Refreshing Blueberry Lemonade

Nothing is better on a hot summer day than a nice tall glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Well, almost nothing. I'm guessing that a nice dip in the pool might just top the lemonade, but since I don't have a pool in my backyard, this will just have to do the trick.

I came up with this recipe one afternoon in August when all that I wanted to do was to sit back and relax while reading a book on the deck. However, it was a little hot outside, so I wanted something to drink that was icy cold, and refreshing to make the afternoon complete. So, I decided to make some lemonade. Then, I noticed that I had a lot of blueberries left in my refrigerator. So, I thought to myself, "Why don't I try and make some blueberry lemonade? I love blueberries, and I love lemonade...how could this go wrong?" 
It didn't. It was everything I expected. Cold. Delicious. And, refreshing! BINGO!

It is really a simple beverage to make. You can add more or less sugar to your own liking. Plus, you can use pretty much any kind of fruit you have on hand with this method. So, create away, and enjoy!

Blueberry Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh blueberries, washed and picked over for stems
Juice from 8 small lemons, or 4 large, drained to remove pulp and seeds
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
8 cups cold filtered water

Directions:
Take the blueberries and about 1/4 cup of your water, and puree them with a blender, or food processor. Then, after you have pureed your blueberries, drain them over a small bowl with a sieve. Try to drain as much of the blueberry juice out of the puree as possible using a spoon to press out any additional liquid.

Now, with all of your lemons cut in half, squeeze as much juice as you can out of them using a juicer (any kind you have will work). Make sure you strain your juice thoroughly to remove any seeds that may have got into your juice. You can use the sieve to strain the juice, or if you like pulp, you can just remove the visible seeds with a spoon.

Pour both the blueberry and lemon juices into a pitcher with your cold water. Add the sugar to the mixture, and stir well to incorporate. I start with a 1/4 cup at a time, tasting in between each addition until the desired sweetness is reached.

Serve in a tall glass over ice. 
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a few whole blueberries.