Easy Homemade Lemonade

So… this is pretty much the perfect summer drink.

When we grab a quick bite to eat I am totally the mom that makes my kids share a drink. I learned this trick from my own parents trying to juggle a brood of 5. I’m talking 99 cent menu. Value meal WHAT? $6 a person is not a value. If we are eating fast food garbage $3 is my limit. Love me a 99 cent salad thankyouverymuch.

I am not a hypocrite though. Chad and I always share a drink. But the drink sharing poses a problem and I am always the one to sacrifice by letting Chad get whatever he wants which is NEVER EVER the Minute Maid Light Lemonade and almost every time starts with Dr. and ends with Pepper. It’s the little things that make me an awesome girlfriend. Anyway.

Never getting the drink we want puts Evan and I in the same lemonade-less boat. Logistics would point to sharing with Evan instead of Chad, but since Chad and Andrew are both too manly to share a drink, and also because I refuse to donate $6 to fountain soft drinks – we just do without.

But I got tired of life without lemonade.

So I made my own. And now, for the same $6 I can have lemonade all week!! Take THAT Minute Maid (just kidding. I still love you.).
This lemonade is tart and sweet and everything you ever wanted a cool refreshing glass to be. And even the lemonade haters wanted more. It’s the Lemonade Reformation. Get on board!

1-1½ cups sugar (this amount can be reduced according to taste)
8 cups water, divided

Zest 3 of the lemons.Place the lemon zest and the sugar in a small saucepan (1-2 quart) with 2 cups of the water.
Stir and bring to a simmer but don’t boil- you just want to dissolve the sugar and get the lemon zest flavor into the liquid. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture steep.
Juice the remaining lemons (and the 3 you zested). I pour the juice through a fine mesh strainer straight into the pitcher because I completely hate on some pulp. This step is not necessary- it’s all about preference.

Pour the simple syrup you made with the lemon zest into the pitcher with the lemon juice. I also pour this through a fine mesh strainer to remove the zest, but again- it’s preferential.
Add more water if it is too sweet/tart. Pour over ice and serve immediately or let it chill and serve later!

Watch the sugar! If you are not partial to things being too sweet go easy to begin with.
Ah, I love reading about your drink-sharing – I can imagine it! It also reminded me of my friend Matty growing up who LOVED Dr Pepper and couldn’t understand those of us who didn’t. I made a book about our ‘adventures’ (they were not very adventurous) and I’ve just been reading back through it – good times.

Ok, enough with Dr Pepper, because that’s totally not the point of this post – I like lemonade but usually only when I’m hungover. When hungover though, there is nothing better than lemonade (and a fry up!)