​There’s nothing that helps beat the heat of summer better than a glass of fresh ice cold lemonade.  Oh wait, there actually is. It’s a fresh ice cold glass of STRAWBERRY MINT LEMONADE made by kids straight from the garden!
 
Kids today are extremely savvy and smart when it comes to marketing so differentiating their product these days by adding extra surprises to a traditional lemonade recipe helps elevate the “typical” kid’s stand to a great lemonade spectacular! 

STRAWBERRY SYRUP RECIPE
Basic simple syrup is made by using one part solid and one part water. Begin your recipe by adding 2 cups of water to 2 cups of sugar in to a small pot and give it a stir with a wooden spoon.  Show your kids how when they add the "solid" sugar in to the "liquid" water that it doesn't dissolve right away. In science, the liquid is called the 'solvent". Turn the heat on a medium low and begin stirring every minute. (This can also be done in the microwave using a heatproof bowl and using 30 second intervals.)

Let your kids watch as the sugar slowly dissolves until it completely disappears. You have just created a "solution"! Allow your sugar water "solution" to cool completely. Show your kids how the mixture doesn't fall out of suspension, meaning the sugar doesn't separate from the water. Tell them that's because the water and the sugar have similar molecular properties. Pretty cool, huh? 
​
Now for the strawberry part. 
​Using 6-8 large strawberries, clean and hull them by removing the stems. Placing in a small bowl, and allow your kids to mash them with a fork or a potato masher until they are almost like apple sauce. Add them to the simple syrup and stir to make your lemonade stand add-in syrup. 

​Place 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry syrup per glass of lemonade to make Strawberry Lemonade and ENJOY! 

Welcome to my daughter’s strawberry patch. It’s just in a small pot, but it’s still a fun place to hang out. 

There are a lot of types of berries to eat in the world, but her favorite is the strawberry, like so many of her friends. It’s sweet, easy to eat and even easier to grow! ​

​​Frozen popsicles are a summer “must-eat” in our house.  (Honestly, we eat them every season but we're able to make them with fruit from our garden now!)

​So, while the BBQ is heating up, games are being played, and you’re waiting patiently for fireworks to fly, try making a batch of your own fruit frozen pops! ​

Ingredients:
​1 cup fresh berries from your garden, sliced
1 banana
​5 ice cubes
​1 cup yogurt (strawberry flavor is my favorite)
​1/2 cup of milk
​1/2 cup of berry juice
​Cup or fun freezer molds​

Directions: 
​To begin​, be sure that the fruit you use is washed and all the stems are cut off of the berries. Place all ingredients in to a blender and pulse to mix. We like to start with the banana, then added in milk and a cup of strawberry yogurt. Next, we added fresh cut strawberries and 1/2 cup of cranberry-grape juice. You can substitute blackberries or blueberries as a tasty choice if you don't have any strawberries. Add in a few pieces of ice get to a "smoothie" consistency and blend for about 30 seconds until mixture is smooth. Then, pour the mixture in to the pop molds. Try to leave about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space at the top of the mold because the pops will expand as they freeze. Place the molds in the freezer and try to keep your hands off them for at least 4 hours (or until they're frozen enough to eat!​ I know! It’s extremely hard to do!