Punch recipes for that special spring or summer occasion

Have you been shopping for girl's clothes lately? I went with our daughter to try to find age-appropriate clothing to wear to a couple of weddings we have coming up and was shocked and disappointed at what I found in all of the stores we went to. It was mostly styles that I would not put an 11-year-old girl in. So, we made some adjustments to some clothes we already have and that will be her wedding attire. Maybe I am just getting old and out of touch with the latest trends in fashion and style.

Speaking of weddings, I had a call from a reader who would like recipes for punch to serve at wedding and baby showers or maybe a graduation open house. That is always a tricky theme because of personal preferences for ingredients and colors, but I will include a few of our favorites here today.

California Tea

4 tea bags

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons)

1/2 to 3/4 cup superfine sugar, to taste

3 lemon slices

Steep the 4 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags and allow the tea to cool. Combine the lemon juice, sugar and 4 cups of cold water in a large pitcher. Add the tea and lemon slices. Serve over ice.

Refreshing Fruit Tea

1 (15-ounce jar) powdered orange-flavored drink mix

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup presweetened lemonade mix

1/2 cup unsweetened instant tea

1 small box apricot-flavored gelatin

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until well blended. Blend in enough hot water to dissolve all ingredients, then add cold water for the strength you desire. Float with orange slices and serve with lots of fresh ice and a slice of orange in each cup.

This next recipe for punch is old, but when I make it, people still ask for the recipe.

Sherbet Party Punch

2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups boiling water

2 cups cold water

1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice

1 (46-ounce) can orange juice

1 cup lemon juice, fresh is best

1/2 gallon orange sherbet, softened

1 (1-liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled

Combine gelatin and sugar; add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in cold water and juices; chill. Spoon sherbet into punch; add ginger ale. Yields about 6 1/2 quarts.

Strawberry Sparkle Punch

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

3 cups cold water

1 (32-ounce) bottle cranberry juice cocktail

1 (28-ounce) bottle ginger ale

Put strawberries in blender and puree. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in lemonade concentrate. Add rest of ingredients; chill.

Cool Mint Refresher

4 to 5 fresh mint sprigs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups cold water

3/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 quarts ginger ale

Thinly sliced lemons

Rinse mint and discard stems. Mix sugar, water and juice in medium bowl. Stir in mint leaves. Let stand 30 minutes. Fill large pitcher with ice. Strain liquid over ice. Add ginger ale and lemon slices. Serve in tall glasses with lemon slices to garnish.

Mock Margarita Punch

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate

1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 cups crushed ice

2 cups club soda, chilled

Lime slices

Coarse salt, optional

In blender container, combine lemonade and limeade concentrates, powdered sugar and ice. Cover, blend until of slush consistency. Add club soda. Stir gently. To serve, rub rims of glasses with lime slices; dip rims in coarse salt. Fill each glass with punch mixture. Garnish with lime slices. Yields 10 (1/2-cup) servings.

Graduation Punch

1 (16-ounce) can cream of coconut

1 large can pineapple juice

2 (2-liter) bottles of Swiss cream light soda

Optional: 10 maraschino cherries

Combine cream of coconut and pineapple juice. Mix well. Put liquid, along with maraschino cherries in a ring mold. Extra liquid can be frozen separate. Freeze for 24 hours. Place frozen ring mold of punch in large punch bowl and add 1 liter bottle of Swiss cream light soda. Extra frozen punch can be added as needed, along with last bottle of Swiss cream light soda. Note: Swiss cream light soda is transparent.

Sherbet Delight Punch

1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice

1 (46-ounce) can apricot nectar

1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale

2 (6-ounce) cans frozen lemonade

Rainbow sherbet

Mix juices together. Stir in frozen lemonade. Float spoonfuls of rainbow sherbet in punch. Serves about 25.

Red Party Punch

2 packages cherry Kool-Aid

2 packages strawberry Kool-Aid

4 cups sugar

6 quarts water

2 (46-ounce) cans orange juice

2 cans frozen lemonade, undiluted

2 quarts chilled ginger ale

1 (46-ounce) can grapefruit juice

Mix Kool-Aid, sugar and water thoroughly. Add orange juice and lemonade. Stir in ginger ale just before serving. Makes 3 gallons or 95 (4-ounce) punch cups.

I am out of room, so I'll close with wishing you a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.