4 Refreshing Ice Tea for "SUMMER"

In the dog days of summer, sipping a cold glass of iced tea is a heavenly experience. These 4 low-cal recipes will leave you refreshed and ready to battle the heat

1. Pomegranate and Lime Iced Tea

Serves: 8

Hands-On Time: 5 min

Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

8 cups boiling water

8 tea bags

2 cups pomegranate juice

3 limes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sugar

Direction:

Pour 8 cups of boiling water into a heat-resistant pitcher. Add 8 tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes

Remove and discard the bags and allow the tea to cool to room temperature. Stir in the pomegranate juice, limes, and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve over ice.

2. Green Tea is Spiced with Ginger and Mint

Serves: 8

Hands-On Time: 5 min

Total Time: 25 min

Ingredients:

·          3 ounces ginger, unpeeled and sliced

1 cup mint leaves

6 green-tea bags

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Direction:

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the ginger and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add the mint and tea bags. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

Strain the liquid into a large pitcher or other container. Add the honey and lemon juice; stir.

Chill in the refrigerator. Serve in tall glasses over ice cubes and more mint leaves.

3. Orange Iced Tea: 

Serves: 8

Hands-On Time: 25 min

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

6 oranges, washed

1/2 Cup sugar

1 Cup boiling water

4 Cup black tea, chilled

Ice cubes

Fresh mint sprigs

Direction:

With sharp knife, cut peel from one orange in a spiral motion so it's all one piece. Cut spiral into 6 long narrow strips; set aside. Slice peeled orange and 2 unpeeled oranges into a large bowl. Add sugar; crush with large wooden spoon or bottom of a glass until sugar is dissolved. Add water; crush the slices again. Let steep 15 minutes. Strain the mixture and combine with the tea. Fill glasses with ice cubes and add tea. Garnish by twisting reserved peel around straws or dropping in the ice tea with a sprig of mint.

4. Rose Petal Ice Tea 

Serves: 8

Hands-On Time: 20 min

Total Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

3 Cup water

1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. rose syrup

2 Cups water

3 tea bags (quality black or green tea)

3 Tbs. granulated sugar

Few rose petal for garnishing 

Direction:

Bring the 3 cups water to a boil. Add the rose syrup and lemon juice then turn off the heat and allow it to cool down. Strain the rose water into a pitcher. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and place in the tea bags. Brew for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add the granulated sugar to the tea and stir. Allow this mixture to cool. Add to the rose water and stir. Serve over ice and garnish with rose petal