LEMON ICED TEA PUNCH

I know, that title doesn't SOUND very appealing, but trust me, this stuff is DELICIOUS!!!  If you find yourself in need of a good punch recipe this holiday season (or wedding shower season, or baby shower season, or birthday party season, or whatever!), look no further.  This one garners rave reviews every time I serve it, and with only 3 ingredients and the ability to make it in about 2 seconds, you can't go wrong.  And, it gets all bubbly and foamy, so the presentation is pretty.

A dear friend shared this recipe with me years ago.  We worked for several years in the Bed Babies Sunday School class every week together, and I treasure that time we spent rocking babies and talking about life.  She has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders and encouragers with the blog, thanks Barbara!

So, when she shared the recipe, I had already tasted the punch and begged her to share.  I was shocked when she told me the ingredients....

1 cup of Lipton Instant Iced Tea Mix with Lemon

(1) 2 liter of Ginger Ale

Lots of crushed ice

I was so surprised, because it doesn't taste anything like tea or lemon to me.  It's a sweet, light, refreshing mixture that young and old alike guzzle down.

I don't have a punch bowl, but I do have a large crystal bowl that works in a pinch.  This punch is so easy to mix up right in the bowl you're using.  First, put the tea mix in the bowl.  

Then, I like to pour a little bit of Ginger Ale in, just enough to stir in with the tea until it dissolves.

Fill the bowl at least 1/2 way with crushed ice.  Not cubed ice, but get the good small pellets (like Sonic ice).  And do as I say, not as you see in the photo.  ;)  (I only had small cubes when I was making this to show you).  Trust me, it makes a difference.

Lastly, add the rest of the Ginger Ale while stirring to combine.  It will get all foamy and bubbly as you pour.  If you need to, you can stretch the recipe out just a little and add maybe 1 1/2 bottles of Ginger Ale to each cup of mix, but I wouldn't dilute it any more than that.  If your punch bowl is smaller like mine, start with 1/2 cup of the mix to 1/2 bottle.  Just remember, it's a 1/1 mix for whatever quantity you decide to make.

There are actually several different flavors of the instant tea mix available.  In these photos, I veered from the tried and true lemon and tried raspberry.  

My son loved it, I prefer the lemon.  But, just so you know, you have choices.  I will say, the red color of the raspberry is nice for Christmas.  The lemon flavor is a reddish-brown color.  Here's a quick photo from a recent baby shower where we served the lemon tea punch- 

When I serve this at showers or parties, I just add more mix, ginger ale, and ice to the bowl as needed, stir it up, and more is ready to go in a flash.

I hope you try this at your next gathering, you'll love it!

Need more incredibly easy recipes?  Here's a few to try-

Candy Bar Pie

Crescent Roll Lasagna

Butterscotch Icebox Cookies

Warm Cream Cheese Bean Dip

Bacon and Cheese Quiche