Don't you just hate Mondays? First of all, you just don't want to wake up in the morning. All you really want to do is to switch off your alarm, pull the sheets over your head and ignore the world and all those grown up responsibilities that make you stressed and irritable. And, when you finally manage to drag yourself to work and get through the day, you get home exhausted, and just plain frustrated that Friday is another 4 days away!
Monday was just a tough day for all of us. It started badly- we woke up to a hot and sunny morning, and it just kept getting hotter and hotter. Plus the weekend was hectic since it was Vishu (our New Year). Saturday went in getting stuff done in preparation for Vishu and Sunday involved a lot of cooking for our traditional feast. All in all a fun, but slightly tiring weekend.
So I decided to surprise the Hubby and UJ with a pitcher full of this cooler when they got back from work that evening. I had come across the recipe a while back, off course the original recipe called for Tequila, but it was Monday and even we are not that shameless! Although having said that, maybe starting the week with a pitcher full of Iced Tequila isn't a bad idea :)
So here's my non-alcoholic version with a few additions. I've renamed it Shalini's Virgin Summer Cooler
Here's what you need...
2 cups of brewed Earl Grey tea (I used 1 tea bag for 2 cups of water)
2- 3 star anise
1/2 cup mint flavored sugar syrup (normal sugar syrup infused with mint leaves)
2 cups guava juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
seeds of half a pomegranate (mash them up a bit so the juices run out)
lemon slices for garnishing
And this is all you have to do...
First of all add the star anise to the warm tea so that the flavor can infuse while the tea cools to room temperature.
Add all the ingredients to a pitcher and mix well. Add in a lot of ice and serve.
Here's how it turned out....
Next time I'll be naughty and add the tequila...
[Images- Shalini Pereira]
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