Iced tea | NancyC

Lemonade always sounds good on a hot day, and I think the fresh-squeezed kind is always the best! I don’t know why I don’t make this more often, because it tastes so good! And it’s not that much work to use fresh-squeezed lemon juice. This is a variation of a recipe from Domino Sugar. Sadly, there’s only about a month left of summer! I’m not sure where the time has gone, but we might as well enjoy what’s left of the season with some lemonade! Or try some Iced Tea Lemonade…see instructions at the end of the recipe below.

Before you make your lemonade, check out these helpful tips:

1. To extract the most juice from lemons, soften them by rolling and pressing them on your counter top before juicing them.

2. To keep your lemonade from becoming too diluted from ice cubes, make your ice cubes out of lemonade–you can make some lemonade ahead of time for that purpose and keep them in the freezer so they’re ready when you need them!

FRESH-SQUEEZED LEMONADE by NancyC, adapted from Domino Sugar

Makes 2 to 4 servings

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 3 medium-to-large lemons)

2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like your lemonade

Fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Combine water and lemon juice in a pitcher, then add sugar. Mix well, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into ice-filled glasses, and garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices if desired. You can double the recipe and use a larger pitcher if you need more servings.

ICED TEA LEMONADE: I like to mix iced tea and lemonade together–it’s a nice variation if you like a lemony flavor in your tea. To make it, all you need to do is combine equal amounts of your favorite iced tea with this lemonade recipe. Add additional sugar if desired, to taste.

Do you make lemonade often? Fresh-squeezed or from a mix or concentrate?

Did you know that Monday, June 10, is National Iced Tea Day? I didn’t, until the folks at Rooibee Red Tea told me about it and wanted to know if I’d like to try some of their tea flavors. Well, of course I did, because just a few weeks earlier I had read some information about how healthy rooibos tea was!

Rooibos, which means “red bush,” is a bush that grows only in South Africa. The leaves from the bush are used to make the tea. Used for generations in South Africa, rooibos tea has a high level of antioxidants, is naturally caffeine-free, and is known for it’s calming and rejuvenating benefits. It has grown in popularity in other parts of the world over the years. After reading about rooibos tea a few weeks ago, I had bought some teabags from my health food store and liked those, so I had a feeling I would like Rooibee Red Tea.

Rooibee Red Tea is the only bottled, ready to drink USDA-organic rooibos tea on the market. I received a bottle of each of their flavors…Watermelon Mint, Peach, Cranberry Pomegranate, Vanilla Chai, and Unsweetened. I really like the flavors…the fruity flavors have a nice light sweetness without being overly sweet, and the Vanilla Chai has a great chai spiciness to it. When I make my own tea, I often drink it unsweetened, so I liked the Unsweetened Rooibee Tea, too!

It’s nice to have a healthy summer drink option…a great alternative to sugary juices and sodas. Rooibee Red Tea is available at Whole Foods, Kroger, Fresh Market, and other select grocery chains and retailers–you can see a more detailed list on their site.

I plan on drinking more rooibos red tea now, because I really like the taste of it. What type of tea do you like best–black, green, red, white, or herbal? Whatever tea you choose to drink, hope you enjoy National Iced Tea Day! 🙂