As the dust settles, I'm looking back at the birthday list from last year. . .pondering a new list, new goals in a new year. . . [I know, New Year's is long past, but as Spring arrives, I find myself feeling the world new]. . .
Last year's list . . .
37 things my 37th year
1. finish this list
2. make my own clothes (made Halloween costumes. . .so much fun)
3. get to know photoshop (yep. . . and taught myself to scrapbook digitally)
4. take a photography course (Karen Russell's online course)
5. be more girly (wanted to wear skirts more, but just never did . . . but I did streak my hair and painted my nails a few times)
6. buy red shoes (OK, really tried for this one, but couldn't find any that I liked. . .this is one to pass on to this year)
7. create a geocache
8. make homemade lemonade
9. donate to a women's shelter (I have a bag in the kitchen waiting. . .)
10. wall tree art
11. write a children's story (loved writing Jack and Luke little stories. . .this year, I'm branching out)
12. write my memoirs (Uncle Zane would be proud) (maybe blogging counts)
13. start a blog (here I am)
14. landscape the front yard (well, at least started this one. . .and ripped out the hedges in the front. . .sigh of relief)
15. zeli beach: slip and slide and a sandbox (ah, childhood memories) (bought a slip and slide for the boys' birthday party. . .they weren't so impressed. . .oh well)
16. fave photos wall
17. go yard saling
18. visit 5 different antique stores (I think I got to three)
19. paint the living room (check)
20. buy bookshelves (one set for the living room)
21. phtography field trip with Jack (had lots of fun taking pictures at the zoo together)
22. make art with Jack for his room
23. host a tea party
24. finish birds cross stitch (not finished, but worked lots on it)
25. read Sherlock Holmes (0ne story. . .very interesting)
26. play Faithfully on the piano (tried, but beyond my difficulty)
27. watch every X-File episode. . .in order (not even close, but got well into the first season. . .rediscoverd lots of cool stuff I had forgotten. . .and although I was disappointed, did see the movie, and enjoyed it)
28. reread Spoon River
29. bake linzers
30. paint a landscape with Luke (watercolors on the front porch. . .loved it)
31. write a "v" story (attempted. . .but didn't get far)
And today, we conquer the unfinished. . .
Specifically, #8 . . . . Making homemade lemonade.
I remember finding this recipe standing in the checkout line at Giant Eagle. I was flipping through the spring Martha Stewart and drooling over the lemonade recipes. Mmmm, the thought of homemade lemonade. . . just felt like something my Grandma Smith might make. A feeling of old world and home all mixed into one.
And, as I always do, I put the magazine back. Thinking I could never buy a magazine for just one recipe. Silly. . . But I thought and thought and thought about it so much over the next few weeks, that I convinced myself I should buy it anyway. And, of course, as always happens, when I returned for it, the next month's issue was now on the shelf.
About a month later, I was online and it struck me that I should search her site to perhaps luck out and find that recipe after all. . . And, Grandma Smith must have been smiling down on me, because I found it.
And, finally, today the boys and I conquered it together.
Lovely moments. . . showing Jack how to handle a knife (yikes! my Rachel Ray Furi) and cut the lemons in half. . .which he handled very well.
Then he juiced them on my handheld Walmart juicer. . . Fun. . . Lukey thought he might like to squwwwaaaash the lemons too.
Then we watched as the thick, sticky honey magically disappeared into the lemon juice. I'm not a honey person, but it sounds so refreshing in this lemonade.
Right now, it's chilling in the fridge. And I'm so very excited to sample once Sam gets home (he's at the Youngwood Gun Bash with friends) later this afternoon.
Here's the recipe:
Martha Stewart's Orange Pekoe Lemonade (sorry, Martha, I don't have the link)
3/4 cup freshily squeezed lemon juice (about 5 lemons. . . it took us 6)
1/2 cup honey
3 cups freshly brewed Orange Pekoe tea, chilled (I just used one of the big lipton tea bags I had here already. . .no pre-chilling because it's chilling now)
1 cup water, cold
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and honey; stir until honey has completely dissolved (Lukey especially loved this part). Transfer to a large pitcher (I don't think large is especially important). Add tea and 1 cup cold water; stir. Fill pitcher with ice (sadly, the ice maker is gone for good, so maybe that's why the large container isn't so necessary around here). Garnish with lemon wedges.
Will let you know how it turns out. Very exciting.
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