Refreshing, Simple & Homemade Lemonade

I'm not sure about where you live, but it's been ball-bustin' hot as heck here in the Midwest. The humidity is a bit unbearable at times.

Our 3 year old even made a point today to only try and walk in "the shade".  He's a smart guy!  We have been hitting the little pool in our backyard, but even that is hot at times and I've been taking my walks at an early morning hour I'd rather not see {5 a.m.} just to avoid sweating to death.

So, you probably get it by now.  It's hot.

Other than ice cold water {which is my drink of choice},  my second favorite is fresh lemonade.  I don't drink it often, for obvious reasons, but as a treat for the family I made a batch last night.  This recipe reminds me of my days when I often got stuck helping out with a lemonade stand each summer at a festival for my college job.  It was a sticky, hot mess. Simple syrup and lemon juice attract everything.  Just sayin'.

And can I just say.....why don't we have lemon trees in Iowa?  What kind of climate do they need to grow in?  Can someone from California please answer this question for me?  Or maybe a lemon company can just ship me a box.

It pains me to pay 79 cents a lemon.  I know that may sound cheap, but when you need quite a few.....well, maybe I'm just cheap.  Yeah, that's probably it.

Refreshing, Simple & Homemade Lemonade

{Print this Recipe!}

6-8 lemons {enough to make 1 c. lemon juice}

1 c. water

1 c. sugar

4-5 cups ice water

In a saucepan, combine 1 c. water and the sugar.  Over medium heat, cook, stirring occasionally until all the sugar dissolves.

Meanwhile, cut lemons in half {make sure they are at room temperature}and juice, removing the seeds.  In a large pitcher combine the sugar/water combo, freshly squeezed lemon juice and an additional 4-5 cups of cold ice water.  I recommend starting with 4 cups and if it is still too sweet, add another cup.

Chill for at least one hour before serving.

I might make another big batch of this for Saturday when my high school girlfriends are coming to visit with their kids....it is going to be a very FULL house.  Maybe an adult version and a kiddie version {clearly labeled of course}.

Oh and before I check out for the weekend - I did not win the Saucy Mama Sliced Contest. Bummer, huh? But honestly looking at all of those delicious entries I'm pretty sure they had a hard time deciding, they all looked fabulous.

Regardless, it was fun!