From the Editor
When our kids were about five or six years old, they held their first lemonade stand. They were so excited and wanted to do every part of it themselves. We bought a posterboard from the dollar store and a can of Country Time Lemonade mix. They stirred the mix into a pitcher, added ice and water, and decorated a homemade sign.
We dragged a folding table to the end of the driveway, hung the sign in front of the table and placed a mountain of disposable cups next to the pitcher of lemonade. With big smiles, they declared their stand open!
Honestly, the lemonade tasted terrible and their sticky fingers struggled to mix and pour it. I tried to oversee the business but the kids were adamant about managing it themselves. All I could do was sit back and let capitalism take its course. I doubted much money would be made, selling lemonade for only 50 cents per cup.
To my surprise, almost every neighbor and passerby stopped and purchased a cup with a big smile and kind words of encouragement for our little entrepreneurs. To this day I never walk or drive past a lemonade stand without giving them some business. And I don’t even like lemonade. When I get around the corner, I secretly pour it out.
“The lemonade isn’t the point,” I tell my now young adult daughter. She knows and hops out of the car with a smile, holding a dollar.
There’s an old saying about lemonade that comes to mind, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In other words “Play the hand you’re dealt,” as my grandfather would say. Some people, the ones that truly inspire me, play that hand (or lemon), no matter what it is, with a smile.
Most of us find ourselves with at least one great hurdle in our lives that seems insurmountable. You may be tempted to quit and complain, but I challenge you to find a way to make lemonade out of the situation.
In this issue of Shore Local, we feature plenty of inspirational stories along with all the events, entertainment and happenings in the area. Robert Lukasiewicz, the ice cream man of Ventnor for the past 17 years, brings smiles to families while running his own business. Read more about Robert on page 9.
Justin ‘Time’ Figueroa is making his debut as a professional boxer after getting his start with the AC PAL program. He is putting all his energy into training, eating right, and serving on the Atlantic City Beach Patrol. Read more about his rise to the world of professional athletes on page 46.
Whatever you do, press on through the hardships and make your dreams come true. You may be a beginner. You may be an underdog. But don’t forget that if you work hard, the community will come alongside you and support you in ways you never expected. And to every kid opening a lemonade stand, keep serving up smiles.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
How to Make Homemade Lemonade in 3 Easy Steps:
Ingredients: (Serves 7)
- 1 cup (240 mL) of lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
- 1 cup (225 g) of sugar
- 6 cups (1.4 L) of water
- Ice (optional)
1. Juice 8 lemons to get about 1 cup of lemon juice. Roll your lemons on the countertop to make them easier to juice. Next, cut your lemons in half and press them onto a lemon press over a pitcher or measuring cup. Twist the lemon halves over the press to get as much juice out as possible.
Microwave your lemons for 10-20 seconds to soften the pulp and get more juice.
If you don’t have a lemon press, squeeze the lemon to get most of the juice out. Then, press a fork or mixer beater into the lemon pulp and twist it to release the rest of the juice.
You can get a lemon press at your local grocery or department store or online.
2. Transfer the lemon juice into a large pitcher.If you like pulp in your lemon juice, pour the squeezed lemon juice directly into the pitcher. If you don’t like pulp, hold a strainer over the pitcher and pour the lemon juice over the strainer to catch the pulp. Then, empty the strainer into your compost or trash. Make sure your pitcher can hold at least 8 cups (1.9 L) of fluids.
3. Pour 1 cup of sugar into the lemon juice and stir to dissolve it. Since lemon juice is acidic, it can dissolve your sugar for you, which saves you a lot of work! Add the sugar directly into your lemon juice, then stir until the sugar dissolves. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
If you don’t want your lemonade to be as sweet, you can add less sugar. Try adding just 1/2 or 3/4 cup of sugar.
Don’t add your water until the sugar dissolves so that the lemon juice isn’t diluted. It will take the sugar longer to dissolve in diluted lemon juice.
