Has everyone been having a nice, long Memorial Day weekend? We’ve had a very relaxing weekend, with lots of episodes of Mad Men, kitty cuddles, and long walks, with some visits with Alex’s family in between. On Saturday, while we had our sliding glass door open for the kitties to look through the screen, I decided we needed a summery beverage for the beautiful weather. With some lemons in the fridge, some freshly brewed iced tea (I have been going through pretty much a gallon a day.. oops!), and frozen strawberries that I keep handy for smoothies, I was all set to make this iced strawberry lemonade tea.
This hit the spot. Nice and cold, with a twinge of sour and a hint of sweet, it’s perfect for a hot summer day (which we’ve been having a lot of lately.. and it’s only the end of May.. what will July be like?!). While the tea flavor isn’t very pronounced in this, since there really isn’t that much in it, it gives it more flavor than it would if you were using water.. obviously.
I love using the whole lemon (minus the rind) in drinks like this. It thickens it up perfectly. I’m a pulp lover. If you’re not that big of a fan of pulp, that’s totally okay too – just use the juice from 4 lemons instead of using the whole thing. No problem!
I can imagine this would make a lovely cocktail, as well, so if you want to add your favorite booze, go for it! Just be sure to let me know how it went! 🙂
Iced Strawberry Lemonade Tea
serves 4
2 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
4 whole lemons, rinds removed
2 cups unsweetened iced tea
liquid stevia, to taste (I used ≈60 drops, or 2 droppers full – you could also use 1/2 cup sugar)
In a blender, combine the strawberries, lemons, and iced tea. Blend until smooth. Add sweetener until it reaches the desired sweetness, and blend until well mixed. Serve immediately.