Summer and Strawberry Lemonade

With school coming to end a month and a half ago, I wasn't quite sure I was ready for summer to begin.  To be quite honest, I wasn't sure I was ready to have my kiddies home all day long.  I worried about them being with each other so much that they'd begin to get on each other’s nerves and that eventually we'd all begin to get on each other’s nerves.  And while there are moments I want to stuff cotton balls in my ears (and my kids may want to stuff cotton balls in theirs), I am loving the more relaxed, but still seemingly busy days.  I love that when I come home from running in the morning, it's not a mad rush to make lunches, make sure my kids are fed and have my boys out the door for school.  I love that our days are filled with slow breakfasts, swimming, lunches by the pool, and jumping on the tramp with a sprinkler underneath and very large squirt of dish soap (or two or three) to make the tramp bubbly and very slippery.  I love that my little garden is growing.  I love that every time we look at our zucchini plant, all of us are constantly amazed at just how fast a zucchini can grow.  I love all the delicious summer produce that is available and all the road side stands selling local produce.  Just last night, Todd and I were talking about how school starts in just a little over a month.  I felt my heart sink thinking about sending my kiddies back to school.  I'm not quite ready and so for now, we are going to enjoy the rest of what summer has to offer and drink lots of strawberry lemonade.

(While I thought I'd have all the time in the world to take pictures of all the delicious food that the summer has to offer and then blog about it, it just hasn't happened.  My days seem to be busier and our nights later (I can't seem to get my kids in bed before 9:30 or later).  So for now, you will be seeing the food my family and I eat through the eyes of me and my iPhone.) 

Strawberry Lemonade

1 cup water
3/4 cup pure cane sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 6 lemons)
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup water
2 tablespoons agave nectar
4 cups chilled water
 
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and sugar.  Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in the agave nectar.  Let cool.

Meanwhile, puree 1 cup chopped strawberries with 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons agave nectar.  Pour through a fine mesh sieve; set aside.

Once the simple syrup has cooled, add to a pitcher along with fresh squeezed lemon juice, strawberry puree and chilled water.  Stir to combine.  Refrigerate and serve cold with ice (pebbled ice is the best).

-To make strawberry basil lemonade, add a couple of sprigs of basil to the simple syrup while cooling.  I let my simple syrup sit overnight in the refrigerator before making the lemonade so that the basil flavor would be more pronounced.  It was very delicious! 

Recipe slightly adapted from The Faux Martha