Lavender-Lemonade Honeydew Frosty

This Lavender-Lemonade Honeydew Frosty is smooth and arctic with vibrant lime and lemon citrus flavors swirling with mellow lavender, creamy frozen honeydew melon and a hint of banana.

Lovely Lavender. I picked up a bunch of organic lavender at the farmer's market last weekend, not really knowing how I was going to use it - of course the idea of lifting those purple buds to my nose and taking a strong whiff whenever I need some instant relaxation-inducing aromatherapy was reason enough for me to buy it.

Then yesterday I spotted this amazing hot pink-colored, summer-perfect lavender lemonade on Tastespotting and clicked over to check out the recipe. Perfect! But I didn't stop there. I have been making myself melon frosties in the morning lately with either honeydew, cantaloupe or watermelon - and infusing some of my soothing lavender lemonade into my latest recipe seemed like a simply fantastic idea. Get the recipe!..

First I had to make the lavender lemonade - I put my own spin on it by making a few tweaks. I used UseRealButter.com's basic recipe as a guide. Funny enough, she noted Native Foods as her inspiration (I also love NF's Lavender Lemonade, so I knew I'd love this recipe.)

Flavor. The lavender essence is very mild - not perfume-y like you might imagine it to be. The citrus and sugar really overpowers the lavender - in a good way. The result is a truely unique and relxing lemonade-inspired summer beverage.

Want More Flower Power? Try steeping chamomile buds too for an added relaxation effect!

Here is my tweak of the recipe using half maple syrup and half sugar. You could use all sugar, all maple or all agave syrup - it all depend what you like. You could even experiment with using stevia for a very low-cal beverage.

I also tweaked it by using half lemon juice and half lime juice.

I should note that my drink didn't turn out as brilliantly PINK as hers did. Not really sure why. It may be because I did leave in a few of the green stems as I boiled.

I also halved the recipe.

Lavender Lime-Lemonade (adapted from UseRealButter)

3 tablespoon culinary lavender buds*
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoon organic sugar
2-3 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
+ a pinch of lime or lemon zest if desired
1 cup chilled water
1 cup ice

*NOTE: Do not consume lavender unless you know that it is organic and is for "culinary" use.

"Coconut Water Version" - replace the 1 cup of chilled water + 1 cup of ice with coconut water and/or coconut water ice cubes! You will be able to reduce the total amount of sugar since coconut water is naturally sweet. This version has extra electrolytes and minerals like potassium, magnesium and manganese! I will probably make this version next time.

To Make:

Steep lavender buds in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
Strain buds from water.
Briskly stir in sweetener until dissolved.
Stir in chilled water and ice for fast cooling.
Note: when sweetening add a little at a time and taste test until it reaches the sweetness you prefer.
Stir in or steep zest if desired.

Lavender.. for a pinker lemonade be sure to pluck out all those stems (unlike what I did - leaving a few in)

Yet to add in the citrus juice and added water..

Now onto the frosty recipe...

Lavender-Lemonade Honeydew Frosty
serves 1-2

½ cup Lavender Lime-Lemonade (above recipe)
½ banana (optional for a hint of creaminess - could also be a frozen banana)
3 cups honeydew cubes, frozen

Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth. You will probably want to use your plunger wand if you have a Vitamix - have you entered my giveaway yet? The hard melon blends best in a high speed blender. If you are using a basic blender, you may want to allow melon to thaw a bit before attempting to blend. Or add more liquid.

Serve with a garnish of lavender and lime or lemon!

Add-ins:

* Chia seeds (for an all around nutritional boost - omegas, protein and more)
* Mint (would be a nice cooling accent! Blend 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves in with the frosty)
* Aloe Vera Juice (extra soothing - add 1 tablespoon to the frosty blend)