SUMMERY DRINKS—SWEET, SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS

In my dreams I am a mixologist!  In reality I just like mixing things together and coming up with yummy things to drink.  This, of course, plays right into the “maker” side of me, so each summer I generally have a couple of go-to drinks that I make all of the time.

Light, refreshing and fruity are what matches my taste. These are all simple and quick to make, and adults as well as kids will be charmed by them!

MY FAVORITE SUMMERY DRINKS

Let’s start with Fruity Iced Tea. You can make this very simple drink with just about any fruit you like. All you need to do is to slice some fruit (I used 1/2 of an orange in 1 quart of brewing iced tea) and add it to the sun tea you are brewing.  This allows the essence of the fruit to become part of the tea.  This one is not overly sweet, but it’s a good-for-you drink all summer long.  Peaches, apples and berries also work well in this tea.  Add sugar if you like, but I like to keep mine plain so that I can drink it all day long.

This one is fairly new to me and I absolutely LOVE it!  The flavor is so refreshing and the color is gorgeous.  If you take it easy on the syrup you will not need to worry about calories.

The next time you are at Ikea pick up a bottle of Dryck Lingonberry Syrup. I love to mix this with San Pelligrino sparkling water at a mix-ratio of one cup water to 1-2 TB. of syrup. Like I said I stick to one TB simply so that the calories are not mounting up.

I can guarantee you will be drinking this lovely drink all day long when the sun is shining!  Your kids will like it too!

Next up is Watermelon Lemonade.  This was inspired by a drink that I had when I was out for dinner a couple of years ago.  The original drink contained Vodka, but for making an everyday drink I go without the alcohol. If you want to add a splash of Vodka go ahead. You will love it!

THIS  ONE IS SURE TO BECOME A FAVORITE:

I like to use Minute Maid Lemonade and Watermelon Juice.  Mix these at a ratio of 3 parts lemonade and 1 part watermelon juice.  The watermelon juice is much sweeter than the lemonade, so fool around with the ratios based on your taste.

With the warm weather visiting every day it’s definitely time to invite some friends over and dust off the grill. I hope you enjoy these summer drinks!