Friday, June 22, 2007

Iced Cranberry-Mint Tea

Prep: 20 minutes + standing
Yield: 2 quarts

4 cups water
2/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
8 lemon herbal tea bags
3 1/2 cups reduced-calorie reduced-sugar cranberry juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
ice cubes
lemon slices, optional

In a large saucepan, bring the water, mint and sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags. Cover and steep for 15 minutes.

Discard tea bags. Cover and let stand 45 minutes longer. Strain and discard mint leaves. Stir the cranberry juice and lemon juice into tea. Serve over ice with lemon slices if desired.

Tips and Tricks
Rather than boiling the water on the stovetop, I use a Pyrex bowl and cook the water mixture in the microwave. Use caution when removing the bowl from the microwave. Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow in your own garden.
Make It Healthier
Using low-cal low-sugar cranberry juice cuts 31 calories from each serving.
How Kids Can Help
Measure ingredients. Add teabags to hot water.

Nutrition Facts
1 cup equals 34 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 4 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein
Diabetic Exchanges
1/2 starch

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