Rock Paper Sweet

A collection of imaginative wedding ideas & stylish everyday living, from the rings to the favors to the 'happily ever afters.'

Sunday, May 20, 2012

When life hands you lemons...

With Memorial Day just around the corner, it certainly feels like summer is here to stay!  One of my absolute favorite things to do is sit by the pool or lake, and sip Arnold Palmer's.  Not familiar with this perfect summer beverage?  It's a refreshing blend of iced tea and lemonade.  It also happens to be legendary golfer Arnold Palmer's favorite beverage, which is where the name comes from. 

Every southerner has his or her own unique recipe for Arnold Palmer's.  Here is mine:

Fill a large pitcher with 2 quarts of tea and 2 quarts of lemonade.  Stir well.  Slice up one medium sized orange and place the slices into the pitcher.  Add 2 large sprigs of fresh mint (about 10 leaves).  Refrigerate until chilled, then pour over ice to serve.  You can make this with either store bought tea and lemonade, or make your own.

Iced Tea:
In the south, iced tea is always sweetened, so there is really no need to say "sweet tea."  It's always assumed that "iced tea" means it will be sweet.  I love to make sun tea, which is something my parents used to make when I was little.  You take several large black tea bags and place in a covered pitcher filled with water.  Let it sit out in the sun for a couple hours to brew, then sweeten to your liking and chill.

Lemonade:
The beautiful Sea Island resort in Georgia makes the most delicious lemonade I have ever tasted in my life!  I begged and begged for the recipe, but all I got was a little hint from one of the chefs.  It really surprised me what he said: use Country Time lemonade mix, but double the amount of powder it calls for when mixing up a pitcher.  No, all that sugar is definitely not healthy, but it sure tastes good!  I always float lemon slices in mine for extra tang.



You can always add vodka to this for a refershing adult beverage!