Sun tea is our big thing for us. You take cold water and tea bags and put them in a glass jar. I put the jar outside and the sun heats it up and brews it. It saves us having to heat up the house with boiling a pot of water.

My husband swears it tastes better that way but somehow only with the summer sun. Whatever.... haha. Either way, we like it.

Another beverage we really enjoy during the summer is a frosty citrus cooler. I make up the base mixture and keep it in the fridge for when we want something bubbly and refreshing. The recipe for the base is 3 cups orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 small jar maraschino cherries with the juice. Shake mixture well and chill. Fill a large glass with ice cubes and pour citrus base mixture halfway. Then add whatever carbonated beverage you like - lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, or seltzer. Fish a cherry out of the base container and garnish.

This base also makes a great base for a punch bowl. Just double or triple the recipe and add the soda just before serving. Throw in a ring of sherbet if you like. ;-)