Once when I was a tween living in Poughkeepsie, New York, my family took a bike ride around our neighborhood with another family we were friends with. It was a cool spring day, and the blossoms were on the trees. Our friends had recently moved into the neighborhood, and — for me — it was thrilling to learn how close by they’d be living.

Anyway, while we were on this fun bike ride, I got a little nervous. See, I was convinced that my tire was leaking since it was making this scary swissshhhhhhhhh whenever I would pedal. So, I became insistent that something was very, very wrong and we headed for the air pump at a nearby gas station.

As it turns out, the tire was fine. It was just rubbing against one of those blue plastic coated chain locks that I had so smartly attached to my bike. You know, so that no one would steal it from the inner basement of my house. Or something like that. Really, I just thought it looked cool. (Lesson: “because it looked cool” is never a good reason to have something attached to your bike.)

Anyway, although I am still occasionally reminded of my little error, I will say that the stop at that gas station was fortuitous — because the attached convenience store was a 7-Eleven. The kids among the group managed to convince the parents among the group that since we were there, we might as well get Slurpies (right?!?). So, all’s well that ends well.

Gosh, I love Slurpies. Even if I rarely buy them anymore.

My kids have tried Slurpies too and love them. And recently Cheryl Budge from Middlesex County Parent and I got on the topic of the sweet-tart slushie-esk Frozen Strawberry Lemonades at a certain fast food joint, and the idea of making my own slushie kind of got stuck in my head. Because while I don’t often go to that fast food joint, I do love me a good sweet-tart slushie drink.

So I had to. And it had to be Strawberry Lemonade Slushies. Seriously. My kids now think I am totally awesome because I surprised them with these this weekend.

Making these is easy but I will warn you that you need to plan ahead — the strawberry puree needs to sit overnight to be perfect for this. Trust me, it’s worth it.

When you are ready for your heavenly slushie, you whip up an easy, homemade sweet-tart lemonade. Sometimes I like lemonade to be sweet-sweet, but for this a more tart version is perfect. Once that’s made, you whirl together a little lemonade and ice in the blender until the ice is totally pulverized. To serve, spoon your slushie into a glass and top with a good dose of the strawberry puree.

OMG. It’s so good.

And A Quick Video Tip …

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Slushies

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This sweet-tart strawberry lemonade slushie is a perfect cool treat on a hot day. Take note though, you have to start the recipe the day before for best results.

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Ingredients

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 3 2/3 cups water, divided
• Ice

Instructions

1. The day before you want to enjoy these slushies, whirl together the strawberries and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in the blender until pureed. Transfer to an airtight container and chill overnight.
2. The next day, make your lemonade. Pour the fresh lemon juice into a large pitcher.
3. Next, make your simple syrup by whisking together 2/3 cup granulated sugar and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Continue whisking until all the sugar is dissolved – about five minutes. Pour into the pitcher with the lemon juice. Add three cups cold water and stir well.
4. Combine 3/4 cup lemonade with 3/4 cup ice in a blender and whirl until smooth. Spoon the slushie into a glass and then drizzle 1/4 cup of the puree over top.
5. Enjoy.

Sarah Walker Caron

Sarah Walker Caron is a cookbook author, freelance writer and founder of Sarah’s Cucina Bella. She is the author of several cookbooks including The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook and One-Pot Pasta, both from Rockridge Press. A single mother to two kids in middle school, Sarah loves nightly family dinners, juicy tomatoes plucked fresh from the vine and lazy days on the beach. She also adores reading and traveling.