Let's Have A Drink!

I am not, and have never really been much of a drinker.  In high school it wasn't really around or part of the activities that I engaged in.  In college I drank enough to know what I liked and what I didn't (or rather, didn't like me), but more often than not I was too busy studying to do much partying.  In my early 20s I would enjoy a drink here-and-there with dinner or grab a beer after work, and by my mid-to-late-20s I was either pregnant, nursing, or doing both.

I think that part of the reason alcohol has never really been my 'thing' is because neither of my parents were big drinkers when I was growing up - they weren't opposed to drinking, and each enjoyed a drink here-and-there, but it wasn't a regular thing.  Except during the summer.  Because summer in our house?  Meant Slush.

At the start of every summer, my Mom would make a bucket of Slush and stock the back corner of the refrigerator with Sprite or 7-Up for those hot summer nights when a popsicle just wouldn't cut it.  Though not fans of me drinking before I turned 21, my parents made an exception with Slush, and it was the best way to cool down after a long day of lifeguarding in the summers between college semesters.  (Looking at the ratio of alcohol to other liquid and the fact that it gets further diluted with soda, I think it is safe to say that you could drink an entire bucket and still be below the legal limit, though I am in no way implying that you should!)

Mom’s Slush

2 cups sugar
4 green tea bags
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade
1 can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice
2 cups any flavor Schnapps (Brandy or Gin are fine as well)

Boil 7 cups water and 2 cups sugar until dissolved; let cool.  Meanwhile, steep 4 green tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water.  Leave tea bags in water until cooled; add to sugar mixture.  Pour in lemonade, orange juice and alcohol.  Mix well; pour into plastic container and freeze for at least 24 hours, stirring several times over that period.  Serve with 7-Up or Sprite.