When you sit down to a meal with your family or go out to eat with friends, what is your favorite drink? Is it hot? Is it cold? If you could just drink one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
There’s something about a cold glass of lemonade in the summer. The outside of the glass is sweating from the heat as your clammy hands grab it to bring it up to your mouth to drink, but you know as soon as you take a sip that, you will instantly feel refreshed. Lemonade does that on a hot summer day. It’s just cold and refreshing. That slice of lemon on the edge of your glass just gives you the feeling of summer from its bright yellow color and taste of citrus. It’s just a feel-good drink any time of year, really.
Stressful day at work or out mowing the lawn? Maybe you can go for an ice-cold brewski or glass of wine? Something to come home to just to take the edge off. I know it has that effect on some people, and it’s definitely a feel-good drink. (Enter the drum noise here of “ba-dum-tss”) Ya know, the sound made after a joke? Drink too much, and it will make you feel really good! Haha. This is one drink I am not big on: alcohol. I am honestly not a big drinker at all, but sipping on a black cherry Mike’s hard lemonade while I’m on the river is definitely something I enjoy every now and then.
What about a hot mug of coffee, hot cocoa, or tea? I feel like everyone has their thing.
Personally, I am a hot tea drinker. I love Tetley tea, peppermint, chai, and apple cinnamon. A little skinny syrup in it with some milk, and I’ll sip on it as long as I can. It’s definitely my cozy drink. I want it when I am cold. I want it when I am sick, and I want it at breakfast if I am having something hardier.
We have a big breakfast every Sunday, and when we are home and in the air conditioning, drinking hot tea doesn’t bother me. But, when we are at the river on Sundays and my husband, Chris, makes breakfast on the Blackstone, it’s a whole different level. Now, we have an awning over our camper that gives us shade, and we have two big outdoor carpets that stay there with our big picnic table. So, most of our meals are outdoors.
Let me tell you, though, the heat from the Blackstone and the heat that Mother Earth can put off can be brutal! Sometimes I question myself why we don’t just do cereal every stinkin’ river Sunday morning when it’s that hot. I guess because it just wouldn’t be Sunday morning without our big brekkie, and for some ungodly reason, I still make hot tea. Why? I dunno. At 92 degrees at 10 a.m., I must be out of my ever-loving mind, but I do it.
As I grab that hot mug of hot tea and bring ‘er up to my lip, I first wipe my upper lip sweat off, then I take a sip. Not even questioning my actions!? (Like Andrea, you are already sweating; let’s not drink lava hot tea right now, OK?) But noooo no. I keep on a-drinkin’! After a few minutes of drinking it, I now feel myself cooking from the inside out. Like, if my upper lip could sweat on the inside, it would. But do I continue to drink it!? Sure do!
After breakfast, I can’t get into my bathing suit fast enough, and into the river, I go with Mike’s hard black cherry lemonade and float my happy butt on the river. There are just some drinks I can’t let go, no matter what time of year. Kinda like sippin’ on lemonade on a cold day!
So yes, as for hot drinks, hot tea is my go-to, no matter what the temperature and my daughter Kenzy is just as into it as I am. But cold drinks? It’s not soda. It’s not sweet tea. It’s not even lemonade. My most favorite drink in the whole world is ice water. That’s all I ever drink. Going out to eat? Same thing. The only thing I switch up is I ask for a slice of lemon. That makes it extra fancy, then, I guess!? Sometimes, all we need is just our favorite drink and a best friend. A favorite drink and a good book. A favorite drink and floating your fanny down the Susquehanny. Just add some snacky snacks, and you have a good time.
As I am sitting here writing this, I just remembered a story from last summer that I should share next week. It has to do with food, heat, and our best friends. This one you won’t want to miss! Grab your favorite drink and, sit down and have another laugh with me next week.
Homemade Lemonade
Ingredients:
• 6 cups of water of water, divided
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup of lemon juice, seeds removed
Directions:
Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Place over medium low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool for ten minutes. Pour the 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice in a pitcher. Add sugar/water mixture of simple syrup. Then add the remaining 5 cups of water and stir well. Chill and serve.
