Faux Sangria - Sparkling Iced Tea, Alcohol Free BUT all the Taste and look of Sangria

Big Plans the weekend...

We have lots of plans for the weekend, several folks dropping by.  I like making a big pitcher of this just to have available for a little liquid snack.  I load the pitcher up with fruit, and if I plan right, it is easy to replenish 2 or 3 times throughout the weekend without cutting up more fruit.


It does help to have a big pitcher.  This big belly fellow holds over a gallon.


Here's what I did (but if you use a smaller pitcher, cut the recipe in half)...


6 cups boiling Water
10 cup size Tea bags or 4 family size
1/3rd cup Sugar
4 cups chilled Grape Juice (use white if you pass this off as Iced Tea with fruit, use purple if you like the deeper richer look of Sangria)
2 small Oranges (cut in thin slices)
2 small Lemons (cut in thin slices)
2 small Limes (cut in thin slices)
2 cans 7-Up or you can use club soda.  Diet 7-Up worked fine.

• It's very easy, boil the water, steep the tea for 5-6 minutes.
• While that's working, slice the fruit.
• When the tea is steeped, add the sugar and mix
• Let the pot cool for an hour
• In the large pitcher, combine the sweet tea, grape juice, fruit and 2 cans of 7-Up
• Cool in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the fruit to mingle with the taste of the tea, juice and soda.
• Add ice just before serving.

The beauty of the recipe is how easy it is to replenish.  Sure, if you drain the pitcher, you can start fresh without having to cut new fruit.  But if you just use 1/2, make a pot of tea, add the sugar, a little grape juice, a can of soda and you are all set to entertain again.  I can keep this pitcher filled with minimal effort all weekend.


And it really does have all the taste of a Sangria, less calories...


And it is a beautiful thing!

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