Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade {& my first guest post!}

The only drink I've ever liked from Starbucks is their Passion Tea Lemonade. I stop nearly every time I'm leaving Target to get one. When I found this copycat recipe from Smells Like Home, I was excited to try it out.  Having this is going to save me quite a bit of money because it tastes JUST like Starbucks. I like mine lightly sweetened (two pumps for a grande at Starbucks, for reference) so this lets me customize perfectly.

These gorgeous, much better than usual, pictures were taken by my brother (the same brother that took these beauties).

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract
8 oz brewed Tazo (or other brand) passion tea, chilled
2 oz lemonade (homemade or store bought, I used Simply Lemonade)

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a low boil over medium-high, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let the simple syrup cool. Transfer to a mason jar or other airtight container and store in the refrigerator (this recipe makes a lot but you can keep it in the fridge for a couple weeks).

To make the tea lemonade, combine tea, lemonade, and 1 1/2 TB simple syrup in a mason jar with a lid or another sealable container. Shake the mixture to combine (or stir vigorously in a glass) and pour over ice. Serve cold.

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In other news, I'm doing my first guest post! E of Adventure of E is in Texas this week so swing by her blog to hear me talk about me and some good food. If you're stopping by from her blog, welcome! Stay awhile & I'll bake you a cookie ;)