Summer Beverages

© Leslie Sausage

1. Southern Sweet Tea

Bring a couple of cups water to a boil. Add 2 large tea bags or 6 small in the pot. Cover with a lid and remove the pot from the burner. Let the tea steep for 10 minutes. After steeping, add this to a gallon pitcher. Add about one cup of sugar now so it dissolves easily. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Fill the pitcher with water. Serve with lots of ice and lemon slices!

2. Just Like Sonic's Cherry Limeade

1 can (12 oz) Slice Lemon Lime or Sprite
2 T cherry syrup
1/3 of a lime

In a tall glass add the Cherry syrup, squeeze lime and put it into the glass.  Pour in soda and add some ice.  Add a cherry! This is REALLY good! (We use cherry snow cone syrup for this.)

3. Homemade Lemonade

3 1/2 C water
1 C lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 4-6 large lemons)
5 oz granulated sugarCombine ingredients until well blended. 

Serve immediately over ice. Makes about 5 cups.

4. Lemon Refresher

1 to 1 1/2 C sugar
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
2 C milk
1 T lemon extract
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel, optional

2 liters lemon-lime soda, chilled

Combine sugar and lemon juice on high speed for 3 minutes or until sugar is partially dissolved.  Gradually add milk,  beating constantly on high.  Stir in the lemon extract and lemon peel.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add soda just before serving.  Serve over ice.  Makes 3 quarts.Everyone liked this!

5. Lemon-Flavored Sugar

1 C sugar
1 envelope unsweetened lemonade-flavored drink mix

Combine the sugar and drink mix. To serve: Add 2 teaspoons flavored sugar into 6 ounces hot or cold tea.

Other flavors are also good.

Try Peach, Raspberry, Orange...

I double the recipe, combining two flavors.

One of  my favorite combinations is Grape and Lemonade. I store this in a pint jar and use it to make a single glass of drink mix rather than a whole pitcher.

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Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas -- http://heart4home.net.