Make Simple Syrup & Use Half the Sugar!

By having simple syrup on hand, you will use much less sugar when making lemonade or sweetening your iced tea or iced coffee. Because the sugar has already been dissolved into the liquid, simple syrup will sweeten cold drinks more efficiently (with less sugar) because you won’t need to compensate for the sugar that normally sinks to the bottom of the cup.  And it just takes about 5 minutes to make!

Ingredients:

• 2 parts white sugar
• 1 part water

Preparation:

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water- stir constantly.
3. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. *Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or it will become too thick.
4. Let cool and thicken before bottling

And, offer up some ‘NOT SO SIMPLE’ syrup

Think basil is just for making pesto? Think again!  It might just be your new favorite addition to your stand-by summer lemonade!  A few summers ago, Steph had a glass of lemonade at a party that was so refreshing she just had to know what the secret ingredient was.  Would you believe it was a sweet basil infused lemonade?  For a festive twist at your next BBQ, why not put out a pitcher of lemonade — with a container each of basil simple syrup and regular simple syrup next to it — if your guests choose, they can be a bit more daring and go for the burst of basil! Basically you just stew some basil along with the sugar, and then strain it out.  It’s a great way to add some flair to your gathering for almost no money!

We hope these D.I.Y. summer drinks will leave you – and your wallet – feeling refreshed!  We know these iced bevvies are only the tip of the iceberg of cold summer drinks – so send in your Fab & Fru favorites – cheers!

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