Orangeade, And An Announcement

I have to admit, I am the type of person that cooks for fun. For instance, yesterday, on the first day off of "my weekend," I spent my afternoon making vegan chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free focaccia bread, and lentil soup. I had to do the dishes three times, but it certainly made me feel accomplished!

Cooking is something that I absolutely love to do. Well, scratch that. Food is something that I absolutely love to eat. Ha ha! As someone who loves food so much, it means a lot to me, personally, when I can create or concoct something that makes my tastebuds go "wow!" And, if you're reading this, I expect you have a similar understanding of this feeling.

I may have mentioned this before (I have a terrible memory), but I am currently a waged slave with aspirations of writing full-time. I helped my mother, Carolyn, publish a cookbook of her company's recipes back in 2009. It is currently in revision, otherwise I would include a link.

In any case, I have been intending to publish my own, vegan cookbooks since that time. Obviously, many things have hindered me from doing so. I could blame work, money, and a lack of inspiration, but doing so would be dishonest. I just hadn't had the determination or follow through- until now.

I am nearly done testing recipes for a book I am calling Summertime Sippers. A little, digitally published cookbook for wonderfully refreshing and ice cold drinks, it will be online and available for download to your Kindle, Nook, iPad, or PC no later than May 1st. Recipes will include those for traditional favorites (like lemonade and sweet tea) but also more interesting, unique creations including "Hibiscus Fizz," orangeade, blackberry tea, and pineapple punch. And, as a preview, I'm sharing my recipe for orangeade with you today. Think of it as being similar to Tang, but made from actual juice...

INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cups sugar
Water and ice

DIRECTIONSHeat the one cup of water in an appropriate container in the microwave for two minutes. Add the sugar to a 2-quart container and pour the hot water over it. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
 
Fill the container no more than halfway full with ice. Add your juices and fill the rest of the container up to the 2-quart line with cold water. Stir. Ensure that the orangeade has chilled completely before serving.

Makes 2 quarts.

This delightful little drink is perfect for your Memorial Day cookout or relaxing summer barbeque. You could even serve it with tiny sandwiches at a garden club meeting or little girl's tea party! I hope you enjoy it!