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- Hey munchies, welcome to the channel
if you're new, or if you're not.
I'm Alyssia and I'm so glad you're here either way.
Summer is here, so for many of us, it is getting hot.
I love to cool down with an ice cold
fresh homemade lemonade.
So today I am showing you that
with a simple syrup done two ways.
One is an option that's lower in sugar,
but not sweetness.
And then I'll use that homemade lemonade
in some Starbucks remakes.
A peach green tea lemonade, a matcha lemonade,
and a very berry hibiscus tea lemonade.
So, it starts with this simple syrup.
For a regular classic simple syrup,
I just use cane sugar and water,
and then add that to a pot.
Let it come to just barely a boil over medium heat
and then turn it off before it boils.
Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved and voila!
Simple syrup.
Let that cool before adding it to anything though.
Now often, if you look for a low
sugar simple syrup recipe online,
people will say, just use less sugar.
So, instead of using one cup of sugar,
they'll say, use three quarters cup or whatever.
So yes, because you're using less sugar
in the overall recipe, you're gonna have
less sugar per glass.
The problem is, it's also going to taste less sweet,
and I like my lemonade really, really sweet.
So, if you look for a low sugar simple syrup recipe online,
you'll find a bunch of keto or low carb options
that are completely sweetener based,
and to me, those don't taste great.
I don't like too much sweetener taste.
I don't like the bitter aftertaste.
So I decided to make my own,
it's half sugar, half sweetener.
And today I used Allulose,
which I actually got from Trader Joe's.
Not sponsored, but cool that they sell that now.
And then I added that to a pot with water
and the rest is literally the same.
The difference is this simple syrup
is just as sweet as the regular one,
but it's got half the amount of sugar.
So, this is a better compromise from my lifestyle.
You do what works for you.
For the lemonade itself, you will need lemons.
I am lucky enough to have a lemon tree in my front yard
that yields plenty of huge ripe lemons.
I think they are Meyer lemons,
so they might be a little bit sweeter naturally,
but I love using these for lemonade and they are so juicy.
You can totally use store bought lemons though.
Just make sure you've got enough juice for the recipe,
and all of these recipes in detail,
are linked in the description,
where you can access them easily,
print them out, whatever works.
I use a small sieve when I'm juicing,
so that the juice is less pulpy
and there's no risk for seeds,
but that is a personal preference.
So the components are done.
We just combine the lemon juice,
the cooled simple syrup and the water.
Give that a stir and you've got fresh homemade lemonade.
I do recommend chilling it for an hour or so,
but it's honestly delicious and ready to drink.
It is so freaking good.
Christian and I seriously go outside
on hot days in the summer, intentionally
to just stand outside for like 15 minutes
and get hot, so that we can come back in
and pour ourselves an ice cold lemonade.
It's so satisfying, perfectly tart and sweet, such a treat.
So now let's have some fun with it.
One of my oldest recipes that is still my favorite,
but really needed an update, was my Starbucks
peach green tea and peach green tea lemonade remake.
So, I do this a little bit differently
than a lot of people, because I like to use fresh peaches.
I add some to a pot and I leave the skins on.
Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Then I mash those peaches up.
You can use a masher or a wooden spoon,
and then turn the heat down
and simmer for about five minutes.
Then I add green tea bags to the pot
and let them steep for about five minutes more.
The entire mixture gets strained and you're left
with a delicious peach green tea.
Okay, so this alone is so freaking good.
Look at that beautiful color.
That is because we used real peaches and left the skins on.
The peach flavor is so natural and delicious.
Sometimes peach tea bags tastes
a little bit artificial to me.
So, that is not a problem here.
You could totally chill this and enjoy
an ice peached green tea, but I wanted to make
a peach green tea lemonade.
So what do you do? Combine the two.
Just add equal parts, tea and lemonade, and there you go.
A better than Starbucks remake.
It is delectably refreshing and probably
one of my favorite recipes of all time.
Okay, we've got a few more, but first,
I wanted to remind you to subscribe and hit the bell
for more food and food freedom content, thank you.
Matcha lemonade is next, with this one,
the key is good quality matcha.
Now, unfortunately, that means the expensive stuff.
It will be a much brighter green though,
and more importantly, it will be much less bitter.
Now this is barely a recipe.
Seriously, you just add water to a jar
with some of that matcha.
I do recommend sifting it and then mix that together,
so that it's completely integrated.
Then I add an equal parts lemonade and boom!
Matcha lemonade, also fun and refreshing.
I am honestly not huge on matcha,
which is probably why I will only drink the good stuff.
Okay, the last one is an older Starbucks drink.
I don't actually know if they still make this,
but I was a fan, the very berry hibiscus tea lemonade.
It starts with the tea, so I got plain hibiscus teabags.
I will link the ones I use below.
And I just steeped them in boiling water.
I love that deep color.
Then I cool that before assembling the drink.
So, an hour or a few hours later,
I add fresh blackberries to a pitcher,
and I used a wooden spoon, to sort of muddle them.
Now Starbucks uses freeze dried blackberries,
which A, I couldn't find and B
isn't gonna taste way better with fresh, so, you do you.
The cooled hibiscus tea then gets added
along with, you guessed it, that fresh homemade lemonade.
So, the great thing about these tea lemonades
is that they're not very high in sugar,
because they're half tea, which is unsweetened.
So you get enough sweetness, but it's not like a dessert.
Whereas, my fresh homemade lemonade
on its own is quite sweet, because I like it that way.
How do you like your lemonade?
Super-sweet, semi-sweet, let me know in the comments
and tell me what are your favorite
Starbucks drinks, summer or holiday?
Because, I love doing remakes.
Thanks so much for being here.
I hope you enjoyed this video
and I hope you are having a fabulous summer.
I am so grateful for you.
I can't wait to see you next time.
And remember, it's all a matter of mind over munch.
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