SUMMER IS HERE...

and there is nothing that reminds more of summer than iced tea and lemonade. Yummy and refreshing, they are the perfect thing when the temperature starts to rise. Now, while I love these two items seperately and sometimes mixed together (Arnold Palmer, anyone?!) the fact is, drinking them the same way day in and day out throughout the summer can get a little boring. So, I set out to find new ways to make these refreshing drinks new and delicious. While flipping through my June issue of Food Network Magazine (yes, I read Food Network Magazine, don't judge!) I came across Aarti Sequeira's recipe for Kuwaiti Cinnamon-Orange Iced Tea and since I'm a Middle Easterner myself, this definitely seemed like my cup of tea, literally! Let me tell you, it was worth the try! The mix of spices and flavors that goes into this iced tea is not only delicious and refreshing, but it also makes your tummy feel all warm and fuzzy at the same time, and boy is it pretty!



Now, how to change up lemonade? That was easy. Berries are so plentiful this time of year and so easy to find in your freezer section, so as you can imagine Raspberry Mint Lemonade was a natural choice for summer. This lemonade is tart and sweet and so delicious, you're not going to want to go back to plain old lemonade. You can also make this fun by adding a little fizz to your drink with some seltzer. Whether you like it flat or fizzy, you're going to fall in love and seriously, look at that color!!!



Now for the recipes:
Kuwaiti Cinnamon-Orange Iced Tea by Aarti Sequeira

For the Tea:

• 2 large pieces of Orange Peel
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 8 black tea bags

For the Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 quarter size coins peeled ginger, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh mint

Directions:

1. Make the tea by combining 8 cups of water, the cinnamon stick, and the orange peel in a saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil. Add the tea bags, turn off the heat, and let it steep for 5 minutes (don't keep too long or it will get bitter). Remove the tea bags and chill, don't remove the orange peel or cinnamon stick yet.
2. Meanwhile make the syrup by combining the water, sugar, and ginger to a saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil without stirring. Once the sugar has dissolved, cut the heat, and add your mint, tearing up the leaves and stems. Let it cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes) and strain discarding the mint and ginger.
3. Strain the tea into your pitcher and add the ginger-mint syrup to your liking. Server over ice and enjoy!

Rasbperry-Mint Lemonade:

Raspberry Mint Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 bag frozen raspberries
• 6 sprigs of mint

For the Lemonade:

• 1 cup of lemon juice (approximately 6 lemons)
• 4 cups of water for flat lemonade, 3 cups water and 1 cup seltzer for sparkling lemonade

Directions:

1. Make the syrup by combining your water, sugar, and raspberries and bring to a boil over low heat. Once the berries have released their juices and popped, turn off the heat and add your mint. Allow to cool for at least a 1/2 hour.
2. Strain your raspberry-mint syrup through a fine mesh sieve, making sure you squeeze all the juice out of the berries. Discard the pulp, seeds, and mint leaves.
3. In your pitcher, add the lemon juice, the raspberry mint syrup, and your water. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Here's one more picture of both drinks side by side. I love the colors!