I love lemonade but not loaded with white processed sugar. A few years ago, I happened upon a lemonade recipe that included lemon, honey, apple cider vinegar and water. I tried it, and after a bit of tweaking, decided I found my new drink. I used to be a big sweet tea drinker, but tea creates an acidic environment in the body. Disease grows in an acidic environment. Apple cider vinegar, on the other hand, balances the body's ph level which is much healthier.
The really cool thing about this drink is its numerous health benefits, but first, let me post the recipe.
The really cool thing about this drink is its numerous health benefits, but first, let me post the recipe.
Lemonade with a Kick
- a quart mason jar
- 1 cup glass measuring cup or something comparable
- 2 TBSP of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar*
- juice from 1/2 of a fresh, preferably organic, lemon
- 2 TBSP raw local honey.
*It is not necessary to buy Bragg's. There are other brands out there, but I prefer the taste of Bragg's the best. Also, it is imperative that whatever brand you choose, it is raw and unfiltered. You WANT to have the "mother" or cob-web like stuff floating around in there because that is what contains all of the powerful enzymes.
In order for the honey to blend well in the lemonade, I add the honey to warm water first. I keep a tea kettle on the stove so I heat up the water in the kettle, then pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a 1 cup measuring cup. Then I add two tablespoons of honey to the warm water and mix well till the honey is completely dissolved.
You can either drink this warm, like tea, or cold with ice. If you add ice, be sure to shake the "lemonade" well prior to adding the ice.
Oh, and you just absolutely have to drink this out of a quart mason jar, because that makes it taste so much better! Ha ha!
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| My "sunshine" - NOT moonshine! =D |
The best part, for me, is that apple cider vinegar is NATURAL and it is LOADED with nutrients, trace elements and minerals. For example, aside from the fact that ACV is a natural anti-bacterial, it also contains calcium, chlorine, copper, iron, fluorine, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, silicon, sodium, and sulfur.
It has many uses and many benefits. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I highly recommend the following site that contains excellent information about this topic.
As for me, when I drink my Lemonade several times a week, I've notice that allergies don't bother me, mucus production is greatly reduced thus less trouble with asthma, sinus issues gone, cellulite is gone, metabolism is increased, immune system is enhanced. And it doesn't hurt that I love the taste of this stuff. I will say that you have to get just the right amount of honey and lemon for it to taste really good.
ACV works great as a hair rinse as well. I just put a capful of ACV into a cup of water, add a few drops of essential oil and after shampooing, I rinse with the ACV water. Leaves my hair silky and clean.
Another great use is when my dog gets ear infections. I just mix 1 part ACV with 1 part water and a few drops of tea tree oil into a small spray bottle and squirt the mixture into his ear several times a day. He just loves that!! LOL!
With summer just around the corner, I highly recommend trying Lemonade with a Kick! It's very refreshing and healthy. Enjoy!
Another great use is when my dog gets ear infections. I just mix 1 part ACV with 1 part water and a few drops of tea tree oil into a small spray bottle and squirt the mixture into his ear several times a day. He just loves that!! LOL!
With summer just around the corner, I highly recommend trying Lemonade with a Kick! It's very refreshing and healthy. Enjoy!
