trees with spring leaves

30 May 2014

Welcome friends. Over the last week or two Chicago has experienced some much anticipated warm weather. The warm weather makes me want to get outside. This photo is from a stroll around the neighborhood. I thought the dappled light and red leaves would be a great opening image for this post.

The blueprint for this drink comes from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten. That recipe uses lemon zinger, red zinger, and apple juice. I thought it was a great idea to use fruit juice to sweeten tea. I added a green tea with pomegranate. Green tea seems to help elevate my metabolism and pomegranate is reported to be an excellent anti-oxidant. I also think the flavor of pomegranate pairs well with green tea. This is a drink that tastes good and does good things for you. It is also simple to make, once you collect the ingredients.

I think red zinger and yellow zinger are, well, too much zing for my taste. I love red rooibos tea and it is caffeine free. I only use 1 teabag of red rooibos because it has been a little difficult to find lately. You don't have to follow my recipe exactly. You can add a few teas that you like. There are new and interesting tea blends coming out every season. Try different juices as well. I've also made this using peach juice, and pomegranate juice. I don't mix the juices, however, just the teas.

I use the container from my blender to make the tea in, and then let it cool in the container over night. I pour the tea and juice in a pitcher the next morning and add the cut fruit.

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Tea Sangria

Pitcher of Tea Sangria

Ingredients

makes about 8 cups

  • 5 cups boiling water
  • 4 pomegranate green tea bags
  • 2 lemon zinger tea bags
  • 1 red rooibos tea bag
  • 3 cups of mango juice
  • 1 orange or peach cut into pieces

Directions

pour the boiling water in a heat-proof container. I use the container from my blender because it has cup measurements marked on the side.

cut the tags off before placing the tea bags in the container. Stir a few times with a wooden spoon and allow to cool completely.

add the fruit juice to the cooled tea and stir to combine. I like mango juice, but peach juice and pomegranate juice are also good. Cut up the fruit and stir the tea after it is added. Place the tea in the refrigerator to chill.