With summer comes childhood memories of long afternoons running through sprinklers, playing quietly in secret forts underneath the thick shady branches of trees, and hours of endless planning  and construction of the perfect lemonade stand.  Do you also have memories of sitting at the end of a driveway, collecting dimes and the occasional quarter as you poured Dixie cups full of cool lemonade for neighbors and passers by?  I’m not sure how many times I actually followed through, but I certainly remember the planning and thought while underneath the shade of a tree – and I definitely remember drinking most of the profits.

Now that I have my own kids, I know those hours of lemonade stand planning are just around the corner.  But I don’t want to turn to the old frozen-lemonade-from-concentrate standby.  I want to make it fresh and natural.  For the cost of a half dozen lemons and a bit of sugar, you can make fresh squeezed lemonade with your children which will be a healthy part of a fun activity and memory with you.

If you’re lucky enough to have a lemon tree in your backyard, then you can make this sweet summer treat for nearly nothing.  But not all of us have the luxury of a backyard lemon tree so that got me thinking – is there another way to cut back on the cost?  Yes!  I am learning that by simply asking at farmers markets and local grocery stores, the farmers and vendors will sometimes sell (or give) you bruised or slightly damaged fruit for next to nothing.  Think about all the not-so-perfect fruit that didn’t sell but needs to be taken off the display to make room for the fresh produce.  We’ve got nothing to lose by asking, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the generosity.  The fruit is out there, and it might be fun to see if you can find it!

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THE COMPARISON: Minute Maid Lemonade – Frozen Concentrated vs. Out of the Box Food Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

(All ingredients followed by an * can be referenced at www.wikipedia.org by clicking on the ingredient)

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Minute Maid Lemonade – Frozen Concentrated

Ingredients:

contains sweeteners

• high fructose corn syrup*
• sugar
• pure filtered water
• concentrated lemon juice
• lemon pulp
• natural flavors*

**All listed product ingredients are taken from the products website.  Though Out of the Box Food makes every effort to provide complete ingredient information, please check the package/website for the most current information.

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Out of the Box Food^SM “Pinch of Sugar” Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 C fresh squeezed lemon juice (from approx 5-6 lemons)
• 1/3 C granulated sugar
• 1 C hot water (near boiling)
• 7 C cold water

Directions:

• Mix sugar into hot water.  Stir until dissolved.
• Pour lemon juice in a pitcher.  Add sugar water.  Top with cold water.
• Mix well.
• Serve over ice.

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Don’t forget to get your kids involved in our “Kids Only” Recipe Challenge ON NOW! With just a little imagination, a list of a few ingredients and a catchy name, your kids can be entered to win a Handstand Kids Cookbook Kit – Plus, because it’s a recipe of their own creation, they may learn to like a new food.  Challenge ends Saturday August 6th, so don’t delay!

Check back later in the week when we’ll post a “Berry” spin on our Fresh Squeezed Lemonade for an even bolder, summer treat!