Strawberry Lemonade

We don't really drink soft drinks in our house and when I have got them for a party in the past I've ended up throwing them away. So when I was deciding on drinks for the shower I decided to make ice tea and lemonade. It's hot already down here and who doesn't like lemonade?

Just simple lemonade didn't seem enough considering the strawberry theme so the next level was obvious - add strawberries.

I did some research online and saw a few places where sparkling water was added, almost giving it a punch feel. I tried it on the first batch and loved it. This is not your normal strawberry lemonade and yes it is a little involved but you will not be disappointed with the result and if you don't add the sparkling water it will still be good after a few days in the fridge.

Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into pieces

2 cups cold sparkling water

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar dissolves.

2. Add the lemon zest and juice, stir and remove from heat.

3. When the mixture has completely cooled, strain into a pitcher.

4. Purée the strawberries and add to the lemonade in the pitcher. Stir to combine well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. To serve, add ice and sparkling water to pitcher. The colder the sparkling water the better.

6. Garnish with some strawberries and lemon slices.

Happy Home Cooking!