Okay everyone. This is one of those recipes I’m embarassed to call a recipe because it’s SO EASY! As soon as I made it I thought, “Where have you been all my life?” and “Why didn’t I do this before? It’s so easy!” But because it was so refreshing and amazing, I decided it needed its own post, even if it is the easiest recipe ever.

When I was a kid, we ate at Olive Garden a lot. We didn’t have one in my small Wyoming town of 18,000 people, but we went to Salt Lake City, UT often to visit family and watch the Jazz (Stockton to Malone!!! Yep. I’m old). While we were there, we always ate at Olive Garden. I always got the same thing: Ministrone soup, spaghetti with meat sauce and strawberry lemonade. Not the healthiest dinner, but it was delicious. The thing that made Olive Garden’s strawberry lemonade so good was that it tasted real! You could actually feel the fruit in your mouth. I’m not sure if it was made of actual strawberries and lemons, or just some syrup-like substance, but it was the best lemonade in the world.

Today my daughter and I came home from a bike ride exhausted and thristy (It hit 97 degrees here today!!!). I started craving Olive Garden strawberry lemonade. Then it hit me! I had lemonade; I had strawberries and math taught me, that equals strawberry lemonade (Thank you first grade math teacher!). I was set.

So the two ingredients that make up this decedant, delicious, restaurant-quality beverage… (drumroll)… VitaminWater Zero Lemonade, and frozen strawberries. Seriously! That’s it! It’s so simple I’m sad I didn’t try it sooner. Make sure you use the “Zero” lemonade. The other stuff is loaded with sugar. You can tell the difference because the “Zero” flavors have the white part of the label on top and the sugar-licious flavors have the colored part of the label on top. You’re welcome.

I love when I can recreate childhood treats without all the junky ingredients. This one was a winner! I’m not sure I can have plain lemonade again! Next time, we may experiement with blackberries, blueberries or raspberries.

And that sounds so good, “next time” may be in five minutes. I hope this delicous, frosty beverage gets you through the rest of the heat of the summer!!