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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!

Riding Waves

Recently, I was fortunate to be able to make another trip to the ocean. The weather was somewhat stormy when I first got there. Waves were what I considered to be big. I am sure they were nowhere near what others would consider even significant. As I gazed out off the pier I saw several people floating on their surfboards. I spent some time observing their actions and as I did so I realized there are so many parallels between what they were doing and what it was like to start a new company.

You need to have an idea and a passion for what you do. You must be willing to get up in the morning with a drive to improve and a willingness to try. Grab your surfboard, put your second skin on and brave the water’s cold embrace. Starting a business is ignited by a passion, a belief that something needs fixing, that there is a problem that you can help solve, and ultimately that others feel needs a solution, whether they know it at the time or not. You take the plunge.

Practice. I would wait and watch as wave after wave passed by. Then one really good wave would come, the surfer would paddle, jump on her board only to fall off within a mere second. But she never gave up. In starting a business, it takes a lot of practice. Whether it is your sales story, the way you simply converse with potential clients or the presentations you give, you must practice and in doing so, gain confidence. Sometimes, often a lot of times, you won’t succeed. But you keep practicing.

Along with practice is patience. Each wave reveals its true character, sometimes too early, sometimes too late. The key is to wait for the next chance at success. And when that time comes she jumps on her board and gives it 100% effort. Patience is key in any business, whether it is a new one or not. Hard work will lead to success, but you can’t expect success on the very first wave that comes. Being patient allows you to prepare, plan and focus so when the next big break comes, you are ready.

And then comes her chance. She paddles hard, flips on her board and rides the wave. It only lasts a short while, but she did it, and it was amazing. I wanted to clap as I knew just how much effort it took for that one moment of time. It was beautiful and I knew that it wouldn’t be the last. When you get that break in business, celebrate the opportunity, execute it well and know that what you’ve been able to do was worth the practice, patience and reward.

“Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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