Basil Arnold Palmer
A couple years ago I found a recipe for Iced Tea with Lemonade – an Arnold Palmer made at home! Might have been in a Southern Living magazine but I don’t remember for sure. I forget the original recipe too, but I’ve adapted it to what is easy and delicious to me. My kids don’t like it but my husband does so I make it this way part of the time.
Today I added something else too. Just for fun. And it was so over-the-top delicious I almost swooned. It was that good. So I had to do a little photo shoot with my concoction and share. Cause some of you might like it too.
Here is the recipe for Sweet Tea with Lemonade and Basil:D I’ve been making it like this but without the basil. I added the basil today. Love it. Hubby doesn’t. His loss. I’ll just won’t add the basil to his glass.
Sweet Tea with Lemonade and Basil
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 handful fresh mint washed
- 4 tea bags I use Liptons
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 can lemonade concentrate
- water
- fresh basil
- ice
Instructions
- In a microwave bowl put 2 cups cold water. Add washed mint and tea bags, submerging them under the water. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Let stand an hour to steep (I don't always let it stand but it will taste better if it has time to steep a bit) Remove tea bags and mint, squeezing as dry as possible. Add 1 cup sugar (can add more if you like it sweeter) Pour tea syrup into one gallon pitcher. Add lemonade concentrate and fill pitcher to the one gallon mark with cold water. Serve over ice. Add fresh basil to individual glasses or to pitcher just before serving. YUM!
Do you like tea? Do you know anyone who doesn’t? As a child I detested the stuff. As in, couldn’t drink it if my life depended on it. I tried. But I just couldn’t do it. And of course, no one could believe I didn’t like it and acted like it was the most horrifying thing ever. I tried not to have to tell them that I didn’t like chocolate either. Oh the horror if someone served iced tea AND a gooey chocolate dessert – I turned them both down!
Now before you start leaving me comments about being so shocked that I don’t like chocolate let me assure you that I do like chocolate now. I’ve always liked candy bars that had chocolate as long as they also had caramel or peanut butter. But that was about it as a kid. No cake, no ice cream, no desserts that were all chocolate. No Oreos either.
I really didn’t have much of a sweet tooth at all – till I had my first child. Then my sweet tooth came in and didn’t leave. I still don’t like chocolate ice cream or most chocolate cakes, but I love Oreo cookies and most chocolate desserts. But I’d still take strawberry, peanut butter, caramel, etc. over chocolate.
So back to the tea. My Mom didn’t like tea either when I was a kid. But somewhere along the line in the past several years she learned to like it. So did my brother I think. My sister makes tea by the truckload during the summer! They are in the middle of wheat harvest right now so the tea will disappear about as fast as she can get it made.
I can’t really say when I decided I liked tea. And I still don’t like just any tea. I can drink it as long as it’s sweet but what I really like is what I make. I love it with the lemonade, and the basil is just the best addition. I even added basil to my ice water today and I’m telling you it was the best way to give a simple glass of ice water a shove up the sophistication ladder! IF you like basil of course. 😀
My tea almost always has fresh mint in it. The tea syrup in the recipe above is what I always make. I don’t always add the lemonade but I do everything else the same for the syrup. Same amount of sugar, fill the pitcher with water. Our mint is chocolate mint and it has a milder, more minty taste than spearmint. We like it way better. We are all excited each spring when the mint pops up!
The basil I used is boxwood basil. Isn’t it cute?! I bought some last year just because it was so cute. And I couldn’t resist getting it again this year. I really like this for adding to drinks. It’s great for pizza too cause you don’t have to chop it up. I think I may go with all boxwood basil instead of the regular after this.
I also found out this Spring that I like McDonald’s Sweet Tea. Yum. Never dreamed I’d actually order tea at a restaurant but I have! There is a Mexican restaurant in a town close to us that has good sweet tea too. So that’s my story of my journey to liking tea. And chocolate. I will eat a brownie, especially if they are warm from the oven and I have some homemade ice cream to go with it. 🙂
Sew a Fine Seam
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Those pictures are beautiful! The tea sounds so good, but I’m not sure about the basil. Guess I’ll have to try it sometime.
🙂 Found out it was pretty good huh?!! Dad even came back for more after trying it!
Deeeee-lish!!! Gorgeous, gorgeous photos! We have plenty of basil so I’ll try including some.
x Loi
🙂 Let me know how you like it!
I have to say it looks refreshing, but I am not 100% sure about basil in the tea…but I never tried, so I really can’t say. Mint looks more like it belongs in a tea…but then again, never tried. That said, I don’t usually drink anything but water 🙂 Also, I am a basil lover, and I really like the leaf shape on your boxwood pesto.
🙂 My Mom wasn’t sure either – but she really liked it. My Dad looked at it with the funniest look on his face and said it didn’t look like you should be drinking it! But he tried it and immediately drank more! If you love basil give it a try. Put just a bit in a glass of ice and tea, or water and ice. It’s so refreshing and wonderful!
Wishing for a glass of that right now!! (and all served up like in your pic, of course 😉 It looks amaaaazing!
🙂 Anytime you want to come by I’ll fix ya some! Exactly like the pic!
I am a sweet tea lover but am trying not to buy white sugar right now so I haven’t been making it. When I do I like Deborah’s recipe the best. I grew up drinking sweetened sun tea, my mom always had a pickle jar full of sun tea, and often two, out on the back step to brew in the warm months. I will take all of your chocolate desserts that you don’t want! I don’t think there is a chocolate dessert that I’ve ever had that I don’t like! I usually make a chocolate cake every week for Sunday supper!
I’m coming to your house for Sunday supper. 🙂
I bet you could use brown sugar in tea. I made some sun tea when Trav and I were first married but since I didn’t like it at the time it was hard for me to remember to make it! Plus with just him drinking it sometimes it didn’t get all very fast and didn’t taste too great after sitting in the fridge for so long!
I’m a nut for ice tea! I’ve always liked it but drink tons of it in the summer. I always have fresh brewed tea in the frig. If you haven’t tried Luzianne ice trea brew…you really should. I think the flavor is much better than Lipton’s. Half lemonade and half ice tea is called an Arnold Palmer. I like to buy the Arizona Tea instant version of this in the sugar free. I’ve never tried basil in my tea but I will tomorrow. I keep a big pot of basil growing on my back deck. A pot of mint too. I’ve never tried the boxwood basil but I’ll look for it. I love Thai Basil too…a different taste that is so good in Thai food or add it to oriental noodle dishes. I don’t know how I’ve missed your blog before….I recognize your shelves in your living room. Today I found you through a linky party and LOVE your big white house. I’m crazy for old houses. I live in one but not as old as your’s. Anyway…I’ll be following along now…. keep up the great blogging.
Awww, you are so sweet! Thanks for coming by and leaving me such a nice comment! Made my day!
What pretty presentations you have there, Jill. I wish I could drink tea but I can’t take any tannin in my diet. Have some for me, will you? xo Diana
I drank plenty of that batch Diana so consider some drank for you 😉
I love all your photos. They are so stunning.
I don’t think our brother has learned to like tea yet. But he never turns down lemonade when I offer it. Maybe he would like the tea/lemonade combo. Or maybe he’d just like lemonade. We have been going through some tea around here. I should probably be making some. 🙂 Instead I’m taking a break for a little and then heading to the wheat field soon.
I did not realize you had such struggles in childhood with having to turn down tea and chocolate. 🙂 I didn’t used to like tea either. I remember always wanting water when we went somewhere. My kiddos have tea running in their veins. {Secret: You should’ve heard Tucker tell me that A. Jill’s tea had mint in it.}heehee
Thanks! I couldn’t remember for sure if Jordan drank tea now or not. Guess his taste buds haven’t grown up completely yet 😉
I am not an iced tea drinker, but your photos make me wish I was. 🙂 Really, really, beautiful photography Jill!!!
Thank you Lisa – have you ever tried tea with lemonade? That’s how I learned to like it!
Hi Jill, I’m really enjoying reading your blog! The Arnold Palmer with mint and basil looks refreshing! I do like an iced tea with lemonade but only if unsweetened ice tea! There is no way my husband would try basil in it though!