Water Rescue: Making Homemade Lemonade

If you have recently given up those sugar-filled bubbly soft drinks known as pop here in the Midwest (soda if you are a coastal dweller or Coke for those who reside below the Mason-Dixon line) and are jonesing for something besides water to quench your thirst, I have found the solution. Good old-fashioned lemonade will roust those rebelling taste buds every time.
If you have never had real lemonade, you are missing out. It is refreshing, cheap to make, kid-friendly and politically correct to serve when your teetotaling in-laws come for a visit. (Bonus—you can always sneak in a shot of vodka if that last situation deems it absolutely necessary.)
You can spend your time squeezing the life out of a bunch of lemons or just do what I do: quarter a couple of lemons, peel all (or use up those naked lemons that have been stripped for their zest), toss into the blender with a couple of tablespoons of stevia or agave, and blend away. Add six cups of water and run the whole mess through a fine strainer, and you’ve just created one half gallon of lip-smacking goodness.
A typical 12-ounce soft drink contains 39 grams of high fructose corn syrup, while your homemade elixir has less than two grams of natural sweetener, plus you get a nice dose of vitamin C—talk about the real thing!
This stimulating tonic is also versatile. Add a few fresh or frozen strawberries to create a perfectly pink non-alcoholic aperitif, or substitute limes for tangy limeade and dress it up with a sugar-rimmed glass and a slice of fruit.
Ya gotta get in that H20, but sometimes plain ol’ water just does not cut it. Hydrate yourself with natural lemonade for a perfectly refreshing, low-sugar fix.
Thirsty, anyone? —Karen