Sweet Fruit Tea

Recipe

2 cups boiling water
2 tea bags
sweetener of your choice
at least 1 cup of ice
¼ cup fruit juice

Pour boiling water over tea bags. Steep for desired length of time. Discard tea bags. Add sweetener and stir. Pour tea over ice in pitcher or individual, heat-safe cup. Add fruit juice. Stir. Add more ice if necessary. Makes 2 servings, double or quadruple recipe as needed for large groups.

My favorite way to make this is with apricot nectar and Lipton regular iced tea bags, but you can experiment with varieties of tea and different juices. For a group you can also choose to use small amounts of frozen concentrate juice.

For a party

If you're making this for a party, choose a nice pitcher to pour it from. Make ice with pieces of fruit in them ahead of time for a special touch. Leave out the sweetener and allow your guests to choose and add their own.

For everyday at home

I make this all in one large Tupperware cup. I steep the tea in the cup, discard the bags and add the other ingredients and the ice right into the same cup, to save having to wash an extra container. I have found you can make it with apple juice or whatever juice you might have in the fridge - it adds a bit of sweetness and nutrition. Just be careful of the color, a darker color juice will make tea that is a funny color.

You can purchase 12-ounce can of apricot nectar if you look carefully in the juice aisle of your store. Try the international section if it's not in the juice aisle. These brands are often marketed to those from Hispanic countries and you may find the label is printed in English and Spanish.