I’ve been planning a big patio furniture upcycle reveal. I was hoping to have part one of that project completed to share with you this week but, well…I opted to relax with a glass of iced tea instead. It’s been about 80 degrees and sunny all week in the Chicago area and the summery weather has just been begging me to enjoy it while drinking a cold beverage.

If you’ve been following the blog over the last few months, you may have noticed my current obsession with citrus. I’m not really sure what the root of that craze is, but I have been wanting to put oranges in pretty much everything – salad, mocktails, pasta, you name it. To add to that orange-inspired collection, I’ve made a simple sweetened iced tea recipe that’s the perfect drink to enjoy on a warm day while sitting in the shade on a yet-to-be-upcycled patio chair.

I promise that I will be working on that furniture project next week and I really am excited to share the results with you. In the meantime, grab a glass and join me as I relax with some Orange-Cinnamon Iced Tea.

Orange-Cinnamon Iced Tea
Yields 8 cups

Tea
8 cups water
8 tea bags (I use a basic black tea)

1. In a medium pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil.

2. Once the water boils, add the tea bags and remove from heat.

3. Let the tea steep for 4 minutes.

4. Remove tea bags and let the brewed tea cool.

5. Once the tea is cooled, add the orange-cinnamon syrup. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a serving pitcher and add ice.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Orange-Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest of 1 orange

1. In a small saucepan, mix the water, orange juice and sugar. Add the cinnamon sticks and orange zest.

2. Turn heat to medium-high. Stir mixture frequently until it comes to a boil.

3. Once the mixture boils and the sugar has dissolved, remove saucepan from the heat.

4. Allow the sugar mixture to cool. It will thicken a bit once cooled.

5. Strain mixture to remove cinnamon sticks and any large pieces of orange zest.

6. Add cooled sweetener to brewed tea.