An Excercise in Deliciousness

In lieu of actually studying, I made lemonade.

And won.

Vanilla lavender lemonade (adapted from this recipe), also known as Operation HOMEMADE LEMONADE

1 plus 1/2 cups sugar
1 large sprig of rosemary
1 medium sprig of thyme
8 - 12 sprigs of lavender buds (still on the stems)
1 vanilla bean
6 lemons
water

1. Make a simple syrup by simmering 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is hot.

2. Add half the sprig of rosemary, half the lavender, and one or two stems of thyme to the syrup. Split and scrape the vanilla bean and add both the beans and pod to the syrup. Set aside to steep while the syrup is cooling.

3. Wash lemons and slice into rounds. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cup of sugar. Use a wooden spoon, mallet, masher, or other implement of smushing to squish the lemon slices and sugar until you've got liquid collecting in the bowl. When the lemon slices have been thoroughly smushed and just about submerged in the liquid, add five cups of water to the bowl and stir. Add the syrup to the bowl once it's reached room temperature. Stir after adding.

4. Store in glass bottles with the rest of the herbs and maybe a few slices of lemon.

ETA: If it's too strong for your tastes, add another half cup to a cup of water. I'd actually suggest this if you're not going to be mixing anything into it.

Questions, questions that need answering....

So, the more I read on biotechnology and stem cells and cloning, the more I wonder. Would it be possible to take an empty egg cell and insert the nucleus of two gametes to form a genetically identical zygote that would allow for non-rejection of stem cell treatment? And if so, would it be possible to use that technology to combine the genetics of two women, or two men so that lesbian and gay couples could have their own (genetic) children? All that would be needed in the case of the men would be an egg donor and a surrogate. It'd likely be expensive as hell, but could it work? Or, should society be so cruel as to deny them that, a guaranteed match for a patient who damaged their spinal cord or to avoid Graft Versus Host in chemo patients or to combat alzheimers or Parkinson's or Huntington's?

ETA: Er...scratch that last bit. That's what therapeutic cloning is for. *headdesk* Duh. But still, the question stands.