Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade or Strawberry Lemonade

2 cups sugar
8 1/2-10 1/2 cups water, divided
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5-6 large lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
ice cubes for serving
Strawberry Sauce ice cubes for Strawberry Lemonade

Combine sugar and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sugar has dissolved and then simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool about 20 minutes.
Add lemon and lime juices to sugar syrup.  Pour lemon-lime mixture into container.  Let stand one hour and then strain mixture and store until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, mix lemonade base with 6-8cups cold water.  Start with 6 cups and then adjust according to your taste.  Six cups will be very sweet; 8cups will border on watery. 

Strawberry Sauce
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, and roughly chopped
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract vanilla

Combine berries, sugar, and vanilla in medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook for five minutes, stirring constantly and breaking strawberries up with a wooden spoon.

After five minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool before blending.  When cool enough, transfer the mixture to blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached.  Refrigerate unused sauce for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Place in ice cube containers and freeze.  I doubled the recipe. Add to lemonade to make Strawberry Lemonade.

recipe from Our Best Bites cookbook