recipe: homemade Arnold Palmers

we're back from our vacation! We had a lovely time exploring Hamburg, and then spending several days on a small Danish Island in the Ostsee (East Sea...? I'm not sure what we say in English) I'll be back on Friday to share some photos, but for today, here's another favorite summer recipe! 

one of my all time favorite drinks to enjoy in the summer time is an Arnold Palmer. Half iced tea and half lemonade and absolutely delicious! (also, thanks to my dad signing me up for golf lessons years ago, I actually know who Arnold Palmer is)

anyways, I suppose it's no surprise that no one in Germany has ever heard of an Arnold Palmer (the drink or the golfer!). So, I've started making my own from home. It takes a bit of time and planning, as the tea has to brew and then cool, but it's totally worth it. Here is the recipe that I've created- just the way we like it!

you will need:

for the lemonade:
3 lemons (plus extra for garnishing if you so desire)
3/4 cups of sugar
4-5 cups ice water
mint (optional) for garnishing 
a large wooden spoon for stirring
lemon squeezer & large jar 

for the iced tea:
two tea bags of a strong black tea (I use Cupper's English Breakfast)
large jar for brewing 

Step one: Brew your tea

You can do this either by brewing as you normally would (with boiling water) and then letting sit in the fridge overnight. Or you can make sun tea- let the tea bags soak in a jug of cold water in the sun for several hours. It's up to you! Either way, make a large jar!

Step Two: Make your Lemonade

(Here's what I do. But feel free to play around with amounts to get the taste just as you like it!)
Juice your 3 lemons, pouring the liquid into a large glass jar. Add the sugar and give a good stir with your wooden spoon. Fill up your jar with the ice water and give the mixture another good stir. 

At this point, I normally pour my lemonade through a strainer to catch any seeds or pulp from the lemons that may have snuck in. If you like your lemonade "pulpy" then skip this step!

Note: If you want to drink the lemonade as it is, you may need to adjust the water/sugar ratio here as I've shared what works well when mixed with tea! 

Step Three: Mix them together and enjoy!

Now simply pour yourself a glass- half tea and half lemonade. Play around with the mixture to see what you prefer- I tend to add slightly more lemonade, but Waldi likes more tea. If you want, add in some mint, a lemon wedge and a little stir stick for mixing your beverage. (I made this one from a small wooden skewer and washi tape)

Now, grab your summer reading and enjoy!