Old South Punch - recipe

For those who may have super bowl parties coming up:

Aunt Belle’s Old South Punch*

* from Serenade of the South

6 Lemons or Limes

6 seedless oranges

1 cup sugar

1 pint frozen strawberries, thawed

½ gallon cranberry juice

2 liter bottle of lemon-lime soda (Sprite or any brand you favor).

block of ice, frozen ahead in plastic container or milk carton

On the night before, slice lemons and oranges paper thin. Remove seeds. Combine with sugar in a large bowl to marinate overnight.

When preparing to serve, place orange and lemon slices, juice and all, in large punch bowl with strawberries and block of ice. Fill punch bowl with cranberry juice and lemon-lime soda. Stir to cool. Serves about 12.

Contributed by Louise Ulmer, author of Winter Shaker and Serenade of the South...Who could resist an antebellum mansion by such a name? Not Ariel. She's there to write the family history for her Great-aunt Belle, the owner of the house and benevolent ruler of all therein. Ariel has an ally, too, a lovely woman in a long gray dress, whom no one else can ever remember having seen.