What happened to the long summer days when our kids begged for a lemonade stand? My girls loved lemonade stands. To this day we still have our stand. This stand represents so many wonderful aspects about summer and growing up.
Lemonade stands speaks volumes about a child’s development. It quenches ones’ thirst for life. It teaches a child the art of running a business, making a profit, giving some of the profit to the charity of their choice and meeting neighbors. Neighbor’s gather around and friendly bikers ride by for a sugary thirst quencher from a cute kid. Instead of paying the asking price of 50 cents they give you a dollar and say,” keep the change”. Nothing makes a kid happier than when someone says, “keep the change”. Neighbors and friends may stop by just to say hello, not even wanting lemonade.
To add to the life of the lemonade stand, one year my girls decided that I was going to make real lemonade with fresh squeezed lemon juice and real sugar and water. Needless to say this was the most expensive, best tasting lemonade that anyone has ever sold at a lemonade stand.
Some kids are really adventurous and will bake cookies to also sell. Cookies generally will sell for a bit more, and if you purchase more than one cookie of course you always give a price cut. The best part is when you catch your child and their friends snacking on the cookies and lemonade that is to be sold. We all know the saying, “I just needed to taste one to make sure that it was OK to sell”.
My kids would generally go for the traditional chocolate chip cookie. But at times I would get adventurous and make monster cookies. These cookies are rich and delicious. You name the flavor and they are in this cookie. A lemonade stand is an excellent summer activity for kids. They are outside for most of the afternoon. They may be watching the family pet. They are using their communication skills and are not on the computer or playing video games. But, it is a labor of love for the parent or guardian who is at home making the lemonade, making the correct change, cleaning the mess and baking the cookies.
Remember the profit I spoke about earlier. Your child benefits most of all. My girls may not realize how much effort and cost went into their lemonade stands, but when I would hear them scream “lemonade for sale”, and see complete strangers or neighbors stop to say hello, pat the dog on the head and buy a glass of lemonade, and see my child smiling, I know the cost and effort is well worth it.
This month I will give you a lemonade recipe that you can embellish with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and the greatest monster cookie recipe of all time.
Monster Cookies
6 eggs
2 ¼ cup brown sugar
2 cup granulated white sugar
½ pound margarine (or butter)
3 cups peanut butter (smooth)
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon white corn syrup
4 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounce chocolate chips
6 ounce M&M’s (plain)
1 cup raw Spanish peanuts ( I like to omit)
9 cups quick cooking oatmeal
Combine all ingredients and mix well with a large spoon. Using an ice cream scoop dipped in cold water, place 6 cookies per baking sheet. DO NOT GREASE PAN. Bake at 375* for 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on sheet before removing to rack to finishing cooling. Makes 5 dozen large cookies.
Fresh lemonade
2 cups white sugar (more or less according to personal taste)
1 cup hot water
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (remove seeds)
1 gallon cold water
Mix all ingredients until sugar is melted. Chill and serve over ice, may use sliced lemon as a garnish, or fresh mint.
