Passion Tea Lemonade Recipe (& my name..)

I really love ordering a Starbucks Shaken Passion Tea Lemonade on a hot July day, don't you? Totally yummy and refreshing. Yet, sometimes the budget just doesn't allow for a Starbucks splurge. So, I came up with a solution: make it at home. I whipped up one of these iced teas for myself yesterday afternoon and it was honestly just as tasty as one from Starbucks! I saved money, AND it had way less sugar. Winning! And who doesn't love winning? :) I posted it on my Instagram & Twitter yesterday and had some requests for the recipe. Here it is, y'all! (and if you scroll down to the bottom of this post I have a little book update or somethin' like it)

Homemade Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade Recipe 

1 Tazo Passion tea filterbag 

1 quart of boiling water

1 quart organic lemonade 

1 cup ice 

Place 1 filterbag in a 2-quart pitcher and fill with a quart of boiling water. 

Steep for 5-6 minutes until tea is strong, then remove bag.

Add lemonade to pitcher.

Serve over ice in a pretty cup!

Refrigerate after brewing, keeps for 24 hours.

recipe altered from Tazo tea box 

Also, a quick little announcement for my precious Sweetness Itself Blog readers - So, this sounds a little random, but we're gonna chat about names for a minute - weird, I know, but stick with me ;) - as you know, I've been going by "Erin Elizabeth" on this little blog and on my social media profiles (including Facebook... are we friends?) I've been not sharing my last name. This is fine for blogging - we all have to set boundaries and do what is most comfortable for us based on our situation, life, and family in our profiles that are out there for the world to see on the Internet, and that's OK. But as I am expanding my reach and publishing my book in the next few months (ahh!) as well as have some speaking engagements on the horizon and other exciting stuff (will share soon :) I've felt it is time to expand my "branding" a little bit and become a bit more easily recognizable by sharing my full name. Those of you who know me personally know that my real last name is very long, very unique, and may possibly be the only one of it's kind out there. Which is great! Yet I just don't feel comfortable using my full real name in the public setting. Mostly because of privacy for my family and also because it's super hard to spell, pronounce and remember. So, I am choosing to use a "pen name" or pseudonym. That may be strange to some people but it's what I'm gonna do (by the way, in my searching about this topic on the Internet, I found that Jennifer Aniston isn't Jen's real last name... No! Who knew? She's really Jennifer Anastassakis! See? She gets it with the crazy long last names. I'm apparently in good company ;) I am not legally changing my name, still the same old me. But I will be going by a pen name on my blog, book, etc :) Just wanted to update, because no I didn't get married secretly and change my name - believe me, you'll know when that happens! 

  All of that to say, I will be officially going by Erin James. James is my dad's full name and a special family name, and I think it just sounds good. Just wanted to update ya so you 

wouldn't be thrown off. Gotta keep my sweet friends and supporters informed. Love you all SO much and excited to share some new things with you soon! 

Be blessed and stay sweet.

Peace!

XO
Erin