Soothing Thirst and Mind: Lavender Lemonade

Open up and say "ahh" to this lovely, lavender-leaning libation: lavender lemonade.

Of all the herbs, lavender has always been a leading lady. Delicate and infused with the coquettish allure of peaceful thoughts and sweet dreams, lavender can be a racing mind's best friend. Just ask Iris Lee Underwood who started the Yule Love It Lavender Farm in Lakeville, Michigan as a means of coping with her daughter's death seven years years earlier.  AARP magazine features a piece on Underwood who sees more than 2, 000 visitors a year at her farm, all coming with the shared appreciation of lavender's calming, peace-of-mind offerings.

When she's not sipping lavender tea, Underwood mixes up a batch of her "Yule Love It Lavender Lemonade."  Quenching your thirst has never been so relaxing.

How to:

• Steep 1 large tea ball filled with organic lavender in a quart of boiled water until the liquid turns a light rose color.
• Meanwhile in a gallon jar, mix 2 large cans of frozen lemonade concentrate with 4 cans of water.
• Add the cooled lavender infusion to the lemonade.
• Add the ice and garnish with fresh mint, lemon thyme or lavender sprigs, or all three.

Recipe courtesy of AARP.

Photo courtesy Marmit@sxc.hu