Summer here in Austin is no joke. Hot. Humid. Long. Hot. So…finding ways to cool down becomes a mainstay activity through the sweltering months.

A few weeks ago I ran across a video here about making whole lemon lemonade. Yep…within about ten minutes I was drinking my first batch. The thing is, it is really simple and takes just a couple of ingredients: lemons, sugar, ice, water. You can use any sweetener you like, and for my money this is a crazy affordable delicious Summer treat.

Here is how my first batch looked:

I used my Magic Bullet Nutri Bullet to make my batch, and I added real sugar a little bit at a time until it tasted sweet enough for my preference. The mint garnish made me realize that I should make another batch for cocktails (add Vodka or Tequila) to take to a party that weekend.

Naturally, I’m interested in trying this with all citrus fruit because if lemons, why not limes, grapefruits, oranges, tangerines and so on. Combined, I’m banking on lime with orange making a choice mixer for a slushy cold tequila cocktail. I’ll keep you posted, as I’m working on recipes for my cocktail book.

Today I experimented with whole limes. Here’s how that looks:

I sipped on it a little bit to test, and it is really refreshing on a temperature spiking July day in Central Texas, so I’m betting on this being a regular in my kitchen. Tonight I’ll combine it with a bit of vodka, more ice and half of a peach in the blender to see how that works out. Again. I’ll put my money on that combo being a winner.

Try this out. Easy, inexpensive and flexible!