I’m a cook-from-scratch-er. I would never think to buy pancake mix or one of those frozen vegetables in butter sauce. No instant oatmeal here. I make my own marinara sauce. My own lemonade. Cake. Guacamole.
Of course, there are many things that I don’t make from scratch. Here’s a partial list: ketchup, mayo, chicken stock, BBQ sauce, bread, pizza dough. I am able to make these things (and in fact I’ve made all of them before), but I just don’t. No desire to.
This week I expanded my repertoire and made something from scratch that I’m really excited about: ginger ale.
I’m a big time ginger ale drinker – I have mild Irritable Bowel Syndrome. When I’m having a flare up of intestinal woes, I open a little can of ginger ale and sip on it. It makes me feel better. It’s mostly psychological, of course, because really it’s just a can of fizzy sugar.
When my stomach was bothering me a few days ago my trusted cans of ginger ale just did not appeal. Too syrupy. Not gingery enough.
I poked around my recipe collection and found this one for homemade ginger ale. My husband thinks it’s too lemon-y, but I think it’s perfect. Fresh, crisp, gingery. The kids liked it too. And it’s not a scientific assessment, but I do think it did a better job than ginger flavored corn syrup at easing my nausea.
I’m going to freeze a bunch in an ice cube tray so I can always have it on hand. Poor Canada Dry. Just lost a regular customer.
Ginger Ale* – makes about 8 servings
1/2 cup grated ginger (use a box grater)
4 teaspoons sugar
5 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Seltzer (I make my own, courtesy of my Soda Stream seltzer maker)
1. Put grated ginger in a bowl and stir in sugar. Set aside for 1 hour.
2. Place a strainer over a cup or bowl. Spoon the ginger/sugar mixture into the strainer and use the back of the spoon to press down on the ginger to extract ginger juice. Discard left over ginger pulp.
3. Stir lemon juice into ginger juice.
4. Stir in brown sugar and dissolve completely.
5. Store the ginger mix in an airtight container in the fridge. When you want a glass, give it a shake and then add about a tablespoon of ginger mix per cup of seltzer, adjusting to your own preference.
6. Use within a few days or freeze for future use.
*I have no idea where I got this recipe. It’s not my own. If you happen to know where it’s from, please let me know!
Amy at the Table 
Hi Amy,
I am Joanne (Nicole’s Mom) and I just read your blog for the first time.
I enjoyed your post very much! Not only are you a good writer, but I found the subject matter to be very interesting……..
( You see, I am Italian which I think is synonymous for food lover!) I really enjoy putting together a good meal from fresh ingredients. I like to make up my own recipes and I cook by feel rather than by measurements or by a recipe. I have a pretty good garden growing this year (basil, parsley, arugula, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans and of course tomatoes!) Last night I made the entire dinner (minus the garlic and pasta) from my garden. I cooked up some of my specialties for your parents and your brother this past weekend and they seemed to enjoy it!
I so look forward to meeting you and your family and possibly cooking together sometime in the future!
take care,
~Joanne
Joanne,
Thanks for your comment! You sound like a kindred spirit. I just moved to the suburbs from NYC and for the first time we have a garden – we started with swiss chard, tomatoes, butter lettuce, basil, oregano, and cucumbers. It has been so satisfying to eat from our own harvest!
We just love your daughter and I’m looking forward to meeting you too! Best regards, Amy