Mint Simple Syrup (for use with Mint Juleps)

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
10 to 12 fresh mint sprigs
Preparation

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil, stirring often, 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add mint, and let cool completely. Pour into a glass jar; cover and chill 24 hours. Remove and discard mint.

Homemade Sweet Tea
2 cups boiling water
6 tea bags
1 cup sugar
pinch of baking soda
cold water
ice

Boil 2 cups of water in a pot, once boiling, remove from heat and add baking soda and stir. Add tea bags. Allow to steep about 10 minutes. Right away remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool. Then add to picture with ice and cold water until pitcher is full.

After making 1 time you can always adjust the amount of sugar up or down depending on your preference of sweetness. I like to make it a little extra sweet in the pitcher because later when I pour it over ice, the ice melts and calms down the sweetness some.

Lemon flavor ice
Large Ice Cubes for Pitchers (Great for Summer!)
1. Thinly slice up lemon and limes.
2. Place a few slices in each section of a muffin tin.
3. Carefully fill the muffin cups the rest of the way with water.
4. Freeze overnight.
5. Pop out and place in a large pitcher of water or iced tea!

THYROID DRINK

RECIPE:
– 1 cup unsweetened 100% cranberry juice
– 7 cups purified water
– 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp ground ginger
– 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
– 3/4 Cup fresh squeezed orange juice (approx 3 oranges)
– 1/4 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (approx1-2 lemons)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring water to a boil; add cranberry juice, reduce heat to low
Add cinnamon, ginger, & nutmeg, stir and let simmer for 20 minutes; let it cool down to room temperature
Stir in orange & lemon juices...Add ice and enjoy!

— with Ashley Johnson.

HOMEMADE WINE
3 lg. cans frozen grape juice
3 c. sugar
1 pkg. dry yeast

Put in 1 gallon jug. Fill with lukewarm water. Put heavy balloon on top of jug. Once balloon inflates then deflates wine is ready. Strain with cheesecloth.

Add
Starbucks iced coffee made at home
10 cups coffee 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup vanilla creamer. —

 Koolaide cubes

Vodka Slushies
Ingredients
1 1/2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, defrosted
2 cups vodka

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a large plastic container. Freeze for several hours. It will not freeze solid, but rather achieve the consistency of a slushy.

Scoop into punch cups or wine glasses and serve.

Cucumber-Lemonade Chiller

Ingredients
3 large cucumbers

1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh rosemary, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1 cup(s) water
6 ounce(s) (3/4 cup) gin
1/2 cup(s) lemon juice
3 tablespoon(s) agave syrup (see Tips & Techniques)

Directions

Cut 12 thin slices of cucumber for garnish.
Peel and chop the rest of the cucumber; transfer to a food processor, add rosemary, and puree. Pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl or large measuring cup. Press on the solids to extract all the juice. Add water, gin, lemon juice, and agave syrup to the cucumber juice; stir until the agave is dissolved. Divide among 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with cucumber slices and rosemary sprigs.

Ginger Shandies

3 bottle(s) (11.2-ounce) chilled Hoegaarden beer
1 bottle(s) (12-ounce) chilled ginger beer
1 thinly sliced lemon
Mint sprigs, for garnish
Directions

In a large pitcher, combine Hoegaarden with ginger beer. Stir in most lemon slices and mint sprigs. Fill 6 rocks glasses with ice. Add remaining lemon slices to glasses and pour in shandy. Garnish each drink with a mint sprig and serve.

Mojitos

Ingredients
2 ounces of Simple Syrup
2 ounces club soda
2 ounces of white rum
One Lime
5-6 fresh peppermint leaves
Instructions
Muddle the mint in the bottom of the mixing glass, then squeeze the juice of the lime into a mixing glass. Put the squeezed lime parts into the drinking or serving glass. In the measuring glass add the rum, simple syrup, and club soda. Pour the mix into the mixing glass and stir all the ingredients together. Next, pour the contents of the mixing glass into drinking glass. Top off the drinking glass with ice, and you may garnish with a sprig or mint or two.

— with Kathy Lyles-Stewart.