winter, but at family dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I always make a pitcher or two of sweet tea.