Lemonade

1 1/2 c. white sugar
8 c. water
1 1/2 c. lemon juice (I used bottled and it turned out fine)

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 1 cup of the water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water. Add some sliced lemons just to make it pretty.

Yummy Spiced Cider

8 c. apple juice

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

6 inches stick cinnamon

1 t. whole allspice

1 t. whole cloves

1 t. shredded orange peel

Cheesecloth (100% cotton)

To make the spice bag, place cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and orange peel in center of a double thick, 6" square piece of the cheesecloth.  Tie closed with clean string.  (I use sewing thread.)

In a large sauce pan combine juice and sugar.  Add spice bag to the saucepan with juice mixture.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.  Remove spice bag and discard.

Note: When we do this, we buy 64 ounces of apple juice, make the cider, and then put the cider back in the juice container.  We then keep it in the fridge and reheat in mugs when we want it.  It's super tasty.

Mock Champagne

This is a very light and tasty alternative to the standard event punch of sprite and shorbet. You can even make this and leave out the ginger ale if you don't like the carbonation like me. :)

2 gallons apple juice
2 regular sized containers of white grape juice
2 liters of ginger ale

Mix the apple and white grape juices together and freeze. Refrigerate the ginger ale separately. Put the frozen juices in a large punch bowl and pour the ginger ale over the top to serve.

Serves 40 easily.

**Recipe can be halved for smaller groups and juices can be mixed together and frozen in the juice container. To get the juice out of the small necked juice bottle, simply take out of the freezer several hours before the event to allow the juice to become slushy. No ice is neeed.

Guava Punch

I hosted a baby shower this weekend and made lots of yummy treats. I don't have pictures of all, but the recipes are coming!

A HUGE hit was this Guava Punch yum! For our shower the baby expected was a girl. I added a few drops of red food coloring to make it pink. You could add blue for a boy, green for St. Patricks day....This is yummy-licious!

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (can use lowfat)
4 cans guava juice/nectar
1 cup pineapple juice
2 T lime juice

Combine above ingredients well. When ready to serve add 4 cups of club soda and ice.
This makes enough to fill a large punch bowl.