The Steaming Cup

You can't get much more sophisticated than lavender lemonade

If you enjoy the floral taste of lavender, this lemonade is for you.

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup lavender leaves, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup lemon juice
• Ice cubes

First, heat the first measures of water and sugar to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Add lavender and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Strain out the lavender. In a pitcher, add lavender infusion to second measure of water and lemon juice. Stir and add more sugar to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

Looks like plain lemonade but you can't miss that ginger taset once you take a sip.

Fresh ginger gives traditional lemonade a new flavour.

• 4 cups lemon juice
• 4 quarts water
• 3 cups sugar
• 14 slices of fresh ginger

Heat water, sugar and ginger root together until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let it sit and cool for 20 minutes or so, then remove the ginger root. Chill lemonade before serving.

Honey and coffee go so well together

Honey has a wonderful flavour, as well as adding some natural sweetness to your cup of coffee. It doesn’t take much to change the whole feeling of your cup.

• 2 cups coffee (hot)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tbs honey
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Heat everything until warm, but don’t let it boil. Stir well until the honey dissolves completely in the coffee, and serve.

Enjoy some spicy chai tea next time there is a cold day outside.

Not sure if this actually comes from Kashmir, but it’s a delightful chai recipe anyway.

• 1 tsp loose black tea
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbs powdered almonds
• Pinch of saffron threads
• Honey

Break cinnamon stick into small pieces, and bruise the cardamom pods. Add spices (not almonds) and tea to water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let steep for 4 to 5 minutes, then strain. Put a teaspoon of almond powder in the bottom of each of four cups, and pour hot tea over. Add honey to sweeten, if desired.

This is a really simple recipe but the flavors are wonderful for a summer drink

Add the cinnamon before brewing to give this coffee recipe a spicy touch. You’ll need to stir well to blend in the caramel syrup. 

• 6 tbs ground coffee
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup caramel syrup

Mix the cinnamon and coffee grounds together, and then brew in your usual manner. Add the caramel syrup to the hot coffee, and stir until mixed and dissolved. Chill and serve over ice.

Honey is just wonderful in summertime iced tea

Very refreshing in the summer. I’ve always that that raspberry juice was the most summery of fruit juices. This recipe is nicely flavoured without being too sweet. Only honey, no sugar.

• 2 cups freshly-made black tea
• 2 cups raspberry juice
• 1/4 cup honey

Mix raspberry juice, tea and honey. Whisk until honey is dissolved. Serve cold over ice. You can substitute cranberry juice, instead of raspberry for a different taste.

Serves 4.

Any kind of club soda or sparkling water will work in this iced tea

You could even make this with regular black tea, but the floral notes of jasmine are very nice.

• 4 cups water, boiling
• 3 tbs loose jasmine tea
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups sparkling water

Dissolve sugar in 3/4 cup of water, and boil gently until a syrup has formed. Set aside and let cool. Steep the jasmine tea in the remaining 3 cups of hot water for around 6 minutes. Strain out tea, and let cool slightly. In a pitcher, combine syrup and tea. Stir or whisk until fully blended. Add sparkling water and cool thoroughly. Serve over ice. Can be served with cinnamon sticks, lemon slices or mint sprigs.

A single-serve coffee maker will cost you more than a traditional drip machine but they will make you a cup of fresh coffee in seconds (literally) and there is no messy grounds to clean up. If you have been interested in these types of brewers, here are the best ones on the market right now.

A Tassimo coffee brewer

Tassimo

The Tassimo is a very popular model and is without a doubt the most sophisticated one. The pods that fit in the Tassimo (T-discs) have a bar code on the top of each one and the machine reads it before it starts to brew. Once it knows what you are brewing, all the details are taken care of. You get the optimum temperature, brewing time and water pressure with each cup.

The pods are available in many different types of coffee as well as tea and hot chocolate.

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The banana smoothie is the classic way to make one

Yes, a banana smoothie is really simple but knowing the right proportions helps pull it together. Enjoy as a drink or even a breakfast replacement.

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 cup ice, crushed

Combine ingredients in a blender and process it all until smooth.

Don't ignore the mint in this smoothie recipe. It really makes the melon flavor pop.

This is a really light and refreshing smoothie recipe with extra fruit. You can use plain yogurt if you wish and just add a little extra lemon juice instead.

• 1 1/2 cups diced melon
• 1/2 cup lemon yogurt
• 1 cup green seedless grapes, frozen
• 1 tbs fresh mint, minced
• Fresh lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit of lemon juice for added tartness.

Cranberries are healthy as well as tasty in lemonade

Cranberry juice makes this lemonade recipe pink, and gives it a little tarter flavor.

• 2 cups sugar
• 9 cups water
• 2 cups lemon juice
• 1 cup cranberry juice

Mix everything in a pitcher and stir until dissolved. Serve your pink lemonade over ice.

Just add to cold water and you will have almost instant lemonade.

Make this syrup up ahead of time, for quick lemonade making. Just add water when you want a fresh glass of lemonade.

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 lemon of zest
• 1 1/2 cups lemon juice

Dissolve sugar in hot water, and remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Let cool and keep refrigerated. To make instant lemonade, mix 1/4 cup of syrup with 3/4 cup cold water. Serve over ice.

Apples and lemons can go smoothly together in lemonade

A very tart apple lemonade, with only a hint of sugar. This recipe only makes about 2 servings.

• 3 green apples, peeled and cored
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 cup cold water

Use a juicer to extract the juice from the green apples (Granny Smith are excellent). Combine apple and lemon juice, sugar and water. Stir everything well until the sugar dissolves. Serve lemonade over ice.

What's more refreshing on a hot summer day than old-fashioned lemonade?

Lemons, sugar and water. A very simple lemonade recipe, and yet so refreshing.

• 6 lemons
• 6 cups cold water
• 1 cup sugar

Juice your lemons, and you should get about 1 cup of juice. In a large pitcher, mix juice, water and sugar. Stir lemonade well and serve over ice.

Ok, it's not really blue but more of a reddish-purple lemonade.

This lemonade catch people’s attention. It’s bright and fun, and made with blueberries.

• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 lemons worth of juice and zest
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries

Heat 2 cups of water with sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue to heat for 5 minutes or so until it starts to get a little thicker. Add the rest of the water, along with the lemon  zest and juice. Let cool to room temperature. Set aside for now.

Put the blueberries and blackberries in a blender and puree. Stir pureed berries into the lemonade and let sit for 2 hours at room temperature. Strain lemonade for seeds and zest bits, and chill before serving.

You can never have too much fruit in a morning smoothie.

A very healthy smoothie that is just fruit and juice. Give yourself an energy boost in the morning!

• 2 bananas
• 1 cup sliced peaches, drained
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup strawberries

Combine ingredients and blend until smooth.