August 2017 - Lakestyle

Cucumber Lemonade – National Lemonade Day

Cucumber Lemonade

Squeeze the Day! August 20th is known as National Lemonade Day, and here at Lakestyle, Lemonade is a welcome guest at our cabin! Over the years, we have experimented with many different flavour combinations, and have come up with a signature lemonade to serve at the cabin to our friends and family. We simply call it ‘Cucumber Lemonade’ and while it may sound slightly unusual, we dare you to try it! If you are crunched for time or don’t want to make this recipe from scratch, check out the cheat ideas at the end of the recipe. Entertaining adults? We’ve got a few suggestions to make this cucumber lemonade into a delightful adult cocktail. This cucumber flavoured lemonade is easy peasy lemon squeezy …. but will be a hit on your dock with all your cabin guests.

Recipe for 1 Pitcher of Cucumber Lemonade (8 cups)

1 cup white sugar

2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 12 lemons)

6 cups cold water

1 English cucumber, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

2 cups ice cubes

Step 1: Combine white sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Step 2: In a pitcher, combine cooled syrup solution, lemon juice, cucumber and lemon slices, ice and remaining 5 cups of water. Stir immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a more intense cumcumber flavour. If refrigerating, omit ice until ready to serve.

Cabin Cheat: For a time-saver at the cabin, you can use frozen concentrated Lemonade (Minute Maid or Country Time), just make it according to the directions and add in your cucumbers!

Grown-Up Twist: If there are adults at the cabin, we will often add a splash of vodka (Three Point Vodka, made by Eau Claire Distillery in Turner Valley, AB) or citrus gin (RAW Citrus Gin, made by RAW Distillery in Canmore, AB).

Keep cool this lake season and drink cucumber lemonade!

Lakestyle is a company founded on a desire to help people fulfill their lake lifestyle dreams. By utilizing easy to maintain dock systems and accessories, people are able to spend less time working and more time having fun! Check us out at www.lakestyle.ca, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @LakestyleCA!

Sailing in Alberta

Explore something new. Tackle another adventure. Keep learning, always keep learning. That’s how we do things around here. That spirit of curiosity and boundless limits are alive and well in our family.

“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.” @OfficialJimRohn Here @LakestyleCA, we couldn’t agree more!

So, one day a few summers ago, Grandma and Grandpa bought a sailboat. Her name is Miss Adventure (Missy for short) and she is a well loved beauty. Their dream of learning to sail became a reality in the spring of 2014 at the Kelowna Yacht Club in British Columbia, when they set eyes on the green and white 1984 Catalina 22. They quickly became her 4th owner and they could feel that she was up for many more adventures just off the shores of Sylvan Lake in Alberta, her new home. When not sailing, Miss Adventure sits proudly in her lift by the dock, watching all the lake life and cabin life, anticipating her next sail.

Now what’s truly amazing is that there are so many people in land-locked Alberta that are also interested in sailing. The Alberta Sailing Association website is a treasure trove of information about sailing, and has a Sailing Club Directory with over 20 different sailing clubs and associations. It appears that in all corners of our province, opportunities exist to sail our beautiful waters.

Not sure if the weather conditions are favourable for a sail? Instantly find the wind and weather forecast for your location on the Windfinder website, an excellent source of information for kitesurfers, windsurfers, sup paddlers, kayaker, fishermen, boaters and sailors alike! Whether it’s windy or not, getting out on your sailboat is time well spent. If it’s breezy, get those sails up and catch some wind. If the winds are calm, kick back and relax, cast a line or go for a dip off your port or starboard side.

Learning to sail has become a favourite activity at the lake. Grandma and Grandpa have been teaching their grandkids, friends from near and far and even their big dog Charlie how to sail. What fun to see the sparkle in someone’s eye when they pull the mainsail up and it billows with air or when they tack or jibe, successfully turning the sailboat in the desired direction.

It has been said that in sailing, as in life, it is not the destination, but rather the journey itself that truly matters. Buy a sailboat, find a lake, learn to sail…. what a grand adventure!