Mango Tango Lemonade

I'm exhausted.  Tired to the bone and beyond.  It was 109̊ yesterday.  Maybe that has something to do with it.  Maybe it's because I have a post-it-note on my computer with so many projects listed that it's continued on the back.  Or maybe it's because I got lost in the book I was reading last night and rediscovered myself just as the sun was coming up.  A big, bright, orange sun.  Ripe as a mango.

I've had my orange on for a while now.  Orange is the color of creativity, so I guess it fits.  This is another page from my J.O.Y. journal.   I think it might not be finished, but I added it anyway.

I belong to an artist's group that's listing a different Crayola crayon color each week for inspiration. This is mango tango week.  Most of the color on this page was created with four separate colors of overlapping and layered transparent tape.  The phrenology head was modified in PhotoShop, then printed.  The tone pattern was added with a mango colored marker, and the black blocks were lettered with a mango colored Sakura Souffle pen.  I let the "Spirit of California Past" poke through.  It was the title on the page I covered with collage.  "Proud Heritage" is peeking through also.  

The yellow which pops up here and there reminds me of lemons.  Amy has been making the best fresh squeezed lemonade I've ever had.  We've got a kitchen full of lemons, limes and fresh mint, and she can't make it fast enough.  Hold on a minute while I ask her if I may share the recipe...

... She said "Yes."  She got it from Bust magazine's June/July 2011 issue, but I know she's tweaked it a bit...she's going to type it here:

Mint/Lime Lemonade

 Ingredients:

1-1/2 Cups lemon/lime juice (6-8 lemons depending on size and two small limes)

1 cup superfine baker's sugar

6 cups water (use a good, filtered water for this)

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint, plus extra mint leaves for garnish

How To:

Simple Syrup: Heat the sugar and 1 cup water in saucepan until sugar is completely dissolved. Take off heat and set aside to cool.

Juice the lemons/limes. I did it by hand over a strainer into a measuring cup, but you can use a juicer, or do it without a strainer and pick out the seeds with a spoon if you like your lemonade extra pulpy. Make sure you've squeezed enough to make 1 -1/2 cups of juice. You may need more/fewer lemons depending on how big they are. Don't forget to add those two limes!

Chop the mint and add to the simple syrup.

Pour the remaining 5 cups of water into a pitcher, add the lemon/lime juice, and the simple syrup with mint, stir well. Put in the fridge until chilled.

Once the lemonade is cold, pour it over ice, add a mint leaf to garnish, and enjoy!

 You're going to want to make sure you have extra lemons, limes and mint on hand.   Once you taste this, you'll be making more, and you'll kick yourself if you run out of ingredients.  Amy served ours in frosty glasses that had been chilled in the freezer.  You'll never drink lemonade from a bottle or a mix ever again!  Guaranteed!

Comments

[Marit]

LOVE your page, the bright orange is right up my alley at the moment... I guess I feel the inspiration too! And thanks for the recepi... my son went to the USA last Summer, and was excited about lemonade... they don't make it here in the Netherlands... The forecast predicts over 30 degrees (90 fahrenheit) next week, I might surprise him with 'real American homemade lemonade')!!

[Joanne Thime Huffman]

Sounds delicious. I just got home from a two day drive from Florida and I sure could have used some lemonade! I'm going to make this up after I go to the grocery store (gone two weeks=big trip to the grocery store).

[Nancy B]

Love all the layers in your Mango Tango art! It really makes it so much more interesting and the recipe sounds yummy!