This iced tea recipe shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SipYourSummer #CollectiveBias
Sometimes, at the end of a long, hot day of ripping out shrubs and digging in dirt, you just want to kick back and relax with a tall, cool something wonderful and put your feet up.
What do I mean by “something wonderful”? Well, that all depends, but my something wonderful starts with all-natural iced tea made with “the best stuff on Earth”, including the fresh flavor of ripe summer peaches.
Maybe something frothy and frozen, with a sweet layer of pure red raspberry at the bottom, and just the smidgiest hint of real vanilla.
Something you can whip up in 5 minutes flat, and enjoy as much as those pricey restaurant drinks.
Maybe, after that long day, when you’re in need of nothing in the world but refreshment and relaxation, you need a Peach Melba Iced Tea Slush made with Snapple Premium Tea!
- 2 bottles Snapple Peach Iced Tea
- 1 pint red raspberries
- 1 dash vanilla (just a tiny little smidge)
- Using one bottle of tea, fill an ice cube tray and let freeze.
- While tea cubes are freezing, puree raspberries and vanilla. If needed, add a bit of your second bottle of tea to thin to a pourable consistency.
- Once cubes are frozen (partially frozen is fine, too) pile them into a blender or drink machine along with the rest of your second bottle of tea and blend until mixture is a slushy consistency.
- Pour raspberry mixture into the bottoms of two glasses. Top with tea slush. Garnish with leftover berries and serve with a spoon and straw.
And if it just so happens to be 5:00 somewhere (anywhere?) feel free to add a splash of bourbon. I won’t tell anyone.
It’s a good plan, isn’t it? Good, except for one big wrench in the works – by some magic that will never be explained, the kids just don’t seem to tire out as quickly as we do. Or ever. Am I right? It’s a rare day when my kids come to me and say, “Hey Mom, can we just sit and take a load off for a few minutes?” If only…
So, a mom in need needs a plan. That’s why we devoted a recent weekend to a little DIY project that the kids were all over. If there’s one thing they love more than anything else, it’s chasing butterflies. A simple net from the dollar store and those kids are busy for hours–no lie–but there’s one caveat: you’ve gotta have butterflies to chase.
So we tied a rope to the back of our Subaru, pulled out our nasty, woody, overgrow shrubs, and replaced them with a rainbow of plants that we knew would attract our lovely winged friends, along with some bee buddies, since they really need our help these days, too.
There are so many beautiful plants that attract not only bees and butterflies, but also hummingbirds, and many are really easy to plant and care for. Personally, I love perennials because they come back each year, but we also rely on some annuals for color and filling in bare spots.
If you want an interactive garden full of lovely visitors, you can’t go wrong with these pollinator-friendly plants:
A recent excavation project left us with some pretty shale pieces that made a perfect stepping stone path, and my son has been sitting in his new garden ever since. It doesn’t look like much yet, but he’s monitoring the blooms on each flower, and paying careful attention to which butterflies land on each plant.
I can’t wait to see what it looks like next year when it’s all filled in with foxglove, bleeding hearts, lavender and butterfly bushes!
It’s his own peaceful place to sit and think, and he just beams with pride when he gets to show everyone who visits our home. Sometimes, he even lets his sister sit in there with him. They both get to learn and benefit from a little down time, and I get to take a “me” moment in the swing nearby, glass in hand. It’s a win for all of us.
A little tip: if you’re good, you just might be able to convince your child that if he sits really, really still and patient with a flower behind his ear, a butterfly could come and land on his head.
No joke. This little trickery can buy you enough time to finish your drink all the way to the bottom.
“Whatever you do, don’t move.” ::evil laugh from the lady relaxing on the porch swing:: << That’s me.
Sip Your Summer
Snapple has a tea for every tea lover, from boldly flavored to barely sweet. I think my absolute favorite is the “Sorta Sweet” Straight Up Tea that pairs so perfectly with my Cinnamon and Curry Honey Roasted Chickpeas. (It comes in unsweetened, too, if you’re already sweet enough.)
Even though I love the peach flavor, I’m currently on the hunt for Lady LiberTEA. It’s a limited edition blend of black tea with RED raspberry, WHITE peach and BLUEberry flavors, available in stores between May 1st through July 4th in 16oz singles and 6 packs. If you see it, grab it! If I find any, I’m definitely adapting this recipe with strawberry puree. Soooo yummy!
See the entire Snapple lineup at Snapple.com, and be sure to stock up at Walmart where 18.5 oz Straight Up Tea and Premium Glass items will be on Rollback for $1.00 in-store starting on June 3rd.
AWESOME post! I love the recipe and thanks for the gardening tips! I will have to try some of these plants so my kids can see more butterflies!! #client
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Very easy to make and sounds tasty! Thanks for sharing! 🙂