The Frugal Foodie: Sparkle Plenty Punch

<p>
<em>Serves 12</em>
</p>
<p>Serve this refreshing punch in place of wine or cocktails at your ladies’ lunch.</p>
<p>• 2-liter bottle club soda, chilled<br />
• 2 cups iced herbal tea (see guide below), chilled<br />
• 2 cups fruit juice (see guide), chilled<br />
• ¼ cup Simple Seed Syrup (see recipe below)<br />
• Ice cubes with mint leaves<br />
• Fresh cherries and mint sprigs, for garnish</p>
<p>1. Assemble all ingredients in a large bowl. Ladle into ice-filled glasses.</p>
<p>
<strong>Simple Seed Syrup</strong>
</p>
<p>
<em>Makes 1?2 cup</em>
</p>
<p>• Seeds from 1 pint raspberries or blackberries OR 10 to 12 apricot kernels OR 1 cup cherry pits<br />
• 1 strip lemon or orange peel, pith removed<br />
• 3 cups water<br />
• ½ cup sugar</p>
<p>1. Place seeds, pits or kernels in a medium saucepan with peel and water, and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to ½ cup of liquid, about 20 to 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
2. Strain the seeds, pits or kernels from the water and discard; return the water to the pan.<br />
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3. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool completely.</p>
<p>
<strong>Try This Tea With This Juice</strong>
</p>
<p>• Try ginger tea with orange juice<br />
• Try mint tea with grapefruit juice<br />
• Try cinnamon tea with apple juice<br />
• Try berry tea with pomegranate juice<br />
• Try chamomile tea with pear nectar juice</p>
<p>
<strong>Tip: Getting to the Kernel</strong>
</p>
<p>Place apricot pits on a dish towel. Cover with another dish towel and smash them with a hammer, exposing the kernels inside. It’s easiest to do on the floor, outside on the sidewalk, or on a very hard cutting board–marble works well, if you have one.</p>
<p>Apricot kernels impart an almond-like perfume to apricot preserves, and also can be dried and ground and used as a spice in recipes. The flavor is quite strong, so go easy and taste as you go.</p>
<p>
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<p>
<em>Lara Starr and Lynette Shirk’s book,</em> The Frugal Foodie Cookbook: Waste-Not Recipes for the Wise Cook <em>(Viva Editions), was released in September 2009.</em>
</p>
<p>Click here for the main article, <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/cooking-methods/the-frugal-foodie-8-recipes.aspx”>
<strong>The Frugal Foodie: 8 Recipes</strong>
</a>.</p>